Panetta Promises Honesty As CIA Director

WASHINGTON — CIA Director Leon Panetta promised honest leadership as he took the helm Thursday of an agency with a public image tarnished by allegations of torture and faulty intelligence estimates.

Cheering CIA employees welcomed Panetta and Vice President Joe Biden, who swore him in, to the agency at Panetta's ceremonial oath-taking.

Panetta has been settling in as the CIA's new director for about a week as he took over an organization with high morale despite its public relations problems. Eight years of Bush administration policies left its relationship with Congress strained. Echoes still linger of the botched 2002 assessment of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program, which President George W. Bush used to make the case for the 2003 invasion.

"We expect you to provide independent analysis and not engage in group-think," Biden told the agency personnel. "We expect you to tell us the facts as you know them, wherever they may lead, not what you think we want to hear. And we expect you to give us your best judgment. We will ask no more, but we will ask no less,"

He began his talk with effusive praise for the hundreds of agency employees who crowded into the main hall of the CIA's suburban headquarters to watch the swearing-in.

Panetta, a former member of Congress and White House chief of staff, said his goal would be to re-establish a relationship with the intelligence committees in the Capitol. He pledged honesty with President Barack Obama, within the CIA, and "most importantly, with the people we serve."

Panetta is overseeing major changes in the CIA as directed by Obama, including an end to the use of harsh interrogation tactics and the closure of secret prisons.

Comments

[Rog49Thomas]

Honesty?

At a spy agency?

Earth calling, Brother Leon.

[NWBrunette]

Oh for goodness sakes, its a SPY agency. They don't do honesty. Hello.

[brandnewstuff]

Listening to Laura Donohue speak on You Tube- she stated that money laudring and counterterrorism funding-- The OMB has not checked the CIA since 1976-- Will Panetta change that policy and hold accountibilty for massive waste fraud and abuse?!

[Three Four Five]

Coleman's (R) "Expert Witness," King Banaian, was Denied the Oppurtunity to Testify by the Election Contest Court:

http://voteforamerica.net/editorials/Comments.aspx?ArticleId=223&ArticleName=Banaian%27s+Testimony+Denied

[SailFree]

Honesty is OK, and I am all for it, but being CORRECT along with being honest is even more important.

[Mister Wu]

Panetta was my congressman, one of the biggest assets in our district was the Montery Language Institute. I image we'll be seeing more human resources in the CiA and less technocrap. And he did have intellegence background in the Army as a Lt. in Vietna. As the seed grows the tree.

[silverball]

whatta concept....a guy that respects the position and understands the meaning of the constituti­on.....adu­lts running the country....ain't it GREAT....LOL

[PSM42]

Mr. Panetta, We respect the fact that you will introduce a measure of reform.

But surely it is going too far to tell us that the CIA will now be 'honest.'

After all the Department of Operations job description is sub. ver. sion, mu. rd. er, tor. ture and the breaking of every law known to man.

Robert Baer was pleased to say that he had spent twenty years working for a 'professional cri. min. al organization.'

So it is a little hard to believe that 'honesty' is either possible or likely.

And whatever measure of success you have, there are fifteen more acknowledged agencies. And how many unacknowledged? What level of 'honesty' will they now aspire to?

[Bobleblah1]

The largest wall street lobbyist in the world is your new CIA director.

Hows that change thing coming?

The fraud grows every day.

[loper2008]

gag.

Pannetta is an inspired choice. He has clean hands. That is change I can believe in.

[brandnewstuff]

I agree-- the biggest enemy to our Country and National Security has been the CIA- For crappy American resources and making us prey to people like N.Korea as the USA is down on every level

Panetta is a great chose- Being apart of the Iraq Study group and his first job needs to seek and destory - aka "fire"- those that started pre war intel in 2003

[Teri]

that statement is antithetical to the position. sorry.

[skymuffin]

Yeah, I don't think that is part of the job description.

[simohn1]

Panetta's a good guy. I lived in Santa Fe NM for many years and he did a great job...

[PoliticalAmazon]

What we need is someone to put a halt to the CIA's repeatedly operating covert operations in countries they want to destabilizes so that an Ameirican-­corporate-­friendly puppet president can be put into place

We are loathed throughout the world because of the actions of the CIA. The CIA is a bigger threat to our national security than any other group I can think of.

[skymuffin]

I think the CIA does some things on its own and I don't know if Panetta can control all of it.