Cut the CIA Some Slack

The recent scandal involving the CIA chief in Algiers being accused of rape has shed poor light on the already shady Central Intelligence Agency, but are blows to the agency’s name such as this recent one actually blown out of proportion? Baer’s article at http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1876470,00.html addresses the severity of the issue, especially in light of the upcoming appointment of Panetta to the top position of CIA Director, but also the trivialness of it. Yes, rape is a serious crime and culprits need to be punished, but does one perverted CIA appointee really symbolize an entire agency of corruption? Baer argues that the bad reputation the CIA receives is not entirely deserved. He also draws evidence from the lesser scandal over leaks from Harold Nicholson, an ex-double agent who allegedly enlisted his son to carry on his treasonous work. This incident is stale compared to the rape issue, but definitely does not help the agency’s reputation. Baer asks America to take a step back from the media driven scandal of it all and analyze responses to these problems. The simplicity of firing the Algiers chief and moving Nichols to the maximum security prison really diminishes the perceived severity of the scandals.