“Allowing the private sector to be so heavily involved in the intelligence business is counterproductive for several reasons. It fosters an atmosphere of cronyism and patronage that’s unhealthy in a functioning bureaucracy. Unbalanced reliance on contractors erodes institutional knowledge and quality. And there’s the ideological question of how much of our national security collection functions we believe it prudent to outsource. To whom are the contractors ultimately loyal—their government or their corporation? Our national security depends upon that loyalty.”
Read an extended interview with Valerie Plame Wilson about the Bush legacy here.