Interview with Bob Baer (Syriana)

Ex-CIA spook, Robert Baer was interviewed on Morning Sedition radio, Monday morning. The new movie Syriana is based on his book, See No Evil. You can podcast the show here (Baer's interview is in the last 1/3 of the November 21st show). Syriana is due for wide release on Dec 9th.

Baer had some interesting insight into the current morale at the CIA and--more importantly--he had some thoughts on Iraq:

BAER: I'm being flooded by phone calls--not from the media--but from CIA people leaving... They hate the torture, they don't want to be blamed for Iraq...CIA knows it's getting nailed for WMD...It's mad at George Tenet for giving into the WH when Cheney went back and said "Give me the intelligence I want." Everybody inside knows the stuff on WMD was bogus and they're mad about it. And the place is further demoralized.
...
[Marc Maron asks if the WH bullying of the CIA on intel has worked; if the CIA has been cowed]

BAER: The great irony is now that the CIA started saying in October in official assessments that we cannot win the war in Iraq and no one's listening. Can never win it. Of course, the WH is ignoring it. There's nothing we can do, no strategy, no change that's going to make any difference.... They don't hate our culture, they hate our politics...

Incidentally, if you're a fan of Morning Sedition, you can sign the petition to keep Marc & Mark on the air. I can't believe their new CEO doesn't like them :( Definitely the best show on AAR. I love Janeane but she's hardly on anymore, 'cause of the West Wing.