Posted on 01/22/2017 1:47:23 PM PST by Kaslin
The Russians are coming. The Russians are coming. This all started when Hillary Clinton reversed what Barack Obama had started four years earlier in a debate with Mitt Romney who actually stated the Russians were a problem. The only thing is that she stated that all 17 intelligence agencies agreed that the Russians had hacked the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Though technically correct there are “17” intelligence agencies, Ms. Clinton knows that these agencies “agreeing” is a hoax.
My initial reaction to the statement was a logical and rational one. I stated Mr. Trump should have replied to her: “Why do we have 17 intelligence agencies and why can they not stop the Russians from hacking?” I thought this issue would go away after Hillary was sent into retirement, but the sore loser Democrats keep making a big deal about this.
There are actually 17 government entities considered part of our “Intelligence Community.” That is if you consider the Office of the Director of National Intelligence one of them. That position goes back to 1955 when our sprawling intelligence community was determined to be too big and too diverse so they needed another person (and all their staff) to oversee all the operating entities. Ten of the 17 agencies were formed after the director position was established. The coordination did not seem to work because Attorney General John Ashcroft stated his biggest challenge after 9/11 was synchronizing efforts between the various intelligence agencies.
The 17 agencies are broken into three groups. The first are ones within the different arms of the military. There is the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and that could be considered warranted, but why do we need separate departments within every branch and why would they not just be considered part of the DIA? The Marines, Navy, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard do not need separate intelligence departments. No wonder we can’t get anything right when just our Defense Department has eight separate intelligence agencies.
If we go back to the claim that all 17 agencies agreed it was the Russians who were hacking, please explain to me what information the Coast Guard had on that. Or, for that matter, any of the other four wings of our armed forces. Why would they be following domestic matters like this? That would seem improper or illegal to me.
Then there are the agencies that are part of cabinet departments. Energy, State, Treasury, Homeland Security and Justice all have intelligence agencies. Why do any of these departments except for maybe Homeland Security need their own agency? The Justice Department, which has the FBI (an important domestic intelligence agency), has another agency (Office of National Security Intelligence) that was created in 2006 under the DEA. What a waste. All these departments should have their efforts coordinated through one entity – the FBI. If the FBI needs people assigned to these departments they should do so, but everything should run through one central point.
Back to the Clinton claim, why would the agency under the DEA have any knowledge about Russian hacking of the DNC? Or the agency in the Energy Department? Again, obviously a ridiculous claim.
Then there are the Big Five of the intelligence community. They are the CIA, DIA, National Security Agency (NSA), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (GEOINT). We all know what the CIA does (as much as we are allowed to know). But why is there the DIA and NSA? They are both part of the Defense Department. The NSA was formed in 1952 and the DIA in 1961 and I cannot tell why it exists. It seems we allow our government to create overlapping entities so they can all miss out on accomplishing their mission.
The ones that baffle me totally are the NRO and the GEOINT. GEOINT states “Geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT, is the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess and visually depict physical features and geographically-referenced activities on the Earth. GEOINT consists of imagery, imagery intelligence and geospatial information.” What exactly is that? Maybe this should be a separate agency feeding the others, but they should be under either the CIA or NSA and not another separate operation.
When you look at the description of what the NRO does it certainly seems like it is splitting hairs between what it does and GEOINT. Both are part of the Defense Department and provide services to other intelligence agencies. These are certainly two entities that by definition should have no clue whether the Russians hacked the DNC nor an opinion.
In conclusion, there maybe should be three or four separate intelligence agencies: CIA, FBI, NSA and maybe the director of national intelligence. The other agencies should be folded into these. One would be independent (CIA), one part of Justice (FBI) and one part of Defense (NSA). All the confusing overlap and inefficiency will be eliminated. There will be enough infighting within those remaining agencies.
Also, maybe four of the 17 could have or should have had an opinion on the Russian hacking. The rest having an opinion is either because of coercion or it is simply false that they had any direct knowledge of the hacking of the DNC by anyone.
Why of course not silly goose there are as many as the liars in the media need 17? 57? What’s the difference?
Why of course not silly goose there are as many as the liars in the media need 17? 57? What’s the difference?
Merge all into one. Can you imagine the Billions in duplicated administration and purchasing. Drain the swamp into a single deep pond!! If they all are going to blow crap like Russia cost Hillary the election and Benghazi and 911, They aren’t worth a damned anyway.I don’t share this adulation for this bloated bureaucracy. Clean it out!!
I would argue that there might not even be one
May all the hoaxes already imposed upon us be unraveled and debunked. We have bee living in an artificial construct of “news” and “information” that at times has only the most nebulous and tenuous relationship with reality. No lie is greater than one that contains what may be a kernel of truth, but is wrapped in so many “interpretations” that it becomes indistinguishable from a reflection in a fun house mirror.
Some gov’t organizations want to have their own intel operations so they can prioritize things their way and control analysis and distro. Granted, they don’t have the resources of some of the Big Guys, but it’s mostly for tactical intel anyway.
Any idiot can see that ASW intelligence and land warfighting intelligence should be done by the same people. Sonar propagation and ballistics propagation - what's the dif?
On the other hand, a marine who knows what he is doing will bow to the expertise of the submariner in his metier an the submariner will - valuing his life and his most precious bodily parts - reciprocate the courtesy to the Marine, even if his name is Mad Dog.
Russia has two: SVR, the former foreign intelligence directorate of the KGB spun off as the foreign intelligence service and GRU which was the Soviet Army intelligence directorate now does the same thing under the same name in the Russian Army.
And we need 17? Go figure.
It's NGA, not GEOINT. www.nga.mil
NGA scans the earth looking for geospatial intelligence. It uses high-altitude equipment and satellites to, for example, see what Kim Jong Un's doing with moving equipment. Pics from one day to the next give clues.
NRO keeps track of missiles that get fired. One goes off, that's how we know about it.
Post of the day!!!!
Within DOD every intel agency within the sister services pass the info up; it makes sense to have service members from their respective branches at each level - the DIA does pull it all together and does actually have joint offices in America’s embassies and consulates.
Apparently they have four:
Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB)
Federal Protective Service of Russia (FSO) FSO Special Communications Service.
Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU)
Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR)
To the point about merging all these.. the Office of Naval Intelligence may be America’s oldest intel agency. Each branch of the AF of the US has different responsibikities and needs so dedicated intel may be warranted. Agencies like CIA, NRO, NSA DIA have differing areas of responsibilities. Wherevthey overlap is in interpretation. That is where improvement is required. Oh and those who say the ONI, NRO, and DIA said Russia hacked the election well they are incompetent...Oh wait, that would be Hillary Clinton.
All 17 intelligence agencies got punked by an internet hoax on 4chan.
I feel so safe.
The fact that Hellary was aware that there are presently 17 different agencies, of course informed by HUMA the Muslim Skunk, is disturbing unto itself.
............I wouldn’t agree with you that the USA does not need to gather intelligence data and info.
I would say though that it is at least arguable that the CiA and other intelligence agencies have, over their life, done more harm than good!
He got one name wrong, GEOINT is not an agency. NGA is: https://www.nga.mil/Pages/Default.aspx NGA has a beautiful brand new building as you can see on their home page. That means they are an agency. Big beautiful building makes them an agency.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.