A. J. Rossmiller, a former Defense Intelligence Agency Iraq analyst who now writes at Americablog and other sites, has written a new book, Still Broken.Here is one paragraph in a section where his group learns they are not expected to uncover anything actionable (i.e., just be governmental wankers 'cause we don't know what the feck we're doing or supposed to do):
It became apparent that our assignment was not the counterinsurgency mission we’d anticipated. To some extent we were set up as a new and unique group from DIA. Our leadership told us that we were the largest cohesive DIA group to deploy to Iraq, as previous volunteers had been sent to fill individual slots in a wide variety of operations. We were supposed to be the connection between the field and the DIA element in DC, and we had just spent months learning about the history of the insurgency, beneficial and ineffective COIN techniques, and the intricacies of Iraqi tribes, religious groups, militias, and political organizations. This knowledge was supposed to make us a crack team of area experts, able to assist action units in the front and support the Iraq team in the rear (back in Washington). We were geared up to apply social network theory, create a better understanding of the insurgency and its accelerants, use a variety of analytical tools that would help identify insurgents and pinpoint the most crucial members of various groups, and employ our strategic acumen to assist policymakers. We were the heavy hitters, DIA’s contribution to the Combined Intelligence Operations Center or CIOC (pronounced sy-ock) -- the hub for U.S. intelligence in Iraq. But when we settled in, we realized that there was basically no mission for us. . . .I have enjoyed Alex's reporting on many issues. Here's hoping lots of peeps read his book.
Still Broken: A Recruit's Inside Account of Intelligence Failures, from Baghdad to the Pentagon
[Click the link immediately above to find the book on Amazon.]
Wake up, America. The emperor has no clothes.
--the BB
3 comments:
Wow- amazing. I would like to read this. Given my state of broke-i-tude, I will head over to the library and see if they have it. If they do not, they are good about ordering requests.
It is unreal - and people still have questions?
Interesting when juxtaposed with the 9/11 trial date news.
Synchronicity my posterior... This is all political maneuvering.
I am ill.
The former Director of DIA's Middle East/ SW Asia section, Col. Patrick Lang, USA (Ret.) has a blog (http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis) which has most stimulating discussions by a variety of commenters, some of whom have reason to remain anonymous. I like to lurk and occasionally comment there, when I'm up to it.
Thanks for the link, johnieb. I think I may have visited him long ago and am happy to make the re-acquaintance.
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