Posted 12:08 PM by Robert

Need and Peril In the Intelligence Arena

Fareed Zakaria crafts a thoughtful article on the need for - and peril of - a domestic counterpart to the CIA. He addresses the essential balance of obtaining effective intelligence while safeguarding civil rights. Such a balance can be struck, but tragically has not yet been accomplished.

Mr. Zakaria's observations highlight why the opportunistic grandstanding of Senator Leahy and other liberal Congressional Democrats has been so counterproductive.

UPDATE: R. James Woolsey, a head of the CIA in the Clinton Administration, has some very interesting things to say about how the intelligence services might be given the tools they need.

FURTHER UPDATE: Oh my God - how could I have done this? Mr. Woolsey isn't only a head of the CIA in the Clinton Administration! And he is now is a partner at Shea & Gardner in Washington, D.C. How could I have made such dreadful fact checking errors! What will Mr. Adragna shreik about this? Can seek absolution from Jim Jeffords?