More resignations at the CIA were revealed today, via leaks not announcements, indicating that Porter Goss's shake-up continues.
The two top officials running the CIA's clandestine service resigned this morning, following a series of clashes with director Porter J. Goss's chief of staff. Stephen R. Kappes, the deputy director of operations, and his deputy, Michael Sulick, announced their resignations at a senior staff meeting, according to former CIA officials.A CIA spokesman declined to comment, but another intelligence official confirmed that the departures had occurred.
Stephen Hayes explains what's really going on and the role that the media is playing in helping the CIA insurgency.
After hundreds of words from the [Washington] Post we still have very little idea of what, exactly, Goss is doing that has caused so much heartburn at the agency. But if he's aggressively reforming the bureaucracy, he should most certainly not stop what he is doing. In fact, the concern among critics of the agency is that Goss faces a nearly impossible job and will not do nearly enough to change the dysfunctional culture of the agency.Posted by Alan at November 15, 2004 12:06 PMOn Friday, the CIA lost Michael Scheuer, a senior official who headed the agency's bin Laden unit from 1996 to 1999. The agency had allowed Scheuer to write two books critical of the Bush administration as "Anonymous." But as he gave media interviews upon the publication of his most recent book, Imperial Hubris, he became more critical of the agency. He was then silenced by his CIA superiors.
"As long as the book was being used to bash the president," said Scheuer, "they gave me carte blanche to talk to the media."
That has been the modus operandi of the CIA for years. Goss wants to end it. He'll have to fight.