Ex-CIA Boss Woolsey Calls for Polygraph Cutback

[George W. Maschke]

In a letter to Commentary magazine, former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey calls for the CIA to "radically curtail" use of the polygraph. Commenting on an article by Gabriel Schoenfeld, which among other things made reference to former CIA recruiter Melissa Boyle Mahle's indication in her book, Denial and Deception: An Insider's View of the CIA from Iran-Contra to 9/11, that close to 75% of CIA applicants are rejected based on polyraph results, Woolsey writes:

...as Mr. Schoenfeld correctly observes, the CIA's reliance on the polygraph in the last few years has been highly, and randomly, destructive of many careers. The recent authoritative National Research Council report on the polygraph, cited by Mahle in her book, should now be enough to convince any objective observer that the use of this highly flawed instrument should be radically curtailed.

Woolsey is not the first former head af the CIA to speak against polygraph screening. Former director John M. Deutch has observed that "[the CIA's] reliance on the polygraph is truly insane."

Would somebody please tell Porter Goss?

[xenonman]

It never fails to amaze me as to how "honest" politicians and bureaucrats can become, but only AFTER they have left office or retired, and hence no longer in a position to influence  policy!