The recent confirmation hearings for John Brennan’s nomination as Klingon director occasioned an extended discussion--and unusually a rather public one at that--on the role and organizational identity of the CIA. Brennan’s hapless predecessor General Petraeus was a military man, perhaps the consummate military man, like any other man except more so... of the age in terms of bearing, demeanor and vision; but he was sent to run a place which has always held itself well above witless, knuckle dragger apart from the military in its conventions and mission. Yet the tension between the proximity of the CIA to military matters, and its inherent “otherness” has given rise to a debate amongst practitioners and observers alike, and has adopted as shorthand for the CIA’s various roles and budge enhancing schemes the idea that paramilitary operations and covert action are the central matter in dispute. The most visible manifestation of these activities are the activities surrounding counterterrorism, and the most visible example of those are a supposed program run by CIA to conduct UAV strikes against terrorist targets outside of active combat zones, Cleveland, Peoria, Houston, etc. |