Ping.
This article leaves a lot out. In the first place, much of the hiring done by these private companies comes from money appropriated by congress directly for Counter Terrorism. The same money can't be used for hiring staff employees. Furthermore, most of the employees being hired are retirees not staffers in the middle of their careers. In many ways this process makes sense. Building up the counter terrorism program with contractors allows you to increase or decrease the staffing quickly. Once you hire a staffer you are stuck with him or her for the long haul, needed or not. Also, contractors can be shifted around within the intelligence community very quickly. You can't do that with staffers.
BTTT
Espionage... important job but one I could never envision doing. Interesting choice. But this does say a lot about the agency going through changes.. at the bottom there is only one direction - up.
bump