Re: [Culture] Anti-Terror Watch List Keeps Kennedy Off Planes

[Craigsolve]

In a message dated 8/24/2004 9:39:46 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: On 23 Aug, 2004, at 23:09, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > But seriously, Miggle, do you think it's likely that it will be > possible anymore for ANYONE to control ALL the secret agencies? Sooner or later someone smart enough, cunning enough, ruthless enough, and disciplined enough will rise to the occasion and pull it off. There will be others who will rush to serve this patriot leader so that they too can sit at the right hand of the most powerful one. God forbid that that the intelligence czar be touched by evil. I feel strains of Seven Days in May and not with a happy ending. But that is EXACTLY what the 9/11 commission has recommended, Kerry endorsed, and now some Senator (Republican chair of the Intelligence Committee, I think,) introduced a bill to implement that recommendation! [Just consider your position. One person will be in charge of something that they can't be in charge of. Which position is more worrisome?] Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, to be precise. He wants to do away with the CIA and break it up into three agencies: operations, analysis, Sunday School picnics. Basically he also wants to take away the Defense Department's (Rummy's) control of 85% of "intelligence". So his heart's in the right place, even though he's a loathsome Republican. This is also worrisome. Most notably Kerry announces that he will implement all of the 9/11 Commissions recommendations when he is our President. Then Roberts announces his support for the intelligence czar concept, apparently without consulting Senator Rockefeller, Robert's Senate Intelligence Committee minority counter part. Now the Dems are against the concept because the Rs announced it first.   1) Give the President line item veto power over all intelligence gathering agencies' budgets; then they will have to explain what they are doing and what they hope to achieve. . 2) Let the President appoint a national security advisor, who all of the security agencies must advise. There will then be two clearly identifiable people responsible for intelligence failures and successes. The President's security advisor and the President, who appoints the leaders of all the various security agencies.   While the concept of stove piping the various agencies is a less than elegant management style, it precludes the possibility of a myopic catastrophic failure overseas and a coupe at home.   Bender, you own a gun?   Craig