Why the Headache?

President-elect Barack Obama officially announced that Leon Panetta as his choice to be the Director of Central Intelligence. Ordinarily this would be big news, but he also selected Admiral (Retired) Dennis Blair to be his Director of National Intelligence.

I'm at a loss as to what the difference is between a "central" and a "national" intelligence capability, but I do know that the latter is an added (but not necessarily a "value-added") layer to the intelligence bureaucracy. It does, however, diminish the CIA. A mid-level staffer told me a couple of years ago that it wasn't quite the same -- as the ONDI serves as a filter to the policymaker. Further, when your boss -- the DCI -- is no longer regularly meeting with the President -- the organization loses a bit of its luster.

Nonetheless, heading the CIA is more or a terminal gig rather than a stepping stone -- just ask Deutch, Tenet, and Goss. For Panetta, at age 70, he knows that this is the capstone assignment.

By my estimation, Panetta has his work cut out for him -- at least on the analytical side. Who knew that Russia would invade Georgia, and that Iraq would turn out for the better? Certainly not the CIA. (I'd be curious if they were right about the price of oil plummeting.)

Whether or not the Agency contorted intelligence to fit the views of Vice President Dick Cheney is an issue, I'll leave for the historians. What's obvious though, is that their analysts didn't appreciate having their assessments reviewed rather than taken for fact.

Moreover, there seems to be a few sensitive souls walking the halls of Langley. For an organization that's geared for the rough and tumble world of international espionage -- there are those who can't take a butt-chewing.

Let me note that the CIA, like any organization has its studs and duds. And of course, intelligence successes are rarely, if ever, praised -- along with the DoD, they are the only other government entity directly engaged in the Global War of Terror with boots on the ground.

Regardless, Mr. Panetta has his work cut out for him in developing a first rate spy agency especially since his hometown of Monterey, California is lovely this time of year.