THE CIA REPORTS SUCCESS:

More than 5,000 terrorists have been captured or killed in the five years since the 9/ll attacks, CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden said today.

Hayden’s remarks were made in a videotape statement distributed to CIA employees around the world.

Hayden called the 9/ll attacks “an unforgettable blow” from a “plot we had not been able to prevent.”

Since then, he said, “Al-Qa’ida’s core operational leadership has been decimated, and their successors are in hiding or on the run.”

They were regarded as highly credible during the Plame affair, but presumably their fans there won’t be as accepting of this news.