George “Slam Dunk” Tenet is resigning from his position as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
WASHINGTON – George Tenet has resigned as CIA director, President Bush announced Thursday, ending the increasingly stormy tenure of a man under fire for the department’s intelligence before the Iraq war.
In a brief appearance this morning before leaving for Europe, Bush told reporters he had met Tenet on Wednesday night at the White House.
“He told he me was resigning for personal reasons. I told him I was sorry he was leaving,” Bush said.
Tenet will serve until mid-July and will be temporarily replaced by Deputy Director John McLaughlin, Bush said.
The president gave no other reason for Tenet’s departure.This clears the way for a “failure of intelligence” strategy for Bush this fall.
Coverage Elsewhere: The Command Post
BoiFromTroy has a good quote roundup from a variety of bloggers. The general consensus apparently is something on the order of, “What the fuck took so long?”
The Corner is a constant buzz with possible replacements, but don’t expect any big name candidate to be appointed until Bush is reelected. Who would want to take the job (and face a confirmation hearing) with 5 months left before the election? No one.
Via California Yankee comes a pointer to ABC’s The Note that is running this blurb:
“DEVASTATING” SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE REPORT: Linda Douglass reports that according to two senior sources familiar with the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on pre-war intelligence failures yet to be released, findings are “devastating” for Tenet. Democratic sources confirm Tenet was losing support among Democrats because of the conclusions reached by this report. One Republican source predicted Wednesday Tenet might resign before it is released. The report is currently being declassified by the CIA and is expected to be made public on June 17.
“This clears the way for a ‘failure of intelligence’ strategy for Bush this fall.”
Or a tell-all book from Tenet?
Now the question is WILL he write a book. Bush has GOT to be sweating right now.
Riiiiiiiiiiight.
The CIA had an opening for an assassin. After all of the background checks, interviews, and testing were done there were three finalists – two men and one woman. For the final test, the CIA agents took one of the men to a large metal door and handed him a gun.
“We must know that you will follow your instructions, no matter what the circumstances. Inside this room you will find your wife sitting in a chair. You have to kill her.” The first man said. “You cant be serious. I could never shoot my wife!”The agent replies, “Then you?re not the right man for this job.”
The second man was given the same instructions. He took the gun and went into the room. All was quiet for about five minutes. Then the agent came out with tears in his eyes. “I tried, but I cant kill my wife.” The agent replies, “You dont have what it takes. Take your wife and go home.”
Finally, it was the womans turn. Only she was told to kill her husband. She took the gun and went into the room. Shots were heard, one shot after another. They heard screaming, crashing, banging on the walls. After a few minutes, all was quiet. The door opened slowly and there stood the woman. She wiped the sweat from her brow and said, “You guys didnt tell me the gun was loaded with blanks. So I had to beat him to death with the chair.”