Top Two Officials In U.S. Intelligence Expect to Lose Jobs

[babylonsister]

Top Two Officials In U.S. Intelligence Expect to Lose Jobs


From left, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and CIA Director Michael V. Hayden testified on Capitol Hill in February about the annual threat assessment. (By Nikki Kahn -- The Washington Post)

By Walter Pincus and Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, November 12, 2008; Page A01


The nation's top two intelligence officers expect to be replaced by President-elect Barack Obama early in his administration, according to senior intelligence officials.

A number of influential congressional Democrats oppose keeping Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and CIA Director Michael V. Hayden in their posts because both have publicly supported controversial Bush administration policies on interrogation and telephone surveillance. One Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee said there is a "consensus" view on the matter.

Other Democrats and many intelligence experts, however, give high marks to the current cadre of intelligence leaders, crediting them with restoring stability and professionalism to a community rocked by multiple scandals in recent years. A government official who has closely followed the evolution in the intelligence leadership in recent years argued that it is important to keep at least a few "seasoned" professionals in place during wartime.

Obama transition officials, who have steadfastly declined to discuss the personnel selection process, said yesterday that no decisions have been made regarding intelligence appointments. McConnell and Hayden, both career intelligence professionals, interpret the Obama team not reaching out to them as a sign that they will not be kept on, intelligence officials said.

Both wish to remain on the job, officials say, though neither has said so publicly, and both think that their early departures could be seen as politicizing their offices and setting a precedent for automatic turnover when the White House changes hands. President Bush's decision to retain George J. Tenet, a Clinton appointee, as CIA director was seen inside the agency as a stabilizing move, after the CIA went through five directors in the 10 years following the Iran-contra affair.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/11/AR2008111103055.html

[unhappycamper]

1. I would pay to watch hearings featuring those two.

'Specially Agent Mikey.

[mmonk]

2. Good. As soon as those yahoos are gone, hopefully whistleblowers

can come forth.

[hlthe2b]

3. Damn right... get rid of these cretins.

I suspect former high level CIA will come out of the woodwork to help identify what has been going on, once they clean house at the top.

[thunder rising]

4. "could be seen as politicizing their offices" ... begging MFs. They need to be shot as traitors

[annabanana]

5. That's the line that made MY gorge rise too... Like justification of TORTURE

isn't a polarizing, politicizing issue. . .

[Hubert Flottz]

6. Robert S. Mueller III needs to go too.

He has been a noeCon tool just like those other two Bush cronies.