16. The Fuhrer Selects Herr Negroponte.
President Bush selected John Negroponte to be America's first National Intelligence director.
If you recall, this was the American version of the Gestapo or KGB, when 14 U.S. intelligence agencies were combined into one powerful federal leviathan (see #23 on Scorecard I).
Negroponte is certainly qualified when it comes to being oppressive on the federal level (or higher). He was the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. (that alone is socialistic enough) responsible for pushing the U.N. resolutions that became the excuse to invade Iraq, even though the image was that "Cowboy" Bush bucked the U.N. The fact is, the U.S. was doing the U.N.'s dirty work, and taking all the heat for it.
He was most recently our Ambassador to Iraq, and we all see how well that's going.
Administration sources say some other candidates declined the post because the legislation creating the intel job was too vague in describing its authority. Well, someone seeking *unconstitutional* authority would not be bothered by vague laws. The vagueness makes them easier to apply as desired and harder for citizens to defend against.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050217/D88AC8RO1.html
Bush Nominates Negroponte As Intel Chief
Feb 17, 11:20 AM (ET)
By KATHERINE SHRADER
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Thursday named John Negroponte, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and currently the administration's top representative in Iraq, to be America's first national intelligence director.
Announcing the move, Bush said that Negroponte understands global intelligence needs because he's had a long career in the foreign service.
Bush also said that Negroponte will make decisions on the budgets for the various intelligence agencies.
"John will make sure that those whose duty it is to defend America have the information we need to make the right decisions," the president said.
TG: Yes, Big Brother will have all he needs to know about us. He will be reading this rebuttal on the internet faster than you are right now. In fact, I think I hear someone knocking at my door right now ...
Bush named Lt. Gen. Mike Hayden, who has served as director of the National Security Agency since March 1999, as Negroponte's deputy. He is the longest serving director of the secretive codebreaking agency and has pushed for changes, such as asking longtime agency veterans to retire and increasing reliance on technology contractors.
TG: Ah yes, get rid of all those old timers who still might remember that we have a Constitution we're supposed to operate under.
Discussing the authority that Negroponte will have, Bush said that "people who control the money, people who have access to the president generally have a lot of influence. And that's why John Negroponte is going to have a lot of influence. He will set the budgets."
TG: He will set the budgets? Why, according to the Constitution (the WHAT?) that's only the job of Congress. All legislative powers are vested in Congress, and all revenue bills must originate in the House.
Bush said he had not received any preliminary findings from the commission that's investigating failures of prewar intelligence - headed by former Sen. Chuck Robb, R-Va., and Republican Laurence Silberman - which is expected to issue a final report next month.
Negroponte, 65, was at the United Nations when he was tapped to take on the delicate job of transforming the U.S. presence in Iraq from that of an occupier to that of an adviser. Bush chose him for the job last April and he went to Baghdad hours after the handover of sovereignty to Iraq's interim government.
TG: Being that Negroponte was our Ambassador to the U.N. and to Iraq during these "failures of prewar intelligence", you don't think he might be somewhat responsible for ... oh, no, of course not.
According to one well-informed administration official, former CIA director Robert Gates was Bush's first choice but Gates and some other candidates declined the post.
They worried that the legislation establishing the intelligence job was too vague in outlining its authority, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on New York and Washington were the impetus for legislation passed by Congress and signed by Bush, creating the new position.
The bill represented the most sweeping intelligence legislation in over 50 years. The director of national intelligence will hold a pre-eminent role in U.S. national security affairs and coordinate the work of all 15 U.S. intelligence agencies.
Spokeswoman Sarah Little said Negroponte told the senator he would need to return to Iraq to tie up issues there. Little said the confirmation may be weeks away.
TG: That's probably an optimistic prediction. It will take years to tie up issues in Iraq.
As ambassador to the United Nations, Negroponte helped win unanimous approval of a Security Council resolution that demanded Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein comply with U.N. mandates to disarm.
Negroponte worked to expand the role for international security forces in Afghanistan after the overthrow of the Taliban government.
Negroponte's confirmation to the United Nations post was delayed a half-year mostly because of criticism of his record as the U.S. ambassador to Honduras from 1981 to 1985.
In Honduras, he played a prominent role in assisting the Contras in Nicaragua in their war with the left-wing Sandinista government. Human rights groups alleged that Negroponte acquiesced in human rights abuses by Honduran death squads funded and partly trained by the CIA.
Negroponte testified during the hearings for the U.N. post that he did not believe death squads were operating in Honduras.
TG: He didn't believe any death squads existed there, but he did believe WMDs existed in Iraq. And this guy is now in charge of all U.S. intelligence?
In the past year, the intelligence community has been faced with a series of negative reports, including the work of the Sept. 11 commission and the Senate Intelligence Committee's inquiry on the flawed Iraq intelligence.
TG: Flawed what in the past year? And Negroponte has been working where for the past year?
If you recall, this was the American version of the Gestapo or KGB, when 14 U.S. intelligence agencies were combined into one powerful federal leviathan (see #23 on Scorecard I).
Negroponte is certainly qualified when it comes to being oppressive on the federal level (or higher). He was the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. (that alone is socialistic enough) responsible for pushing the U.N. resolutions that became the excuse to invade Iraq, even though the image was that "Cowboy" Bush bucked the U.N. The fact is, the U.S. was doing the U.N.'s dirty work, and taking all the heat for it.
He was most recently our Ambassador to Iraq, and we all see how well that's going.
Administration sources say some other candidates declined the post because the legislation creating the intel job was too vague in describing its authority. Well, someone seeking *unconstitutional* authority would not be bothered by vague laws. The vagueness makes them easier to apply as desired and harder for citizens to defend against.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050217/D88AC8RO1.html
Bush Nominates Negroponte As Intel Chief
Feb 17, 11:20 AM (ET)
By KATHERINE SHRADER
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Thursday named John Negroponte, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and currently the administration's top representative in Iraq, to be America's first national intelligence director.
Announcing the move, Bush said that Negroponte understands global intelligence needs because he's had a long career in the foreign service.
Bush also said that Negroponte will make decisions on the budgets for the various intelligence agencies.
"John will make sure that those whose duty it is to defend America have the information we need to make the right decisions," the president said.
TG: Yes, Big Brother will have all he needs to know about us. He will be reading this rebuttal on the internet faster than you are right now. In fact, I think I hear someone knocking at my door right now ...
Bush named Lt. Gen. Mike Hayden, who has served as director of the National Security Agency since March 1999, as Negroponte's deputy. He is the longest serving director of the secretive codebreaking agency and has pushed for changes, such as asking longtime agency veterans to retire and increasing reliance on technology contractors.
TG: Ah yes, get rid of all those old timers who still might remember that we have a Constitution we're supposed to operate under.
Discussing the authority that Negroponte will have, Bush said that "people who control the money, people who have access to the president generally have a lot of influence. And that's why John Negroponte is going to have a lot of influence. He will set the budgets."
TG: He will set the budgets? Why, according to the Constitution (the WHAT?) that's only the job of Congress. All legislative powers are vested in Congress, and all revenue bills must originate in the House.
Bush said he had not received any preliminary findings from the commission that's investigating failures of prewar intelligence - headed by former Sen. Chuck Robb, R-Va., and Republican Laurence Silberman - which is expected to issue a final report next month.
Negroponte, 65, was at the United Nations when he was tapped to take on the delicate job of transforming the U.S. presence in Iraq from that of an occupier to that of an adviser. Bush chose him for the job last April and he went to Baghdad hours after the handover of sovereignty to Iraq's interim government.
TG: Being that Negroponte was our Ambassador to the U.N. and to Iraq during these "failures of prewar intelligence", you don't think he might be somewhat responsible for ... oh, no, of course not.
According to one well-informed administration official, former CIA director Robert Gates was Bush's first choice but Gates and some other candidates declined the post.
They worried that the legislation establishing the intelligence job was too vague in outlining its authority, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on New York and Washington were the impetus for legislation passed by Congress and signed by Bush, creating the new position.
The bill represented the most sweeping intelligence legislation in over 50 years. The director of national intelligence will hold a pre-eminent role in U.S. national security affairs and coordinate the work of all 15 U.S. intelligence agencies.
Spokeswoman Sarah Little said Negroponte told the senator he would need to return to Iraq to tie up issues there. Little said the confirmation may be weeks away.
TG: That's probably an optimistic prediction. It will take years to tie up issues in Iraq.
As ambassador to the United Nations, Negroponte helped win unanimous approval of a Security Council resolution that demanded Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein comply with U.N. mandates to disarm.
Negroponte worked to expand the role for international security forces in Afghanistan after the overthrow of the Taliban government.
Negroponte's confirmation to the United Nations post was delayed a half-year mostly because of criticism of his record as the U.S. ambassador to Honduras from 1981 to 1985.
In Honduras, he played a prominent role in assisting the Contras in Nicaragua in their war with the left-wing Sandinista government. Human rights groups alleged that Negroponte acquiesced in human rights abuses by Honduran death squads funded and partly trained by the CIA.
Negroponte testified during the hearings for the U.N. post that he did not believe death squads were operating in Honduras.
TG: He didn't believe any death squads existed there, but he did believe WMDs existed in Iraq. And this guy is now in charge of all U.S. intelligence?
In the past year, the intelligence community has been faced with a series of negative reports, including the work of the Sept. 11 commission and the Senate Intelligence Committee's inquiry on the flawed Iraq intelligence.
TG: Flawed what in the past year? And Negroponte has been working where for the past year?
posted by T.G. at 7:24 PM
<< Home