"...By and large, it's a bad report, at undue length it rehashes well-known facts and reveals nothing new, and - most unhappily - draws uninspired conclusions of little forward-looking value".
Erikson is not too kind to Kerry either criticizing his immediate response to create a director to oversee all facets of US intelligence, and double spending for foreign clandestine operations. He says that Kerry should take a close look at conclusion 6 in the report:
"Most, if not all, of these problems [with prewar intelligence on Iraq] stem from a broken corporate culture and poor management, and will not be solved by additional funding and personnel".
While many talking heads on U.S. telelvsion have been bemoaning the lack of human intelligence on the ground in Iraq and elswhere, know one has discussed the reason for that; the risk adverse corporate culture in the intellignce agencies.
So why is this?
.....intelligence undertakings must proceed from a well-defined strategic perspective and war plan and be executed with the attitude of Entschlossenheit (considered abandon) Carl von Clausewitz puts forth as the indispensable quality of the successful warrior.
Prior to September 11, 2001, US presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush had no strategy, no war plan against terrorists, no clear or distinct idea even of whom or what they were up against. It was a muddle, and no one in the US intelligence community knew either, or bothered to tell them if - per unlikely chance - they knew. That by itself is a signal failure of analysis and imagination.
Kerry, it appears, is just more of the same although a bit less evil. Nader is right, there is not much difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. The problem this time around is the Republican party has been hi-jacked by the theocratic religious right and the imperialist neo-cons so I will cast my vote for Kerry.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Be Nice