Republicans Attack Clinton's Bosnia Policy -- Oct. 11, 1996
No Covert Action In Bosnia Arms Deal, Administration Says -- May 24, 1996
House Approves Panel To Investigate Iranian Arms Shipments -- May 9, 1996
Gingrich Creates Panel To Probe Iranian Arms Shipments -- April 24, 1996
CIA: George J. Tenet Biography
CIA Director Deutch Departs Early
A CIA Source Says No Bitterness, Though
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Dec. 10) -- CIA Director John Deutch, passed over for the defense secretary's job, has Decided to step down before his successor, Anthony Lake, is confirmed.
An administration official said Deutch will leave in the next week or so and turn over his duties to his deputy, George Tenet. Although some members of Congress believe Deutch was unceremoniously dumped by the Clinton White House, a CIA source told The Associated Press that Deutch is leaving with no bitterness, frustration or unhappiness.
President Bill Clinton named Lake, his national security adviser, to head the CIA last week. Lake's confirmation hearings probably will not occur until next month, and some senators believe that Lake could run into trouble because of his role in the U.S. Decision to let Iranian arms flow to Bosnia's Muslims during that country's war. Although the arms shipments violated a U.N. embargo, the U.S. Decided to take no role to stop them.
Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Monday he believed Lake "could have a real problem" winning confirmation because of the arms shipments.
Specter's committee issued a report last month saying that by tacitly permitting the arms shipments, the Clinton Administration violated the U.S. policy of isolating Iran as well as the U.N. embargo.
According to administration testimony, in April 1994, Croatian officials asked if the U.S. objected to shipment of arms through Croatia to Bosnia. The U.N. arms embargo was in place at the time.
The U.S. position was that Ambassador Peter Galbraith had "no instructions." The U.S. was not required to enforce the U.N. embargo and although it was not happy the source of the arms was Iran, the administration believed the arms allowed the Bosnians to survive and the Dayton peace talks to begin later.
Deutch had made no secret of his desire to succeed William J. Perry as defense secretary, but Clinton chose Republican Sen. William Cohen instead. He has urged CIA employees to support Lake.
Tenet is expected to remain as deputy director when a successor to Deutch is confirmed.