Posted on 09/09/2015 6:48:58 PM PDT by kristinn
It’s being called a “revolt” by intelligence pros who are paid to give their honest assessment of the ISIS war—but are instead seeing their reports turned into happy talk. More than 50 intelligence analysts working out of the U.S. military's Central Command have formally complained that their reports on ISIS and al Qaeda’s branch in Syria were being inappropriately altered by senior officials, The Daily Beast has learned.
The complaints spurred the Pentagon’s inspector general to open an investigation into the alleged manipulation of intelligence. The fact that so many people complained suggests there are deep-rooted, systemic problems in how the U.S. military command charged with the war against the self-proclaimed Islamic State assesses intelligence.
“The cancer was within the senior level of the intelligence command,” one defense official said.
Two senior analysts at CENTCOM signed a written complaint sent to the Defense Department inspector general in July alleging that the reports, some of which were briefed to President Obama, portrayed the terror groups as weaker than the analysts believe they are. The reports were changed by CENTCOM higher-ups to adhere to the administration’s public line that the U.S. is winning the battle against ISIS and al Nusra, al Qaeda’s branch in Syria, the analysts claim.
That complaint was supported by 50 other analysts, some of whom have complained about politicizing of intelligence reports for months. That’s according to 11 individuals who are knowledgeable about the details of the report and who spoke to The Daily Beast on condition of anonymity.
The accusations suggest that a large number of people tracking the inner workings of the terror groups think that their reports are being manipulated to fit a public narrative. The allegations echoed charges that political appointees and senior officials cherry-picked intelligence about Iraq’s supposed weapons program in 2002 and 2003.
SNIP
The complaints allege that in some cases key elements of intelligence reports were removed, resulting in a document that didn’t accurately capture the analysts’ conclusions, sources familiar with the protest said. But the complaint also goes beyond alleged altering of reports and accuses some senior leaders at CENTCOM of creating an unprofessional work environment. One person who knows the contents of the written complaint sent to the inspector general said it used the word “Stalinist” to describe the tone set by officials overseeing CENTCOM’s analysis.
SNIP
Some of those who complained were urged to retire, one official familiar with the report told The Daily Beast. Some agreed to leave.
Color me not surprised.
Good G-d how much more proof do we need of treason at the highest levels.
Bush/Cheney’s fault!
Oh wait....
Who cares? Not I. Military briefings are routinely edited to confirm with political positions. Just as long as the politicians get the real scoop at some point to adjust their positions is all that counts.
ISIS ebbs and flows with recruits, training and support. Their effectiveness fluctuates week by week it seems. All I can say is I saw them receiving 4 - 12 bombings a day during my time in Baghdad. I’m talking about stuff like a 500 lb. Paveway followed by a 500 lb. snake JDAM landing between 3 guys shooting the S in the middle of a road outside Al Asad at 11pm. When stuff like that is being brought down I don’t really worry about politics or big pictures cuz the daily small pictures tell the real story.
Much ado about -politics. There ain’t no ‘there’ here.
Why isn’t this treason?
Our generals and admirals.....
“Maybe you shoulda made ‘em smarter instead of faster.” - Gary Busey in the movie SOLDIER.
For people who are just ramping up on these issues, a former FBI agent alleges that the current Director of the CIA, John Brennan, converted to Islam while in Saudi Arabia. While this is contested, he has consistently downplayed Islam as a driving force of terror and conquest, and there is a YouTube video of him lecturing on the beauty of Islam...
...in Arabic.
50 Spies Say ISIS Intelligence Was Cooked (by Obama Admin)
I wouldn’t doubt it.
The enemies within....
C’mon it’s attrition. We’ve taken out something like 6,000 of ‘em with probably another 30,000 to go considering their recruitment rates. Happy times. Best possible situation EVER!
The saps get lured into the TOW Arena and get blasted from all sides. Others are hit by Kurdish, Iraqi and Syrian forces. Most of their experienced fighters are dead. Once their trainers are killed their efficacy will plummet. With low oil prices and Turkey now erstwhile supporting the coalition that day has arrived.
The radicals from all over are getting cooked off in a free fire zone.
Ever figure just WHY ISIS puts so much effort on recruitment? Cuz they have to, they’re being heavily attritted -constantly. EVERYONE hates them ‘cept for the fools who’ve never dealt with them. They’re scumbags. Worst of the worst. Can’t buy a friend except in Turkey -who is now regretting it.
John Bachelor was reporting on this a week or two ago, it was pretty good. I’ll try and find a link to the show it was on but I’m not the best at finding stuff.
One more reason citizens are disgusted with Washington...
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
Bump
WTH?
First reaction: What’s going on, really, if The Daily Beast is investigating and reporting this story??? It reminds me of actual journalism 1) and 2) it portrays the administration in an unfavorable way. Isn’t that strange??
The implications of this are really so ugly and frightening. January 2017 ...can we make it til then..
Friday 28 August 2015 / Hour 1, Block D: Seb Gorka, Marine Corps University, in re: What we suspected all these months: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/26/spies-obama-s-brass-pressured-us-to-downplay-isis-threat.html; Today’s Propaganda Front in
( I *think* I got the right block)
This seems to go further than just routine slanted briefings.
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