CNN reports that Tenet to resign.

[Dark Vengeance]

According to CNN, Bush announces that George Tenet will resign his position as CIA Director today for personal reasons.

Tenet is expected to remain on staff through mid-July after 7 years in the CIA's top spot.

Bring the noise.
Cheers............

[personman]

Long overdue.  He did his job well enough when attempting to bring the Bush administration up to speed the first few months of office.  His political decision to go against the data later on was craven.

Maybe resignation is the "slam dunk" he meant?

[Dark Vengeance]

Well, I certainly hope he doesn't become a scapegoat for 9/11 and WMDs in Iraq. That assumes he hasn't voluntarily "fallen on the sword".

He was the head of intelligence prior to 9/11, as well as Bush's top advisor regarding terrorism (he was the reason Clarke felt ignored by Bush). He was also in charge of intel leading up to Iraq, which could easily lay the WMD fiasco at his doorstep.

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out.

Bring the noise.
Cheers..............

[HaemishM]

Say hello to the sacrificial lamb.

Not that he doesn't deserve it, IMO. No matter what policies were handed down, he should have been the first to be fired over the intelligence fiascos that have resulted pre- and post- 9/11, considering he's the highest ranking intelligence officer in the country.

Now, if we could just line up Rummy, Rice, Wolfowitz, Cheney and Bush in the sword queue, I'd be a happy man.

[Sky]

He was fast tracked to the position, and held it for way too long imo. David Boren pushed him through when he (Tenet) was just a mid-level staffer on the Senate Intel Committee (Boren was chairing it). He's good at briefings, not running the show.

Now, if we could just line up Rummy, Rice, Wolfowitz, Cheney and Bush in the sword queue, I'd be a happy man.

http://newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm

Read the date, read the text, read the signing members. Then tell me how there's no conspiracy :)

[WayAbvPar]

George Tenet stars as-



(I am sure someone can Photoshop that into relevance)

I just don't see how he hasn't been pressured into resigning. He claims it is for personal reasons, but I am guessing that the biggest personal reason is that he doesn't want to be known as the guy so incompetent that George Bush fired him.

Probably time for a change. Hopefully the administration will find someone competent, and not just a lapdog who is politically expedient.

[Flashman]

Now, if we could just line up Rummy, Rice, Wolfowitz, Cheney and Bush in the sword queue, I'd be a happy man.

So, you want Denny Hastert to be President?

[Dark Vengeance]

Well, in all fairness, his tenure as Director was the 2nd longest in the history of the CIA, and you have to figure there was a little bit of pressure to be had as the top Intel officer in the country....particularly when 9/11 happens on your watch.

The opinions on CNN seem to range between "fall guy" and "he was looking for a point to leave gracefully after 9/11 and the WMDs".

The timing, not to mention his direct ties to both of those very key issues, make me think that it's probably a case of altruistic resignation, or a face-saving move to resign instead of being fired.

Bring the noise.
Cheers.............

[Sky]

I don't think you are really a fall guy if your intel organization isn't providing good intel. Something like 40 'leadership strikes' based on intel from Iraqis...none successful. None.

Yellow cake.

Millions spent in Afghanistan, given to warlords and tribal leaders straight out of the 1300s... I've yet to read up on the Iraq debacle, I'm still working through the Afghanistan debacle.

None of it is really his 'fault', but he's running the agency responsible for all the extravagent spending and almost total lack of good actionable intel. He's part of why the US is a joke around the world, the best thing to happen to the Afghanistani economy since the Soviets stopped knocking on the back door was Usama bin Laden.

Our first movement in the war on terror was to send a CIA operative into northern Afghanistan with a huge suitcase filled with $2 million. Even after much more was spent, we still came up dry on the primary target.

[HaemishM]

Now, if we could just line up Rummy, Rice, Wolfowitz, Cheney and Bush in the sword queue, I'd be a happy man.

So, you want Denny Hastert to be President?

At this point, I'd take Congressional Page #7 over anyone in that list.

[Rodent]

Dollars spent on invading Afganistan and last I heard, the "president" invited "ex"-talibans to join goverment. The guy deserves nothing but the foot.

[HRose]

he should have been the first to be fired over the intelligence fiascos that have resulted pre- and post- 9/11

Peoples need to understand that not everything can be anticipated, I'm sure even god cannot.

There's too much anxiety for the control, it's simply a bland illusion.

[Sky]

last I heard, the "president" invited "ex"-talibans to join goverment.

That was part of the initial plan going in, to strike hard at hard targets (all 6 in Afghanistan) and try to force the less hardcore taliban (and their allies in pakistan, we almost triggered a revolt there by invading their neighbor) to come over to our side. There was nothing in the original plan about nation building in Afghanistan, we were treating the Taliban as seperate from Al Qaeda and were content to root out only AQ sympathizers (which turned out to be the entire taliban, but hey).

[HaemishM]

he should have been the first to be fired over the intelligence fiascos that have resulted pre- and post- 9/11

Peoples need to understand that not everything can be anticipated, I'm sure even god cannot.

It's not about anticipating the attacks, it's about knowing there are say 7 or 8 guys in the country who definitely should NEVER have been allowed in, and BTW, they are taking flight lessons. Not to mention a whole host of other fuckupery, much of it related to politicizing intelligence to the point where you've disregarded intelligence that doesn't fit your agenda. It's about having agents IN PLACE to take out Bin Laden years ago, but those agents were never clear on whether or not a policy was in place to allow the agents to do their jobs.

Tenet's been a fuckup at his job for a LONG time. Ed Helms on the Daily Show said it best last night.

John Stewart: "So what were the personal reasons for Tenet leaving this position?"

Ed Helms: "George Tenet was tired of sucking at his job."

[Sky]

Yeah, how about Cuomo? I think he was well off the script, which was refreshing. If only he hadn't been such a crappy governor for so long...