The CIA has ignored its core mission of spying, has refused to take corrective action and is heading “over a proverbial cliff” after years of poor planning and mismanagement, the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee has concluded in the latest congressional broadside aimed at America’s premier intelligence agency. A report that accompanies the committee’s proposed intelligence authorization bill, which was approved by the full House in a 360-61 vote Wednesday night, paints a devastating picture of the CIA division that sends clandestine agents overseas, recruits foreign spies, steals secrets and provides covert commandos for the war on terrorism. In a strongly worded response to the committee’s chairman, Rep. Porter J. Goss (R-Fla.), outgoing CIA Director George J. Tenet staunchly defended the agency’s performance. He denounced some of the committee’s criticism as “ill informed” and “frankly absurd.” Full Story