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George Tenet
63quotes
George Tenet
Full Name and Common Aliases
George John Tenet was born on January 5, 1953, in Flushing Meadows, New York.
Birth and Death Dates
- Birth Date: January 5, 1953
- Death Date: (Not applicable)
Nationality and Profession(s)
Tenet is an American former government official. He served as the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from July 1997 to July 2004.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Queens, New York, Tenet was raised by Greek immigrant parents. He attended Stuyvesant High School before moving on to Princeton University for his undergraduate degree in international relations. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he began a career as a lawyer at the firm of Hill & Barlow.
Major Accomplishments
Tenet's tenure at the CIA is marked by significant events and decisions that shaped the agency's approach during his time in office. He was appointed DCI by President Bill Clinton in 1997. Under Tenet, the CIA increased its focus on counter-terrorism efforts following the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
Notable Works or Actions
- Intelligence Reform Act of 2004: Tenet played a key role in shaping this bill, which was enacted into law during his time as DCI.
- Prewar Intelligence on Iraq's WMDs: The CIA under Tenet provided assessments that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), which were later found to be inaccurate. Tenet has since acknowledged these errors and taken responsibility for the agency's role in this matter.
Impact and Legacy
Tenet's tenure was marked by controversy, particularly regarding prewar intelligence on Iraq's WMDs. His decision to present such assessments as credible had significant implications for U.S. foreign policy. The subsequent discovery of no WMDs led to widespread criticism of the CIA under Tenet's leadership.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Despite the controversies surrounding his tenure, George Tenet is remembered for his contributions to intelligence reform and counter-terrorism efforts. His quotes often reflect on the challenges faced by intelligence agencies in balancing security needs with transparency and accountability.
Quotes by George Tenet
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The only people that ever stand up and tell the truth are who? Intelligence officers. Because our culture is, never break faith with the truth. We’ll tell you, you don’t have to drag it out of us.
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Here’s the teaching point, if you’re teaching kids about intelligence and policy: Intelligence does not absolve policymakers of responsibility to ask tough questions, and it doesn’t absolve them of having curiosity about the consequences of their actions.
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You know, at the end of the day, the only thing you have is trust and honor in this world. That’s all you have. All you have is your reputation built on trust and your personal honor. When you don’t have that anymore, well, you know, there you go. Trust was broken.
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This has only succeeded in buying time against an increasingly dangerous threat. The difficulty in destroying this threat lies in the fact that our efforts will not be enough to overcome the fundamental causes of the phenomenon -- poverty, alienation, disaffection and ethnic hatreds deeply rooted in history,
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One mushroom cloud would change history. My deepest fear is that this is exactly what they Al Qaeda intend.
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Foreign nations have begun to include information warfare in their war college curricula with respect to both defensive and offensive applications.
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