Scrubbed

clipped from www.realclearpolitics.com For a taste of what's ahead, recall the chilling effects of past CIA scandals. Back in 1995, then-Director John Deutch ordered a "scrub" of the agency's assets after revelations of past links to Guatemalan death squads. Officers were told they shouldn't jettison sources who had provided truly valuable intelligence. But the practical message, recalls one former division chief, was: "Don't deal with assets who could pose political risks." One veteran counterterrorism operative says that agents in the field are already getting more careful about using the legal findings that authorize covert action. Now, field officers are more careful. They want guidance from headquarters. They need legal advice. I'm told that in the case of an al-Qaeda suspect seized in Iraq several weeks ago, the CIA didn't even try to interrogate him. They handed him over to the U.S. military.