"Bush’s Chief Terrorism Adviser Is Leaving, Unscathed" byDAVID JOHNSTON
WASHINGTON — Frances Fragos Townsend, President Bush’s departing chief terrorism adviser said she was leaving wearied by the acrimony that hangs over Mr. Bush’s last year in office:
“I find it both offensive and crippling. When both career people and political people are worried about getting subpoenaed, it’s hard to get a lot accomplished.”
Ms. Townsend, who in her handwritten resignation letter compared Mr. Bush to George Washington, said she took the attacks on the president personally:
“You can disagree with him on the substance, but the notion of personally attacking this man’s integrity or commitment to the fight I find outrageous.”
I find your lying boss and your cock-sucking of him offensive, Franny!
Her plans are uncertain, and she says she may return to public service after a “respite.” Ms. Townsend came late to the inner circle of Bush advisers, over the misgivings of Republicans who objected to her work on intelligence issues during the Clinton administration.
During the first years of the Bush administration she was relegated to the fringes of national security issues as chief of intelligence for the Coast Guard. But at the White House Ms. Townsend developed a personal rapport with Mr. Bush, who associates said seemed to enjoy her tough, sometimes withering assessments of people and events.
One of the pictures she is taking from her White House office shows her meeting officials in Saudi Arabia — unveiled. She recalled how Mr. Bush dismissed her doubts about the risk of offending the conservative Saudi government as she pressed it to take a larger role in combating Al Qaeda.
Ms. Townsend: “I told him, ‘I think you should reconsider.’”
Mr. Bush replied: “What’s important is that I am sending you. If they don’t deal with you, they won’t deal with me.”
She managed the White House response to the terrorist bombings in London in 2005 and the airliner chemical bomb threat in 2006, and domestic emergencies like the recent wildfires.
She said she looked back with pride on the reorganization of the country’s intelligence agencies and the creation of the office of the director of national intelligence, a consequence of the failures before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
She said she was undeterred by the intense Congressional criticism of Mr. Bush’s terrorism policies on surveillance and interrogation:
“What’s important is that we have strong, aggressive policies that protect the American people whoever the president is.”
I 'm sick of the bullshit lies of "terror," readers!
Also see: Osama bin Townsend
