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 Politicizing intelligence. 3:55 PM, Jun 14, 2010 • By DANIEL HALPERThat's the question that one must ask after reading this report from the Atlantic's Max Fisher:
The White House has withheld a key report, which maps out a strategy for fixing the troubled Director of National Intelligence, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The classified report, "Study of the Mission, Size, and Function of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence," was completed by the Presidential Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) at least as early as March, several weeks before President Obama asked DNI Dennis Blair to resign. The report came at an inopportune time for the White House, which has pursued a policy course counter to the report's advice.
Multiple sources within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence tell The Atlantic that the office, which employs about 1,500 people including the director himself, never received the report. The White House would not comment on how it was distributed, but Assistant Press Secretary Tommy Vietor said, "The study you reference was shared with DNI Blair, who provided us comments on the findings." However, the findings are only a brief summary of the report's unclassified sections; they are also freely available on Politico's website. The full report, which is classified, has not been shared.
Why else would the White House withhold such a report, unless the Obama administration wanted to push Blair out?
Failure will be met by accountability. 9:20 AM, Jun 7, 2010 • By GABRIEL SCHOENFELD
Let us give Barack Obama credit, on those all too rare occasions, when credit is due. The sacking of Dennis Blair is one of his finer moves in national security. It stands in stark contrast to one of George W. Bush’s most consequential lapses.
Read more... Steps to reforming intelligence. Jun 7, 2010, Vol. 15, No. 36 • By STEPHEN F. HAYES
Two weeks ago President Obama fired his top intelligence adviser—or at least the man who held the title.
Read more... Does America have a plan to stop the Iranians? Or, is the killing of Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan acceptable?1:00 PM, Apr 20, 2010 • By THOMAS JOSCELYN
A newly released Department of Defense report on the Iranian military threat is getting a lot of attention because it says Iran may have ballistic missiles capable of striking the U.S. by 2015. It is understandable that this part of the assessment has gotten so much notice. It clearly contradicts what the Obama administration was saying just several months ago. But there is more to the report, which was submitted to Congress as required by the National Defense Authorization Act and details the “current and future military strategy of Iran.”
Namely, the DoD has confirmed, once again, that the Iranians are in the business of waging a proxy war against America and her allies in Iraq and Afghanistan. Simply put, the Iranians are in the business of killing Americans.
Read more... A new profile provides perspective. 8:27 AM, Jan 22, 2010 • By DANIEL HALPER
The man who asked Chas Freeman to be chairman of the National Intelligence Council, Dennis Blair is the subject of an important piece by James Kirchick in the new issue of The New Republic. In addition to the Freeman failure, Blair’s other problems include: An unworkable relationship with the C.I.A., a history of ignoring orders from above, and (the biggest problem) the responsibility of the massive failure that allowed the 'panty bomber,' Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, onto a U.S.-bound airplane on Christmas Day.
Read more... Feel the confidence.9:45 AM, Jan 8, 2010 • By MARY KATHARINE HAMWhen trying to recover from an intelligence "screw-up that could have been disastrous," it is wise to use spell check.
Read more... Fear and loathing at Langley?8:50 AM, Jan 6, 2010 • By WILLIAM KRISTOLA former intelligence officer called my attention to the, as he put it, "creepy" statement Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair issued yesterday:
Read more...
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