Oh, great. Shortly after Porter Goss took over at CIA there were some stories about departures, firings, and a serious drop in morale at the place. Anytime that happens in any organization (yes, I speak from experience) there's a sense of drift, at least. Apparently it's far worse than that.
Without a doubt, Goss’ team is the most highly partisan ever to run the CIA. The ex–HPSCI staffers were notorious for taking a Republican Party–oriented stance on many issues, especially Murray, who once tried to get classified information released so it could be used against the Democrats. Under Goss, the CIA public-affairs office has been nearly shut down, under the tight control of Jennifer Millerwise -- not an intelligence person, but a political operative who worked on the Bush-Cheney election campaigns and for Goss at the HPSCI. The partisan, pro-Bush nature of the current regime at the CIA was underlined when Goss issued a widely leaked memorandum telling agency employees to "support the administration and its policies in our work" adding,"As agency employees we do not identify with, support, or champion opposition to the administration or its policies."
In the midst of a war the Director of CIA doesn't want honest analysis. This is depressing.
The article goes on to say there's been massive turnover and many of the experts in areas like the Near East (can you say "Afghanistan?") have left. What's next? Will we learn that, just like in Iraq, the Agency is now hiring kids who posted their resumés at the Heritage Foundation?
(Found at Digby's place.)
Posted by Linkmeister at November 1, 2005 09:25 AM | TrackBackI know some people inside the agency. This article's accurate. The folks who've been there for five, ten years are depressed and furious with Goss and with this administration's attempts to politicize what they do.
The Bush Administration continues to risk our national security in order to pursue its own agenda. That's treason, by any definition.
Posted by: Curmudgeon at November 1, 2005 09:52 AMYeah, that's crazy.
What happened to the way our government was set up supposedly to balance things?
One wonders how many CIA agents have resigned in the past couple of years because they fear for their safety and that of their loved ones.
Posted by: Chloe at November 1, 2005 12:07 PM