Michael Leiter Wasn't Skiing Through Attack

US News:

Contrary to a new report, National Counterterrorism Chief Michael Leiter was not shushing down the slopes on Christmas Day when the Nigerian underpants bomber struck on a Detroit-bound flight. "That's called not-so-friendly fire from the IC [intelligence community] looking for a fall guy," says one spook at the NCTC, located in Virginia near the beltway. "[Leiter] was here to the very end of the day, like me and many, many others," says another. The command center is staffed 24 hours 365 days a year.

Read the whole story: US News

Comments

[WilliamL]

10:41 PM on 01/09/2010

Less than a year at his job and just has to take six days off.

How about 3-5 tours?

These guys epitimize why Ds are looked upon as weak by so many.

Just could not push through without his six day "annual" leave.

[1differentdrummer]

06:41 PM on 01/10/2010

You imply our servicemen, to include generals, take no leave, right? Bs. What's that got to do with someone taking a few day's of leave? If things are covered, under control, doesn;t the second in command step in and mind the store? Isn't that what an assistant chief does? And didn't Leiter communicate? Your comment would look better in Trollish.

[sfsoma]

01:25 PM on 01/09/2010

Who cares? He still failed at his job and is not being held accountable by our Community Organizer President. Obama is as bad as GW Bush at standing behind staffers who are not up to the job. More 'o the same.

[Bompa]

04:00 PM on 01/09/2010

It must be wonderful to not be human and to have never madeany kind of mistake or ommision in your life....... You are truely a hero in your own mind

[devildog09]

11:04 PM on 01/08/2010

did too did not did too did not did too....absolutely amazing. After another failure of this magnitude, the various intelligence groups focus on disinformation campaigns to shift the blame. Definately new leadership is needed

[stargazer13]

10:22 AM on 01/09/2010

Detroit News confirms F.B.I. has changed their story 4 times makes one wonder which story is the real story !!

[SamEllison]

02:02 PM on 01/08/2010

Sorry Mike but, unlike the Cheney's,
we are on the same team.

[keepemhonest]

10:43 AM on 01/08/2010

"W & ChainE Administration will forever be remembered as the worst Administration in the history of this country

W & ChainE FAILED in their own W A R on turrur ... they FAILED- they did not keep us safe, they FAILED at their own admitted mission - which was to capture OBL & eliminate AQ .... they did NOT capture OBL and they did NOT eliminate AQ in fact, under W & ChainE OBL freely walked anywhere he wanted and AQ grew stronger, and penetrated more area because W & ChainE FAILED.

ALL "W" leftovers should be fired.

[fredamae]

09:19 AM on 01/08/2010

Why isn't the Media Ever held Accountable in Court for Reporting News that Fails the "Fact" test?

[Rosewren]

04:33 PM on 01/08/2010

And this would have so easy to check. How many people will never see the retraction? Somehow something needs to be done to make the MSM more accountable for publishing lies and deceiving the public.

[springsm]

05:36 PM on 01/09/2010

they are in the same business as the republithugs....show Obama has weak and a failure. They are a very manipulative source...and nothing is really there to debunk them.

[vinny]

04:42 AM on 01/08/2010

sounds like he took off 6 days right afterward rather than sticking around to figure out what went wrong...

these guys have no accountability...

[talkitreal]

12:43 AM on 01/08/2010

This man is a BUSH Administration left over, who President Obama decided to keep for continuity purposes -- maybe not such a good decision.

By the way, the acting head of the TSA, is also a BUSH leftover as well.

[WhatChanged]

08:49 AM on 01/08/2010

Stop whining about Bush. If Obama decided to keep the guy in the job, then it's Obama's hire.

[fredamae]

09:22 AM on 01/08/2010

bush Et Al ARE The Reasons We Are In This Global Mess and No One Else!

WE Are Cleaning it Up.

Either grab a Broom or Get Out Of OUR Way!

Just Use the Broom, either to Catch a Ride Out of Town..or to clean...no matter to me.

[springsm]

05:37 PM on 01/09/2010

Don't forget that Sir Bush put many people into jobs that could NOT be fired when Obama took over. Many positions were loaded with the bushkins. I don't know if these two are in that basket...but do keep it in mind.

[KarenT]

08:26 PM on 01/09/2010

Obama has nominated a new head of the TSA but DeMinted is blocking the nomination going forward because he's afraid the nominee will unionize airport workers. He hates unions more than turrurists.

[Bartel5]

12:42 AM on 01/08/2010

Today it was reported that the thong bommer and the Ft Hood shoooter were linked. Both had consulted with the same iman in yemen, an american traitor. Still, barry admin claims these are isolated incidents and will continue cavity searches of all grandmothers and anyone with an irish surname.

[realitytrumpsbull]

11:48 PM on 01/08/2010

So, when do we get to read more about the Yemeni internet agitators, and what their whole 'spiel' is about, and why it seems they're able to get people to buy off on their propaganda, and then go forth and wreak havoc? What are these people peddling, that seems such a potent attractant to disaffected persons? It sure seems like there's mainly muslim college students/graduates getting interested in this violent form of activism, how could people strive to get a better message out there for people so they don't get sucked into this stuff anymore? What brand of digital vitriol is now so alluring, and why?

[CoronaDischarge]

10:47 PM on 01/07/2010

It's not HP's fault with regard to the original report. They are an aggregator and link to news source content. If it had been their exclusive report, then I'd say that would be poorly researched journalism. As it stands the original report is the poor journalism, (New York Daily News, who would have thunk), and at least HP was on top of it to the extent that the correction to the record has been every bit as timely as the original.

[ByersL]

10:31 PM on 01/07/2010

will someone let Tina Brown know this too? They ran this story all day!

[sviolette]

10:14 PM on 01/07/2010

So what if he was skiing? I think skiing is still legal in America but I could be wrong.

[Appleblossom]

02:27 AM on 01/08/2010

It becomes retroactively illegal if some guy slips through foreign screeners.

[keepemhonest]

10:49 AM on 01/08/2010

Apple

I see ... so if Leiter had not had a ski trip planned then the Amsterdam screeners would have caught the guy ....

[springsm]

09:49 PM on 01/07/2010

My gosh, it WAS Christmas day. What were the rest of the jerks doing...oh that is right, they were home enjoying CHRISTMAS DAY with their families. It isn't like people can not get back to WA DC in short order. And how many retractions of we heard about him NOT being on the slopes but working in the office. The Thugs pick this up and all of a sudden it is a flurry of lies being thrown out. I am sick of this mentality.

[springsm]

05:39 PM on 01/09/2010

Actually he was not..he was at work. But the Media loved the sound of their own lie...so did not check it for credibility.

[XXYR]

09:48 PM on 01/07/2010

Schussing, not shushing. Please.

[aznurse]

08:53 PM on 01/07/2010

like I said, let's wait for a full investigation.

[dc2nm]

10:56 PM on 01/07/2010

Full investigation of what? The holiday vacation schedule? Who cares.

[aznurse]

12:48 AM on 01/08/2010

Folks were screaming for him to be fired because he was reported to be skiing.
and not in the "bat cave"
Just pure panic.