New White House memo excludes CIA director Porter Goss from NSC Meetings!

[elehhhhna]

A new By TIMOTHY J. BURGER
SUBSCRIBE TO TIMEPRINTE-MAILMORE BY AUTHOR

Posted Sunday, Jun. 05, 2005

Sidelining the CIA A new White House memo excludes CIA director Porter Goss from National Security Council meetings. The biggest changes in Washington often come about with just a few strokes of the pen. And so a dry, one-page internal memo quietly issued by the White House is being viewed as a kind of eulogy for the once mighty Central Intelligence Agency. After nearly 60 years at the pinnacle of American intelligence—and at the elbow of Presidents—the CIA director is no longer automatically welcome at the President's National Security Council (NSC) meetings. John Negroponte, the new director of National Intelligence, has taken his chair.

It's the latest evidence that Negroponte is consolidating his power as the nation's intelligence czar. The May 2 memo, obtained by TIME and also reported late last week by GovWatch.com, states that "effective immediately," Negroponte will participate in meetings of the NSC and its domestic counterpart, the Homeland Security Council (HSC). Meanwhile, CIA Director Porter Goss "will attend NSC and HSC meetings at the direction of the President."


That's the polite Beltway equivalent of saying, "Don't call us. We'll call you."

"It's a clear diminution in the authority of the director of CIA," says David Rothkopf, a Clinton Administration official and author of a new book on the NSC. "If you're not in the room, you're not playing an influential role." CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise says Goss, who was sworn in as CIA chief last September, still attends his share of meetings—and isn't in the game for "face time." He "is there when he needs to be," says Millerwise. Goss has so far publicly ignored any suggestions that his power has been reduced. Though he is no longer in charge of the President's daily intelligence briefing, Goss supporters say, he is spending more time focusing on needed reforms at the agency, visiting far-flung CIA spooks in the field and looking for ways to fill in gaps in the CIA's human intelligence and analysis.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1069065,00.html

[Renew Deal]

1. The CIA should take these clowns down.

C'mon CIA, we know you have it in you. Get to work already.

[elehhhhna]

2. From your lips (tips?) to Gods ears...

[acmejack]

4. This the new improved CIA

As in ideologically pure. Goss has brought them into line.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Jeez-I thought Goss had his head so far up

Shrub's ass that he tickled Georgie's kidneys when he wiggled his ears.

[paineinthearse]

5. Musical chairs?

This is titilating. But what I would like to review is a list of NSC attendees "before" and "after" the reorganization. I'd particularly interested to learn how the Dept of Defense Intelligence Agnency has been affected.

[Rex]

6. The BFEE is placing it's key players right now.

Cheney controlling all three branches of gummit, Negroponte (wow didn't he just jump from one high-profile job to the next real quick), Paul Wolfowitz in the World Bank, Bolton in the U.N., Rummy still in command of the military, Perle, Pointdexter (don't think he just up and left), Karzi in the Middle East, Moon in North Korea. No wonder we are pissed off at Chavez!

Now, by pen stroke, Negroponte is the head of the CIA (that's fucking SCARY).

[Immad2]

7. Very interesting - thanks for the info and link.

[SoCalDem]

8. Porter knows his "place".. He was installed there to do one thing

clean house of the lifers who are not rightwingers.. He did that. Now he's content to draw a paycheck, and spend his days coloring or listening to Rush Limbaugh, or whatever

[FreedomAngel82]

11. Exactly

Didn't they do that back in December?

[bobthedrummer]

9. John Negroponte is the intelligence czar now.

:+

[FreedomAngel82]

10. How can this be legal?

Aren't they supposed to be in the rooms with major security meetings? How can the head of the CIA not be there and someone else take his job? They are clearly trying to manipulate the CIA and the public by thinking the CIA is on their team etc. when it's clear they aren't on the same page. How can the CIA put up with this shit? Isn't this dangerous for our country?

[moondust]

12. Does it matter?

Bushco doesn't take the CIA seriously anyway do they? What's one more layer of bureaucracy to filter foreign intelligence through when they're going to make up their own intelligence reports anyway?

[elehhhhna]

13. DING DING we have a winner!

[JNelson6563]

14. They are there for scapegoating

That's the only purpose of the CIA now.

[bobthedrummer]

15. What a fucking mess these Straussians have made.

:grr::puke::argh::mad: