[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 79 (Tuesday, June 8, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6623-S6624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              GEORGE TENET

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, we all learned recently that an 
outstanding public servant, the Director of Central Intelligence, 
George Tenet, has decided to step down. I am personally saddened by 
this announcement because I believe the country has been well served by 
Mr. Tenet.
  George Tenet started his career in public service as part of the 
Senate family working for the late Republican Senator John Heinz. He 
served on the professional staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee 
rising to become the committee staff director for my good friend 
Senator David Boren.
  I was the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee 
during that period. Our committee works closely with the Intelligence 
Committee in determining the funding for our classified programs. So I 
believe I can speak with some authority in saying that George was a 
top-notch staff director. And, I believe his tenure in the Senate 
prepared him well for the position of Director of Central Intelligence.
  I have known every CIA Director since Allen Dulles. I have worked 
closely with each Director for the past 30 years. All of them have been 
honorable men, well-meaning and decent public servants, but none was a 
better Director of Central Intelligence than George Tenet.
  Intelligence is a critical part of our national security. Obviously 
it does not get the public scrutiny that most Government functions 
receive. To do so would jeopardize the lives of countless agents and 
analysts who serve this Nation. We limit the number of people

[[Page S6624]]

who receive sensitive information to lessen the chance that it will be 
inadvertently disclosed and harm our national security. As such, much 
of the good news in intelligence is never brought to light.
  When the CIA breaks up a terrorist cell in Albania or Egypt it cannot 
be disclosed. When critical information is discovered by our 
intelligence community about weapons trafficking on the high seas, the 
weapons can be confiscated, but the American people are not told.
  Unfortunately, only the operations that fail become public. So our 
CIA Directors are generally not known for their successes, only for 
their failures.
  It is an historical fact that there has been great temptation to use 
intelligence operations and analysis to achieve political objectives.
  As most of my colleagues know, the Senate established the Select 
Committee on Intelligence in the mid-1970s to review intelligence 
activities in response to improprieties which occurred in the 1960s and 
1970s. During that period, I was fortunate to serve as the first 
Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
  There have been other unfortunate incidents when individuals in the 
executive branch have circumvented the law to further their objectives. 
We all remember the Iran-contra scandal when rogue elements ran an 
extra legal operation out of the White House.
  Some have suggested that intelligence was recently politicized to 
justify the war on Iraq.
  It is my view, and I think history will one day prove that any 
politization of intelligence that might have occurred on Iraq did not 
come from George Tenet.
  Those who are charged with oversight of intelligence for the Congress 
have a difficult task. We must review intelligence activities and 
practices, but the universe is truly enormous. There are not enough 
hours of the day for us to know all the details of intelligence. We 
could never amass enough staff to monitor every action of the 
intelligence community. Therefore, we need to be able to trust our 
intelligence leaders.
  The Senate could trust George Tenet to tell the truth and be 
forthright with this institution. Perhaps it was because of his 
background as a Senate staff member, but George was always eager to 
inform and consult with the Senate to share important information 
regardless how sensitive it might have been.
  My experience with the CIA has been that many past Directors were 
reluctant to provide detailed information to the Congress. Perhaps it 
was the ingrained culture that protects secrets, or perhaps it was the 
lack of trust between the executive and legislative bodies, but for 
whatever reason, they didn't want to tell the Congress any more than 
they had to.
  With George it was different. He would take time to explain 
controversial and highly classified issues in detail. At times he would 
direct his associates in the community to be more forthright in their 
responses when he felt they might be holding back.
  George Tenet trusted the Congress with the Nation's secrets as 
partners in national security, not adversaries or impediments.
  I know the Director has his critics, but they do not come from the 
Defense Subcommittee. I think I can speak for my chairman when I tell 
you we both had the utmost confidence in George Tenet. And, no one in 
the Senate or the House has spent more years overseeing the 
intelligence community than Ted and I.
  George Tenet is depicted today by some as the Director of 
Intelligence who failed to stop the tragedy of 9/11 and criticized for 
the description by author Bob Woodward that the case for weapons of 
mass destruction in Iraq was a ``slam dunk.'' Both of those miss the 
point.
  George Tenet should be remembered as one of the finest Directors in 
the history of Central Intelligence. He should be remembered as the 
most honest and forthright of any CIA Director. He should be thought of 
as the Director who took an agency from the cold war mentality and 
started to reshape it for the 21st century. I know he will be 
remembered by the thousands of CIA employees as a great leader who did 
his very best to support them and the entire intelligence community.
  I will remember him as a tremendous public servant who served 
honorably, effectively and tirelessly.
  Mr. President, someday when the records are declassified and the 
analysis is completed, historians will likely remember George with 
great regard. It is my view that he should not have to wait. We should 
all thank him for his dedication to duty and his service to our 
country.

                          ____________________