The C.I.A.: Movies Versus Real Life

The lead story in today’s New York Times is titled, “After 9/11, C.I.A. had Plan to Kill Qaeda’s Leaders.” It describes plans to assassinate Al Qaeda leaders through small paramilitary teams of operatives. The program, which took about 24 hours to leak, was first publicized as a secret operation that Dick Cheney had commanded the C.I.A. to keep secret from Congress.

According to the article, the program was never implemented, even though authority for it to proceed was renewed on a yearly basis. In addition, the concealment of the program from Congress specifically violated the process of informing Senate and House Oversight Committees. These committees were specifically formed to curtual previous excesses by the C.I.A.

Unlike the movies, the C.I.A. assassination teams posed some significant logistical problems. For example, where do you base the teams? Are they just sitting around on alert? How do you select the personnel so that other operations are not jeopardized?

In reality, the C.I.A. is not the all-knowing, cloak and dagger, efficient machine portrayed in the movies. It’s inability to stop the 9/11 attacks in the first place should offer clear evidence of that fact. For example, the bureaucratic limitations of any large government agency plague the C.I.A. as well.

Cheney’s commands to the C.I.A. are another matter. He has no legislative, executive or constitutional authority to order anyone to do anything. His sole duty, to preside over the Senate, precludes his giving commands to any agency. And these commands should represent the last straw of toleration for any of his nefarious acts.

Who does Cheney think he is? It’s time for Eric Holder to look into the matter.