VP Biden to decide: CIA v. DNI

For the majority of folks, the CIA is the be-all and end-all in American intelligence, but as you likely know – there are 16 distinct U.S. intelligence agencies, and a rather long-standing dispute between the CIA and the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). In this internal battle of spy v. spy, it’s officially been left up to Joe Biden to decide the victor. Allegedly knowledgeable sources have reported that deferral to Biden means that Obama’s National Security Council cannot reach consensus.

In 2005, Congress created the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, but failed to elucidate how the DNI and CIA director would divvy up authority. Which was sort of a big omission, seeing as the director of the CIA has – for years and years – had jurisdiction over the entire U.S. intelligence community. The position reported directly to the president and got the responsibility of appointing station chiefs in foreign countries that are the authoritative reps of U.S. intelligence abroad.

From the start, the Directors of National Intelligence wanted more say in who’s representing American intelligence overseas. They also wanted – and this perhaps the more polemic issue – the authority to manage resources abroad without having to navigate through the CIA’s bureaucracy. Who’s in charge? The CIA? The DNI? Does the station chief need to report to – and abide by – the directives of both offices?

So needless to say there’s been some conflict, some political head-butting, and Biden’s been called in to choose who is, finally and ultimately, in charge. And who said being Vice President was a walk in the park? Everyone, including CIA Director Leon Panetta and Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, has requested a speedy turnaround.

According to the NY Times, in May, Blair decided to take matters into his own hands and sent around a classified memo declaring himself in charge of appointments…Panetta, as would have been expected, followed with his own classified memo, revoking Blair’s proclamation. Take that.

In turns out that Blair’s memo did include a bunch of points that Panetta had previously agreed to, but its language, not to mention the claim of final authority, did push Panetta’s buttons.

With the advent of a new administration, many station chief posts are currently vacant, so obviously Biden’s pending decision is one that carries some weight. Also, some have accused the CIA of using the station chief position as an ‘easing aging agents out into retirement’ post. Finally, if the DNI can’t appoint or move without the CIA, is the post merely a ceremonial one, albeit one that has daily access to the president?

pics courtesy of msn.com