The nomination of Anthony Lake as director of the CIA is in big-time trouble. And the word is that President Clinton won’t fight too strenuously for confirmation. How come? The CIA was merely a convenient dumping place for Lake, whom Clinton no longer wanted as his national security adviser after four years. Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, the new chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, suspects as much, though he says he won’t decide on Lake until after confirmation hearings. But Lake shouldn’t get his hopes up. Shelby told Fox News Channel that integrity, independence, and “being forthcoming and not duplicitous” are what a CIA director needs. Lake may fall short of Shelby’s standards on all three. He didn’t inform Congress when the administration winked at Iranian aid to Bosnia. He’s tied to the White House. Making matters worse, Lake recently declared he’s not sure whether Alger Hiss was guilty.
