CIA Man: Spies' Reaction to Panetta "Overwhelmingly Negative"

A retired senior CIA operations officer who quit last summer after 20 years tracking terrorists says the rank-and-file reaction to President-elect Obama's choice of Leon E.Panetta to run the spy agency has been "overwhelmingly negative."

Charles "Sam" Faddis, who led a CIA team into northern Iraq before the 2003 invasion, says he had "already heard from a large number of rank and file within CIA on this choice, and the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Marie9]

They [CIA] have negative comments/attitudes --- They should hand in their resignations!

Pink Slips Please!


They all need to be dumped for not doing their jobs and lying for a lack of doing it!

Less we forget the torture chambers all over the world that they installed! Get rid of them!


Iraq debacle --- get rid of them! They are the promoted ignorant!

[formerprosecutor]

Basically, the supposed quotes from operatives is that they think the need a "former spy" as Director.

This same type of whining we hear from corrections officers when a talented administrator is appointed; or the CEO of a paper mill because s/he has never been a lumberjack; Or the director of social services has no children of his/ her own.

What the operatives don't seem to ever understand is that the CIA is directed by our public policy; not what they think they want or need to do.

Panetta has forgotten more about public policy than 99% of us will ever know. He is the one that can implement Obama's dogma and our public's moral; compass. Yes, there will be some new rules.

[AndThenOneDay]

In a horridly mismanaged resource, the rank and file are never a good place to go to determine who should succeed the senior manager. They are a good source of information on what's broken.

I am not interested in the hearsay this chap gathered. And let's face it, Billo is only going to air anti-Obama hearsay to begin with. This is a moment in history when we need to put more, not fewer, eggs in the intelligence basket. Intelligence is cheaper and less disruptive than war - it turns out. So, all grumbling to the contrary, what I want to hear is that we are installing a brilliant manager for our mismanaged resource.

[formerprosecutor]

Maybe we will find out how many secret prisons there are in the world besides the latest one in Afghanistan

[Sumocat]

Hopefully the possible return of Brennan to coordinate counterterrorism activity will appease the spies. On the other hand, Sam on Burn Notice called spies "a bunch of bitchy little girls" so maybe there's no pleasing them. Too bad we can't appoint Michael Westin to the top spot.

[totalliberal]

The only thing the CIA has ever done is guard US corporate around the world. Other than that they have gotten everything else wrong.
-They were shocked when the Soviet Union fell.
-They were shocked when they lost the Bay of Pigs fiasco.
-They were shocked when the 9/11 planes flew into our buildings. (Who could have known.)
-They were shocked when there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
-They were shocked when their Al-Qaeda fighters turned against us.

I'd be shocked if any of them kept their jobs. Start cutting Leon.

[formerprosecutor]

Well stated; and according to the article the operatives blame their leadership for their lack of ability to obatian valuable intel.

About like the homicide division blaming the Chief of Police for their inabilty to solve homicides.

Talk about lack of accountability

[Rog49Thomas]

One of the issues any Administration faces is the resistance of the bureaucracy to change. Anything that threatens the comfy ways of doing things is resisted. Anything that reduces authority and privilege is resisted. Political appointees' agendas are sabotaged by working to rules and other forms of obstructionism.

One simple example - the much touted and very long mooted plan to reshape the US military from an entity designed to fight WW2 (or a massive mechanized land battle in Europe) to something more relevant to today.

Lots of talk, several blue ribbon commissions, hand on the heart acceptance by the JCS. And the result, nothing of significance.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Please someone name one CIA success of the last 30 years.

You simply cannot I don't know why specifically but the CIA is the most failed agency that has ever existed. It could be that it's mission is just impossible or that it was never structured right.

[Doofus]

The quick 'liberation' of Afghanistan was a CIA/Special-Forces operation.
In fact, the follow-on adventure in Iran came about because the Pentagon
was anxious to show that *they* knew how to conquer a country too.

Which is not to say that 'long-term' we have any great success in Afghanistan.
But short-term, it was a text-book success.

[Doofus]

Make that *Iraq*, not 'Iran', which is no doubt still just a contingency plan.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

KO had an ex-CIA guy on the air and he said that CIA management are the ones bellyaching because they will not get away with their crimes anymore. But the rank and file are pleased that Obama is picking someone who will have his ear. The management just does not want to give up where the bodies are buried. Furthermore this CIA guy says the CIA always complains who runs them because they all want their little fiefdoms to let alone.

[formerprosecutor]

Yes , yes, yes

[Cakey4814]

I saw the same thing so i'm surprised at this article.

[HatingTheGame]

" Bill O'Reilly Claims Obama CIA Pick Means Another Terrorist Attack"

That sounds like a promise. Is Billo tipping the fascist hand?

Interestingly the CIA, DIA, and other alphabet soup spook agency offices were in WTC7, which was "pulled" long after the WTC attacks. I know all you apologists refuse to look at that, but I always thought that the reason they had to "pull" the building is that it housed all the plans that showed complicity in the 911 attacks. They were too sophisticated to be planned by Saudi Arabian cavemen in the hills of Kandahar. I always suspected that a lot of the planning happened in WTC7 and they pulled it to cover up the evidence.

Of course can't prove that (or more accurately the media and government refuses to prove that), so go ahead and accuse me of being wrapped in tinfoil -- if that makes you feel better.

[1099]

"I know all you apologists refuse to look at that, but I always thought that the reason they had to "pull" the building is that it housed all the plans that showed complicity in the 911 attacks."

I hear that WTC7 also housed the aliens from Roswell, the Holy Grail, and was the Illuminati headquarters in North America.

I better stop typing they could be watching right now......

[rogerz]

Everyone has always known what the CIA does.They just look the other way.

I don't think Obama understands that.

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

Yeah,he just doesn't get it like you do.

[rogerz]

Hopefully he will learn soon enough.

[joshuahmcdonald]

If the choice is Obama's judgment or yours I'll take Obama. Whatever it is you think you know I sincerely hope Obama never "learns" it.

[rogerz]

It's ok, I know you didn't read my post, given your reply has nothing to do with what I said.

[InspiredByTruth]

What ever your "understanding" is, I sincerely hope Obama never shares it.

[formerprosecutor]

This is ridiculous reasoning.

You claim to "understand" something that PE Obama does not.

[lj9283]

CIA field operatives have a tarnished reputation in the world today.

Torture, false imprisonment, Gittmo, transport of prisoners to foreign prisons, imprisonment without charges, and charges of kidnapping are amongst the transgressions that have been talked about in relation to CIA field agents.

How could anyone think of a field operative in charge of the CIA after the history of past eight years.

Perhaps the dissension from the field operatives is rooted in the fear of accountability.

[ElPerro]

The CIA has already proven itself to be incompetent and corrupt. The fact that they don't approve of Panetta is actually a vote in his favor. They're probably just upset that Panetta represents the possibility of real oversight and accountability.

[joshuahmcdonald]

This.

[InspiredByTruth]

Under Boosh they all got promotions after 9.11. Then again, on 9.11 the CIA *coincidentally/* ran terror drills involving hijacked planes over nyc, so that brings it all in focus.

Panetta's the kinda guy who could look at a budget summary and fish out secret black ops budgets (at least I hope). That is why they don't like him.

[judesedit]

You mean like the attack that happened 9 months into Bush's first term? No way. At least Obama pays attention to what info he does have. And the CIA and FBI need to be gutted and started from scratch with real investigators that care about America and the world, and know how to put it all together. With good leadership maybe that will happen, and maybe they will learn how to share their findings for the good of all. No more of this sorry propagandizing. We have serious business to take care of. If you want credit, you are in the wrong business.

[TrueIndy08]

if he knows so much... can he please make sure to be there as its happening so that he rid the world of himself...

life would be much better

[JohnTalbutt]

This sounds like a dog that has something to hide barking. That the CIA did not get Iraq right is a slam dunk.