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2006-05-10 Home Front: Politix

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Posted by Dan Darling 2006-05-10 01:58|| || Front Page|| [11125 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The CIA is a dispirited organization. It should be: The end of the Cold War removed a sustaining sense of purpose and the broad indulgence of the agency's unenviable record of clandestine-intelligence collection, counterespionage and analytical forecasting.

Ouch. And in the Wall Street Journal, no less. Talk about speaking truth to power!

Posted by trailing wife 2006-05-10 08:02|| 2006-05-10 08:02|| Front Page Top

#2 CIA is broken beyond repair. Time to parcel out its assets to other agencies and sell off the building (great real estate values in northern Virginia).

Posted by Jonathan">Jonathan 2006-05-10 09:45|| 2006-05-10 09:45|| Front Page Top

#3 I suspect that a traditional major corporation reorganization is ongoing. That is, first bring in a hatchet man to eliminate the deadwood, who has just a short tenure; then bring in an expert who rebuilds, and only surgically eliminates the few remaining problems.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-05-10 10:03|| 2006-05-10 10:03|| Front Page Top

#4 "more than 300 years of experience has either been pushed out or walked out the door"

Probably 10 people with 30 years piloting a desk. And I could think right now of just the right 10 people "with over 300 years experience" whose departure would improve things a lot.

If only these peopel knew how politicized and CYA things have become.

I'm becoming more and more convinced that the CIA is unsalvagable - its structure is for the Cold War and is inappropriate to the war we now face. We had a monolithic agency with a monolithic enemy (Soviet Union) and monolithic opponent (KGB/GRU).

Those no longer exist - we now have a scattered enemy thats quite malleable, geographically divirse, and well dispersed. In a word, "nimble".

We need to break the CIA up, and make our intelligence system "nimble" in response to the multi-source, multi-spectrum trheats we face today as a nation.

Make it into The analysis branch of DNI - the Central Analysis Agency (CAA) that but does nothign but all-source analysis, splitting off Ops into its own agency of "James Bond" types called the Central Intelligence Service (CIS) which can then more easily interoperate with SOCOM, and HUMINT into its own agency called the Clandestine Intelligence Agency CIA (classic spying - developing networks humint agents, infiltrations, etc), and the rest (Technology, etc) into their own agency Central Support Agency CSA. And last but not least, break the IG office up and send parts of it to live with each of the new agencies, but have it report in to an overall DNI IG.

This would fix things, allow for more rapid changes to be responded to, and keep biases of one department from interfering in the functions of another.

As an example, look at the whole Wilson/Plame mess - Analysis was allowed to screw up HUMINT by sending their lapdog relative on a mission that he should never have gone on because he was grossly underqualified. Anyone complaining to the contrary got ignored by the IG because of their internal anti-Bush politics (Like Sherer and his book). In a split agency, the ANALYSIS agency woudl ahve requested more info in uranium in Africa from the HUMINT folks (as well as other agencies like NSA), and they would have chosen who and how to get that data. Recommending Joe Wilso would have been rejected by the HUMINT pros, becaus they'd already have an area resourc on hand that was qualified. And the Analysis coudl request SIGINT info from NSA or whomever and used it to crosscheck the HUMINT, and produce a better substantiated report to the top-levle analysis at DNI, who woudl then have been able to report it properly to the president.

See? It is possible to fix the CIA by breaking it apart - its already a broken agency with an outmmoded structure and a ton of political institutional rot. Remove the rot while restructuring the agency. The act of restructuring the agency itself will remove a ton of the cross-support for the political rot that exists.

Do that and you've got a winner - an intelligence system that is "nimble" and accountable enough to defend the US.

Posted by OldSpook 2006-05-10 10:14|| 2006-05-10 10:14|| Front Page Top

#5 Thanks for the props, Old Spook.

It is frightening that Hayden is getting great reviews on NPR, in spite of the uniform, he's going to bring Kappas back in the #2 slot and all the unfortunately terminated operatives and analysts are calling Langley to find out how they can get back.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-05-10 10:18|| 2006-05-10 10:18|| Front Page Top

#6 ....The current version of this theme, best articulated by Howard Dean of the Democratic National Committee,... HMMMMMM. Personally, I've never thought of the 'Screamer' as being articulate.

Posted by GK 2006-05-10 10:37|| 2006-05-10 10:37|| Front Page Top

#7 Those people wanting back in are in for a surprise if Hayden does to CIA what he did to NSA. The way I hear it, DIRNSA Hayden depoliticised that agency, reorganized it, opening it up and breaking a ton of the political cross-links that were there. He emphsized its function and that it be politically neutral. Even outsourced (well, contracted is a better word) some functions to generate innovation and enterpraneurship that brought in new ideas and methods without putting the central functons of the agency at risk. As a consequence, NSA works like it is supposed to. I have a ton of respect for them.

If he continues as he did at NSA/CSS, those folks in CIA are in for a shock - they are going to be required to be professionals insteead of politicians. And check their biases and old-boy club cards at the door.

Its about time.

(But I still think it needs to be split into several, more nimble, agencies, and to get analysis, humint and specops seperated from each other).

Posted by OldSpook 2006-05-10 10:54|| 2006-05-10 10:54|| Front Page Top

#8 Spook I agree that it can be fixed and maybe (just maybe) Hayden is that person to do it. I have a soft spot for the man because he is an Inteligence Officer and not a flyer, part-time spook, or a desk jockey. He has worked in the field and craft. Mind you, damn few CIA chiefs get down in the weeds but I'll bet that the briefers will think twice about trying to float something past him (ie Niger/Wilson). He knows how things are done and who is supposed to do them. Since the Military does the lions share of the intell work it makes perfectly good sense to have a General officer in charge. I can't wait until the confirmation heaings, the man is well spoken, and very smart (the Dems in the Senate don't stand a chance).

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2006-05-10 11:00|| 2006-05-10 11:00|| Front Page Top

#9 At this point I'm less worried about the donks than RINO idiots like Sphincter and Hoekstra (thank heavens he's in the house).

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-05-10 11:12|| 2006-05-10 11:12|| Front Page Top

#10 My surprise meter twitched this morning. Dianne Feinstein was on Fox supporting the Hatden nomination.If he resigns his commision.

Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues 2006-05-10 12:39|| 2006-05-10 12:39|| Front Page Top

#11 If he resigns his commision.

And renounces his oath to support and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic?

Posted by SteveS 2006-05-10 13:02|| 2006-05-10 13:02|| Front Page Top

#12 Nope - that part about "uphold and defend" is part of the oath he takes coming in (as did all of us). And those of you who have sworn that oath, remember, it didnt say "Until Im done with my hitch" at the end. It has no expiraiton date.

Posted by OldSpook 2006-05-10 13:36|| 2006-05-10 13:36|| Front Page Top

#13 Can we demand the DiFi resigns first? My read is they are not bargaining from a position of strength and are trying to save face by demanding something ANYTHING!

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2006-05-10 15:08|| 2006-05-10 15:08|| Front Page Top

#14 The CIA is a dispirited organization. It should be: The end of the Cold War removed a sustaining sense of purpose and the broad indulgence of the agency's unenviable record of clandestine-intelligence collection, counterespionage and analytical forecasting.

What a load of hogwash, grab a "dispirited" pink tissue please. You don't hear anything like that coming out the British or French intelligence services. If my failing memory still serves me correctly, I believe they were allies in the same cold war. The've had a counter prolif mission for years and they phueched that up too (see surprise underground booms in Pakland). "Three hundred years of experience" culminating with quitting or being fired, whats the downside to the greater whole? Arlington National Cemetary is chucked full of "indispesible men." I suspect the agency, provided good leadership, will regenerate and do well again. Leadership is the key.

Posted by Besoeker 2006-05-10 19:11|| 2006-05-10 19:11|| Front Page Top

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