# Negroponte resigns as National Intelligence Director

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negroponte-resigns-as-national-intelligence-director/386750>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 5, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negroponte-resigns-as-national-intelligence-director/386750 "2007-01-05T00:08:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negroponte-resigns-as-national-intelligence-director/386750/1 "2007-01-05T00:08:29Z")

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. . . and takes the [#2 spot in the State Department.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/03/AR2007010301879.html?sub=new)

1. Why is he resigning?\*

2. Why is he getting a job at State?

3. Who is, or should be, our new spymaster-in-chief? (Linked article notes the frontrunner is retired Amiral Mike McConnell, NSA director 1992-96.)

4. What will this change mean for the effectiveness of American intelligence-gathering capability?

\*And should he be held in genteel captivity on a mysterious island until he explains?

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negroponte-resigns-as-national-intelligence-director/386750/2 "2007-01-05T14:57:08Z")

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Meanwhile, some members of Congress are [none too pleased.](http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-intel5jan05,1,3881677.story?coll=la-headlines-politics)

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negroponte-resigns-as-national-intelligence-director/386750/3 "2007-01-05T19:16:16Z")

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Ever since the Iran-Contra scandal in the Reagan era, we’ve known that John Negroponte has no qualms about breaking the law to do what the president wants. Maybe Condi Rice needs a guy like that at State. Giving Intel to McConnell fits nicely with Cheney’s plan to give control of Intel to the military.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negroponte-resigns-as-national-intelligence-director/386750/4 "2007-01-06T15:06:41Z")

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[QUOTE=AskNott]  
Giving Intel to McConnell fits nicely with Cheney’s plan to give control of Intel to the military.  
[/QUOTE]

I would say, rather, to give control of Intel to officers the Bush Admin is sure it can control. [McConnell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._McConnell) was NSA chief under Bush I and Clinton; they know his measure.