The Washington Post reported:
"Former CIA Director George Tenet did not marshal his agency's resources to respond to the recognized threat posed by al-Qaeda before the Sept. 11 attacks, the agency's inspector general concluded in a long-classified report released today.
"The report, which Congress ordered released under a law signed by President Bush this month, also faulted the intelligence community for failing to have "a documented, comprehensive approach" to battling al-Qaeda."
Tenet said that the new report is largely false but that the CIA's pre-9/11 performance was not without flaws. [See the report's executive summary here and Tenet's answer here.] The Raw Story reported:
"The report was not all bleak for Tenet and the CIA. It acknowledged Tenet "was actively and forcefully engaged" in the agency's counter-terrorism effort and said he received near-daily updated on bin Laden for two years before the terror attacks.
"Although Tenet authorized the creation of an anti-bin Laden task force in 1998, the IG's report found that neither Tenet nor his deputy followed up those initial warnings to create a "documented, comprehensive plan." It found that Tenet and the CTC focused more on operations and tactics than long-term strategy in combating terrorism."
Lacking security clearance -- and having just learned that my mind-reading skills are refusing to return to Florida until hurricane season ends -- I don't know what really happened or who's at fault.
I suspect this will escalate into a full-fledged battle with evidence coming forth in the next few months. Until then, I'm suspending judgment.
Conservative blogger Capt. Ed at Captain's Quarters expressed concern over partisan mud-lobbing:
"Is it fair to paint this report as evidence that the fault for our unpreparedness belongs to the Clinton administration? I'd say that it's not healthy to think along these lines. It's better to leave the partisan sniping aside and have everyone learn the lessons than it is to turn this to partisan advantage. Tenet ran the CIA, and he's responsible for its performance. Bill Clinton appointed him, and George Bush kept him on the job."
Comments