From Washington Post:
A day before the release of a searing congressional report about intelligence failures in Iraq, departing Director George J. Tenet told CIA employees not to be distracted by the criticism.
In a rousing valedictory yesterday before cheering colleagues and friends at CIA headquarters, Tenet defended the embattled organization he has run for seven years. He is at the center of a fierce debate over prewar allegations about Saddam Hussein's forbidden weapons.
"The American people know about your honesty and integrity, of your commitment to truth," Tenet said. Predicting that the public will "recognize and honor" the CIA's overall record, Tenet added, "My only wish is that those whose job it is to help us do better show the same balance and care: in recognizing how far we have come; in recognizing how bold we have been; in recognizing what the full balance sheet says."
This morning, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is to release an extensive report about the intelligence failures preceding the war in Iraq and, according to officials who have seen the report, will portray prewar assertions about Iraq's weapons as almost entirely false. By all accounts, the report will harshly criticize the CIA and its prewar statements -- now largely discredited -- about Iraq's biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs.
Tenet said last month that he is resigning for personal reasons, but the timing is broadly seen as related to the intelligence debacle in Iraq and the campaign season debate about whether the Bush administration exaggerated the case that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction
Matt's Chat
Nothing like accepting responsibility for having screwed up your job...at least he didn't rip the Bush administration. He has some class after all. Although, I'm sure the book deal is out there waiting for him, so we'll see...Here is the really interesting bit from this piece though:
Although a Tenet successor is not expected to be named today, the White House continues to indicate it may propose a replacement in the next few days, which would give the Senate less than two weeks to act before Congress goes into recess.So Lehman is out...I don't mind that at all really. While I liked Lehman over Goss, I don't think Lehman is the right guy at the right time.
Among those said to be under consideration is Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage, who, as a friend of Tenet's, attended yesterday's ceremony. Armitage, according to two senior Democrats on the intelligence panel, is probably the only Bush appointee who could win bipartisan support at this late date.
According to a senior Bush official, others being considered are deputy national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley, former senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), Reps. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.) and Christopher Shays (R-Conn.). Rep. Porter J. Goss (R-Fla.), a former CIA case officer and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, was an early favorite, but Democrats objected to him. Another candidate mentioned in media accounts, former Navy secretary John F. Lehman, is not among those being actively considered, an official said.
Armitage is an interesting choice. As is Hadley and Shays. I'm not that familiar with Cox, so I'll have to read up on him I guess. I think Nunn would be a disaster.
Mahatma is always up for the game of "pick the replacement"...what do you think?
Mark's Remarks
Look, Tenet was not a great director, but look at what the man had to work with. He dealt with an intel community that had been gutted for eight years, at the time of 9/11 he was just beginning to actually get funds not to mention briefing time (he only met with Clinton twice in his tenure under Clinton). Yes, he was the head man and was responsible for ensuring accuracy, however, when you have a skeleton crew with old systems and endeavoring to prove they are valuable in the face of idiotic and insane ideas by John Kerry and Co. about disbanding the intel services, things do get difficult. The men and women rank and file of the CIA are not to blame. George Tenet is culpable, but so too is the man who reduced our services to a joke, William Jefferson Clinton.
