There's an article in the New York Times today telling us that the Firing of Mary McCarthy is just part of an overall policy of trying to return the CIA to a "culture of secrecy".
Gee, that would be nice. As we pointed out yesterday, the real problem is trust. Or lack thereof. Who wants to trust secrets to an agency that simply cannot keep a secret?
Mr. Goss has repeatedly expressed unhappiness with what he sees as the laxity of C.I.A. employees and retirees in discussing agency matters. He has taken up the cause of tightening information controls across the board, partly in response to calls from the White House, the Congressional intelligence committees and the presidential commission on weapons of mass destruction.
But in a way, the Times reveals a hint of what is wrong in the first place. In describing how the board that reviews former employee's writings has tightened the rules, I count no less than seven somewhat disgruntled authors. Not to be too snarky here; is that the tip of the iceberg? Is that the real problem? Are too many people working at the CIA who want to become famous authors? If the Times could come up with seven, how many more are there?
It would be nice if the CIA could somehow stop the budding writers from leaking out secrets. It appears as if budding authors and openly political types may have become entirely too normal in an agency that must keep secrets. At this point, it's not at all clear that the CIA can be reformed.
Media | Gaius Monday, 24 April , 2006 | 
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I see an article like this and know there are still so many people who support our troops. Despite the massively slanted news, despite the worst the far left can do, people still come out in droves to show they support the men and women doing the tough job of protecting all of us.
Knoxville's own National Guard 278th Regimental Combat Team returned from Iraq and was greeted with a very well attended parade. Gov. Phil Bredesen reviewed the 2,500 member strong unit.
Bredesen said the men and women of the 278th who were deployed to Iraq for a year represent "what is the very best of our state and the very best of our nation."
"I thank you for your courage and sacrifices," the governor told the soldiers. "You left as trained citizens and you came back as warriors."
I quite agree with the Governor. These are among the very best in our nation. They represent us all and we must stand behind them.
It's looking worse and worse in the Palestinian territories right now. Rather more like a real civil war than the situation in Iraq.The Fatah faction and the Hamas people are openly battling in the streets.
Clashes were ugliest Saturday in Gaza City, where Hamas and Fatah followers traded gunfire and hurled grenades and firebombs. Hundreds of university students threw stones over the wall separating Hamas- and Fatah-run schools. Fifteen people were wounded, two seriously.
Later Saturday, hundreds of Fatah activists marched to Gaza's parliament compound, throwing stones and shattering windows in a government building.
Elsewhere across Gaza and the West Bank, tens of thousands of Fatah backers marched through the streets of cities, towns and refugee camps, denouncing Mashaal as a "dirty animal," setting tires ablaze and waving yellow party flags.
It appears that the flash point was the announcement by Hamas that they would form a shadow security force.
We here at Blue Crab Boulevard have been pretty persistent in our criticism of Yale's decision to admit a former Taliban official as a student. John Fund reports today that the redefinition of the rules for the programs that admit non-traditional students may signal that Yale is going to dump Mr. Hashemi.
Please let this be so.
Fund also takes note of the potential hiring of Juan Cole. Let's just say Mr. Fund isn't a big fan and recommends Yale not do that, either. Oh well, hiring Cole would simply give us more opportunity to attempt to make Yale into a laughingstock.
We're just saying.
