Larry Johnson (ret. CIA) warns of Robert Gates.....

[Postman]

http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/11/bob_gates_hes_b.html

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I don't think Gates will last long, do you?

[flyingfysh]

2. especially if he doesn't get in

In January, there will be a new group of Senators who can object to him taking office.

[Postman]

4. I think it should be a non-starter....He should be rejected..

"The press has forgotten that Bob Gates, during his time at CIA, acquired a reputation for trying to tailor intelligence to satisfy political masters..."

"One of the analysts who spoke in favor of Gates was Lawrence Gershwin. Gershwin, the national intelligence officer for strategic programs, subsequently played a critical role in drafting and promoting the flawed October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq."

Several analysts came out publically against Gates. These included Melvin Goodman and Harold Ford. A New York Times piece by Elaine Sciolino captured the mood of the 1991 hearings:

Three witnesses testified that Mr. Gates slanted intelligence analysis as a senior agency official in the 1980's, while two others defended him. . . .Mr. Gates's detractors assert that the slanting of intelligence was largely confined to issues involving the Soviet Union, Soviet expansionism and C.I.A. covert operations. . . .


The most dramatic testimony came from Melvin A. Goodman, a former division chief in Soviet affairs. He accused Mr. Gates of imposing his political judgments on intelligence analyses without any evidence to back his views, of suppressing his analysts' conclusions, of corrupting the agency's stringent analytical process and of misusing personnel -- "judge shopping the courthouse," Mr. Goodman called it -- until the desired analysis was produced.

But the more reflective testimony of another witness, Harold Ford, although less explosive than Mr. Goodman's, could carry more weight with the committee. Mr. Ford, a 30-year veteran of the agency who has extensively written and lectured on ethics in public policy, described his personal agony before deciding that out of loyalty to the agency, he could not support the nominee. Adding to the difficulty of his choice, Mr. Ford is a C.I.A. contract employee who would report to Mr. Gates, if he is confirmed.

[KittyWampus]

11. he's as qualified as any Bush crony they'll nominate. Plus Dems can use his

nomination hearing to draw some blood.

[pacalo]

3. I was wondering what Larry thought about him.

It's in line with H20 Man's Opinion.

[dchill]

5. Oh - so he's just another traitorous stooge...

That explains it. I wondered why Bush picked an apparently sane person for his "team."

[Bucky]

6. Quit NOW, Rummy. We don't want to go thru a confirmation process 2 months from now.

Oh how obvious they are.

[InternalDialogue]

7. From Johnson's blog entry:

Mel's experience with Gates is consistent with mine. I remember talking to the South African analyst back in 1988, who told me about the time Bob Gates tried to change the lede on an intelligence piece, which argued that Nelson Mandela was NOT a communist. Gates wanted the lede to say that Mandela was a communist. The analyst kicked back hard and ultimately prevailed, but this behavior was consistent with his reputation as a political animal willing to curry favor with the political masters downtown and sacrifice sound analysis.

There is no denying that Bob Gates has a distinguished resume and, by virtue of experience, is as qualified as any to run the Department of Defense. But it is incumbent on Senators during the upcoming confirmation hearings to insist that Gates fully commit to keep his fingers out of cooking intelligence and promise to tell the President uncomfortable truths even if they are politically inconvenient. He had trouble doing that during his tenure at CIA. Hopefully, with the passage of time, he has grown some spine and learned the importance of integrity.

The phrase "cooking intelligence," should it stick to Gates, will drag his confirmation down. Any defense secretary nomination should be grilled on where intelligence comes from, how it moves through administrative channels, and how it drives and affects strategy and tactics. Any proper questioning should raise the issue of the DSM -- and that's where "cooking," "fixing," and other kitchen-related activities should be posed to Gates. Probably won't happen, but a proper confirmation hearing would get to the issue.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Cooked intelligence is the whole reason we have the Iraq mess (& Shrub's Oedipus complex)

[Supersedeas]

13. but he will be another Texas transplant in Washington--all that matters to W

[InternalDialogue]

16. Yeah, my better wishes always seem to refer to another reality.

In a proper universe, due concern would push things in the right direction. In this universe, those issues take a back seat to "good guys" who can do a "heckuva job."

[Annces]

8. Gates likes to make stuff up too

""I remember talking to the South African analyst back in 1988, who told me about the time Bob Gates tried to change the lede on an intelligence piece, which argued that Nelson Mandela was NOT a communist. Gates wanted the lede to say that Mandela was a communist. The analyst kicked back hard and ultimately prevailed, but this behavior was consistent with his reputation as a political animal willing to curry favor with the political masters downtown and sacrifice sound analysis.""

[peacetalksforall]

9. Without reading a word, I'm against him for Iran-Contra. This

circus administration is staffed by Iran-Contra except for North. Negroponte, Abrahms, Rice, Poindexter (the data miner), Powell (past), and many, many more.

Curiously, Khashoggi, who was the facilitator and launderer during Iran-Contra, is now linked to Khan and Cheney in the nuclear triffic trade.

We are battling the Iran-Contra crowd to keep our country. What a sad state of affairs. His selection was really reaching across the divide for bi-partisanship, wasn't it?

How many citizens know what Iran-Contra was - the precursor secret, sub-government who got their kicks by ignoring and running around and past Congress to get their war along with the weapons and alleged drugs. How many people in Nicaragua were murdered? They got their practice in then - under the great leadership (sarcasm) of Ronald Reagan and George Walker Bush. But the Republicans went on to name an airport after the one of the two Presidents who laughed at our foundation and stomped on Congress.

[Disturbed]

12. Will the Dems overwhelmingly confirm just so they appear

to be Bi-partisan?

[scarletwoman]

14. Probably... No wait, I'll bet on it. (nt)

[dogday]

15. Shite, this is just more of the same...

This administration does not need a cherry-picker of facts on the Iraq war... That's just freaking great....