No patriot can read this and not feel that there is something bordering on treasonous the way that the FBI's management systematically bungled the investigations that could have prevented 9-11. No, this is not a Bush or a Clinton problem, but a cultural problem that has existed for quite some time within this agency's wretched leadership. This excerpt puts the whole thing into perspective for those that might like to know where their tax dollars going:

Minneapolis, Phoenix, New York. Three different Bureau offices were hot on the terror plot in the days leading up to 9/11 and all were stiffed by Washington. If that is not institutional incompetence, Stalin purge-worthy stuff, heaven help the next 3,000 martyrs to J. Edgar Hoover's uber-suits.

One exchange from the Moussaoui trial makes clear what happened in the weeks running up to 9/11:

"You tried to move heaven and earth to get a search warrant to search this man's belongings and you were obstructed," MacMahon said to Samit.

"Yes sir, I was obstructed." Samit replied.

Agent Samit was systematically obstructed from doing his job by the upper management, for whatever reason. I don't claim to be a law enforcement expert, but there is no reason for the upper management to interfere with a field agent's investigations. The agent is out there, collecting the evidence, identifying potential suspects, etc. The management is not. For them to so completely, systematically and nonchalantly blow off the investigative work of a field agent who is bringing this information to them is unconsciable. It is the sort of thing that makes me a libertarian; it's what made me lose faith in government itself.

Some of you out there may be so inclined as to claim that it's simply bureaucratic bungling, but it's not. When three field offices are coming to the Washington headquarters with independent information showing that there is a real threat of a terrorist attack, and all three are rebuffed by the Washington establishment, that is no coincidence. It may not be outright treason, but it is a fundamental betrayal of the public's trust.

At this point, the public needs to start talking about potentially disbanding the FBI altogether. They are a large, slow-moving, incompetent bureaucracy, in no small part due to the management. There are so many talented agents whose skills are wasted by their managers' inability to get their act together and do their job.

The bare minimum that should be acceptable now is a complete culling of the FBI's management. The stakes are so high, and the corruption is so deep, that virtually everyone in the management should be fired. No exceptions. There simply is not enough time to sort out the good apples from the bad ones. What we need is a complete, unconditional purge of the entire management. Then, to finally bring so much needed clarity issue, the CIA needs to be given final control over all FBI operations involving terrorism so that there is an outside agency that can override the FBI's management if the status quo ever returns, and thus allow the field agents to do their damn jobs.