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The director of the CIA's Counter Terrorism Center has resigned under pressure, telling his staff that his boss, the head of the CIA's Clandestine Service, has "lost confidence in my leadership," U.S. intelligence officials tell NBC News.
The resignation is the most recent in a series of high level departures at the agency. A CIA official declined to comment, saying it was the agency's practice not to comment on personnel issues.
The names of both the official and his boss are classified and they can only be referred to by their first names: "Bob," the CTC director, and "Jose," the director of the clandestine service. As director of the CTC, "Bob" was responsible for covert operations against al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, including Predator attacks on al-Qaida leadership and other "special activities." "Bob" succeeded "Jose" when the latter was promoted from CTC Director to head of the Clandestine Service.
"Bob" was the CIA station chief in Islamabad on September 11, 2001 and a favorite of former CIA Director George Tenet. His post-September 11 memo was described in Bob Woodward's "Bush at War" as the blueprint for the CIA's covert operations against al-Qaida.
Other CIA officials tell NBC News that "Jose" viewed "Bob" as "too cautious" and insist the CIA's controversial Predator attack against suspected al-Qaida targets in Damodola, Pakistan last month had nothing to do with his departure. In that attack 18 people were killed, 13 of whom were villagers. The main target in the attack was al-Qaida No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, who was not killed and who last week showed up in a videotape message to ridicule the attempt on his life.
A U.S. intelligence official today said there was no new information on who was killed in the attacks, but noted, "some people [targeted] have been heard from, some have not."
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NSA Hearings Summary - Day One If you want to get a sense of how the hearing went today, I suggest you read the summaries posted by ReddHedd over at FireDogLake, as well as Digby's post. You would come away with the impression that Arlen Specter...
Posted on Feb 6, 2006 6:46:08 PM at: The Left Coaster
Washington fireworks
I find it very interesting that the main character in Syriana was a guy named "Bob" who fell from grace within the CIA after a successful career of arranging the assassinations of various foreign dignitaries and insurgents alike. What follows in the movie is a very similar public humiliation as the govt seeks to erase its association with those that handle their dirty laundry. All I gotta say is, Bob, you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas....
Tracy, Manhattan, KS (Sent Feb 6, 2006 6:40:32 PM)
I smell a rat in the current administration.
Michael Ray (Sent Feb 6, 2006 6:05:50 PM)
I don't care HOW they ("they" being the CIA, the NSA, the FBI, and the White House) get the job done, as long as they GET IT DONE. There has been no attack on U.S. soil since 9-11-01. I am...enthusiastically...willing to let that record speak for itself.
Scott Denbina (Sent Feb 6, 2006 6:04:31 PM)
Perhaps "Bob" is insecure and afraid of success. He simply couldn't take any more of Bush's "success" in the war on terrorism, i.e., finding Bin Laden, Iraq, keeping Iran non-nuclear, Hamas taking over Palestinian government, stability in Afghanistan, Pakistani relations, closing madrassa schools in Saudi Arabia, security in Israel, nuclear North Korea. With such a successful track record, I'm sure the Bush administration felt they could impose on "Bob" his retirement knowing that his fears of success were misplaced.
Thomas Vecchio, New York, New York (Sent Feb 6, 2006 5:55:28 PM)
This is Cheney at his best. This country is in a power struggle never before attempted. President Cheney/Bush are trying to rule the world. Get ready. It's not going to be the same old, same old any time soon.
Charles Burgess (Sent Feb 6, 2006 5:46:56 PM)
Another example of the corrupt Bush white house getting rid of those that don't play dishonestly.
William Brisolara (Sent Feb 6, 2006 5:46:08 PM)
DID BOTH "BOB" AND "JOSE" FOLLOW THE SAME CAREER TRACK? MAYBE "JOSE" SAW IT WAS TIME TO GO BACK TO THE COLD WAR DAYS. WHERE YOU HAD PEOPLE OUTSIDE. WHERE YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE SOURCE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION (I.E. CIA OPERATIVE, ELECTRONIC, FOREIGN SERVICE ETC.)
M.WINDFIELD (Sent Feb 6, 2006 5:37:31 PM)
After reading "My Father was a Spy", I discovered found 'killing the messenger' is a favorite pasttime of U.S. intelligence agencies. So, why should I believe this case isn't any different?
Mike DAvis (Sent Feb 6, 2006 5:17:55 PM)
I think this is reprehensible by the White House and
the CIA (agents/employees) are quitting in protest of Bush's administrations' policies.
Dawn O'Brien
Dawn O'Brien (Sent Feb 6, 2006 5:07:16 PM)
I am wodering if this represents a political move rather than a strategic move such that I read between the lines a sense of "Bob's" not wanting to tow the political line. The CIA has been made the scape-goat of Bush's administration, ever since 9/11. Could this represent more reprehensible connotations within the CIA that simply are not condoned by the White House? Me thinks so, alot!
Dave Van Grun (Sent Feb 6, 2006 4:55:49 PM)
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