NYT: C.I.A.-White House Tensions Are Being Made Public to Rare Degree

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 - James L. Pavitt spent 31 years at the Central Intelligence Agency, the last five as head of the clandestine service, before retiring in August. But never, Mr. Pavitt said Friday, does he recall anything like "the viciousness and vindictiveness" now playing out in a battle between the White House and the C.I.A.

The tensions have simmered for years, mostly over intelligence about Iraq, including whether Iraq posed a threat. But in the last few weeks, they have surged into the open in a remarkable way, in a struggle in which both sides believe they have much at stake.

Already, the contents of classified intelligence estimates about Iraq have been leaked by people sympathetic to the C.I.A., to the considerable embarrassment of the White House. In response, the White House associated the documents' authors with "pessimists and naysayers," and President Bush initially dismissed one particularly damaging forecast as nothing more than a guess. And in newspaper columns in recent days, Republican partisans have variously described what is now afoot as part of an insurgency or vendetta being waged by the C.I.A. against the White House.

"Wars bring things out in people that sometimes other disputes don't," said R. James Woolsey, a former director of central intelligence. "But even with the passions of war, I think you ought to keep it within channels." A third former intelligence official was more critical of the C.I.A. "The agency's role is to tell the administration what it thinks, not to criticize its policies," the official said.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/10/02/politics/02intel.html

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

1. I for one sincerely hope

the CIA kicks the White House's dirty ass.

[RebelYell]

2. A black bag op would be nice n/t

(can I say that?)

[ClintonTyree]

5. As long as the word..............

'WET' isn't included I think you're safe. ;-)

[oldhat]

3. You see what happens when you fuck with the wrong people?

I can't believe I'm "rooting" for the CIA.

Pass the popcorn, etc., etc...

[Leilani]

11. You put it beautifully!

Wonder what Poppy thinks?

[Liberal Gramma]

4. I never expected to be on the side of the CIA in anything

but I hope they prevail against the WH

[blm]

29. It's one of the reasons I marched so strongly for Kerry. I knew the intel

community was lining up behind him to get rid of Bush.

They knew Kerry understood the years of classified information on the Bush cabal because of his investigations into IranContra and BCCI. Many of those same characters from Bush1 administration were now involved in Bush2 and directly part of the terrorism policy and Iraq.

I know this showdown between the good guys of the intel community and the Bush (BFEE) loyalists is going to be historic. I expect a MAJOR PURGE of the thugs after Kerry takes office.

[Melinda]

6. Kudos to MatCom and Dad -- you heard it on DU first. - eom -

[skylarmae]

7. You know Georgie Porgie will use the CIA to cover his ass

if he possible can. At any and all expense. Kinda makes you
wonder what ole Porter's gonna do over there for Mr. Porgie and cohorts.

[Eye and Monkey]

9. "At any and all expense"

Seems like the CIA is plans to make it more and more expensive.

[The Traveler]

8. The brotherhood

remembers from Vietnam the horrible cost of altering intelligence to suit political requirements. "Never again" has been the mantra for over 30 years. Well, they got marginalized and manipulated by the White House once again ... and besides this sense that it is stupid and wrong to do this, there is a determination not to take it up the gas pipe again.

There is the scent of mutiny in the air. If Bush wins or steals the election, my question is how long will he be able to retain control of the intelligence and military communities.

[ClintonTyree]

10. Complete bullshit..........

"The agency's role is to tell the administration what it thinks, not to criticize its policies," the official said.
When you ridicule and blame the agency supplying said information, make them look insipid and bumbling for your own political gain, I believe it is that agency's DUTY to report those indiscretions.
Don't fuck with th CIA Junior. Your Daddy had a lot of pull there, but even HE isn't going to be able to pull your ass out of THIS fire.

[Tamyrlin79]

12. They make it sound as if the CIA is all there is.

Other institutions are also "fighting back" against this administration. The CIA is fighting back with what it has: information. But you can't tell me that the FBI probing the AIPAC and upper-level neoconservatives isn't also involved here. The military leadership has been... restless. And the retired ones have been quite vocal in their criticisms. We are seeing the institutions of our society, who have dealt with these guys directly, react to what has been going on in this administration. And I'd guess there is a LOT more going on there that we don't know about either.

[w4rma]

25. The NYT is a propaganda rag, imho. This article skips over the important

stuff in order to push for the "intellegence reforms" that Republicans are inserting into the 9.11 recommendations bill. The NYT doesn't have a single quote from a Democrat or liberal source in the whole article. Just one paraphrase from Sen. Kerry.

Remember what they did during when the memos came out against Bush. The NYT is NOT to be trusted.

[yardwork]

36. People in HHS services are fighting back, Pentagon is fighting back

I've never seen anything like the mutiny of career bureaucrats against this administration.

If * isn't defeated this fall there will be hell to pay. The chimp's second * term will make Nixon's look like a time-out in romper room.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

13. The NeoCon Junta was responsible for exposing a CIA operative and her....

...entire global network. That was an unprecedented act as far as I know, and was treasonous beyond ANY shadow of a doubt.

Two previous presidents tried to buck the CIA and neither one finished their respective terms. JFK was gunned down in Dallas, and Nixon was forced to resign.

As far as the military is concerned, I have never seen so many former senior military officers level as much heavy-duty criticism toward the White House as I have in the last couple of years.

By the way, Woolsey is very supportive of the NeoCon Junta, and shares many if not all of PNAC's goals.

[Disturbed]

14. Woolsy is a Neo Facist

He is a signer of PNAC.

The CIA and the Pentagon loath the Neo Fascists.

Tenet and Pavitt were fired. Goss will kiss Neo Fascists asses.

The rank and file of the CIA are pissed off. If I were in the CIA it would be tempting to black bag a few of the Neo Fascists.

[jmowreader]

23. What do you think is happening now?

If someone from the Clandestine Service just went over and shot one of these bastards, the Bushies would blame it on terrorists then pump it up to Red Alert. This way, all these exposures by the CIA, is so much more satisfying.

[0007]

27. Woolsy is one of the worse there is while taking talking points

from poppy busy butt old man bush & babs. The Carlyle group should be dismantled immediately or a big high fence with bars should surround these organized crime thugs.

[goforit]

33. He and the rest of the thugs really think they rule the world!!!.....NOT!!

[Jose Diablo]

35. Has anybody else noticed how many of the neocons seem....

somewhat melancholy, even despondent lately. My oh my. I do hope they get over whatever it is that is making them so sad.

Even Novak, slipping in the shower. You know, people are very prone to accidents when their minds are on other things.

[NastyRiffraff]

15. Shrubbie really blew it...

...when he said the CIA was just "guessing."

CIA: "Hey,enough is enough, guys...let's burn this moron's ass."

Junior is digging a big fat hole with his mouth.

[Rose Siding]

16. Novak (whose fingers should not be allowed in ANY pies)....

strongly implied that Pavitt was the source for the leaked NEI docs in a column a few days ago. How does that old crone get so much CIA dope?

[shraby]

18. I notice Novak broke his hip in the shower

hhmmmmmmmm?

[Rose Siding]

20. If I were a novelist....

the last few years would be ripe with material. This would be a warning, right?

I just read that Rehnquist was thinking of retiring some time back but his wife died so he stuck it out. Who couldn't write THAT book? Pressured/warned/scared into running the Felonious Five of 2000.

[KoKo]

31. Am I wrong ....wasn't Drudge the first to break the story linking to a

"broadcast" magazine for the news? I woke up this a.m. thinking...hmmmmm, myself.

If Drudge broke it....then there may be more there than a slippery hotel bathtub.

[yardwork]

37. It is a remarkable coincidence what happened Novak

right after he outed another CIA operative.

If something was done to him deliberately, it was obviously a warning. I'd like to know his condition upon entering the hospital. Did he have bruises, other broken bones? I wonder what really happened....

[TacticalPeek]

17. Uh . . . uh . . . ah . . . um . . . -- . . . Let me finish!

"This is the most serious threat that the CIA has faced in my memory," said a second former senior CIA official.

...

In a telephone conversation on Friday, Pavitt made an argument that others have sounded in recent weeks. "There was nothing in the intelligence that was a causus belli," Pavitt said.

....

As deputy director of operations, Pavitt headed the directorate responsible for human spying operations (TP. - Plame?), and was the day-to-day tactical commander of the clandestine war on terrorism.

...

But Pavitt was not alone among former intelligence officials in describing what is now unfolding as extraordinary. In interviews, several other former high-ranking officials, including those from the CIA and other intelligence agencies, said that while CIA and White House were continuing to work closely and professionally together, they had rarely seen tensions so high among their allies and other partisans on both sides.

...

"The agency is not out to undermine this president," Pavitt said.

At the CIA and the White House, officials dismissed the idea that the institutions were at odds.

An intelligence official said the notion of an institutional battle between the White House and the CIA was "simply not the case."

...

----------------------------------------------------------



Now tell me a famous substance is not about to hit the fan.

[shraby]

19. I refer to it as fertilizer hitting the oscillating blades.

[fearnobush]

21. GO get em CIA, They screwed you and those you protect , big time.

That would be us, the people.

[Judi Lynn]

22. Great article. They have every right to shove Bush right back.

Whenever has a real President acted this coarsely and brutish toward any government organization? Un-bleeping-believable.

[Disturbed]

24. Dissing the CIA

It was the only thing that the Neo Fascists could do. They couldn't say that they cooked the intell. so they could con the congress and the American people now could they? By dissing the CIA they made it so that cred is gone from that org. That screws up foreign intell because who will believe the CIA about other countries now? The Neo Fascists are decietful bunglers. They are walking on thin ice in my view.

The CIA doesn't usually assasinate people in obvious ways.

[w4rma]

26. No. This article is horrible. The only thing that the NYT got right was

the fact that large portions of the CIA are at war with the Bush misadministration. It only takes one sentence to say that.

[NNN0LHI]

28. Won't never see Chimpy riding in any convertibles I bet n/t

[nookiemonster]

30. Go get em!!

These are the last people that I would want to mess with. I've always had hope that this would happen, "a coup from within". }(

I don't agree with everything the "spooks" do, but in this case, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend".

BTW, I think Novak would probably get a replacement hip in one of our fine penal institutions. :P

[RebelYell]

34. I wonder what part of the hip he broke

Did he break the ball off the head of the femur (leg) or did he break his pelvis?

Breaking the pelvis is a death sentence 50% of the time for someone his age.

[goforit]

32. I hope they won't forget

the heads of state.
All corporations + OIL + Phoney evangelists

[struggle4progress]

38. kick

:kick: