Robert Baer
TIME
On June 24, CIA Director Leon Panetta made a confession. For the past eight years, the agency has been running a top-secret unit to assassinate or grab members of al-Qaeda. The program was deliberately kept from Congress — supposedly on former Vice President Dick Cheney's orders — and Panetta stopped it as soon as he heard about it.
Sounds alarming. But like many of these stories, there's less to it than meets the eye. The unit conducted no assassinations or grabs. A former CIA officer involved in the program told me that no targets were picked, no weapons issued and no one sent overseas to carry out anything.
| Melissa |
July 16th, 2009 12:17 pm ET Normally, I get pretty angry at being lied to, but I think it justified in this case. Al-Qaeda has presented a world wide threat for many years. As all other methods of stopping the violence perpetrated by them have completed failed, something drastic needed to be done to try to end it. Pity they didn't manage to take any of the members out. |
|
| JGB |
July 16th, 2009 12:31 pm ET The CIA should keep secrets!! How else do you think they are supposed to get anything accomplished.........put an ad in the newspaper to let them know what we are doing?? |
|
| sandra |
July 16th, 2009 12:49 pm ET I'm beginning to wonder whatever happened to "keeping them honest". Since there so many 'little' issues emerging about the Bush/Cheney administrations policies and practices, it seems foolish to dismiss these allegations as minoir without some good old fashioned investigative journalism. |
|
| Koral from Shelton, WA |
July 16th, 2009 1:43 pm ET The CIA should keep secrets…but not from Congress. That’s the whole point. How in the world are we supposed to have CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT if Congress is not allowed to OVERSEE? |
|
| Dorothy |
July 16th, 2009 2:11 pm ET For pete's sake, just because I'm talking about making a run for a government seat, do i need to let the media know? I say media because once they know..EVERYONE knows (lol) But the CIA has the right to talk, train, do whatever to get their people ready for ops. If they are to be carried out?,,.. then yes I feel Congress ahould know but only that which is needed. Our whole government does things and/or talks of things 24/7, do other brances know or have the need to know? Plain and simple if carried out , ok if not. keep it to yourselves |
|
| Angi Sutton |
July 16th, 2009 2:21 pm ET If the DEA were to announce every raid before they raided – there would be no drugs or dealers to grab and nab. They'd be gone before they got there. Same situtaion with the CIA and Al-Qaeda. We are so concerned about what is being kept from us, often to our detriment. Be realistic! There is so much we will NEVER know and likely wouldn't want to . . . tell Congress? Now really. The same Congress who agreed we should go to war and then is now trying to prosecute the former administration for how they did it? Fickle group, I'd say. CIA . . . do whatcha' gotta do. Try to do it with integrity as best you can. Bring home the bad guys and let me read about it over my morning coffee, at my kitchen table, in the safety of my house in a secure and free nation . . .I'm jus' sayin' . . . |
|
| Sabrina in Las Vegas |
July 16th, 2009 2:38 pm ET Oh my (fain shock here) really?! I know they keep secrets, that is part of the top secret clearance and keeping us safe. They shouldn't be doing it to harm us though. |
|
| Deneshia, in AR |
July 16th, 2009 2:40 pm ET I've been knowing this quite some time now, there is research everywhere about the CIA. They've kept secrets even from the Congress. Sometimes, if they do tell the Congress, it's not like they're going to tell the American people. So that's just point blank. I'm just sadden at how USA is turning into turmoil instead of a place where we can actually be satisfied and live our lives freely and safe. |
|
| Joanne Pacicca |
July 16th, 2009 3:20 pm ET People trust Congress? Honestly, I have long wondered, "where is the Mission Impossible team?" |
|
| Mike, Syracuse, NY |
July 16th, 2009 3:59 pm ET A. The program never got beyond a powerpoint presentation, so what do your 'report' to congress? |
|
| Rick |
July 16th, 2009 4:02 pm ET That's whats good about having the CIA, If something gets out that someone is doing something that not with in international law or US laws. You can always blame the CIA.They take the heat off everyone.It doesnt make sense but then again it does. |
|
| Ruth Fitzpatrick, Montclair, CA |
July 16th, 2009 4:11 pm ET The CIA should keep secrets...even from Congress. There is not one congressperson that I trust. We all know that these people are human (I think) and can easily be bribed. What they don't know won't hurt us. |
|
|
Comments have been closed for this article |
||
A behind the scenes look at “Anderson Cooper 360°” and the stories it covers, written by Anderson Cooper, the AC360° staff and a network of contributors. Insight you can’t find anywhere else.
We search the news each day to show you what’s on our radar and what we’re planning for the show each night.
For more details, read our tips on how to win 360° approval for comments.
Send your instant feedback to Anderson Cooper 360°.
- Raw Data: Youth violence in the U.S.
- Your year in 30 seconds
- Video: Teens' world explodes in brawl
- Husband of missing Utah woman to be interviewed today
- Holy Jihad, Batman! Al-Qaeda Offers Condolences?
- Tonight's show
- Dear President Obama #329: Back to work ... thank heavens
- Theme of the '00s? Unpaid bills
- Can Obama bully the bankers?
- The Top 10 Everything of 2009
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2005

