What Will Be The Impact Of Having General Petraeus At The CIA

Petraeus To The CIA: Surge Superintendent To Spearhead Spooks -- The Economist

BIG personnel changes are afoot for President Obama's national-security lineup. Leon Panetta, currently director of the CIA, will move into the cabinet seat about to be vacated by Robert Gates, the secretary of defence. Meanwhile Mr Panetta's plum CIA gig will go to General David Petraeus, currently America's head honcho in Afghanistan. Mr Obama's decision to make George Bush's favourite general the CIA's new helmsman brings home the remarkable, and to many of us the deeply disappointing, continuity between the Bush and Obama's adminstrations' approaches to national security and war. Installing the architect of the Iraq surge in Langley raises several worries. As Glenn Greenwald observes:

One reason why it's so valuable to keep the CIA under civilian control is because its independent intelligence analyst teams often serve as one of the very few capable bureaucratic checks against the Pentagon and its natural drive for war.


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More News On General Petraeus Being Appointed To Run the CIA

CIA's new boss once a customer of its spy efforts -- AP
Petraeus may shake up CIA: 'He doesn't suffer fools' -- MSNBC/AP
Petraeus Makes Quick Trip to Washington -- Wall Street Journal
For Petraeus, first impressions at CIA will be critical -- Washington Post
New CIA chief David Petraeus' possible new critic: himself -- L.A. Times
Gen. Petraeus to move from Afghanistan war command to CIA, step onto political stage -- Canadian Press
Bringing Petraeus to C.I.A. Offers Benefits for Obama -- The Caucus/New York Times
In Petraeus, a CIA pick with political heft -- Reuters
Petraeus' war legacy befits his future post at CIA -- USA Today
Analysis: Petraeus' CIA move raises awkward questions -- Reuters
Could Petraeus be too shiny for the CIA? -- Reuters
Petraeus to the CIA: good news for Barack Obama, bad news for America -- Peter Oborne, The Telegraph