CIA Nominee Goss Tried to Gut Key Intelligence Programs

[G_j]

www.Misleader.org >
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BUSH'S CIA NOMINEE TRIED TO GUT KEY INTELLIGENCE PROGRAMS

President Bush has repeatedly criticized his opponent<1> for joining with
Republicans to slightly reduce funding for intelligence after the end of the
Cold War.<2> But a new report shows that the President recently nominated a
CIA Director who tried to make far deeper cuts in intelligence, even as
terrorist attacks against the United States increased.

Despite the known threat of terrorism, Bush nominated Rep. Porter Goss
(R-FL) to be the new CIA Director - a man who has led the effort to cut the
very intelligence priorities that are most critical to the fight against
terrorism. As the Washington Post reports, Goss actually "sponsored
legislation that would have cut intelligence personnel by 20 percent in the
late 1990s." Goss insisted on these cuts even after the 1993 World Trade
Center attack when America became aware of the serious terrorist threat. As
the story notes, the cuts Goss supported are far larger than those proposed
by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and were specifically targeted at "human
intelligence." That is the very same priority which the 9/11 Commission and
other independent experts say was lacking in the days and months leading up
to the 9/11 attacks.<3>

The revelations about Goss come only a few weeks after similar evidence came
to light showing that Vice President Cheney has also repeatedly tried to
stop intelligence reforms and cut critical defense programs. For instance,
in 1992, Cheney led the effort to block the very same intelligence reforms
the 9/11 Commission said would have made the United States better prepared
to deal with the threat of al Qaeda. Similarly, while the Bush-Cheney
campaign has attacked Kerry for supposedly reducing defense spending,<4> it
was Cheney himself in 2000 who admitted that as Defense Secretary, he "did
in fact significantly reduce the overall size of the U.S. military."<5> And
in 1990, it was Cheney who went to Capitol Hill to tout his effort to slash
defense, bragging about "programs that I have recommended for
termination."<6>

Sources:

1. "Bush chides Kerry on intelligence cuts," Washington Times, 3/09/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1333383&l=51644.
2. "Bush Strains Facts Re: Kerry's Plan To Cut Intelligence Funding in
'90's," FactCheck.org, 3/15/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1333383&l=51645.
3. "Goss Backed '95 Bill to Slash Intelligence," Washington Post, 8/24/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1333383&l=51646.
4. "Remarks by the Vice President at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
and Museum," WhiteHouse.gov, 3/17/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1333383&l=51647.
5. "latimes.com: Cheney acknowledges defense cuts began on his watch,"
CNN.com, 8/24/00,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1333383&l=51648.
6. Congressional Testimony, 2/01/90.

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[SoFlaJet]

1. I totally disagree with some Dem leaders

who say we should allow this nomination to get thru.They say it'll be seen as playing politics which is ironic b/c NOT protesting Goss is doing exactly the same thing-all for political gain

[On the Road]

2. Depends on WHERE The Cuts Would be Made

A huge part of the intelligence budget was directed at the Soviet Union and it took years to begin to balance it. Many of these people cannot be transferred because their knowledge is specialized by language and region.

From what I've seen so far, I'm really not sure Goss is a bad guy for the job.