Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
| Subscribe to Newser's RSS feeds RSS | Follow Newser on Twitter Twitter

NEWS ABOUT: Dennis Blair

Dennis Blair stories: 9 news summaries
ANALYSIS

You Can't See It, But Cheney's Pants Are on Fire

Ex-veep's speech full of torture distortions

May 22, 09 10:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - In his full-on assault on the president's conterterrorism policies yesterday, Dick Cheney deployed an arsenal of “omissions, exaggerations and misstatements,” charge Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel of McClatchy. Among them:
  • Cheney claimed that harsh interrogations yielded vital, attack-preventing information and quoted Adm. Dennis Blair, director of national
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Dick Cheney • torture • Abu Ghraib • intelligence • Guantanamo Bay • Guantanamo prisoners • torture memo • Dennis Blair

(Newser) - President Obama's own intelligence chief said harsh interrogations of terror suspects yielded "high value information" that "provided a deeper understanding" of al-Qaeda, the New York Times reports. Dennis Blair made the statement in a memo to his staff last week, the same day the Obama administration released the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
torture • waterboarding • interrogation techniques • harsh interrogation • terror suspects • Director of National Intelligence • Dennis Blair

OPINION

Intel Pick's Ouster a Victory for Lobbyists

Loss of excellent public servant a loss for country: Broder

Mar 12, 09 9:26 AM CDT
(Newser) - When Charles Freeman withdrew from consideration to chair the National Intelligence Council, the Obama administration “suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the lobbyists the president vowed to keep in their place,” writes David Broder of the Washington Post. Freeman boasted “one of the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
national security • War on Terror • Charles Schumer • intelligence • Obama administration • President Obama • Dennis Blair • Israeli lobby • National Intelligence Council

Obama Loses High-Level
Intel Pick

Freeman, criticized as anti-Israel, withdraws from NIC post

Mar 10, 09 7:26 PM CDT
(Newser) - Relentless criticism has forced another of President Obama's high-level appointees to drop out, the Hill reports. Charles Freeman, in line to be head of the National Intelligence Council, drew strong opposition for perceived anti-Israel views and financial ties to Saudi and Chinese governments. Freeman dropped out just hours after his... More »

MORE ABOUT:
national security • Congress • intelligence • President Obama • Dennis Blair

Spy Chief: Economic Crisis a Greater Threat than Terror

Security assessment warns that downturn could cause widespread instability

Feb 13, 09 3:32 AM CST
(Newser) - The new director of national intelligence warned Congress yesterday that the global economic crisis poses a graver and more immediate threat to the US than international terror, the New York Times reports. The crisis could undermine national governments and cause widespread civil unrest as it spreads and deepens, causing serious... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Afghanistan • national security • terrorism • Director of National Intelligence • financial crisis • civil unrest • Dennis Blair

'Google-like' System to Link
US Intelligence Agencies

Overhaul includes databases, email

Jan 22, 09 8:00 AM CST
(Newser) - The computer databases of the 16 US intelligence agencies soon will be linked, the Wall Street Journal reports. The system comes nearly 5 years after the spy agencies got heat for failing to "connect the dots" before the Sept. 11 attacks. Analysts will be able to search through secret... More »

MORE ABOUT:
CIA • FBI • Mike McConnell • database • computer network • intelligence agencies • Obama administration • Dennis Blair

Obama Unveils Intelligence Team

Panetta, Blair, and Brennan an unusual, controversial crew

Jan 9, 09 10:16 AM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama rounded out his national security team today, tapping Leon Panetta to head the CIA and Dennis Blair as his national intelligence director. Obama defended the choice of Panetta, which has drawn criticism because of his lack of intelligence experience, calling him "one of the finest public servants... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • CNN • Leon Panetta • John Brennan • Dennis Blair

 Panetta Tapped to Helm CIA 

Former Clinton adviser has little intelligence experience

Jan 5, 09 2:31 PM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama will name Leon Panetta, a former congressman and chief of staff to Bill Clinton, director of the CIA, the New York Times reports. Observers were split on the choice of Panetta, who is well-respected for his Beltway savvy but has no specific intelligence experience. Panetta will report to... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • CIA • Leon Panetta • President Obama • CIA director • Dennis Blair • political appointment

Retired Admiral Will Be Next
Spy Chief

Blair gets national intelligence post;
CIA spot still open

Dec 19, 08 10:33 AM CST
(Newser) - Barack Obama will stick with the front-runner and name retired Admiral Dennis Blair to be his go-to guy on spying as director of national intelligence, reports the Washington Post. Blair, the former commander of naval forces in the Pacific, is generally well-regarded. Some in the civilian intelligence community grumbled about... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Director of National Intelligence • CIA director • Dennis Blair

9 Stories


from our news partners