Porter Goss will go down as the worst Director of Central Intelligence in history. It’s amusing to see that people that resigned in disgust during Goss’ term are coming back.
The CIA Friday named as head of its espionage service a former senior official who quit three years ago amid a staff rebellion against the agency’s former director.
CIA director Michael Hayden announced the appointment of Michael Sulick as head of the National Clandestine Service, hailing him as a “proven leader who understands our agency and the intelligence community.”
Sulick was associate deputy director for operations when he resigned in August 2004 after a clash with then-director Porter Goss’s chief of staff over the treatment of another agency employee.
Sulick quit along with Stephen Kappes, who resigned rather than submit to demands that Sulick be reassigned.
Hayden brought back Kappes, a legend at the agency, as his deputy in one of his first acts after replacing Goss in May 2006.
This is probably a good thing. Goss brought over a bunch of his congressional staff…a bunch of partisan ideologues…and the professionals quickly rebelled.
I imagine the damage to the CIA was not unlike the damage Alberto Gonzales did to the Justice Department. I’d like to have something left of these agencies when the Democrats take over in 2009.
