Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
As Politico reports here, the finger-pointing has already begun with Democratic suggestions that the CIA did not give the President the right warnings on Egypt. In a hearing this week, a CIA official pushed back, saying that while they could not predict what the trigger would be, they had "warned of instability."
Not sure this is a wise move by Democrats. I saw Fox Radio's John Gibson in the lobby earlier, and he pointed out that complaining the CIA didn't inform President and Congress is basically a concession that they had no idea what was coming. Also, not wise to browbeat CIA in public: I wouldn't be surprised to see in the coming weeks leaks of material the CIA *did* send about Egypt. Will be interesting to watch if and how director Leon Panetta, who has been largely silent, defends his peeps.
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Jul '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
The CIA did send a warning to the White House.
But Bo ate it.
Jun '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
Since the "surprise" was about a grassroots revolution, how clever do you have to be to gather the "intelligence?" I suspect, you just had to go to Cairo and hang around in public places. I think the heads-up was coming through loud and clear, for anyone who was listening. The problem was that the White House didn't listen, or more likely, didn't want to believe.
Jul '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
"Bush? .... Middle East? .... Democracy? ..... Dominoes? .... Naw."
Jul '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
This isn't gonna end up with democracy. And my guess is that, ultimately, neither will Iraq or Afghanistan. Casting seed on stony soil, friend.
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
When the Beltway starts blaming, the players start leaking. It's outrageous, for those of us who ever took an oath to serve, but that's how the permanent class fights back. Mr. Panetta has already been in one fight with White House over CIA. Will be interesting to see if he gets in another.
Jul '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
I didn't state that's how things would end up. I mentioned perception.
May '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
Well, after all, didn't Nancy Pelosi tell us all that "they lie all the time?"
Maybe when the CIA "warned of instability," they meant her.
Oct '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
How can the CIA ever do it's job effectively when there's demoralization within it's ranks right now because of Eric Holder's investigations and fishing expeditions?
Dec '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
Bill, how long before Panetta gets fed up with being the whipping boy/fall guy for the Administration's screw-ups on foreign policy? He must be thinking that he's being ill-used at this point.
May '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
Well, he won't be the first president to expect the CIA to fall on their swords. But it is an outright lie if this administration claims they didn't see this coming. Information was too widely known for them to make that stick.
Dec '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
Obama lied! Egyptians died!
Jan '11
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
Good grief. Is the admin (or the Dems, or whomever) so thin skinned that they feel that this move makes any sort of sense? The Bambi president, protect him because his legs are still wobbly(?)
Dec '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
It was reported that an administration insider deplored that up to now, only a few cabinet Secretaries were granted even a single conversation with him in the Oval Office (NB. union godfathers don’t hold cabinet positions, yet). How could he know?
Oh, our historic first Islamic apostate President already knows everything—except how to golf.
May '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
Kenneth: The CIA did send a warning to the White House.
But Bo ate it. · Feb 4 at 3:49pm
"They talk about me like a dog." :-)
Oct '10
Re: Foreign Policy, Beltway Style
It's kind of hard to predict when a random guy will light himself on fire in Tunesia! The big question is why the State Dept. has been M.I.A. for so long.
It hardly takes an undercover agent to notice that Mubarak has made but a token show of tolerance for his liberalizing critics -- whom the Obama Administration itself has had a hand in undercutting -- leaving the Muslim Brotherhood as Mubarak's only organized opposition. This polarity suited the Egyptian leader's self-serving alarmist propaganda, which in a bizarrely ironic way has proven prophetic. Aprés Mubarak, the Islamist deluge?
The U.S. has long been in a position to press for reforms, out of which viable leaders and alternatives to Mubarak's permanent state-of-emergency regime might have arisen. Alas, that moment has passed, and as a result, the best we can hope for from Obama's thoroughly obscurantist call for "transition now" looks like the installation of a military junta. That's not exactly an achievement which can be framed as ushering in a new era of people power in the Middle East. Indeed, there's no resolution in the offing which could be.