Top FBI Counterterror Official Announces Retirement (only 3 months on job)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A255-2003Oct8.html

The FBI's top counterterrorism official announced his retirement yesterday after just three months on the job, marking the latest in a wave of departures from the senior ranks of the FBI since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Larry Mefford, a 24-year FBI veteran who became executive assistant director for counterterrorism and counterintelligence in July, will leave at the end of the month to take a top security job for a large casino firm in Las Vegas, FBI officials said.

Mefford is the third person in the past 18 months to hold that position, which by FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III created to oversee terrorism and intelligence investigations. All the senior posts at the FBI have turned over at least once since the Sept. 11 attacks.

The steady stream of departures has left the bureau "extremely thin in the experience department," one FBI official acknowledged yesterday. The bureau has struggled to hold on to personnel amid grueling hours, intensive congressional scrutiny and a dramatic effort to remake the FBI into an agency focused on preventing terrorism.

[goforit]

1. No loyalty amongst the troops ,....eh Bobby 3 sticks?

This is a common occurrance in a Banana republic!

o well

[TacticalPeek]

2. Here's an interesting link to resignations.

http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/resignations.html


Now we need a page for retirements, for reassignments, for family-timers, for suicides.

[Rose Siding]

3. Well poor them

Finding the latest felon in the WH should be a welcome relief! Instead of the taxing "dramatic effort to remake the FBI" they can do what they are more familiar with. Investigate. Organized. Crime. domestically

[Nottingham]

4. Wouldn't you want to retire if Aschcroft was your Boss

:bounce:

[inthecorneroverhere]

5. have fun!

While I'm sure that the casinos are happy to hire this person, this seems like a bit of a career step down for him.

Often, casino security works up in their jobs from inside the house, because stuff like detecting cheating and scams takes experience in a casino to recognize. I don't think that 'dealing from the bottom of the deck' is high on the list of Homeland Security threats, so I doubt he's got much card shark experience. :D

Would have expected a top FBI man to go for something more like head of facilities security at a manufacuring corp.

Have fun chasing slot sluggers and card switchers! Just remember that using one's brain at 21 is legal! :D

[JackSwift]

6. This is bullshit

we are at war and our generals are retiring? Bullshit. Congress needs to authorize a damn draft for senior officals. Bush is so not serious about winning the war.

[truthisfreedom]

7. bush* wants the fear to NEVER GO AWAY

so he's perfectly pleased about this. it keeps us scared, and that makes his job simpler. and when his job is simple, it matches his mind.

[MaineDem]

8. He saw James Caan on "Las Vegas"

He wants to be James Caan. That's it! :evilgrin:

Seriously, one has to wonder at the retirements/resignations. I'm not sure if I should be concerned that there are so many or surprised that there aren't more.