Sorry to totally base this diary on others' writing, but it is so incredible/indicative and not getting enough play that it is worth trying to get it up there.
I ran into it tonight on
Crooks & Liars, then found it on a diary by
Paulie200 posted yesterday (which I recommended), and another by
kidneystones, then followed his/her links to a post by
Billmon, then to the original
op-ed published 10/17 on NYT by Jeff Stein.
More below the dear old fold.
I would have considered it duplicative of (1) Paulie200's and (2) kidneystone's diaries, except that (1) was published yesterday and did not make it to Recommended Diaries (yet), and (2) also covers Sullivan's response to the letter from Muslim scholars, which in my mind was not exactly related.
So, my apologies to all parties for this wanton pimping, and thanks to you all for putting this story out there.
If you recommend Paulie2000's diary that might work, or mine.
Use the links above to get the whole story, but the bottom line is that we have a person appointed by FBI head Robert Mueller to head the national security branch who doesn't know the difference between Shias and Sunnis! And as Stein points out,
But so far, most American officials I’ve interviewed don’t have a clue. That includes not just intelligence and law enforcement officials, but also members of Congress who have important roles overseeing our spy agencies. How can they do their jobs without knowing the basics?
I shudder to think about this. A "heck of a job", I tell you. Shall we shuffle the chairs on the deck? Geez...
I'm meeting some friends out right after I post this, so I won't be able to respond tonight. If you need to troll this, or delete it, whatever. This news will get out somehow. Thanks for reading, spread the news, volunteer, talk to your 30 percenter aunt in Alabama, whatever - just do something! This endemic incompetence has to stop!!!!!!