President-elect Barack Obama has drawn criticism from both Republicans and Democrats for his choice of former congressman Leon Panetta to head the CIA. Though widely admired, Panetta has little experience in intelligence matters.
Do you approve of Leon Panetta as CIA director?
Does he bring enough experience to the job? Should his nomination be rejected or is Panetta the right man to head the CIA?
The CIA has been so insular for so long that it might be argued they've lost touch with the reality that exists outside of Langley.
Panetta as chief might bring the badly-needed breath of fresh air and new perspective that goes past simply being a good idea, it might prove to be the agency's salvation, thanks to an image tarnished by the likes of waterboarding and secret gulag prisons.
Besides, who said that to be a good agency director, you also need to ge a good spook? That, it seems to me, is a non sequitur.
I don't think that an outside bureaucrat - even a good bureaucrat - is going to be able to get the job done right. I am not hostile towards Leon Panetta. But I'm just hearing from all sides, that good people are in the process of leaving the CIA in droves, because they don't trust the new leadership, and trust is the most important ingredient of any secret service work. - I'm very worried - more than at any time since I came to this country 30 years ago. I am afraid, we are seeing the beginning of the end now ...
01/07/2009 12:31:19 AM
