Tenet's Regrets
Former CIA Director George Tenet says he regrets muttering those two words about the evidence of Iraq's WMD program:
So what's Tenet got to regret? He seems to be something of that tragic figure that so many of us were, but in a position of great power. He bent himself to undeserved support of the invasion. When he was asked his opinion on something that he knew something about, he gave a significantly wrong statement of strong support- cowing to the buildup and pressure of the situation.
The point the Administration actually decided to invade will always be a point of great dispute and contention, but a reasonable historian will re-examine the statements and documents and see that there was: a strong current of pre-existing neo-con material theoretically lauding the Invasion of Iraq under needed circumstances as a method of spreading Democracy through the Middle East; an entrenched crew of like-minded neo-cons in the Administration, many of whom had their fingers deeply inked in the process of writing this material; pre-established task forces for the purpose of determining how to best bring about positive change in the case that Saddam were suddenly yanked from power; Publically, as much effort as possible was dedicated to pinning Saddam to 9/11 in the months following that tragic attack.
So what we had, as many of us agree, is the decision to Invade followed by the attempts to justify that invasion. Decision first, evidence second.
What does Tenet regret, exactly? The fact that his hindsight shows him how foolish his language sounds? Or the fact that he cowed to political and cultural pressure to provide that moronic soundbite?
"Those were the two dumbest words I ever said," Tenet told about 1,300 people at a Kutztown University forum Wednesday. The theory was a leading justification for the war in Iraq.Tenet is an interesting figure in the War- one of the few who actually did hold themselves accountable for their actions in the build up by retiring from service when it became evident that the many problems in the CIA were results of his failures as Director during these vital times. He also was, according to former "terrorism czar" Richard Clark, the only serious figurehead in the administration who had placed al Queda-style and magnitude terrorism, and Osama bin Laden himself, as the primary threat to America in the years prior to 9/11. According to Clark, Clark and Tenet repeated appealed to the administration to build intelligence and urgency against al Queda, but were stifled until the event occured.
...
Unsure that Americans would find a CIA listing of evidence compelling, Bush turned to Tenet. "It's a slam-dunk case," Tenet said.
So what's Tenet got to regret? He seems to be something of that tragic figure that so many of us were, but in a position of great power. He bent himself to undeserved support of the invasion. When he was asked his opinion on something that he knew something about, he gave a significantly wrong statement of strong support- cowing to the buildup and pressure of the situation.
The point the Administration actually decided to invade will always be a point of great dispute and contention, but a reasonable historian will re-examine the statements and documents and see that there was: a strong current of pre-existing neo-con material theoretically lauding the Invasion of Iraq under needed circumstances as a method of spreading Democracy through the Middle East; an entrenched crew of like-minded neo-cons in the Administration, many of whom had their fingers deeply inked in the process of writing this material; pre-established task forces for the purpose of determining how to best bring about positive change in the case that Saddam were suddenly yanked from power; Publically, as much effort as possible was dedicated to pinning Saddam to 9/11 in the months following that tragic attack.
So what we had, as many of us agree, is the decision to Invade followed by the attempts to justify that invasion. Decision first, evidence second.
What does Tenet regret, exactly? The fact that his hindsight shows him how foolish his language sounds? Or the fact that he cowed to political and cultural pressure to provide that moronic soundbite?
posted by General Stan at 9:24 AM
2 Comments:
I'm actually of a mind that Tenet should not have left the CIA. It left an opening that the administration has used to pursuade many in believing that Tenet's CIA was the absolute reason we are in Iraq, and their misinformation was wholly seperated from the bush administration. Many in the CIA are sick of the administrations scapegoating, let alone fingering agents who's identities are to be kept secret. I think Tenet did leave for moral reasons making him a better man, I only wish he had the political power/balls to speak out.
Natron [nice name!]
Gotta concede that I agree with you- i think that all in all things could have been better with someone of Tenet's reasonable constraint still in the CIA- but it's also hard to know. He does, partially because of these concessions to the culture of the Administration, come off as something of a cipher- he's lost in the system, unable to voice his opinion at a volume loud enough to counteract those in charge/running the ideology. So, since the only thing he could really do that was in line with his moral code was resign, he did it.
I think what I'm trying to say is that so many of those up at that level SHOULD have resigned because of their poor leadership skillz (women only like men who've got good skills- numchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills...) [RUMSFELD!!!] but nobody had the gall to do it- particularly because we live in an age of non-accountability. Everybody at the top levels of command refuses to take responsbility. But Tenet, when it became more and more clear to him that leadership in the CIA was a problem in the buildup to both 9/11 and the Invasion, decided to hold himself accountable. So...
yeah.
I'm just sayin is all.
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