Intelligence Turf Wars

Salon has an interesting, though certainly conjectural article on a conflict between the CIA and the Pentagon. In particular, it provides an hypothesis as to the curious timing of the departure of George Tenet, the Director of Central intelligence too close to the election to install a new Czar.

Salon has an interesting, though certainly conjectural article on a conflict between the CIA and the Pentagon. In particular, it provides an hypothesis as to the curious timing of the departure of George Tenet, the Director of Central intelligence too close to the election to install a new Czar.

It plausibly argues Tenet was sacked by Bush for raiding Ahmed Chalabi’s residence and effectively ending his political career. Chalabi was funded and backed by the Pentagon (and was very close to the politbureau of Washington Institute for Near East Policy alumni including OSP director David Wurmser, and Paul Wolfowitz) after the State department and CIA had cut ties with him over the $33m Petra bank fraud scandal.