How The Arab Revolution Is Impacting Our Intelligence Community In It's Fight Against Extremist Groups Like Al Qaeda

Photo: Moussa Koussa, former Libyan intelligence chief, now foreign minister. Chris Helgren/Reuters

Old Arab Ties May Harm New Ones -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — There once was no American institution more hostile to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s pariah government than the Central Intelligence Agency, which had lost its deputy Beirut station chief when Libyan intelligence operatives blew up Pan Am Flight 103 above Scotland in 1988.

But with the Sept. 11 attacks came a new group of enemies. In recent years, the C.I.A. has been closely tethered to Colonel Qaddafi’s intelligence service as it hunts for information about operatives of Al Qaeda in North Africa.

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My Comment: A sobering analysis on how our intelligence services work with repressive regimes to fight against extremist groups like Al Qaeda. As to what is my take .... Al Qaeda is the number one threat, and anyone who wants to help us in stopping them is A-OK with me .... even if that assistance comes from regimes like Gaddafi's.

This is not only my own opinion, but it is also one that is shared with our politicians who sit on their intelligence oversight committees .... something that the New York Times article leaves out in its reporting. This arrangement of the CIA working with regimes like Gaddafi's would never have proceeded if the White House and Congressional/Senate oversight committees did not sign onto it .... and sign onto it they did.