Roguely Stated

Former Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet appeared tonight on 60 Minutes. Tenet, who left the Agency in 2004, sat for CBS in advance of his new book, At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA, which drops tomorrow.

Recalling the day he read his “slam dunk” comment in The Washington Post, Tenet told of a discussion he had with White House Chief of Staff Andy Card. Angered over the leaker’s framing of his remark – inaccurate, according to him – Tenet told Card “You’ve gone out and made me look stupid…men of honor don’t do this.” Characterizing his disappointment in the leak and his encounter with Card, Tenet told Pelley simply, “Trust was broken.”

Tenet’s focus on his personal embarrassment and the broken trust between himself and his White House confederates seems petty in consideration of the ongoing War in Iraq, which is predicated on information produced by the Intelligence Community he oversaw.

Under tough questioning from Scott Pelley, Tenet defended his performance and that of the CIA. Tenet lashed out at Vice President Dick Cheney’s “disingenuous” insinuation that Tenet’s now infamous “slam dunk” statement was a major factor in the President’s decision to go to war. As is his wont, Tenet, upon whom Bush bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the CIA’s efforts in Afghanistan, stopped short of criticizing his former boss.

Tenet added to the chorus of former administration officials like Richard Clarke who have told of an intense White House focus on Iraq following 9/11. On September 12, 2001, Tenet said, Richard Perle approached him saying “Iraq has to pay a price for what happened yesterday – they bear responsibility.” Tenet recalled thinking “What the hell is he talking about?” Weekly Standard Editor William Kristol has entered the fray in defense of Perle, saying that Tenet has imagined this conversation, as Perle was in France until September 15, 2001.

Whether or when the Perle-Tenet encounter took place may be inconsequential. Let’s believe for a moment that the conversation did take place, as Tenet asserts. Tenet’s reaction – to think “What the hell is he talking about?” – would seem to indicate healthy Iraq-9/11 skepticism on his part. Should it not have been clear to him at that point that certain officials sought to engage Iraq using 9/11 as a pretext? Would not every consideration of engagement, every shred of Iraq intelligence not homegrown within the Agency, be henceforth colored by that realization? By that skepticism? Wouldn’t that skepticism be further heightened by the Vice President’s highly unusual visits to CIA headquarters to directly question analysts about their thinking on Iraq?

Tenet should have been wary of intelligence that pointed in the direction of war with Iraq, especially if his encounter with Perle did take place. Even if it didn’t, other accounts paint a picture of Iraq fever within the White House. Tenet’s skepticism should have made him demand the National Security Council Principals’ Meeting that never occurred – the one where they ask “is this the right thing to do?” (his words, not mine) Tenet’s skepticism should have made him think twice before passing off the President’s 2003 State of the Union Address to his executive assistant, especially given the CIA’s history of removing misrepresentations from other Bush speeches. Instead, those “16 words” about Saddam seeking uranium from Africa remained in the speech because Tenet didn’t read it.

Indeed, trust was broken.

[60 Minutes: George Tenet: At The Center Of The Storm]
[The Weekly Standard: George Tenet's Imaginary Encounter...]
[Frontline: The Dark Side]

[UPDATE: A group of former intelligence officers is calling on Tenet to donate a "significant portion" of his royalties to wounded or killed Iraq war veterans or their families. Hat tip: Think Progress.]