SPOOK SPEAK

WHILE THE WHITE HOUSE has been melting over Miers, Katrina, and Iraq, few may have noticed the creation of the ominously named National Clandestine Agency [story] [CIA press release]  [CIA fact sheet]. The name says more than you might think.  Whereas the CIA emphasizes intelligence, the new ruling spy agency even in its name emphasizes the secrecy with which intelligence is now worked.  Secret Service has already been taken.

PEOPLE LOOKING for what the interpreters of intelligence and secrets will be doing would be advised to get an interpreter themselves.  Doctor Frankenstein might have had something to to with THE CREATION OF THE NATIONAL HUMINT MANAGER.  The fact sheet when successfully interpreted makes for interesting reading.  First it predicts success through cooperation, which in the case of previously conflicting agencies has been hard.  "Deconfliction" is now the order of the day.  "Existing laws" will be obeyed.  Presumably only "non existing laws" will now be non obeyed.  Most significantly:

Director Goss appointed the current DDO--a seasoned veteran of the CIA's Directorate of Operations (DO)-- to be the first Director of the National Clandestine Service (D/NCS). The individual is and will remain an undercover officer.

SO WE WILL NEVER know who the boss of this agency is.  Unless the need to out the boss is needed for political reasons.  Like Valerie Plame.

RECOMMENDED READING
Talk Left has more, particularly in comments

JOSE, CAN YOU SEE? [BBC] The chief of the new service will supervise the CIA's espionage operations and co-ordinate all overseas spying, including those of the FBI and the Pentagon.

The director of the new agency, whose identity will remain secret and is simply known as "Jose", will report directly to the head of the CIA, Porter Goss. 

"This is another positive step in building an intelligence community that is more unified, co-ordinated and effective," National Intelligence Director John Negroponte said. [hat tip: Bump in the Beltway]

MORE ON SPOOK SPEAK FROM THE HERETIK [No Way, Jose]

Comments

[Bouagri]

Plame is how Jose Rodrigez 'PM of Spain' got there:

Plame is the only one who published. 'Vanity Fair.' She is the only one who broke the law. DOJ will not indict her, so Bush gave their(DOJ-FBI, DEA, etc.) authority overseas(although CIA does operate domestically and always has, its in their charter for congress) to CIA along with the Pentagon.

[just john]

"NCA"?

Let me try to be the first to suggest a nickname ... "and everyone knew it as 'Nancy'" ...

[Ian]

So this is just an internal reorganization within the CIA then? Doesn't strike me as being as big a deal as people have made of it.