The American Spectator

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br> Director, Domestic Animals and Wildlife Rescue & Information br> People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) br> Norfolk, Virginia /p> p> BABBINIZE THE CIA br> Re: Jed Babbin's CIA's Castra Praetoria : /p>

I am not sure that Jed Babbin isn't a bit too hard on the record of the CIA. My understanding is that it was the most right, or the least wrong, government agency on Vietnam and that it had considerable success in the early Reagan years pursuing the strategy of liberating eastern Europe and fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan (although the latter may have assisted in the creation of our current problems with Islamic radicalism).

That said, his main point is correct. It is a peculiarity of bureaucracies that they are invincibly obtuse about their failures. I think of this as the "French general staff effect."

After the failure of the French general staff in World War II, which didn't just result in defeat, but in the transfer of the country to one of history's more depraved regimes, was their a housecleaning? No. Was there an agonizing reappraisal on the part of leading French generals, such that they resigned due to their failure to their country? No. They all decamped to Vichy and the next thing on the agenda was lunch. In fact, they were affronted that de Gaulle wanted to continue the war and put a death sentence on his head.

So also with the CIA currently. George Bush did not want to cripple our government with finger pointing after 9/11. But he paid a high price for it because there is no such thing as becoming modesty on the part of bureaucrats for their failures. If they are not removed, they are just as arrogant after a failure of mission as they were before.

Anyone with a sense of propriety would not dream of complaining about Rumsfeld setting up an analysis section on intelligence in the Pentagon after the incredible nonfeasance of the CIA on 9/11. Since the CIA failed at its mission, it followed that leaders would want a second opinion. But noooo, as John Belushi used to say.

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