Petraeus to CIA Completes Cheney’s Dream, Consolidates Intelligence Within Pentagon

[JohnyCanuck]

Today is the day that my worst fears will be realized, and the propaganda machine that has been mercilessly promoting the career of David Petraeus will achieve his nomination to be Director of Central Intelligence.

Aside from the horrible nature of this move in putting a blatantly political operator into a highly visible position from which he can consolidate his credentials for an eventual presidential campaign (see Spencer Ackerman for a very different take on this aspect), this move can be seen as finally completing Dick Cheney’s dream of moving virtually all intelligence functions into the Pentagon. Back when Michael Hayden was nominated to head CIA, the ongoing Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)-CIA turf war was noted:

What worries some experts, however, is a shift in the balance of power within the US intelligence infrastructure as the CIA is weakened and the Pentagon expands its role. For one thing, the Pentagon’s intelligence activities largely escape congressional scrutiny. ”Rumsfeld and Cambone claim that everything they do is a military operation,” says Richard Clarke, the former head of counterterrorism at the National Security Council, ” that therefore nothing that they do should have oversight by the House and Senate intelligence committees. But they are doing things that are clearly intelligence.”

snip

I’m sure Dick Cheney approves of Obama’s move to put Petraeus in charge of the CIA, because it is clear that Petraeus fully subscribes to Cheney’s vision of a Pentagon in control of the most important intelligence functions, fully protected from congressional oversight.

http://my.firedoglake.com/jimwhite/2011/04/28/petraeus-to-cia-completes-cheneys-dream-consolidates-intelligence-within-pentagon/

[Sonoman]

1. Sitting at the right hand of God.

When Intelligence is overseen by DoD, God will call the shots.

CIA is bad enough without adding this to the terrifying brew.

Sonoman

[sabrina 1]

2. Would a Republican president be appointing anyone different

to Obama in all these positions?

I don't see as single progressive in Obama's cabinet. This is a very important question that should be asked of all presidential candidates from now on. It seems that they put forward a couple of candidates, and then we get all these unelected people appointed to positions of incredible power without the consent of the people, like the Wall St. insiders on the Economic Team eg.

It's looking more and more like a sham democracy.

[Renew Deal]

3. Why didn't the nomination of Hayden complete "Cheney's Dream?"

Oh yeah, because he's not Obama.

[leftstreet]

4. K&R