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Journalism of Courage
The White House has ordered new CIA Director Porter Goss to purge the agency of officers believed to have been disloyal to President George Bush or of leaking information to the media about the conduct of the Iraq war and the hunt for Osama bin Laden.
‘‘The agency is being purged on instructions from the White House,’’ said a former senior CIA official. ‘‘Goss was given instructions…to get rid of those soft leakers and liberal Democrats. The CIA is looked on by the White House as a hotbed of liberals and people who have been obstructing the president’s agenda.’’
One of the first casualties appears to be Stephen R. Kappes, deputy director of clandestine services, the CIA’s most powerful division. The Washington Post reported on Saturday that Kappes had tendered his resignation after a confrontation with Goss’ chief of staff, Patrick Murray, but at the behest of the White House had agreed to delay his decision until Monday. But the former senior CIA official said the White House ‘‘doesn’t want Steve Kappes to reconsider his resignation. That might be the spin they put on it, but they want him out’’.
He said the job had already been offered to the former chief of the European Division who retired after a spat with then-CIA director George Tenet.
Without confirming or denying that the job offer had been made, a CIA spokesman asked Newsday to withhold naming the former officer because of his undercover role over the years. He said he had no comment about Goss’ personnel plans, but added that changes at the top are not unusual when new directors come in. —LAT-WP
