Saith the CIA: “The CIA is No ‘Rogue’ Agency”

John McLaughlin, Deputy Director (for the moment) of the CIA, said in November 24’s Post that the criticism of the CIA is out of line.

McLaughlin said, “Seldom in my memory has there been such intense controversy about the CIA. Seldom has so much of what is said been so distorted and misinformed. … The time has come to turn down the temperature of the debate, to take a deep breath, and to get some balance and thoughtfulness into the discussion.”

McLaughlin somewhat despairs at the assault the agency he’s served for most of his life is undergoing. What I find strange is that it seems to be the whipping boy for the bad intelligence conjured up by the administration. My understanding is that the CIA had most of the analysis right, with some wrong. The administration’s in-house operation, created because the CIA’s information didn’t match the conclusions the administration needed, had virtually everything wrong. Yet, even people with some integrity such as Senator McCain have joined the CIA witch hunt.

McLaughlin continues: “What I do know beyond a doubt is that the CIA was not institutionally plotting against the president, as some allege. The accusation is absurd. CIA officers are career professionals who work for the president. They see this as a solemn duty, regardless of which party holds the White House. Has everyone ruled out the possibility that the intelligence community during this period was simply doing its job -- calling things as it saw them -- and that people with a wide array of motives found it advantageous to put out this material when the CIA's views seemed at odds with the administration's?”
“Like the U.S. military, our nation's intelligence officers face daunting challenges now and for years to come. Constructive criticism can help. Tirades and hyperbole will not.”

McLaughlin’s words are worth your time.