Can Our CIA Be Trusted?

Updated at bottom

Tonight for the first time since the Valerie Plame affair began, individuals with senior experience inside the US government suggested there may have been a deliberate CIA effort to smear the President of the United States behind it. By definition, this would also undermine the war on terror as we know it, while playing into the hands of the Democrats in Congress.

Major General Paul Vallely USA (ret) speaking on WABC radio's John Batchelor Show pointed to that possibility as a guest on the program tonight. The show also included Lieutenant General Thomas G. McInerney USAF (Ret.), who supported Vallely as being truthful when claiming that former Ambassador Joseph Wilson openly discussed his wife's employment with the CIA between late summer and early fall of 2003.

When asked what area of the CIA recent events might point to as the source for any potential smear campaign, the Operations area was suggested as one possible alternative by spy guru John Loftus, also on the show tonight.

Of note, it was alleged that a report from Wilson's trip to Niger was sent to Vice President Dick Cheney as classified, yet, no steps were taken to prevent Wilson from sharing that information publically - most notably in a New York Times Op Ed. Also,  apparently no punitive action was taken after he had done so - in effect sharing allegedly classified information with the world.

Combined with this Prowler report from The American Spectator - dealing with leaks around so-called black sites used to house enemies of the US in the war on terror, momentum may be building for an investigation of the CIA itself.

"This leak not only put CIA operatives at risk by identifying the locations, including ones that are supposedly no longer being used, it put our national security at risk here at home and put civilian lives in the countries that are helping us at risk. Weigh this leak against the one Democrats are all hopped up about and there is no comparison," says a Republican staffer for a Senator considering making a formal request for the investigation.

The "black site" revelations once again also put a focus on CIA employees detailed to both the personal staffs of U.S Senators, but also the Intelligence Committees. Some Republicans believe these detailees might have been sources for the information obtained by the Post and Human Rights Watch.

"This is a very serious matter," says another Senate leadership aide. "Democrats should be looking to join us in this investigation, but they won't because they know where it will end: their side of the aisle."

It's important to note that Bush 43 was very engaged with intelligence analysis, often reading the reports himself at his desk in the mornings. He also took steps to address issues at the CIA by appointing Porter Goss in 2004 over protests from some top Democrats and long time CIA employees.

At a time when terrorist threats both from without and within the US are potentially more likely and could be more dangerous than ever, the last thing we need is an internal governmental civil war - especially one involving both the executive branch and our top spy agency. It's increasingly looking like that's precisely what we may now have.

Update: Much more here.

Comments

[Shonane]

There were leaked reports from the CIA in the buildup to the Iraq war that indicated that the CIA did not support the information being given out by the Bush administration as justification for war. The leaks indicated that the administration ignored the CIA's best intelligence information and shaped the intelligence to fit the justification needed. This cannot be forgiven or respected by CIA agents that knew this problem existed. Then the CIA was blamed for the bad intelligence.As the Iraq situation continues to fester, the negative feelings will most likely continue to grow and potential retaliation could occur. These are the consequences of an administration ignoring its own intelligence agency's concerns.

[Dan]

The leaks indicated that the administration ignored the CIA's best intelligence information and shaped the intelligence to fit the justification needed.

That's not clear at all - if you red into it, the best intelligence was cooborated by the British - the claims actually are accurate. Iraq was looking into obtaining yellow cake Uranium.

[mylena]

hmm so it is everybody's else fault but president Bush and his administration? :)

[!]

I saw an interview on Tv today that was done with Tom Dashel. I must say I have to have a little respect for the man to be fair and balanced. He did not blame President Bush for anything nor did he blame congress for any misinformation that may or may not have been revealed that was used to make a discission to go to war in Iraq. He said that the Cia and FBI and other orginizations may or may not have had all information they should have had whether it would have made a difference or not about the war in Iraq he did not know.
I was really impressed that had the dignity to be somewhat honest in his answers.
That is a rarity with the Dems these days.
God bless America and God bless our soldiers all over the world and God bless President Bush.
:O)

[mylena]

well i think there are as many honest or dishonest democrats or republicans. I find it appaling when people mention either one to be dishonest all of them, because it is just not true. Politics itself isn't a "peaceful" job, there is a lot of'politics' involved and it is a tough job.

[Chitika pays more than Adsense]

If the CIA is really so partisan, I would like to know whether this is a new trend or has it always been like this?

[lawbster]

thanks, but no thanks on the koolaid. no one but bush apologists support the yellowcake story. the admin are in a hole and continue to dig by obfuscating and getting others to cover for them.

we need an investigation on this story, but it ain't gonna happen, because bush and pals can't stand the scrutiny. just another attempt to draw attention from the corruption that is endemic in this regime.

[dnichols]

I believe the Bush haters are capable on any measures in order to damage the White House and his administration.

I wrote my Congressman yesterday and asked him to begin a formal Congressional Investigation into all of this. This article was what motivated me to write.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007508

Check this out: http://www.bakerlaw.com/files/tbl_s10News/FileUpload44/10159/Amici%20Brief%20032305%20(Final).PDF

[junius]

It seems obvious to anyone with a brain that the information was not as clear cut as the Bush administration presented it to be. There was a lot of disagreement. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/usiraqintelligence;_ylt=Aoxf_vsTfFqjSrm0qJo_wNkDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl