'Domestic politics and intelligence dilemmas'

Successful CIA leaders have included outsiders. In the Kennedy administration, California businessman John McCone was notably effective. He was the only senior official of that administration accurately to foresee the Soviets were likely to try to put offensive missiles in Cuba. In the Ford administration, George H.W. Bush had a brief but eventful tour as head of the agency. The CIA headquarters building is now named for him.

Second, cooperation between civilian and military intelligence agencies is a major current asset. During the Vietnam War, U.S. commander Gen. William Westmoreland was so angered by pessimistic CIA assessments that he tried to wall off the agency. In response, Congress passed a law requiring cooperation, resulting in continuing positive results.

Third, the media tend to fixate on sensational practices. During the Vietnam War, CS tear gas was used to force the enemy from tunnels. CS, which is very painful but normally nonlethal, for a time became a news obsession. Meanwhile, extensive use of napalm, which the U.S. has since banned, was largely taken for granted in Vietnam news coverage.

Protecting national security unavoidably involves some moral ambiguity. Collecting and effectively analyzing accurate intelligence information is very difficult. So far, ideologue Attorney General Holder's very moralistic approach ignores these realities.

Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College in Wisconsin and author of 'After the Cold War' (NYU Press and Macmillan). He can be reached at acyr@carthage.edu

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