Just as the CIA is finally effective again, they are drop kicked back to the 'Carter' years. Intelligence is an ugly but very necessary business.

Today's announcement by the Obama team of the appointment of Leon Panetta as Director of the CIA is, I think, a great mistake. Say what you will, but the CIA has managed to become one of the premier intelligence gathering agencies in the world over the last eight years, despite the fact they are accused of wrong doing at every turn and have one restriction after another placed on them by the government.

The Intelligence business by it's very nature is not a nice business and as such is charged with the task of gathering information that is vital to the security of our country. This point seems to have gone right over the heads of many of our lofty minded officials when they fire one criticism after another at the various intelligence agencies, frankly I'm surprised they can even come close to doing an effective job. Mr. Obama's criticism about water boarding and other methods of interrogation as torture are downright stupid, when information is needed and an enemy combatant refuses to give information that may be vital in counterinsurgency efforts, as in the case of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, any method of interrogation should be OK, that is how wars are won and the lives of our servicemen and women are protected.

Personally I am not an advocate of torture as an initial method of interrogation, but, if verifiable information is not forth coming in a timely manner, harsh methods should be employed as lives of our troops are generally at stake. What our sissified, liberally educated, Prozac popping populace is ignorant of or just doesen't want to deal with , is the simple fact that there is no such thing as a politically correct war. That wars should be fought to be won as quickly and as decisively as possible utilizing whatever means are necessary.

Mr. Panetta has no Intelligence background to speak of and though he may be an able manager is not part of a communiy that works best and accomplishes more when led by one of their own. There is no such thing as a kinder gentler intelligence organization and never will be. This is not the time for on the job training regardless of how quick a study Mr. Panetta may or may not be.

Thanks for reading,

Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has not heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains
Sir Winston Churchill

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