Introduction George tenet and the last great days of the CIA cases focus on ethics and public administration ,it is important to those who are studying in public administration because this case illustrate when the executive in public sectors confront with ethical dilemma which is the problem that usually face when working in public services because public sector are not private sectors which have the efficiency goal and make profits ,but those who work in public sectors are confront with the choice among efficiency equity moral and duty.
The Facts and Chronology
George Tenet was the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1997 to 2004. Tenet graduated from the Georgetown University in 1976 with bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs, and received a master’s degree from Columbia in 1978. George Tenet is a product of Washington, during his career at Washington he was named to be workaholic straightforward and loyalty. After he had spent four years as a lobbyist, he stared his career in Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant for Senator John Heinz. In 1985 he began working for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) which he had a reputation as an “effective and efficient staffer who served his boss well” Because of his loyalty, impressed by Oklahoma senator David Boren, he was appointed to be the director of the SSCI, one of the most prestigious positions on the Hill. Later, Tenet joined President Bill Clinton's national security transition team in November 1992, after that Clinton appointed Tenet Senior Director for Intelligence at the National Security Council. He moved to CIA to become deputy to DCI John Deutch because his popularity on both sides of the Senate aisle. After Deuth quit after 19 months, Tenet was appointed as Director of Central Intelligence. During that time, CIA was in the period of inclination, budget was cutted, and they lost many officers. Tenet focused to improve CIA’s organization and fund rising rather than concerning to world affair. Tenet received a little interested from Clinton although he improve CIA’s morale, and because of his style at work he received popularity among CIA’s officers.
During the Bush administration, Tenet became a trusted insider of Bush national security team. He had a great relationship with Bush, and they always defend each other. The one thing Tenet experienced with the Bush administration that he did not experience with the Clinton Administration is he became part of the President’s inner circle. However, Tanet had been in the dilemma after 9/11. He confronted with the dilemma which he should honestly with his duty as CIA or support the White House. Vice President Richard Cheney’s speech claimed that Suddam Hussein had hazard mass destruction and chemicals weapons this speech support the authority of the USA to invade Iraqi although Tenet knew the fact that Cheney’s speech had been exaggerate but he did not tell him. He support the Whitehouse that Bagdad had chemical and biological weapons and could make a nuclear weapon within several months ,he could not avoid this because he bought himself to the inner of politics. At last after received many critics, Tenet submitted his resignation to President Bush on June 3, 2004.
Analysis
It was undeniable that Tenet became to the director of CIA because he was a good, hardworking, straightforward and loyalty. Because of his loyalty, and straightforward, he gained popularity among many group at Washington. In his early career life at Washington, he seem to be the normal bureaucrat like the others ,also during the Clinton administrative which he still did not face with political dilemma. However, according to Waldo, people who work in public organization face more moral complexity than those in nonpublic organization and moral complexity increase as responsibilities in an administrative hierarchy increase. Also Tenet who worked as director of CIA could not avoid this situation, Tenet confronted with ethical problem when he was one of the Bush’s inner groups which he decided to betray his professional. He assured Bush that the evidence that Iraq had WMDs amounted to a "slam dunk case. Iraq’s WMD controversy destroyed his career at CIA because, according to Waldo, he did not obligation to profession and professionalism. Waldo write that well-developed occupation, has an ethos that acts to shape the values and behavior of members ,and the action help professionals ,clients ,patients ,employers. Moreover, in number five of a map of sorts, Tenet betrays from CIA’s norm which respecting to honest and truth.
Review Question
From question five, there are some people argue that those who learned moral from informal education, such as family background, religion and personal attitudes are more likely to be the good public administrators than those who learned from formal education. I would argue that it does not matter where do you learned about moral and ethical for public services. Although, it is undeniable that moral and ethical are the important part that those who work in public sector need to know, but if we are still a human being who have desires and greedy, we can act in the wrong way. Therefore, we should designed the system to control people who work in public sector rather than let people control them self.
Conclusion
This case guide people who are working in public sector to dedicate to their own duty.
Lessons Learned
Elected official can come and pass, but bureaucrats have to work no matter who will be elected. Therefore, we should obligate to professional rather than politics. 