Details on Goss resignation emerge

Since CIA Director Porter Goss announced his resignation yesterday, there has been a great deal of speculation as to why he stepped down, and why so suddenly. Bill Kristol, editor of the conservative magazine the Weekly Standard, pointed out that Goss did not even say that he would continue to serve until his successor was confirmed, which is the standard practice at federal agencies. [Think Progess] For example, Colin Powell announced his resignation on Nov. 15, 2004, but he continued to serve as Secretary of State until Condoleeza Rice was confirmed on January 26, 2005. [State.gov]; [CNN]

A Washington Post article on the resignation, titled "Goss Forced Out as CIA Director; Gen. Hayden is Likely Successor," suggests that the move was not nearly as sudden or unexpected as it first appeared to outsiders. [Wash. Post] The article says that, despite the Bush administration's portrayal of its relationship with Goss as a friendly one,

. . . senior administration officials said Bush had lost confidence in Goss, 67, almost from the beginning and decided months ago to replace him. In what was described as a difficult meeting in April with Negroponte, Goss was told to prepare to leave by May, according to several officials with knowledge of the conversation.

"There has been an open conversation for a few weeks, through Negroponte, with the acknowledgment of the president" about replacing Goss, said a senior White House official who discussed the internal deliberations on the condition of anonymity. Another senior White House official said Goss had always been viewed as a "transitional figure" who would leave by year's end. His departure was accelerated when Bush shook up his White House staff in hopes of beginning a political turnaround. [Wash. Post]

The Post article also discusses the exodus of senior CIA analysts which took place under Goss's watch:

Over Goss's 18 months, more than a dozen senior officials -- several of whom were promoted under Goss -- resigned, retired early or requested reassignment. . . In the clandestine service alone, Goss lost one director, two deputy directors and at least a dozen department heads, station chiefs and division directors, many with the key language skills and experience he has said the agency needs. The agency is on its third counterterrorism chief since Goss arrived. [Wash. Post]

Goss, who only served as CIA director for 18 months, probably should not be held responsible for all of these resignations. Paul Pillar, who served as National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia before resigning during 2005, seems to have been concerned with a larger problem: the "dysfunctional relationship" between intelligence and policy-making before and during the Iraq War. [Foreign Affairs]

However, given these preexisting debates over how the agency should operate, Goss definitely was not the right guy for the job. The Post article says that some CIA officers viewed the former Republican Congressman as "staunchly partisan and politically weak," and that "Goss could not overcome a reputation as a partisan politician who worked congressional hours and appeared disinterested in his overseas intelligence counterparts." [Wash. Post] A separate Dana Priest article in the Post points out that Goss alienated many officers right off the bat. Just two months after Goss became director, his chief of staff, Patrick Murray, ordered respected deputy director of operations Stephen R. Kappes to fire his deputy for criticizing Murray - and both Kappes and the deputy resigned in protest. [Wash. Post]

Another interesting question is whether Goss's resignation has anything to do with the recent developments in the "Duke" Cunningham scandal. It was recently reported that defense contractor Brent Wilkes provided "prostitutes, limousines and hotel suites" to Cunningham and other officials. [AP] According to the Post, the CIA inspector general is examining whether Goss appointee Kyle "Dusty" Foggo "arranged for any contracts to be granted to companies associated with Brent R. Wilkes, a contractor and longtime friend of Foggo's who had connections to Rep. Randy 'Duke' Cunningham (R-Calif.)." [Wash. Post]

The folks at Talking Points Memo, one of the most reliable blogs when it comes to gauging the word on the street in DC, are hearing that Goss is clean, but that his resignation probably has to do with the mushrooming controversy. [TPM]

TIME has a piece on Lt. Gen. Michael Hayden, who will probably be Bush's appointee to replace Goss. [TIME] Hayden has been a staunch defender of domestic wiretapping, and his confirmation hearings would give the Senate another chance to challenge the administration on the issue. [New York Times]