In the military and most government jobs, if something happens that you think is wrong there are procedures in place to deal with the problem. First you go up your chain of command to fix the problem. If that doesn’t work, or the problem deals with your chain of command, you then go to your Inspector General.

Mary McCarthy was an analyst who was in a pre-retirement job; she wasn’t in CIA operations. The problem wasn’t hers; it was reported to her as a member of the Inspector General’s staff. She recognized what was happening as a problem, and, apparently, nothing was being done about it.

Mary McCarthy was the last resort for someone reporting illegal behavior, and she saw that it was being ignored. She did the only thing she knew that would fix the problem: she went public.

Porter Goss, the Republican Director of Central Intelligence, said that Ms. McCarthy damaged US relations with the intelligence services of other countries. Well I suspect the fact that the people who were part of this illegal operation in other countries were probably demoted, fired, and/or arrested, and the affected countries shut down the secret prisons, probably would impact it.

The problem is that while Abu Gonzales might ignore the applicable US laws, the European Union has its own laws, and they were violated. The countries involved are having to answer some very embarrassing questions, and are in no mood to deal with the US right now.

All of the things that these fools are doing haven’t even slowed the increase in the number of worldwide terrorist incidents. When do people figure out that the current group is on the wrong track? You can’t combat terrorists by using their tactics: kidnapping, torture, and murder.

Ms. McCarthy is a symptom of just how out-of-control things have gotten in the intelligence community.

In the CNN article on the response to the bin Laden tape:

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, a Michigan Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, cast the tape as part of al Qaeda’s “ongoing and very sophisticated communications effort.”

“It recognizes that much of this war, this, the battle that we’re fighting, is about winning the hearts and the minds of moderate Islam, and they are focused on that. We need to be focused on it,” he told “Fox News Sunday.”

“I’ve seen what they’re doing on the Internet. It is very, very good. It would make a politician proud. They use the right words. They use instantaneous response,” he said.

Look you stupid little twit, it isn’t sophisticated when all you have to do is tell the truth. When the US provides the world with Abu Ghraib, “collateral damage” involving women and children, the total lack of WMDs, Guantanamo, billions of dollars missing during the CPA, and the failure to capture the leaders of al Qaeda and the Taliban, you don’t have to do any work.

With the incompetent cronies the Shrubbery has running things, most high school newspapers could put together a successful media campaign.

The Shrubbery’s numbers are in the toilet and Osama talks, just like he did before the 2004 election. It’s just amazing how these tapes appear.

Phinky of Ignorant Hussy wonders why Osama is still wandering around dropping into the recording studio when he’s bored?

She is joined in that question by John Kerry: Bin Laden Is Bush’s Failure:

In an exclusive interview, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., told ABC News’ “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” that the latest purported recording from Osama bin Laden “underscores the failure of [the Bush] administration to capture” the terror leader.

“Osama Bin Laden is loose today because we allowed him to escape at Tora Bora,” said Kerry, echoing a statement often heard during his failed 2004 presidential bid.

Kerry also cited the tape in echoing calls from several retired generals for change at the top of the Defense Department, saying, “This is another reason Donald Rumsfeld should resign.”

Corruption, cronyism, and incompetence – the characteristics of everything the Shrubbery does.

Saint George is the patron saint of England, Georgia [the country], Bulgaria, Portugal, Catalonia, and the city of Moscow. Orthodox countries tend to celebrate on November 23^rd.

PETA condemns George for his senseless slaughter of dragons.

Mustang Bobby reminds us that it is also the birth and death day of Billy the Bard, who was a great writer in desperate need of a spell checker.

Master Shakespeare gave all of the best lines to villains suppling low humor to those who have read the Bard, e.g. Arlen Specter quoting Iago, reputedly in support of Clarence Thomas.

If you have given up on the Sunday New York Times since your forklift died, you might try the Guantanamo Weekly Newsletter.