Bush-Cheney regime prepares a second term of all-out militarism

[RBHam]

Behind State Department, CIA shake-up: Bush-Cheney regime prepares a second term of all-out militarism
By Patrick Martin, wsws.org
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/nov2004/rice-n17.shtml

The resignation of Secretary of State Colin Powell and the forcing out of a whole layer of top CIA officials is a signal that the Bush administration is clearing the decks for an even more aggressive and unilateral foreign and military policy during the second Bush-Cheney term.
(snip)
The purge of top officials in the CIA is an even more glaring case of suppressing any potential source of internal criticism or restraint on Bush administration foreign policy. On November 12, deputy CIA director John McLaughlin resigned, to be followed three days later by the deputy director for operations, Stephen Kappes, and his top deputy, Michael Slusick. This brings to nine the number of top-ranking CIA officials to depart since former director George Tenet was replaced by Porter Goss, a Republican congressman and head of the House Intelligence Committee. Only two of Tenet’s top aides still remain.
(snip)
Sections of the CIA officialdom were effectively aligned with the Democratic campaign, providing a series of leaks to the press demonstrating that the White House had lied about prewar planning for postwar Iraq and debunking various Bush lies about the “war on terror.” The agency even authorized one top CIA official, Michael Scheuer, former head of the bin Laden unit, to publish a book—under the pseudonym “anonymous”—denouncing the White House for failing to take the threat of bin Laden seriously before the 9/11 attacks. Scheuer also quit the agency, on November 11.

Goss has brought with him into the CIA four top aides from the House Intelligence Committee, all far-right Republican Party activists determined to remove any political opponents from the agency’s leadership.

The right-wing press, spearheaded by the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal, has demanded such a purge of both the CIA and the State Department. At the time the pre-election leaks, the Journal published an editorial denouncing the CIA for “declaring war” on the Bush White House. The newspaper greeted Powell’s resignation with an editorial demanding that Bush stamp out similar opposition in the diplomatic corps.

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[KlatooBNikto]

1. Some one once said: Pick your enemies carefully because they are the

ones you are going to resemble the most". I am afraid that we have gone one better on that truism.We now have the worst of Nazi Germany and the Communist Soviet Union.

[indepat]

4. We the people have spoken and will pay any price to keep us safe

[susu369]

2. All-out militarism

The following about sums it up, IMHO:

http://www.mykeru.com/weekly/2004_1114_1120.html

"This is what happened when you give a moronic perpetual failure like Bush an army for him to use to make himself feel like a big man."

And now......

[deutsey]

3. Not to mention more authoritarian rule here at home

Welcome to the occupation.