Outgoing CIA official discusses concerns (Robert Richer)

[seemslikeadream]

Thursday, September 22, 2005 -

Outgoing CIA official discusses concerns

By Walter Pincus and Dafna Linzer

The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — Robert Richer, the outgoing No. 2 official in the CIA's clandestine service, made an unusual appearance yesterday at a closed session of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to answer questions about how his concern over a lack of leadership at the agency triggered his retirement.

The session was not publicly announced; neither senators nor staff members who attended would even confirm Richer's presence during their weekly session devoted to "hot topics." "He was impressive," was all one participant in the meeting would say yesterday, insisting that because of committee rules he could not be identified.

Richer's departure is a setback for the CIA and particularly CIA Director Porter Goss, who selected him for the job less than a year ago. In leaving as assistant deputy director of operations, Richer joins a number of senior clandestine managers who have left since Goss took over the agency one year ago Saturday. Richer, a former CIA station chief in Amman, Jordan, had headed the Near East division.

At a Sept. 14 private meeting with Goss, Richer explained his decision to retire.

According to sources close to both men, Richer urged Goss, a former Republican congressman from Florida, to communicate a vision for the agency and demonstrate leadership that senior career officials could rally behind.

"Rob laid at his doorstep, in a collegial way, that Goss is out of touch," said one officer whose identity is protected by law. "It fell on deaf ears," the officer said.

more
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002511753_cia22.html


Posted on Thu, Sep. 22, 2005
CIA director faces questions from employees

By Warren P. Strobel and Jonathan S. Landay

Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - CIA Director Porter Goss faced tough questions Thursday after a speech to agency employees marking his one-year anniversary as head of the troubled spy agency, current and former intelligence officials said.

The unusually caustic session in the CIA auditorium underscored what current and former officials said are serious morale problems caused by the leadership style of Goss and his top aides and the departures of experienced senior intelligence officers from an agency on the front line of the fight against terrorism.

One intelligence official termed the session "bizarre" and suggested it was symptomatic of deeper turmoil at the agency.

...

Another senior officer in the operations directorate who works on weapons of mass destruction issues and whose identity is kept secret informed his staff Thursday that he's also leaving, according to a former top CIA official.

...

According to a text of the speech provided by the CIA, Goss said that the agency has helped in the capture and killing of "dozens of high-level" al-Qaida operatives and "our efforts have unquestionably saved American lives at home and abroad."

The CIA is becoming "more unilateral" and less dependent on the spy services of other countries and is recruiting more agents, he said. It also has opened more stations overseas, is stepping up the recruitment of foreign-language speakers, including newly naturalized Americans, and is finding ways to put more officers in more places.


In a question-and-answer session, several CIA officers expressed unhappiness, according to an official who witnessed the exchange.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12716487.htm

[loudsue]

1. This was just another bush crony "appointee" who didn't have a clue.

Goss was picked, even after he admitted he didn't know enough about the agency....can't even use a computer.

Boosh picked Goss, much like he had picked Brown for FEMA head, just because Goss is a boosh loyalist, good ole boy, and all around neocon. NOT because he was the best man for the job.

Between the outing of Valerie Plame, and the appointment of bozo's to the highest CIA office, the destruction of our intelligence community is almost complete, under the republicans.

Republicans have proven themselves to be TOTALLY INCOMPETENT at all levels of government, because they HATE government, and they make a MOCKERY of government. But government is what defines, and what creates lawful management of a group of people. Without a strong government, society devolves into anarchy and criminality. Societies need structure, infrastructure, and laws, and money that is pooled AND MANAGED for the common good.

Republicans will never get it.

:kick::kick::kick:

[MasonJar]

2. Porter Goss is a dangerous man; he was in the House and he is

at the CIA. He is a neo-con yes man.

[Moderator]

3. duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1798219