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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRight Before Snowden Leaks, President Obama Fired Nearly All Members On Key Intelligence Advisory Bo
Right Before Snowden Leaks, President Obama Fired Nearly All Members On Key Intelligence Advisory Board
Remember last week's press conference, where President Obama insisted that he had already kicked off the process of a major review of the way we do intelligence and surveillance in this country -- and about how he was going to set up an "outside" review group to look all this over? The same review group that will be set up by and report to James Clapper (but, the White House assures us, not run by him)?
Right, so a few people pointed out that President Obama already has an independent group that's supposed to do that thing: called the President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB). There's just one tiny, tiny problem in all of this. It now appears that, back in May, just before all the Snowden stuff started coming out, it appears that the administration basically kicked nearly everyone off of the PIAB board. It went from 14 members down to just four. And those members were basically asked to leave:
I dont know anything about whether theyve brought in new members. They thanked me and thats about all I know, added Hamilton, widely known for his service as vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission.
[....] Philip Zelikow, who served as executive director of the 9/11 Commission and later as a top aide to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, was also asked recently to step off the PIAB.
Ive resigned from the Board, one of ten of the fourteen earlier members who have done so, Zelikow said via email. Four of the earlier members have remained, pending a reconstitution of the Board at some point for the balance of the Presidents second term. The White House website displays the current situation, pending that.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130815/16155224194/right-before-snowden-leaks-came-out-president-obama-fired-nearly-all-key-intelligence-advisory-board.shtml
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/obama-intelligence-panel-95589.html
Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)...Lee Hamilton and Phil Zelikow, I'd have booted them too. Both are useless. Hamilton's the right-wing's favorite token Dem when there's a coverup to be made. Zelikow... he's just a toady.
DURHAM D
(32,606 posts)He should have been gone in 2008.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/obama-intelligence-panel-95589_Page2.html#ixzz2cAjgGv53
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)Beginnings of second terms. Many are replaced on committees during this time.