The Senate had earlier approved Mr Negroponte’s nomination by a majority of 98-2.
The new spy chief will take primary responsibility for delivering the president’s daily intelligence briefing and will set budgets for the intelligence agencies.
In a 40-year diplomatic career, Mr Negroponte has served as American ambassador to Iraq and to the United Nations.
After being nominated for the new post, he faced tough questioning from the Senate Intelligence Committee about his time as ambassador to Honduras, where human rights groups allege that he acquiesced in abuses by death squads.
BBC
What are your fondest memories of the Reagan administration?
Wasn’t in the country at the time but he made an impression. I remember Europe being worried about retaliation after Reagan killed Ghaddafis kid – so they stationed tanks and soldiers around all the American schools. Then there was that little incident during a sound check involving Russia and the nukes he was sending them. Grenada, Nicaragua, Lebanon. Nancy Reagan meets Raisa Gorbachov – was just plain embarrassing.
BTW, thanks for changing my sig.
NONE that I can recall with “fondness”.
If things look like hell now, that must have been Purgatory.
.
Any insight on reason EP is up in arms about holiday spend on yacht of youth friend?
News story
Oui – Liberté – Egalité – Fraternité
I personally don’t like him, I don’t see good reason for so much fuss over this trip.
He spent time with a “friend” on the other guy’s boat. Sure, it costs money and he didn’t have to pay anything for it but it’s not like there was a bill issued and somebody picked the tab for him. The Greek is filthy rich and has no political connections to speak of. No proof of wrong doing. This is how I feel about it.
Speaking generally, I always wonder how “these people” always find a way to be friends. It’s not like the super rich grew up in the same neighbourhood with the politicians, or spent time together in the army or went to the same kindergarden.
Mr. Latsis just happens to be super-rich and suddenly discovered a “friend” that he wishes to spend time with. A few years back he didn’t know if Barroso existed or not. Now that he is Pres of the EComm it’s all different. You don’t give something for nothing. What that something is, is hard to say.
P.S. The late Latsi’s father was “FRIEND #1” to Barbara and G.H.Bush. Countless vacations in the Mediterranean with them.
was the day the bastards got voted out ; )
Exactly.
on treason for the deal with Khomeiny to keep hostages until after election of new president. Deal involved exchange for military equipment and necessary parts to keep US build Iranian fighter crafts flying. Thanks to Israeli government, Kashoggi and mafia.
Same treachery used by Henry Kissinger in 1968 election of “tricky” Dick Nixon, to sabotage Paris talks between president Johnson and North-Vietnamese.
I personally was upset by failure of Jimmy Carter to take adaquate action against Iran and punish regime for hostile acts against US. These failures led to closer cooperation on foreign policy with Israel, invasion of Lebanon and horrendous blasts in Beirut killings of so many US Marines and French troops.
These events set the stage for criminal US foreign policy in the Middle East, support for Saddam Hussein in great war with Iran – million innocent lives lost – the CIA support for Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan and the first Gulf War.
Americans have paid dearly for failed US policy by a number of administrations, including the present Bush | Cheney | Rumsfeld administration.
PS The profits went under these regimes to US corporations, so someone is probably pleased.
Oui – Liberté – Egalité – Fraternité
Whatever your opinion of the US, you cannot deny that America makes the best ketchup in the world, and Ronald Reagan was the only president to honor it by according it Most Favored Vegetable status.
Who knows, if history had taken a different turn, this fine condiment might have been followed by mango chutney and plum sauce, but alas, the nation was not really ready to embrace diversity, though ironically today, ketchup has fallen to second place in sales, eclipsed by salsa, as the process of reclaiming the continent moves ahead.
My fondest memory was losing my virginity to a college girl (I was a junior in high school) who was doing a lot of work on the homeless problem at that time, which as we know was pretty bad much like now.
For a little way back machine, here’s the National Security Archive on Negroponte:
Negroponte’s Chron File From Tenure In Honduras
The Negroponte File: Part II
All stuff I missed the first time around due to raging teenage hormones.
When they left, of course. The one significant piece of legislation passed was vesting pensions @ five years, instead of as much as 20 under some plans. That about does it for 8 years.
I still hold him personally responsible for the deaths of the unprotected marines in Lebanon. Rifles, no ammo ’cause we didn’t want to have an “accidental discharge” and piss off the locals. For that alone I find him guilty of providing “aid and comfort to the enemy”.
Never leave your people behind, never allow politicians to control the rules of engagement, never send your people into harm’s way without giving them the means to protect themselves.
Is there a good article or book on the Marine deaths in Lebanon?
I heard somewhere — months ago — i think it was on Free Speech TV — that only the FRENCH fought back, and had the ability to fight back.
Beirut Memorial site, from Colin Powell’s comments:
” The Marines had been deployed around the Beirut airport as what State Department euphemists called an “interpositional force.” Translation: The Marines were to remain between two powder kegs, the Lebanese army and Syrian-backed Shiite units fighting it out in the Shouf Mountains. Weinberger had opposed the Marines’ involvement from the start, but lost the policy debate in the White House to McFarlane and Secretary of State George Shultz.”
Weinberger developed a list for rules of engagement that later became the “Powell Doctrine”.
On Bill Maher tonight:
Jane Fonda, former Sen. Alan Simpson, columnist Maureen Dowd, talk show host Joe Scarborough and environmentalist Bobby Kennedy, Jr.
waiting for Carnacki’s next episode of Chills and Thrills.
I’m Profondly pleased that he’s gone…now, if we could also see the backside of gee-duh-bya.
http://www.deanport.com/dem/ Someone recommended this site today and maybe you should get on the blog roll there, DK is.