WP: Gates May Rein In Pentagon Activities(Intelligence)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/13/AR2006111301135.html

The nomination of Robert M. Gates as secretary of defense has begun to ease concerns in the intelligence community about the rapid growth of Pentagon intelligence activities since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, said experts inside and outside the government and on Capitol Hill.

Gates, a former CIA director, has a long history of opposing expansive Pentagon intelligence activities. He has voiced unease about roles being taken over by Pentagon personnel, in part because more than 80 percent of all intelligence spending is now done by Defense Department agencies.

Donald H. Rumsfeld, the outgoing defense secretary, has vastly expanded Pentagon intelligence activities, increasing operations overseas and creating a new position and a new agency to handle military intelligence.

In 1991, after being confirmed for the dual role of director of central intelligence and CIA director, Gates tried to rein in Pentagon activities by getting a White House directive from then-President George H.W. Bush that created the Community Management Staff to help oversee all intelligence activities. A CIA history of that period says Gates, whose background was as an analyst, saw the Defense Intelligence Agency "as 'feeling oats' and 'moving to expand in every direction,' including pushing some 'crazy ideas' " on the collection of human intelligence.

Gates's 1991 initiative "caused some heartburn in DOD, partly because he used the word 'management,' " requiring him to send out an explanatory joint statement signed by himself and then-Defense Secretary Richard B. Cheney.

[Erika]

1. Gates and Baker are both anti Rummy

I guess Rummy was W's little independence tantrum against daddy.

[lapfog_1]

2. Has Stephen Cambone resigned yet??? n/t

[librechik]

3. I begin to hope--this could be better than I thought!

nah--it's still dynastic BushCo tyranny.That pisses me off! Is there any way we can get rid of those Nazis???!!

Still, it's an improvement to put a non-maniac in charge of the asylum. Encouraging.

Almost.


Nah.