George Tenet

George Tenet and the Last Great days of the CIA

PAD 500

05/9/2013

Tamera Garrett

Dr. Popejoy

George Tenet served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1997 to 2004, this time was an intense period spanning the administrations of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and covering the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Few other central intelligence directors have served for so long, so energetically, or amid so much controversy. During George Tenet career, he played a big role in many events. Tenet involvement with the White House decision making, intelligence priorities, and his own agency kept him occupied (Danielson 2011).

Identify four (4) cross-coded ethical dilemmas facing former CIA Director George Tenet and assess their impact on his leadership abilities.

George Tenet faced many cross-coded ethical dilemmas, which were in violation of national and international human rights. Although he knew that all statements about Saddam Hussein and chemical weapons were false, he still went along with the Government. In addition, he also dealt with ethical dilemmas of loyalty; he ignored his colleagues’ findings and thus the subsequent war in Iraq. His action also leaded to the cost of over four thousand lives from American families. In addition, his involvement in the meeting between former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also an ethical concern. This role was more diplomat than chief spymaster, which made many insiders “distinctly uncomfortable” (Posner 1998; Tenet 2007, 74). Tent always acts as though he was the best man for his position. This imperils his authority since people begin to question his leadership (Danielson 2011) .

The doubts that Tenet was not the right choice for such a significant role started being raised among people within the government.  It is obviously seen that George tenet ethical dilemmas...