Leon Panetta as head of CIA????

[Hobo1]

I'm sure Mr. Panetta is a great person and perhaps is a great manager. I just don't think that he has the qualifications for this position...

Considering this job must deal with foreign security issues AND Washington politics, what qualifications do you think important for the job? Who do you think would make a good person in this position?

 

[XCALIDEM]

Considering this job must deal with foreign security issues AND Washington politics, what qualifications do you think important for the job? Who do you think would make a good person in this position?

I answered that already!

read here: https://www.houseofpolitics.com/forum/showpost.php?p=81003&postcount=28

 

[Bunz]

Anyway, the CIA is supposed to gather intelligence.

We can agree on this.

But under Clinton, we had no clue that a fairly large attack was going to happen right after he left office.

This is where we split, I remember hearing that Clinton and his staff was quite clear in thier warnings of Al-Q. I also remember GWB saying sometime over the summer of 01 that he wasnt all that interested in hearing about them in his daily briefings.

That's not to mention the dozens of terrorist attacks the CIA didn't help stop prior to 9/11.

Isnt the CIA supposed to gather intelligence? That is thier focus, the act of stopping them largely falls onto the FBI.

Not to mention the huge surprise when India tested a nuclear bomb.

Or the great surprise to the CIA that East Germany was going to fall imminently. Oh but that doesnt matter because it happened during a GOP President.

Or the fact that Iran was gaining nuclear weapons all while Clinton "talked" to Iran about not doing so, and them innocently saying they wouldn't.

Iran has nuclear weapons? I know they have a program, and the Bush Administration says they are several years away. What do you suggest we do about Iran? Invade them?
It is also worthy to note that North Korea detonated a nuke during the time we refused to talk to them...but that doesnt matter because it came under Bush.

No matter how you cut it, the CIA under democrat leadership has been horrible.

I cant even begin to understand your partisanship here. I mean considering the absolute failure of the CIA in the leadup to Iraq, including the fiasco that "curveball" created is simply amazing coming from you Andy.

The fact of the matter about the CIA is that it is nothing but a government agency and beholden to that. We cannot expect perfection, as we would be on a path to disappointment. The CIA is only as good as its analysis and interpretation. It is also beholden to its civilian leadership.
It is the example of Curveball that was the justification of a war to the American people and its Legislative bodies. It turned out to be total BUNK!

You want to talk about a failure of Executive interpretation of the CIA look no farther than the chickenhawk that is about to vacate 1600 Pennslyvania.

 

[Bunz]

Re: Panetta's accomplishments

Maybe so.... However, ever since the Home Land Security Act was created all branches of Goverment are supposed to work together.

They were supposed to in the first place, but the fact of the matter is that this failed dramatically in NOLA.

Besides, We not only face issues with Al-quiada now, We're facing issues with Russia and Hugo Chavez. Putin wants re-vitalize the old Kremlim and the old soviet Union.

We have been dealing with Russian/Soviet issues as a major priority since about 1945. This is nothing new.
Chavez is nothing but a minor hiccup. Sure he has said some objectionable things about Bush and America, but even if Venezualan oil went away tomorrow we would be able to find other sources rather quickly, and the fact of the matter is that Chavez needs to sell oil/gas to the US a hell of a lot more than we need to buy it from Venezuala.

Do you think Panetta is the right guy to run this division?

I am not sure as of yet. I think it will probably be alright for the time being.

I think Norman Schwarzkpf would be a better choice

I am not sure what you are smoking/ingesting, but I suggest you take a break from it. If Stormin' Norman if offered any sort of cabinet position under Obama I will eat my mouse pad.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

The CIA and such agencies have always been at odds with the people obama has associated himself with over the years.

Who's that.....anti-Imperialists????​

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Delusion and al. If you have an actual argument, by all means, present it.

No prob!!​

"In policy circles, he is well known for his work as a member of the Iraq Study Group, the panel of former officials that developed a compromise plan in late 2006 for a gradual reduction of the U.S. presence in Iraq.

Former secretary of state Lawrence S. Eagleburger, a former GOP member of the panel, said that from his brief exposure to Panetta on the project he did not see him as somebody who would be out to gut the CIA or rein it in. "He was not a bomb thrower. He wasn't excessively political. He was a part of the team," Eagleburger said. "Like everybody else, he was prepared to find some kind of middle ground."

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Yeah another blog with an opinion article used as factual evidence by Shaman... shocking.

Anyway, the CIA is supposed to gather intelligence. But under Clinton, we had no clue that a fairly large attack was going to happen right after he left office.

That's the talk on the playground, huh, Skippy? ​

"Rice versus Clinton on January 2001 Clarke Memo"​

 

[Mr. Shaman]

This is where we split, I remember hearing that Clinton and his staff was quite clear in thier warnings of Al-Q. I also remember GWB saying sometime over the summer of 01 that he wasnt all that interested in hearing about them in his daily briefings.

Absolutely.....​

"Clarke helped shape U.S. policy on terrorism under President Reagan and the first President Bush. He was held over by President Clinton to be his terrorism czar, then held over again by the current President Bush.

In the 60 Minutes interview and the book, Clarke tells what happened behind the scenes at the White House before, during and after Sept. 11.

After the president returned to the White House on Sept. 11, he and his top advisers, including Clarke, began holding meetings about how to respond and retaliate. As Clarke writes in his book, he expected the administration to focus its military response on Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. He says he was surprised that the talk quickly turned to Iraq."

 

[Hobo1]

I think there is almost universal consensus that the CIA will need to be strengthen and expanded if we ever have a hope of infiltrating these terrorist organizations. That means more money and more support from Congress and the White House.

Leon Penetta's skill in working inside the politics of Washington is well known. At a time of strong competition for tax dollars inside Congress, I am glad to have a Washington insider fighting on the side of the CIA.

Considering the number of times I have heard about the CIA not having operatives that can speak the local language, I doubt whether Panetta can manage the Agency any worse.

 

[palerider]

No prob!!​

not to worry. I didn't expect you to offer up any real argument. If an opinion piece is all you can provide, why bother?

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Considering this job must deal with foreign security issues AND Washington politics, what qualifications do you think important for the job? Who do you think would make a good person in this position?

Easy, there!!

A lot o' people thought Georgie Jr. was qualified, as well.​

 

[Mr. Shaman]

I think there is almost universal consensus that the CIA will need to be strengthen and expanded if we ever have a hope of infiltrating these terrorist organizations. That means more money and more support from Congress and the White House.

Nahhhhhh....we can catch terrorists the same way Europe does.

It's not as sexy as throwing our military at everyone....but, it surely would minimize our Body Count.​

 

[XCALIDEM]

Re: Panetta's accomplishments

We have been dealing with Russian/Soviet issues as a major priority since about 1945. This is nothing new.
Chavez is nothing but a minor hiccup. Sure he has said some objectionable things about Bush and America, but even if Venezualan oil went away tomorrow we would be able to find other sources rather quickly, and the fact of the matter is that Chavez needs to sell oil/gas to the US a hell of a lot more than we need to buy it from Venezuala.

So how do you figure we've been dealing with them lately? Ever since the cold war was declared over, we began providing Russia with billions of $$. Their economy was in the shiit hole after the soviet union fell apart and all we did was to bail them out...
Now that their oil production is surging, they feel that they have the power and are planning on taking some of those soviet union countries back.

Hillary Clinton said it during the debates:


Besides, my understanding of the CIA is that it is based on intelligence, Spionage, Covert operations...

Do you think Mr. Panetta knows about running an institution like this?

 

[pocketfullofshells]

What's the big deal? Dude, where have you been? We're constantly fighting against freaking alqeada terrorists. I'm sure there's a lot of shiit that goes on under cover that we don't know about.

Because of Patriot Act we haven't had the spread of muslim militants as they do in England.

If the attack prior to 2001 was in 1992, then think about how long does it take for the sleeping cells to plan the next attack?

Would you like to be aboard the next plane that blows up in the air, or perhaps one of your family members in it?

We will soon have an incompetent president, we don't need someone else who lacks experience in counter terrorism.

see that shows that you are not paying attention, we have been fighting al quida since the early 90's. You act like it just started with sept 11.

And Englands issues have nothing do to with a lack of a patriot act, it has to do with fact that the situation there in Muslim areas is more conducive to being able to get a terror cell formed from locals. I would like to see you one post thing the patriot act has done that actuly lead to stoping a real terror cell in the US since it was put into effect.

and you say we will soon have a incompetent president, but I have news for you, you had one for 8 years. after all I will ask this again, as no right winger has ever been able to do this simple task

Name one thing Bush did before sept 11, to address terrorism, Bin Ladin, or Al Quida. Just one....And Look at Rice, who cant even figure out they are planning to attack in the US, when 1 they have , and 2 the memo she is reading says it in the title.

 

[XCALIDEM]

Nahhhhhh....we can catch terrorists the same way Europe does.

It's not as sexy as throwing our military at everyone....but, it surely would minimize our Body Count.​

I'm not sure what you're point is with your comments,as always...However, that guy Noble seems to be more adequate to be in charge of the CIA than Panetta...