Obama Said to Fault Spy Agencies’ Mideast Forecasting

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama has criticized American spy agencies over their performance in predicting and analyzing the spreading unrest in the Middle East, according to current and former American officials.

The president was specifically critical of intelligence agencies for misjudging how quickly the unrest in Tunisia would lead to the downfall of the country’s authoritarian government, the officials said.

The officials offered few details about the president’s concerns, but said that Mr. Obama had not ordered any major changes inside the intelligence community, which has a budget of more than $80 billion a year. On Friday, a White House spokesman said spy agencies had given Mr. Obama “relevant, timely and accurate analysis” throughout the crisis in the Middle East.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/05/world/middleeast/05cia.html

[somone]

1. $80 billion a year budget and they couldn't buy a good source?

[24601]

16. What do you expect when you put a political operative in charge

of the CIA instead of a career intelligence officer? Nothing personal against Leon Panetta, but he's an intelligence consumer/customer rather than a producer.

It's time to change the law to require intelligence professionals as Director of National Intelligence, CIA Director, NSA Director, etc, etc, etc. instead of political hacks or campaign donors.

[tomm2thumbs]

2. interesting - thanks for posting

[EvilMonsanto]

3. Wow

Why hasn't the CIA predicted people wanting to get out of a 30 Year oppression?
This is unnaceptable!

Want to know more?
It Ain't Just Mubarak -- 7 of the Worst Dictators the U.S. Is Backing to the Hilt
http://www.alternet.org/world/149805/it_ain%27t_just_mubarak_--_7_of_the_worst_dictators_the_u.s._is_backing_to_the_hilt/

Someone tell the CIA that any of these countries could be next!

Why can't we just live peacefully and not want so much power?
The world could be such an amazing place

If aliens visit us they will think we are savages that cannot tolerate each other!!!

[Angry Dragon]

4. Perhaps if the officials picked their friends better

they would not have to spy on them
I guess the administration just figured that Mubarak
could suppress and torture better than he did

[Wilms]

5. Oh. So that's why Hillary said it was a "stable" regime. n/t

[dipsydoodle]

7. That was only because

someone told her Mubarak rides a horse and not a camel.

[dipsydoodle]

6. He should've check in here on DU.

.

[Iterate]

13. You got that right.

I'm sure they could get account.

[madrchsod]

8. there are people in our agencies that understand what is going on

it would career suicide to actually tell the higher ups that the pro democracy movement was about to explode.

[Mopar151]

9. The CIA is the root of many of our problems overseas

They love corrupt dictators because they're easier to manage

[bemildred]

10. The CIA never gets it right unless they did it themselves. nt

[girl gone mad]

11. No one could have seen it coming..

except everyone who did, including many here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=128163&mesg_id=128484

Obama has been captured (or, worse still, installed) by the global elites, thus he is blind to the struggles of the masses brought about by decades of reckless neoliberal monetary and fiscal policy and fast-spreading fascism required to maintain this status quo. It's no surprise they missed the early signs of the worldwide worker backlash that's been emerging in plain sight.

[Mopar151]

12. Sad to say (IMHO)

Since there was a CIA, our Presidents have been obliged to serve the spooks. Many feel that the asassanation of JFK had to do with his defiance.

[vicarofrevelwood]

14. No expected the cost of food to spark this eather.

They screwed the Pooch!

[harun]

15. And if they did see it coming? Then what?

[fascisthunter]

17. that's what I'm Wondering Too

[Deuce]

18. same here...n/t