The Intelligence War In Afghanistan

S2 · 08 Jan 10,, 20:13

There's been much ado recently about Maj. Gen. Michael Flynn's assessment of the intelligence system in Afghanistan, its problems, and his recommendations.

That assessment was offered to CNAS and can be read here-

Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan | Center for a New American Security Maj. Gen. Michael Flynn

Here are some thoughts expressed on the matter as collected by Tom Ricks-

The Flynn Report (III): A Spy-Generation Gap/Tom Ricks-

**Michael C** · 11 Jan 10,, 06:52

Its a great article and I hope the intel community responds to it.

S2 · 11 Jan 10,, 09:48

We certainly, from General Flynn's document, have a lot of ground to cover in understanding better the sea in which the fish are swimming in Afghanistan.

So too with A.Q. Bruce Hoffman, professor at Georgetown Univ. and a senior fellow at the U.S.M.A.'s Combatting Terror Center has offered this synopsis of A.Q.'s evolving strategy to attack the west in yesterday's WAPO.

He outlines five key features of A.Q.'s strategy and points to the age-old problem that, like so many other wars, we're geared up to fight the last one in terror too. A.Q. is looking to the future while hoping that we impale ourselves on the past-

"First, al-Qaeda is increasingly focused on overwhelming, distracting and exhausting us. To this end, it seeks to flood our already information-overloaded national intelligence systems with myriad threats and background noise...

Second, in the wake of the global financial crisis, al-Qaeda has stepped up a strategy of economic warfare. "We will bury you," Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev promised Americans 50 years ago. Today, al-Qaeda threatens: "We will bankrupt you."...

Third, al-Qaeda is still trying to create divisions within the global alliance arrayed against it by targeting key coalition partners...

Fourth, al-Qaeda is aggressively seeking out, destabilizing and exploiting failed states and other areas of lawlessness...

Fifth and finally, al-Qaeda is covetously seeking recruits from non-Muslim countries who can be easily deployed for attacks in the West..."

A.Q. Has A New Strategy; Obama Needs One Too-WAPO Jan. 10, 2010

**VarSity** · 11 Jan 10,, 19:46

Just to mention a point I have been exposed to recently regarding, in particular US Army and Marines attitude to intelligence.

When sitting in on a briefing recently given by my head of J2, a very experienced Major with three tours of Afghanistan under his belt and an excellent grasp of local atmospherics, the attending US figures were attentive, asked excellent questions and in all took everything they could away from the briefing, this was until the Major handed over to a couple of Corporals (One full screw, one Lance Jack) who continued the brief.

Now both of these Corporals had retuned from theatre just weeks before and were the subject matter experts on the topics being discussed, but the attending US staff simply shut down and stopped listening.

Upon speaking about this with some of the more experienced staff and officers after this brief, I brought up this topic and almost all of them have had similar experiences when dealing with other nations forces and in particular the US ground forces (Army and Marines), with most saying that US officers will often switch off when a NCO is the one briefing them.

Now I can in no way claim this is proof of a mindset that is prevalent throughout the whole of the US forces, but if it is a common happening it is very worrying.

S2 · 11 Jan 10,, 21:11

"...most saying that US officers will often switch off when a NCO is the one briefing them.

Now I can in no way claim this is proof of a mindset that is prevalent throughout the whole of the US forces, but if it is a common happening it is very worrying."

Relevance to General Flynn's proposals and the attendant commentary offered by Professor Hoffman?

**Red Seven** · 12 Jan 10,, 22:00

Originally Posted by VarSity

...US officers will often switch off when a NCO is the one briefing them.

You, sir, are spot on. Why should officers pay any attention to the man on the ground? He lacks a college degree, hasn't been through OCS or the Academy...how could a 21 year old Corporal possibly know anything?

I've been on the low end of this equation. It's impossible for a junior NCO to tell most officers anything because--as I've written in another thread--many equate superior rank with superior experience, even if they have none.

If I'm a commander, I want to know what my Corporals and Lance Corporals and PFCs are encountering. They are the finger on the pulse.