Helen Asks Why

Thank God for Helen Thomas, the only person to show any courage at the White House press briefing after President Barack Obama gave a flaccid account of the intelligence screw-up that almost downed an airliner on Christmas Day. After Obama briefly addressed L’Affaire Abdulmutallab and wrote "must do better" on the report cards of the … Continue reading “Helen Asks Why”

Break the CIA in Two

After the CIA-led fiasco at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961, President John Kennedy was quoted as saying he wanted to "splinter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it into the winds." I can understand his anger, but a thousand is probably too many. Better is a Solomon solution; divide the CIA … Continue reading “Break the CIA in Two”

Shining a Light on the Roots of Terrorism

Media commentary on the upcoming 9/11 trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has raised concerns that state secrets may be divulged, including details about how the Bush administration used torture to extract evidence about al-Qaeda. "I think that we’re going to shine a light on something that a lot of people don’t want to look at" … Continue reading “Shining a Light on the Roots of Terrorism”

Heeding George Kennan’s Sage Advice

I can’t remember how many times I have said that the U.S. military adventure in Afghanistan is a fool’s errand. The reaction I frequently encounter includes some variant of "How can you blithely acquiesce in the chaos that will inevitably ensue if we and our NATO allies withdraw our troops?" While the central premise of … Continue reading “Heeding George Kennan’s Sage Advice”

Intelligence Veterans Demand Accountability for Torture

MEMORANDUM FOR: The President FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) SUBJECT: Accountability for Torture We write you, Mr. President, as former intelligence professionals to voice strong support for Attorney General Eric Holder’s authorization of a wider investigation into CIA interrogation. We respectfully disagree with the direct appeal to you by seven former CIA directors … Continue reading “Intelligence Veterans Demand Accountability for Torture”