At the Center of the Storm
| Company type | Memoir |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | April 30, 2007 |
| Founder | George Tenet, Bill Harlow |
| Products | Book |
At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA is a memoir co-authored by former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency George Tenet alongside Bill Harlow, who served as the CIA’s Director of Public Affairs. Published on April 30, 2007, the book presents Tenet’s account of events surrounding 9/11, the subsequent War on Terrorism, the 2001 conflict in Afghanistan, the events leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and interrogation methods.
60 Minutes interview
On April 29, 2007, Tenet appeared on 60 Minutes II to discuss his memoir, highlighting significant claims that questioned the narrative presented by the George W. Bush administration.
Criticism
- Following its publication, Tenet was criticized by former intelligence personnel for not publicly opposing the White House’s advocacy for the Iraq invasion earlier.
- Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice challenged Tenet’s assertion that there was no serious debate within the Bush administration regarding Iraq’s threat or sanctions before the 2003 military action.
- CIA veteran Michael Scheuer condemned the memoir as representative of silence during a critical period.
- Ex-CIA operative Robert Baer contended that Tenet did not adequately inform Congress and the White House about intelligence doubts, suggesting that resignation would have been appropriate amid political pressures.
- Douglas Feith, who previously held the position of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and is criticized by Tenet in the book, accused him of inaccuracies and fabrications, emphasizing Tenet’s reliance on intuition rather than exact evidence—a method considered atypical for an intelligence expert.
Erratum
- A notable exchange with then-Pentagon advisor Richard Perle on September 12, 2001—where Tenet recalls Perle stating "Iraq had to pay for the attack"—was proven impossible since Perle was stuck in Paris and did not return to Washington, D.C. until three days later; however, during an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on The Situation Room, Perle acknowledged they did encounter each other one morning that week, though not specifically on September 12.
See also
- 2001 anthrax attacks
- Abu Ghraib prison
- Command responsibility
- Extraordinary rendition
- Governments' positions pre-2003 invasion of Iraq
- Guantanamo Bay detention camp
- Homeland Security Act
- Iraq and weapons of mass destruction
- Iraq disarmament crisis
- Legitimacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq
- Plausible deniability
- Public relations preparations for 2003 invasion of Iraq
- UN Security Council and the Iraq war
- Unlawful combatant
- USA PATRIOT Act
- Views on the 2003 invasion of Iraq
- Waterboarding
Reviews
Related memoirs
- A Journey by Tony Blair
- Decision Points by George W. Bush
- Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush
- In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir by Dick Cheney
- Known and Unknown: A Memoir by Donald Rumsfeld
External links
Categories:
- 2007 non-fiction publications
- American autobiographies
- Works about George W. Bush
- Literature on the 2003 Iraq invasion
- Publications regarding the September 11 attacks
- Analyses of U.S. counterterrorism strategies
- HarperCollins publications
- Non-fiction works on the CIA
- Political autobiographies
- Books covering the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
- Publications about the War on Terror
- Books about the September 11 attacks