Re: intelligence failures

["L. Bird" <pkeets@hotmail.com>]

>Finally, there is never, and never will be, a replacement for human 
>gathered intelligence.  The cutbacks in the agencies over the last eight 
>years cut too much human intel gathering and made us over-rely on 
>technology.  While technolgy is fine and has its place, it can never 
>replace certain things that only people them selves can do.  A supremely 
>capable aircraft can never replace a man on the ground with a rifle for 
>taking and holding ground!  A supremely capable spy satellite can never 
>replace an agent penetrating a terrorist cell for the information that is 
>received.  We have too much of the former and not enough of the latter.

There was a lot of discussion of this last week on TV.  Some of the 
intelligence community grumbled about encryption being the problem that 
foiled their technology, and others said the problem was that humans were 
better for intelligence gathering, but then somebody else said these are 
blood clans and how are you going to get somebody in there to spy on them.  
Tough problem.

I've managed to wean myself away from the TV some and I'm getting out of 
touch with the reports, but right now I'm under the impression that the 
administration was supplied with clear and specific information about where 
and when the attack would occur by Israeli intelligence.  I'm left with two 
choices:  1) either the administration is EXTREMELY dumb, or 2) they failed 
to provide defense or even warnings for some other reason.  I talked to a 
friend last night who thinks the whole thing is "orchestrated."  This was a 
guy, too, pretty much a Republican-type conservative and familiar with the 
military.  I'm not even out on the lunatic fringe yet.  <sigh> What do you 
suppose those crazy radicals up in Idaho think?

BTW, my friend is in the gun business.  Last week at a gun show he didn't 
sell any more guns than usual--but he sold $8800 worth of ammunition when 
the most he'd ever sold there before was $1700.  Seems like the militia 
might be gearing up.


>History teaches us that in is not the quality of the information that has 
>been gathered that matters as much as what the correct  interpretation of 
>what has been gathered.  Time and time again there have been itelligence 
>failures of often massive consequences.

Maybe that was the problem.  :|


keets

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