BCT Editorial – 5/10/06

This page was last updated on May 10, 2006.

Good advice; Editorial; Beaver County Times; May 10, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Lawmaker right to question the wisdom of having a general run the CIA

“When U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra speaks on the nomination of Gen. Michael Hayden to become the head of the CIA, people should listen.

“The Michigan Republican is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, which gives his comments credence from the get-go. But he’s also a rock-solid conservative who is not out to stick it to the Bush administration for political reasons. This is someone speaking out because he sees a serious problem if Hayden gets the job.

“It’s not personal, just business.

“‘I do believe he’s the wrong person, the wrong place, at the wrong time,’ Hoekstra said on Sunday. ‘We should not have a military person leading a civilian agency at this time.’

“The congressman pointed out that if Hayden, now the No. 2 man at the CIA, is promoted to the top post, military officers would be running all of the nation’s major spy agencies - the CIA, the NSA and Defense Intelligence Agency.”

[RWC] If Rep. Hoekstra had supported Gen. Hayden, does anyone believe we’d be reading an editorial saying, “people should listen” to Mr. Hoekstra or that “his comments [have] credence from the get-go?”

This is the second time within about three months an editorial said we should listen to Mr. Hoekstra. The first was entitled “Why?” Before you read the critique, take a guess as to whether or not Mr. Hoekstra supported a Bush administration position.

“There’s another reason to have a civilian heading up the CIA instead of a military officer at this time. One great virtue of the U.S. military that is often overlooked is that its officers and enlisted personnel recognize that civilians have the unquestioned authority to have the final say. However, that could be a major flaw in the leader of the CIA.”

[RWC] Here are a few points.

First, since the CIA’s inception, five of the 19 CIA directors were uniformed military men. The latest was Adm. Stansfield Turner during the Carter administration.

Second, the CIA director is no longer at the top of the intelligence community. The Director of National Intelligence now holds that role. The current DNI is John Negroponte, a civilian. Gen. Hayden is currently Mr. Negroponte’s “principal deputy.”

Third, the second and third sentences in the previous paragraph appear to contradict themselves. How is recognizing “that civilians have the unquestioned authority to have the final say” “a major flaw in the leader of the CIA?”

“Why is this important in today’s Washington? Because the Bush administration is well known for politicizing intelligence operations. Washington Post columnist David Ignatius provided insight into that this past Sunday.”

[RWC] Note the drive-by accusation that “the Bush administration is well known for politicizing intelligence operations.” The editorial offers no proof of this allegation, though it expects us to accept the following excerpt from an opinion piece as fact.

“‘An example of the political frictions that harmed the agency involved CIA reporting from Iraq. From late 2003 on, the agency was warning about the rise of the Iraqi insurgency and the failings of the administration’s political strategy.

“‘In 2004, the CIA station chief in Baghdad was sending warnings every 60 days, in special messages known as ‘AARDWOLF’ cables, about the deteriorating situation. This candid and largely correct reporting is said to have angered White House officials, who complained that the Baghdad chief was a defeatist and not a team player. At the end of his tour, he was punished with a poor assignment.’”

[RWC] In case you missed it, in the previous two paragraphs this editorial wants us to accept as fact the musings of an opinion writer.

“Would Hayden stand up to President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other top-ranking officials, or would he be a team player? If Hoekstra gets his way, that’s a question that shouldn’t have to be asked.”

[RWC] Have you noticed that the mainstream media believes a requirement of Bush administration appointees is that they function as “the loyal opposition?” Here’s my naïve view of appointees. We voters elect a president to carry out his platform, and the president appoints people who agree with his principles and who will implement lawful administration policy. Though a person should feel free to voice his opinion to his higher ups, once a lawful decision has been made, members of the administration should carry out that decision to the best of his ability.

Finally, and perhaps most important, at no point did the editorial state the position should go to “the best guy for the job.” I don’t know if Gen. Hayden is the best person for the job or not. All I know is everyone has spoken highly of him as a person and of his qualifications.