I read the article and I didn't get the same impression that you did. I think "at most" there might be a chilling affect, but wouldn't describe it as a purge. From the article I don't see a lot of evidence of a purge. And I don't think there is a vast shortage of liberals in the CIA- it would be like firing a few people in the media and claiming in was a purge of liberals. For instance, I would suspect the NYT already has had a much more significant "liberal purge". [don't worry the NYT and the CIA will still have a robust liberal prospective].

Btw, while checking out Newsday [and bookmarking it], I found another interesting article:
"General Praises Speed of Fallujah Assault
November 15, 2004, 1:12 AM EST

NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq -- In April, 2,000 Marines fought for three weeks and failed to take Fallujah from its insurgent defenders. This time, war planners sent six times the troops, who fought their way across the rebel city in just six days -- far more quickly than expected, the Marine general who designed the ground attack said Sunday. "
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ats-ap_intl10nov14,0,4617817.story?coll=ny-leadworldnews-headlines

Looks like we are learning some lessons and are winning this war.
-gb