Intelligence Czarness
Mood:  lyrical
Topic: I heard that name before
Meanwhile, here in the U.S. Dubya was on parade for the media this morning to answer questions about countries not on the agenda at the moment, push forward his Social Security in Crisis agenda (I will get to that one of these days) and mostly to introduce us to his nomination for a new Intelligence Czar...

Johnnnnnnnnnnnn
Negroooooooooooooooooooooooo-PONTE!!!!!!!!!

(also BBC)
Dubya says, "If we are going to stop the terrorists before they strike, we have to ensure that the intelligence agencies work as a single unified enterprise," Mr Bush said.

He praised Mr Negroponte's credentials for the job.

"John understands America's global intelligence needs because he has spent the better part of his life in the nation's foreign service."

Good, good, good...And obviously Johnny-boy has gotta be a team player! I read the 9/11 report a while back but I forget what the requirements for this position were...Does this mean the next President will appoint their own Intelligence Czar? Does this position require a non-partisan kind of person? Should one of Bush's boys be in this position?

Negroponte says:
"it would be "undoubtedly the most challenging assignment I have undertaken in more than 40 years of government service".

No shit.

"Mr Negroponte will take primary responsibility for delivering the president's daily intelligence briefing, Mr Bush said - and will set budgets for the intelligence agencies.

Mr Bush admitted that Mr Negroponte might have difficulty wresting control of military intelligence from the Pentagon - which controls 80% of the US intelligence budget."

Do you think he will actually get to wrestle someone? Rumsfeld perhaps? I am sure Vince McMahon would be happy to help as he's got Wrestlemania right around the conrer! Oh wait, he said 'wrested' bummer.

FYI, Mr, Negroponte (a fun name to say if you ask me) was a former ambassador to Iraq as well as an envoy to everyone's favorite organization of varying significance, The U.N. So obvioulsy that makes him all about the intelligence, man!

His name seemed rather familiar to me...Where had I heard his name before? Something to do with the '80's or a Bob Woodward book I read last year...

AH-HA!

Courtesy of 'The Observer' (emphasis added):
The selection of Elliot Abrams last week as President George Bush's director of Middle Eastern affairs triggered a cloud of controversy over both the administration's Middle East policy.

Abrams pleaded guilty in 1987 to withholding information from about the Nicaraguan Contra case from Congress, before being pardoned by the first President Bush in 1992.

Four officials now in the Bush administration worked for President Reagan in the mid-1980s, when money from arms sales to Iran was diverted to aid the Contra rebels in Nicaragua:

Elliott Abrams

NOW Senior director for Near East and North African Affairs at the National Security Council

THEN Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs

Pleaded guilty to withholding information about the case from Congress. Was later pardoned by President George Bush Sr

John D. Negroponte

NOW US Ambassador to the United Nations (and of course the nominee for Intelligence Czar)

THEN Ambassador to Honduras

Was the Reagan administration's 'point man' for efforts to back the Contras from Nicaragua's neighbour, Honduras

John M. Poindexter

NOW Director of the Information Awareness Office at the Pentagon's research agency

THEN National Security Adviser

Was convicted in 1990 of five felony counts, including making false statements to Congress. The convictions were later overturned

Otto J. Reich

NOW Special envoy for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and was Assistant Secretary of State

THEN Director of the office of public diplomacy at the State Department

Led an office found to have engaged in prohibited acts of domestic propaganda to generate support for the Contras

Well now, that IS curious. Why are all these Iran-Contra types getting back into significant positions this term? Mostly pardoned from convictions no less. It's amazing how these Republicans protect their own while deficating on their opposition sometimes for less significant reasons.

A while back we also heard some scuttle-butt about (see January 11th's post, "Remmeber El Salvador") some Iran-Contra relations coming back into focus. Not to mention the notion that someone in Douglas Feith's office had been dealing with that shady Iran-Contra arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar last year as well...Getting rather shady here don't you agree?

This is a big complicated mess that may or may not also become something of a Watergate kind of thing for Dubya's "mandated" second term. A good essay, Iran/Contra II, can be found here:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0410.marshallrozen.html

(For a summary of the original Iran/Contra scandal read Bob Woodwards "Veil" or go here: http://www.webcom.com/pinknoiz/covert/icsummary.html)

Scary but interesting.

Stay tuned true believers!