Dennis Blair…….. the Director of National Intelligence resigns…….

Sometimes things should remain the same….

Blair’s immediate resignation is about being passed over on a trip to Pakistan that ended up being taken by CIA Director Panetta and National Security Advisor James Jones….. The long term reason has to do with two things….

Number 1…….Adm Blair is a quiet ..Behind the scenes guy…..

During ever terrorist incident, NW 235, Times Square and others…..Jones has NOT been the ‘Go To ‘ Guy….

Because of that..He has suffered in the media and Administration’s eye…..He’s not been a strong beauricratic player…

Number 2……And I believe this the root cause…..

There really shouldn’t be  Director of National Intelligence.…

The job should handled by the CIA Director …as it has been done in the past……

“The position was a political fix after 9/11 to address the fact that agencies assigned to protect this country through intelligence gathering ….From the NSA to local Police didn’t really talk to each other….and couldn’t connect the dots in the 9/11 plot…..The role of controlling the nations intelligence agencies was the CIA Director’s…….

The DNI was supposed to correct all that…..

The Director of National Intelligence (DNI), is the United States government official subject to the authority, direction and control of the President, who is responsible under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 for:

• Serving as the principal adviser to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to the national security;
• Serving as the head of the seventeen-member Intelligence Community; and
• Overseeing and directing the National Intelligence Program.

Under 50 U.S.C. § 403-3a, it is desired that either the Director or the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence be an active duty commissioned officer in the armed forces or have training or experience in military intelligence activities and requirements. No more than one officer can hold either position during the same term. The statute does not specifically state what rank the commissioned officer will hold during his tenure in either position, but trends lean towards an officer holding the rank of a four-star general or admiral. The current DNI is retired Navy four-star admiral, Dennis C. Blair.

On July 30, 2008, President Bush issued Executive Order 13470amending Executive Order 12333 to strengthen the role of the DNI.”

The Formation of the office has done NO SUCH THING…..

The fact is……..

Critics say compromises during the bill’s crafting led to the establishment of a DNI whose powers are too weak to adequately lead, manage and improve the performance of the US Intelligence Community.In particular, the law left the United States Department of Defense in charge of the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. (The limited DNI role in leading the US Intelligence Community is discussed in the Intelligence Community article.)

In addition, The DNI has no budgetary control over any of the agencies…….

It has no role in actually fielding assets….

And it is actually at the mercy of what ever those agencies ‘it talks to’ choose to tell it…..

I n fact the DNI has been the loser in several ‘dust-ups’ with CIA Director Panetta…….

The last one before the trip Blair was cut out of (at the President’s direction ) was the effort to have A DNI Station Chief in embassies all over the work=ld that would be in-charge of ALL intelligence gathering in country…..Blair lost that one to CIA Director Panetta also…..

To be fair the CIA Director Panetta is an old Washington hand…who was a Congressman from California and a Chief of Staff to President Clinton…..

Blair had no chance from the jump against those odds….aAndto be honest the idea of the DNI never really has found a home in DC , where beauricrats fight cut throat battles to keep their power….

Obama and Congress should do themselves and the tax payers a favor…… and dismantle the whole thing and send it back to the CIA….. where it belongs…….

More……..