CIA's contempt for the public

The Helgerson report is variously said to implicate a dozen CIA officers or up to 20. All agree those named include agency counterterrorism chief J. Cofer Black, Deputy Director for Operations James L. Pavitt, and top boss George Tenet. All those mentioned responded to the criticisms in the report—Tenet's denunciation is said to extend to 20 pages—and changes were made in the IG report as a consequence. By then, it was August 2005. Goss gave the report to Congress but waited another six weeks—and spurned appeals from both congressional intelligence committees—to reject making it public, or indeed taking any action against the individuals named by the inspector general. In a statement on October 5, Director Goss declared that "after great consideration" he would take no personnel actions. One reason for this lack of accountability is that Goss cannot proceed further without convening personnel review boards that would be required to adjudicate the IG claims and the individuals’ responses. Clearly, this administration wants no further formal investigations. LINK

MR. WYDEN (on 4/6/06) : FIRST, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR THE CHAIRMAN OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE FOR HIS WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH ME AND FOR THE SUGGESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE BRING THIS ISSUE TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IMMEDIATELY AND ASK THE INSPECTOR GENERAL TO RELEASE THIS REPORT WITHIN 30 DAYS. IF THE SENATOR AGREES TO BRING THIS ISSUE TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IMMEDIATELY SO THAT STAFF CAN BEGIN WORKING WITH THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE OVER THE UPCOMING TWO-WEEK RECESS AND THE CHAIRMAN AND I CAN REVIEW THEIR PROGRESS WHEN WE RETURN, THEN I WOULD BE WILLING TO WITHDRAW MY UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST THAT THIS REPORT BE MADE PUBLIC IMMEDIATELY AT THIS TIME. LINK