Bush Nominates Hayden for CIA Post

Air Force General Tapped to Replace Porter Goss; Some Lawmakers Express Concern

Peter Brookes , a former intelligence officer with the CIA's Directorate of Operations and now a senior fellow in National Security Affairs at the Heritage Foundation , was online Monday, May 8, at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss President Bush 's nomination of Air Force General Michael V. Hayden to succeed Porter Goss as head of the CIA. Some lawmakers have already criticized the move, and concerns have been raised about an active duty military officer leading the agency. Bush cites Hayden's extensive experience and calls him "the right man" to take the job.

The transcript follows.

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Arlington, Va.: Why the concern over his being a member of the military? Is the CIA that much of a strictly civilian agency, with no former military working as agents? Also Hayden was at the NSA-what is the relationship between the two organizations, and how familiar would the rank and file at the CIA be with him?

Peter Brookes: I don't think the uniform issue is really important. The CIA began as a military organization with the OSS during WWII. At least six flag officers (admirals/generals) have run the agency since it was formed. I think some are concerned that Hayden will be unduly influenced by his old boss, SECDEF Rumsfeld.

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Washington, D.C.: What sort of job has Porter Goss done and why would Hayden be any better or worse?

Peter Brookes: Porter Goss did a good job under very difficult circumstances. The agency was in disarray after 9/11 and the failure to find WMD in Iraq. In my view, he shook things up and set the agency off in a new direction. It's a good time for someone else to step in and take the helm.

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Washington, D.C.: Can you explain the controversy for those of us who don't wait with bated breath for every report out of the White House? Thanks.

Peter Brookes: I hate to sound like a self-promoter but my paper listed on the Heritage Foundation Web site--at this very moment--www.heritage.org called "The Rap on W's New CIA Pick." I think it lays out the issue in 700 words pretty well. Check it out.

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Dale, Tex.: How is recruiting holding up? Is there any "natural" bias evident in applicants recently?

Peter Brookes: I understand that there is no shortage of applicants at CIA...they are doing incredibly important work and we're lucky to have so many Americans willing to contribute to our national security.

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Boston, Mass.: I am confused as to General Hayden's position, right now as deputy DNI and if he becomes the CIA director, he works for Negroponte, but if stays in the military does he also have to take orders from Rumsfeld as the Secretary of Defense?

Peter Brookes: In theory, all military officer (and enlisted) work for the SECDEF, but as a presidential appointee, I couldn't foresee a circumstance where the SECDEF would try to pull rank. Many also believe that Hayden may also retire from the military and serve as a civilian.

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Pittsford, N.Y.: It seems that in the past few years, there have been many liberal members of the CIA -- such as Mary McCarthy and Ray McGovern -- who want to hurt the administration with embarrassing disclosures. Will Hayden make a better effort to crack down on this sort of thing? After all, the CIA is supposed to support the President's policies, not make their own, isn't it?

Peter Brookes: It's my hope that the leaks will stop based on the McCarthy case, but if they don't Hayden will have to take steps to ensure they do. It's not only a violation of the law, but also of the trust of your fellow intelligence professionals.

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Toledo, Ohio: Does Hayden's nomination derive from the Bush/Rove policy of keeping their secrets among a close group of friends?

Peter Brookes: It would be wrong to assume that personal relationships play no role in personnel decisions. The government is just like the private sector in that regard. I think the president trusts and has confidence in his new pick--and it's my guess that they probably see the intelligence world similarly.

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Dale, Tex.: What is the best, relatively recent history of the CIA?

Peter Brookes: Gosh...don't really know

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Washington, D.C.: How much control does the CIA director really have now that there is a director of national intelligence (Negroponte?)

Peter Brookes: the CIA Dir has a lto of control over the clandestine service as well as the CIA itself. The DNI is more a manager of the intel community at large. I wrote on the DNI about two weeks ago...you can read it at www.heritage.org on my web page.

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Washington, D.C.: What's all the hoopla about a military officer heading the CIA? It's been done in the past. And several military officers have headed up the NSA.

Peter Brookes: Some concerns stem from the last military man to head the CIA, Adm Stansfield Turner (Carter administration). Few people inside or outside the agency view that period favorably.

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Washington, D.C.: There's a lot of talk right now about Hayden -- a military man with a lot of experience in SIGINT -- not being able to run an agency whose primary purpose is to gather HUMINT. Is there any truth to that?

Peter Brookes: He has a little HUMINT experience as a former defense attache during the Cold War in Bulgaria, but it's not exactly the same as clandestine work. I would imagine that he has been exposed to it in other jobs such as head of AF intelligence. He'll, of course, have senior staff officer that will handle the day HUMINT operations.

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Washington, D.C.: Would the CIA function better if it were just a collection agency?

Peter Brookes: That seems to be the direction DNI Negroponte would like to take the agency. It seemed Goss resisted that--and may have led to his departure. Personally, there is a risk in separating the analysts and the operators.

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San Diego, Calif.: Do you have a comment about the recent reports that Director Goss was conducting a review of the political party affiliations of CIA personnel? If that's true, did it play a part, one way or the other, in Goss's departure?

Peter Brookes: Haven't heard anything like that...

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Laramie, Wyo.: Many newspapers are reporting that the Goss resignation might have had something to do with the corruption scandal involving defense contractors and poker games at the Watergate Hotel. Randy Cunningham attended those games and apparently Goss did too, although not as CIA chief. If all this is true then the CIA/Pentagon/Defense Industry are already in cahoots...so having an Airforce General in charge wouldn't really change much.

Peter Brookes: There are plenty of rumors out there--not willing to indict anyone legally or in the court of public opinion with evidence...

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Tallahassee, Fla.: Doesn't the CIA need spies more than anything else at this point, to infiltrate al Qaeda and other terrorist groups? It seems to me that it would be wise to promote someone familiar with these activities to the top post at the CIA. What is your opinion on this and what is the common attitude among DO agents?

Thanks.

Peter Brookes: More HUMINT, yes. There are things that HUMINT can produce that you just can't get from satellites and the like...but remember that there is also a lot more danger involved in having our agents go in harm's way.

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Richmond, Va.: Thanks for taking questions. The Bush administration has blamed the CIA for bad intel about WMD in Iraq (and I don't believe them). This administration has outed an operative as a means of discrediting her husband, and claimed that they can declassify information at will. This administration has chosen to place a greater value on the DOD intelligence group. Putting Porter Goss in as Director served to purge a lot of valuable talent out of the agency. It seems to me Gen. Hayden could be just the fellow to finish the CIA off, or get pretty close to it. Your thoughts?

Peter Brookes: There is another school of thought that says that many of those that left the CIA since Goss came in were responsible for many of the failures in recent years. So should Goss have kept them? I don't think Hayden is being sent to Langley to close the place down.

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Louisville, Ky.: Gen. Hayden seems to have a shocking misunderstanding of the Fourth Amendment, pleading ignorance of probable cause in recent interviews.

Please calm my fears that Hayden disagrees with the President, and does not think it acceptable to spy on average Americans without a warrant.

Peter Brookes: My belief is that the NSA wiretapping program should be legal and focused on the bad guys. That said, I think we'll see a lot more discussion of this during Hayden's confirmation hearings.

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Harrisburg, Pa.: So - if we purge the CIA of "Liberal Whistleblowers" everything will be hunky-dory, and we won't have to know about unpleasant things like administration sponsorship of torture?

Please.

Peter Brookes: The CIA plays an important role in our national security. We are a country of laws--and that applies to ALL intelligence officials. Leaks are not legal. There are other methods of recourse for objections such as the inspector general or appropriately cleared members of congress. According to our laws, the press is not a means for intel personnel to find redress to their grievances. The exposure of operational information can put our personnel in harm" s way.

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Rockville, Md.: I would have picked Rob Simmons to be director. Time for a new generation. He would bring a good background that started with Army Intelligence and is personable as to not make enemies by accident.

Congress: Rob Simmons : 2nd District of Connecticut

Peter Brookes: I know the congressman...good guy!

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Chicago, Ill.: Do you have anything critical to say at all of the President's or Porter Goss's handling of the CIA? Obviously, it wasn't just peaches and cream over there. What do you have to say to administration critics who blame the white house for cherry picking intelligence? What did Porter Goss actually accomplish that was effective?

Peter Brookes: I've got to run...thanks for your questions and for your interest. See you next time. You can catch my work at www.heritage.org

Pete

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