Tenet Takedown
posted at 8:16 pm on April 28, 2007 by Bryan
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George Tenet, former DCI upon whom President Bush bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 in spite of Tenet’s CIA missing the signs that pointed to 9-11 in 2000 and 2001, has turned coat and is now recanting his “slam dunk” pre-war WMD assessment. As I’m sure you’ve heard.
Tenet should have been fired on 9-12-2001, but instead he becomes merely the latest in a long line of ex-officials to have concluded that the path to riches and re-acceptance into polite society is to stab the president in the back over the war. Tenet can rest assured that the Bush administration won’t push back, and will allow its remaining support to continue to bleed away rather than defend itself and thereby, the war. So it’s left to Victor Davis Hanson to do the work the American administration won’t do, and push back.
CIA Director George J. Tenet, questioned about the value of ongoing inspections by the United Nations, said there is “little chance you’ll find weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq unless Hussein cooperates with inspectors. On the other hand, Tenet said he would expect U.S. troops “will find caches of weapons of mass destruction, absolutely,” were they to invade the country.
If the United States decides not to go to war with Iraq and instead waits on inspectors, Hussein will continue developing weapons of mass destruction, Tenet said. “He will continue to strengthen himself over time,” he said. “It never gets any better with this fellow, and he’s never been a status quo guy.”
Tenet also elaborated on the CIA’s understanding of Iraq’s link to al Qaeda, a central issue in the administration’s case for going to war against Iraq in the near future, as opposed to waiting months longer for the U.N. inspectors to do more work. Tenet described Abu Musab Zarqawi, the main character in the administration’s case that Iraq is working with al Qaeda now, as it had not done in the past, as a “senior al Qaeda associate.” Zarqawi sought medical care in Baghdad, has met with Osama bin Laden, has been financially supported by al Qaeda and has taken “sustenance” from Iraq. But Zarqawi, he pointed out, is not under the control of Hussein.
That’s from a February 12, 2002 Washington Post article by Dana Priest. The phrase “slam dunk” never appears, but the beliefs do: Tenet says clearly that we will absolutely find caches of WMDs after invading Iraq. Which we have, here and there, though not to anyone’s satisfaction.
Hanson concludes:
Both the description of Zarqawi as a threat with al Qaeda links and enjoying sanctuary in Iraq without being under the control of Saddam Hussein seems born out by his later deadly career and blustering letters to al Qaeda heads. So why the contrition now on that casus belli? Al Qaeda was responsible for killing 3,000 Americans; one of its worst terrorists was freely enjoying sanctuary in Iraq; what has changed about that fact?
Nothing has changed about that. Absolutely nothing. The one thing that has changed is the political winds, which are now blowing at hurricane force against an administration that irresponsibly still refuses to defend itself against liars like Tenet.
Update: Link fixed.
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I just don’t get it. Why doesn’t the administration defend itself? This boggles my freakin’ mind!!! It’s Politics for heaven sakes!!! HIT BACK, YOU WUSSES!!!
It’s like letting your kid sister fight the bullies for you.
Troy Rasmussen on April 28, 2007 at 8:23 PM
I’ve emailed the White House a number of times, begging Bush to grow a pair and understand that staying out of the gutter, as I imagine he feels like he’s doing, is NOT helping him. He’s tried to be the “bigger man”, but it’s got him no where. He’s essentially just bent over and taken it like a Mark Foley intern.
Anyway, if you want to flood the White House mailbox with messages telling them to stop being pu**ies and stand up for themselves:
comments@whitehouse.gov
Who knows how many they actually read?
RightWinged on April 28, 2007 at 8:24 PM
I too am stymied as to the lack of push-back against the traitors and leakers running rampant, but then again, with the level of BDS and the notion that 25% of the population is too stupid to deal with reason and facts, how do they get that message out? The NY Times? CNN?
bbz123 on April 28, 2007 at 8:29 PM
I’ll repeat what I said on the other thread:
Given CIA’s STUNNING FAILURE and the UTTER INCOMPETENCE OF THE CIA to detect the attacks on the United States in 1998 (African embassies), 2000 (USS Cole), and 2001 (9/11), I find it myself completely ambivalent to his complaint that he was taken out of context by the White House.
Rather, he owes the families of the Americans who died in these events abject personal apologies for failing to do his job.
And I’ll add, he should return the MOF as well.
georgej on April 28, 2007 at 8:34 PM
Go figure, Bill Clinton’s CIA chief, that President Bush didn’t fire, all in the name of “a new civil tone”, blaming President Bush and his Administration for inaction, when the “wall” that was put up by Jamie Garilick and all the other “going ons“………. now it’s time to join Bill C. on the lecture circut. He should start in Dubai…..
PinkyBigglesworth on April 28, 2007 at 8:38 PM
At the time we invaded I believe I was worried about basically two things:
1. Rumors that the Abu Nidal group was operating out of Baghdad
2. When UN inspectors returned to Iraq they discovered that previously inventoried stocks of anthrax were missing. They were apparently told these stocks had been destroyed but with no specific information as to when, where, how, and by whom.
The US had seen anthrax used against various media outlets and a contamination of our mail system shortly after 9/11. The total amount used in those attacks would be measured in ounces. That several kilos of the stuff had gone missing and there was an international terrorist organization that had attacked Americans in the past operating in Baghdad was enough reason for me to be worried.
We also need to remember (as in never forget) that we gave Saddam every chance in the world to fully comply with inspections. Had he complied 100% with inspections, he would still be killing Shiites and his sons would still be torturing soccer players and raping the local chicks.
crosspatch on April 28, 2007 at 8:41 PM
There is and never has been anything the president could do to stop the media in its tracks. They don’t care. The crazy thing is they are doing the same things that Bush was accused of leading up to the Iraq war.
tomas on April 28, 2007 at 8:43 PM
One again, Tenet, a former member of the administration must justify his existence, ie. Richard Clarke and Joe Wilson, by writing a book about how stupid the administration was because they wouldn’t listen to him.
It’s a classic case of: you won’t play with me, then I’ll just take my marbles and go home.
He uses the same method of dissing everyone in the administration in order to make himself look good when, in reality, it makes him look like a whiner and crybaby, and points to the obvious fact that while he was in the administration, his loyalty was elsewhere. He was, after all, a Clinton appointee.
pocomoco on April 28, 2007 at 8:46 PM
.
Amen, brother!
dawgyear on April 28, 2007 at 9:05 PM
George Tenet, lap dog of Bill Klinton, like former CIA Director Stanfield Turner under Jimmy Carter, will be remembered by history as the worst directors in the agency’s short existence. One can only wonder how Wild Bill Donovan of the OSS or Jimmy Doolittle would have organized the agency to produce a useful product. Not the nuanced tripe these “lawyer/analyst” lay on the president’s breakfast table every morning now a day. Tenet should hang his head in shame and thank God the All Mighty he’s not standing trial for his incompetence and malpractice!
Zorro on April 28, 2007 at 9:10 PM
There another piece of the puzzle here in the taped interview with George Tenent.
sonnyspats1 on April 28, 2007 at 9:40 PM
I read everything that Victor Davis Hanson writes, and he is great to have on your side. But still, President Bush’s “gentlemanly” failure to engage in the political fight is hurting our ability to fight radical Islamism and has substantially undermined President Bush’s presidency. It is foolish beyond belief.
Phil Byler on April 28, 2007 at 9:49 PM
I’m not a big conspiracy theorist whether it is the Kennedy assassination, 9-11 truthers, or the wmd debate. But I can’t help offering up a whopper of a conspiracy.
After years of attempts to get Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions Bush decides further talks and sanctions are fruitless. Somewhere around the end of August 2008 he goes on national television and explains why a massive volley of conventional weapons just knocked the Iranian program off track for a few years as well as for some unexplained reason some of these attacks hit some remote desert areas of Syria. With the press howling for impeachment he addresses the nation at which point declassifies all documents relating to the Iraqi WMD and Iranian programs. As it turns out the WMDs were actually buried in the Syrian desert prior to our invasion.
Tenet can write his book but there are things that still cannot be discussed or divulged.
Bradky on April 28, 2007 at 9:58 PM
That was all a bit crazy, but there isn’t a doubt in my mind that the WMDs were there, and were moved shortly before and/or in the first days of the war, possibly with the assistance of Russian military vehicles.
RightWinged on April 28, 2007 at 10:06 PM
A little crazy I agree but Bush’s style seems to be one of taking a whole lot of shots and then throwing a haymaker that connects. The WMD is the biggest enchilada of all. But running the table once and for all may be what he would like to do if given the opportunity.
Don’t get me wrong – I’d have much preferred an administration that isn’t completely tone deaf when it comes to PR, but that’s what he’s got.
Bradky on April 28, 2007 at 10:11 PM
Why is so little attention paid to the book that Iraqi Iraqi General Georges Sada wrote and what he had to say about exactly where Saddam’s WDMs are, how they got there and most importantly, that they are still there?
Where?
In Syria.
http://www.nysun.com/article/26514
Unlike Tenet’s, it is a believable read, BTW.
No redefinitions of what “Slam Dunk” or “is” means or anything weird like that.
.
The Machine on April 28, 2007 at 10:19 PM
I never understood why they didn’t cancel the White House press briefings, revoked the press liscences of the NYT and LAT for leaking, and start addressing the American public directly. Seems like they could’ve used FOX news and bloggers more. They don’t seem to know who their allies are.
PRCalDude on April 28, 2007 at 10:26 PM
Bush has no one to blame but himself. He decided to cuddle up with snakes and wonders why he is now getting bitten now?
Tim Burton on April 28, 2007 at 10:38 PM
The Machine on April 28, 2007 at 10:19 PM
Its getting like the Repubs and Dems are in Cahoots more and more. All promised a peice of the NWO pie!
sonnyspats1 on April 28, 2007 at 10:42 PM
He should have never been given the Medal of Freedom. That was an absolute embarrassment. Same with that moron Paul Bremer. I am surprised Bush didn’t give one to Rumsfeld.
Anyways, if we had known the true state of Iraq’s WMD programs, we would have never gone in there, and the NIE solidified the case. Tenet is simply cashing in on all the Bush-hate, and he will probably make a lot of money.
WisCon on April 28, 2007 at 11:12 PM
I think we are all wondering this.
Probably fear of bringing up the whole, we need to invade over their WMDs. But the thing is . . they are the same ones and it will vindicate the administration!
- The Cat
P.S. You don’t know my little sister. That girl can hit hard!
MirCat on April 28, 2007 at 11:31 PM
This man presided over the largest, most deadly intelligence failure in US History on 9/11. He then went on to screw up the intelligence on Iraq. Now, to escape blame for historic incompetency, he does what all Democrats do, blame Republicans in a book. All the while knowing the dishonest, disgraceful media in this country will help him in his mission. What a total POS this guy is.
TheBigOldDog on April 28, 2007 at 11:38 PM
Back at the start/mid I can’t say I wasn’t on the soap box, bat in hand, ready to swing away at whatever nay-sayer wanted to try his luck. Today…..just plain ol’ confused. Only solution I can find is to work for 08. While I would like to believe that George is taking one on the chin for the nation I would at least expect him to get up off the mat once in awhile and head butt somebody. If this was a pay-per-view event the promoters would go broke.
Limerick on April 28, 2007 at 11:41 PM
Why not open your big fat, incompetent, classified mouth? What possible repercussions could there be other than monetary rewards?
When outright treason speech is rewarded with public office and daily passes from the media, big money from that same media for an interview with the CIA director pales in comparison.
Speakup on April 28, 2007 at 11:45 PM
Probably the biggest reason the Bush administration has been crippled from the gitgo was his decisions to keep ex Clinton types in so many positions including Robert Pastor heading up the NAFTA Superhighway / Commerce Dept mess. There was no reason to keep Tenet on in the CIA and plenty of reasons not to but if you look back to speeches from Clinton in 1998 you’ll find Tenet’s info about al Qaeda / Saddam linkage and WMDs as far as the eye can see in Iraq.
Buzzy on April 29, 2007 at 12:16 AM
Right on, Bryan…. I couldn’t have said it better. And I agree with the other commenters here; why does the Administration seem to just sit and take this crap without fighting back?
MsUnderestimated on April 29, 2007 at 12:20 AM
I’m calling Clintonista conspiracy theory. Could Tenent have been gotten to from the beginnig of the WMD bebacle. Hey with Valery and her lying husband not far behind. Once Novack reported on the VP issue Bush Derangement Syndrome set in. The MSM hasn’t let up, and in fact are purging the country right before our eyes! Damn It! They did the same thing to Bush 41 in 92. His approval rating dropped to the gutter from the unrelenting barrage of the concocted shit storm of lies. Wake up people. THE ECOMOMY IS NEXT!
sonnyspats1 on April 29, 2007 at 12:31 AM
So much for the delusional idea of “I’m a uniter not a divider.” “Reaching across political lines” gets political enemies behind you with a bloddy dagger and a million dollar book deal.
At least Tenet admits aggressive interrogations saved lives.
Drtuddle on April 29, 2007 at 12:52 AM
Ecomomy? Who’s that? Sheryl Crow?
Seriously though, what do you mean the economy is “next”… The media has been a Bush economy basher throughout his presidency. He took the Clinton/Gore recession, 9/11, $3/gas, New Orleans, and 2 huge wars, record entitlement spending, and somehow created a booming economy. Insanely low 4.4 unemployment rate, almost 8 million jobs created in 3 and half years, record tax revenues
caused by tax cuts, record home ownership including among minorities.
All the while the media has bashed this economy, and they’ve been highly successful according to the polls. Consistently throughout the past couple years the polls showed that the vast majority of the public had a negative view of the economy. Whenever you point the discrepancy out to a liberal, they tell you “it’s because it’s just the rich getting richer, and everyone else is really worse off”. But that’s crap, because when polls also ask the question about people’s personal financial situations, an even larger majority are happy with their financial situations! Wait, how can the majority be happy with their finances, yet have a negative opinion of the economy? Well, what do most people know about the economy? 99% know jack… but they know the impression the media gives them about it!
Now that the housing market, that was booming out of control for something like 5 years, is finally slowing down, the media is running around saying “told ya so!”, despite the fact that they’ve been saying “housing crash” for years and it still hasn’t happened (and in all likelyhood won’t). I also can’t stand when they pump “consumer confidence” numbers. How can you report something you created and expect to be taken seriously?
RightWinged on April 29, 2007 at 1:17 AM
Wow, “despite” shouldn’t be blockquoted in that comment, it should be sriked through –
despiteRightWinged on April 29, 2007 at 1:17 AM
I have a dream.
That W’s master plan to take out Tehran, Damascus and Pyongyang and present bin Laden’s head on a platter all before the first 2008 primary – that that plan is so cool and foolproof and so in need of utter secrecy, that it’s worth it for him to seem and act like a gutless, Democrat-hiney kissing wimp all this time, just to fool everyone before the big hammer hits.
It’s just a dream.
Halley on April 29, 2007 at 1:27 AM
I’m supposed to listen to the man who failed to stop 9/11?
Why is that exactly?
He should have done what the Japanese did who failed their people and either committed hara-kiri, or at least gone off to become a mendicant monk, in shame. To serve the porr somewhere obscure.
Medal of Free-Ride is more like it.
profitsbeard on April 29, 2007 at 1:35 AM
The sad part is that when/if the WMD smoking gun comes out, you know what we’ll hear, right? “They were planted!”… The Truthers will have to be pulling double shifts.
RightWinged on April 29, 2007 at 1:39 AM
A tale of two Georges. Both know more than they’ll ever be permitted to tell/write. The Tenet one knows he can write anything, for a few bucks (which passes CIA muster for printing, which means it’s no longer current). Next, the movie…all fiction.
Is he running for president yet? a la Wes Clark?
Entelechy on April 29, 2007 at 1:47 AM
Tenet turned coat in 1997, if not earlier. President Bush was a fool for keeping him on at the beginning of his Administration, and a fool for giving him that Medal of Freedom.
LegendHasIt on April 29, 2007 at 2:02 AM
Slam dunks?
Slam dunks?
Slam dunk?
RightWinged on April 29, 2007 at 2:09 AM
RightWinged-
Your confusin’ ‘em with the dreaded facts!
Stop it before they melt!
Facts to the denial-delusional are like water to a wicked witch.
Don’t tell the MSM this stuff!
They’ve worked so hard to forget they all reported it in the first place.
Facts! Gadzooks, what are you thinking, man!!
profitsbeard on April 29, 2007 at 2:22 AM
What am I thinking!? What are you thinking accusing the media of reporting that stuff in the first place!!! How dare you sir! They were misled by the administration… We all know about Rove traveling back in time to the 90s, brainwashing all top Dems to make WMD comments, often stronger than the President’s casus belli. But somehow they were able to all snap out of Rove’s hypnosis in the fall of 2003, just in time for the 2004 election season.
RightWinged on April 29, 2007 at 2:29 AM
I am sorry, but what has become of men?
The pussification is so sad, there ARE brave men fighting a war they are committed to and there are endless displays of cowards and pussies more concerned with politics and “reputations” and lets face it dollors.
We knew Tenet was half a man …now we know he is a pussy too. Great and whatever, join the club George.
Topsecretk9 on April 29, 2007 at 2:46 AM
It’s because there is no season that isn’t election season anymore, and the Democrats are evil SOBs who pray every night for chaos and death in Iraq so that they can pick up seats (Reid practically came right out and said it), because they can’t win elections on issues. They have to win by default by hoping for and hyping bad things, instead of putting forth any ideas, just one liners that make headlines in reaction to what the latest opinion polls say.
RightWinged on April 29, 2007 at 2:50 AM
PinkyBigglesworth hit on a very good point and in my opinion it’s a topic that doesn’t get near enough discussion or scrutiny.
I posted a blog on a previous Hotair topic in regard to Reid not attending military briefings in response to a comment of how our nation went from a record budget surplus during the Clinton administration to a major deficit under Bush. Yes, the wonderful budget surplus that Clinton constantly bragged and patted himself on the back for, but at what cost?
Clinton’s precious budget surplus was a direct result of gutting our military and intelligence agencies (two agencies pacifist Bill has despised all his life) leaving us without eyes, without ears, and leaving our nation vulnerable to attack. Another contributing factor (as PinkyBigglesworth pointed out) the “wall” put up by slick-Willie’s administration made us completely impotent to do anything even if we knew it was coming or responding after the fact!
The fact of the matter is Bush inherited much of this mess from Clinton’s anti-military and anti-intelligence pacifist administration, this coupled with Slick-Willie being distracted due to his many indiscretions during his 8 years in office further allowed our enemy to successfully plot and plan against us culminating in the horrific attack on our nation on 9-11!
Although the lunatic-left will always throw out their typical talking point that 9-11 occured on Bush’s watch, anyone with at least one functioning synapse should be able to see through this paper-thin rhetoric, especially since Tenet was still in charge of the CIA (from the Clinton Administration)and Bush had only been in office 9 months when 9-11 occured.
Not only did Clinton have his pants down in the Oval Office playing hide-the-cigar with Monica, thanks to his many indiscrestions and gutting of our military and intelligence agencies during his 8 year tenure he effectively had the entire nations pants down around their ankles on 9-11!
In light of this we need to not only include Slick-Willie in the growing parade of treasonous politicians currently in our government (Reid, Pelosi, Murtha just to name a few) Clinton should be the Grand Marshal of the parade…thanks for the budget surplus Clinton…it was so worth it!
Liberty or Death on April 29, 2007 at 3:36 AM
I believe the reason Bush doesn’t push back is because there is something rotten in Denmark. ANY discussion of these lies would have the risk of put them on the defensive if someone says something stupid and leads the media in a direction they have not thought of yet. I don’t know if that is true, but I suspect it is.
csdeven on April 29, 2007 at 5:32 AM
WOW. Thank you, RightWinged, for laying out information that would have taken me months to compile.
Is that on your website anywhere? I did a quick look but didn’t notice it under WMDs or Dems. I’d like to forward it to my liberal acquaintances but want to make sure you get the credit (and traffic) you deserve.
That’s I-R-I-S-H with one “Ei”
IrishEi on April 29, 2007 at 8:26 AM
9/11 happened because of the policies of 8 years of the Clintoon reign of terror. I remember specifically Clintoon not only drastically cutting our military, but also making dramatic cuts in the CIA and FBI. I remember specifically questioning this at that time, and never getting any answers. 9/11 would have happened regardless of Clintoon or Bush being in the White House because Clintoon gave these blood thirsty pathetic terrorists every opportunity for many years to plan and carry out their plan. Tenet came in to the Bush Administration with his casual, “don’t worry be happy” attitude that everything remained AOK. Obviously, it wasn’t.
lynnv on April 29, 2007 at 8:37 AM
Tenet is simply another political hack feeding his own narcissistic interests. Obviously he needs to give back all of his medals and awards because he doesn’t deserve them. People without courage or character seem to permeate our elected officials and the hacks they appoint to support their agendas. Does any part of this government truly act in the best interests of the American People . . . it appears not.
rplat on April 29, 2007 at 8:38 AM
RightWinged on April 29, 2007 at 1:17 If The Dems win the white house ,the more people that need government assistence the more they can cram their agenda laden policies down our throats.
sonnyspats1 on April 29, 2007 at 10:36 AM
Let me see if Ive got this: Bush, being the soul of civility (real news to Rove et al I am guessing, see South Caroline/McCain; Swiftboating of Kerry etc) doesn’t fire Tenet, because being mannerly is more important than having qualified people in place? (Of course this go a long way toward explaining the selection of Brownie for FEMA, but I digress). Post 9/11, Tenet is still kept in place–geez I’m all for good manners, but this is stretch doncha think??? Not only is he kept in place, but he is looked to for advice on the run up to the war.
And finally he is awarded the Medal of Freedom. Yes I can see where this would all be Clinton’s fault. LOL. Seriously, LOL.
honora on April 29, 2007 at 11:59 AM
Bush has been in office 6 years. Enough already with the whining about Clinton. About time W takes responsibility don’t you think? Jesus H Christ, can you picture FDR bitching about Hoover or Reagan whining about Carter? No you can’t, because these were real men, real leaders, not ridiculous pussies who have no more right being CIC than I do.
honora on April 29, 2007 at 12:04 PM
The President stated at the onset of 9/11 that it will take many years to turn the tide of Islam.I haven’t seen him blink have you?
sonnyspats1 on April 29, 2007 at 4:56 PM
BAD LINK ALERT: VDH’s essay is here. Thanks to TechnoBarbarian for catching that one.
see-dubya on April 29, 2007 at 5:08 PM
I just have links to all of it on my blog (which I don’t use anymore because of some annoying host issues that weren’t being resolved… I may eventually change hosting companies, but at this point I just don’t really have time to deal with it)
Anyway, the links to all of that information are in the left hand sidebar under the “Smack Libs With…” section. (I have them there as a resource specifically for people like yourself, because it sounds like you’re looking to smack some libs with the information)
RightWinged on April 29, 2007 at 5:38 PM
Damn, but you’re stunningly ignorant.
Time elapsed doesn’t change history, now does it? Well, maybe in your little BDS leftie world; but not in the real one.
Facts are facts. Didn’t read a word of RightWinged’s post above, did ya?
Honora, how can we miss you when you won’t go away?
techno_barbarian on April 29, 2007 at 5:58 PM
The Corner swapped the link out from underneath Bryan, as it turns out.
Great article if you haven’t already read it.
techno_barbarian on April 29, 2007 at 6:02 PM
I understand your point and your frustration honora, however my posting was addressing the article at hand and the all too common finger-pointing from the “ghosts of Clinton past” as well as the liberal-left thumbsuckers that prefer to continually play the blame-game and point fingers instead of coming up with solutions and getting the work of the people done.
I also agree that dwelling on the past is not contructive and does not solve the issues at hand, but when you have someone like Tenet espousing his rhetoric and pointing his lame finger and blaming our current situation on the Bush administration (per the subject of this article which we are blogging about) then I am compelled to speak out against what is obviously Tenet not taking responsibility for his and the Clinton administrations failures leading to 9-11!!
Most importantly I feel compelled to speak out against the growing left-wing rhetoric that only serves to divide our nation and make Mr. Tenet rich at the expense of our ability to successfully prosecute this war, defeat fascist Islam, and protect our future, a future many liberal dems these days seem to be more than happy to place at risk just to increase their chance of being elected president…how nice of them to place our nation and its people first before their own ambitions!
Personally I would like nothing better than to see the partisan bickering, finger-pointing, and blame game end on both sides of the aisle and our elected leaders spending their time more constructively by getting things done, but I cannot in good conscious sit idly by and let Tenet place blame where it doesn’t belong without speaking my mind!
I have very little respect for anyone like Tenet, not only can Tenet not accept responsibility for his mistakes, his blaming others is cowardly! I would also prefer the Bush administration “grow a couple” and speak out more against this type of cancerous garbage, I also long for the strong leadership we had during the days of FDR and Reagan!
I agree this type of behavior needs to stop as it only serves to divide our nation, but if the Bush administration remains silent on these matters (regardless if their goal is to take the higher road…unlike Tenet) it is tantamount to acknowledging what Tenet says may be true…for where there is silence so is there truth!
Also, I’m not the only one on this blog that expressed a similar view as the following post from lynnv can attest:
As I mentioned I agree with you honora and I understand your frustrations, we cannot undo what has been done and playing the blame game and pointing fingers is a waste of time, effort, and resources and does nothing to address the issues we face. However, if you want leaders with “clankers” to lead us then you may want to vent your frustration toward the masters of finger-pointing and the blame game, the dems, liberal left pacifists, and their current poster boy Tenet, for they are the ones constantly throwing road-blocks in the way of the “real men” and leaders that do have the “clankers” to get done what needs to be done, and that is to protect our nation and people by doing all we can to defeat our enemy.
But until Tenet and the rest of the demo-defeatists stand down and get the hell out of the way, it will be difficult for any leader to get the job done, no matter how big their “clankers” are!
Liberty or Death on April 29, 2007 at 7:19 PM
The 60 Minutes piece just finished airing and it was one of the ugliest displays I’ve ever witnessed. The smug, self-righteous interviewer finds his match in the self-serving, self-righteous and obtuse incompetent. Tenet declaims the case for incompetence at the Agency while nimbling ignoring point after point proving the case is recounted to his face.
Who knew that Tenet was such a staunch member of the Clintons Not Ready for Prime Time Players? Heretofore, had anyone seen this man employ the stylized dramatics of the Clinton School of the Emotionally Injured Incompetent? If you didn’t know better, wouldn’t you think that the earnestness that he is playing for was genuine? Not a bad effort; Mr. Tenet is nearly as good as the Master.
And he also achieved an almost believable effort at painting Mr. Pelley(?) as a Grand Inquisitor.
What an awful, gutless, mealy-mouthed surrender to the up-is-down ironically adjudged Common Wisdom.
If I started to take this performance apart point by point, I’d burst a blood vessel. But how weak is it that his advisements for action are given to Condi Rice because she is the so-called action person while he wouldn’t bother the Commander in Chief during their nearly daily meetings. Pilate has nothing on this worm.
thegreatbeast on April 29, 2007 at 8:05 PM
This entire thread should be copied, pasted, and e-mailed to the President and entire Congress. Especially, Honora’s responses so the the Democrats can say “Yeah”, but the intelligence and factual response, should hopefully slap the Republicans back to life.
By the way, Honora “Brownie for FEMA” really had me laughing. He was approved overwhelmingly by Congress, wasn’t he?
PinkyBigglesworth on April 29, 2007 at 9:06 PM
Thank you techno, it was very well stated and I wish I had thought about the history angle when I responded to honora.
You’re absolutely right, it isn’t about complaining or pointing fingers (although I do hope there will be less of it in government and more action) rather it’s about Clinton’s actions/inactions/failures during his presidency and the direct affect Clinton’s history has had on where we currently find ourselves and our nations future. Clinton’s legacy and the affects it has had on our nation and the path we now find ourselves on knows no boundary no matter how much time elapses. What Clinton did or did not do while in office has changed not only the course of our nation, but the course of the world as well, as have all the leaders that came before him, some more dramatically than others.
While there are things we can do to change the path we’re on (as Bush and others who understand the evil we face from fascist Islam are trying to do) the fact remains we are on this precarious path and 9-11 came to fruition as a direct result of Clinton’s actions/inactions/failures during his 8 year tenure as president, and no amount of time is going to change that fact, the facts are the facts as techno said.
The best we can do now is support our troops and elect leaders into government that understand what is at stake and will lead us down the right path, and that path is the path to victory over our enemies.
Liberty or Death on April 29, 2007 at 11:20 PM
WMD’s or no WMD’s, we were only under a cease-fire from the first war anyway. SADDAM played with the wrong people and guess what… we’re using the place as a terrorist hunting ground for which it was designed once we beat SADDAMS ass.
johnnyU on April 29, 2007 at 11:45 PM
Agreed. It’s time for plain speaking and truth.
The American Public, hell, the whole world really, has been fed a steady diet of lies for so long now that institutions originally devised for the dissemination of trusted information now have become nothing more than carefully engineered societal brainwashing operations.
“Cunning professionals” indeed. (thank you Mr. Voight)
But I really think they’re now massively losing their audiences and with that comes the loss of dollars, and money talks. It’s only a matter of time, and I think the msm is starting to feel it. Air America all over again. Radical lib ideas can’t survive the competition of the open marketplace.
The dinosaur media will not survive intact. Nor will the dem party, unless Conservative Democrats take their party back from America’s enemies currently ruling it.
techno_barbarian on April 30, 2007 at 1:06 AM
An important read in WaPo:
Tenet Tries to Shift the Blame. Don’t Buy It.. Author is Michael F. Scheuer, founder of the CIA’s bin Laden unit, author of “Imperial Hubris” and “Through Our Enemies’ Eyes.”
Shy Guy on April 30, 2007 at 2:12 AM
No doubt, and he’s probably already booked on an Al Jezeera as well.
silenced majority on April 30, 2007 at 1:15 PM
Well if you insist on going back in history, shall we spend some time thinking about Reagan’ Afghanistan policy? Gosh, that sure turned out to bite us in the ass, wouldn’t you say? Or how about Iran-Contra: imagine the Republican demi-god not only negotiating, but arming terrorists.
How about the fact that the first WTC bombing took place in Clinton’s first year in office, you know after 12 years of Republicans in the White House?
What’s that you say? Water under the bridge? Exactly.
honora on April 30, 2007 at 3:03 PM
And oh, BTW, you are sadly not stunningly ignorant. Drearily, predictably, dittoheadly ignorant is more like it. It’s gotta free up a lot of brain cells though, I’ll give you that.
honora on April 30, 2007 at 3:05 PM
Well, this is admittedly more conjecture and my spin, than absolute fact, but one could easily say that our support of the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan against the U.S.S.R. helped a whole lot in the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. and helped to bring a temporary end a much more expensive and dangerous ‘Cold War’ for almost 16 years.
LegendHasIt on April 30, 2007 at 10:53 PM
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