Joe Conason (Salon): Rice fries steamed spies

On and off the record, the level of bureaucratic warfare between the CIA and the White House over the Niger deception is becoming intense, as public pressure grows for an independent investigation of the Bush administration's justifications for war in Iraq. As I suggested yesterday, the president's advisors are trying simultaneously to pillory the CIA while keeping director George Tenet safely inside the Bush tent.

National security advisor Condoleezza Rice delivered the latest salvo against the agency early Friday morning in a meeting with reporters on Air Force One, as the presidential entourage headed toward Uganda. Her message wasn't exactly subtle: "The CIA cleared the speech. The CIA cleared the speech in its entirety," she said, after suggesting minor changes to the sentence about the alleged Iraqi uranium deal. "With the changes in that sentence, the speech was cleared. The agency did not say they wanted that sentence out."

Of course, she added, "I'm not blaming anyone here." (Why would anyone think she is?) And the president "absolutely" retains confidence in the agency, she emphasized. They're just hanging the director out to dry until the media heat dissipates.

According to Rice's version of events, the CIA carefully vetted the president's speech, and nevertheless permitted him to say things that the agency's analysts knew to be false, or at best highly questionable. She told reporters to question Tenet himself if they're curious about that contradiction.

much more...

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2003/07/11/condi/index.html

"{Rice's} credibility compares poorly with that of Tenet -- the man who tried in vain to convince her
and the other brilliant minds in the White House about the imminent threat from al-Qaida in
2001. (That may be the most important reason that the White House will disparage but
hesitate to dismiss the CIA director, whose sudden unemployment could lead to
discomfiting candor)."

No of course Tenet won't go, even now. He is a convenient foil, blame it all on him, 9/11, distorting the case for war, hell maybe even the economy disintegrating if they could. He is the convenient fall guy. Methinks he has been promised the sun the moon and the stars for his decision to willingly be used as a political punching bag. Why else would he allow his credibility to be so thoroughly destroyed. Wonder what the price of his allegiance to the "family" was? Seat on the board of Carlyle?

Mike Ruppert recently said that Tenet wouldn't be let go because he has the goods on Bush about 9/11.

Fascinating reading.

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/070103_beyond_bush_1.html

he's resign immediately and sTART BEING CANDID. "IF".