The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot — Period (5)
Last weekend, the New York Times reported that after 9/11, the CIA developed a “secret counterterrorism program” to train hit squads to kill top al-Qaida leaders. It seemed like good news to me. After all, why bankroll an intelligence agency if you can’t use it to kill an enemy against whom America has declared war?
The news hooks: CIA director Leon Panetta killed the program last month after he told Senate and House Intelligence committees about the program.
And: Congress allegedly did not know about the nonoperational operation because, according to unnamed sources, former Veep Dick Cheney told the agency not to disclose the program to Congress.
The part of the story that undermined the story: The covert program “never became fully operational, involving planning and some training that took place off and on from 2001 until this year.”
In plain English that means: Nothing happened — there never were any Jason Bournes — and no one informed the intelligence committees about it.
Subsequent stories elsewhere reported that the program never got off the ground. CIA Director George Tenet killed the program in 2004. Tenet’s successor, Porter Goss, revived the program, but it never became operational, even when Michael Hayden, and later Panetta, took over as CIA chief.
Some unnamed sources say Cheney told the CIA not to tell Congress about the nonoperational operation; other sources claimed Cheney was not involved. Cheney isn’t talking. My guess: If Cheney told the CIA to cork it, someone at the CIA’s Langley headquarters would have leaked the whole story years ago. After all, the Bush years were replete with unnamed sources leaking classified intelligence on Iraq, wiretapping and efforts to squeeze al-Qaida’s finances.
It turns out the New York Times reported “a list of terrorist leaders the Central Intelligence Agency is authorized to kill” on Dec. 15, 2002.
[...]
The message to agency staff may be unintended, but it is clear: If there’s anyone left at CIA headquarters who wants to defeat al-Qaida, that person would be well advised to hire a lawyer first. Or maybe a shrink.
Updates:
12:11 pm EDT, July 19th, 2009 — JOE BIDEN’S TERRIBLE TRUTHS
12:21 pm EDT, July 19th, 2009 — Anti-Obamacare Protesters Take the Streets, Democrats Panic
12:23 pm EDT, July 19th, 2009 — What’s Next, Mr. President — Cardigans?
2:01 pm EDT, July 19th, 2009 — Lib talker, Lou Dobbs now asking eligibility questions
2:50 pm EDT, July 19th, 2009 — Deficits, Taxes and Time Appear to Doom Health Care Reforms
Popularity: 12% [?]
Male, retired and the rest is of little interest to anyone. The site keeps me busy and if it helps others to stay abreast of daily events then my time is well spent.
MaryT Says:
I guess all the love that O thought he got when he toured Europe before and after election is not paying off. India says no to Hillory re carbon output, and Israel is going ahead with new settlements. And some democrats are turning against his healthcare plan. Two more military officers have joined the lawsuit re his birth certificate.
He is having a bad week. (drudge)
It would be interesting to see what would have happened last Nov if the media had told the truth about his plans. The more socialism he brings in, the media is outed for not doing a vetting of him.
Posted on July 19th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Philanthropist Says:
The poodles in the media are happy to work for Nancy Pelosi if they can relive the good old days and smear Dick Cheney.
Posted on July 20th, 2009 at 4:44 am