Article

2014-06-21 Iraq

Secret U.S. Plan to Aid Iraq Fizzled Amid Mutual Distrust

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Posted by Fred 2014-06-21 00:00|| || Front Page|| [6 views ] Top

#1 Alternate link to story.

WSH direct link as well.

I heard the Champ use the term ISR (Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance) in his recent speech. I was curious when I heard it, as to where he might have picked up the [non-sports related] term.

Sharing photo reconnaissance imagery or other types of more advanced special intelligence does not necessarily require an in-country 'fusion center.' Furthermore, collection need not be limited to platforms requiring host nation permission slips or the divulging of technical sources.

Example: //On Thursday a convoy of ten technical vehicles were seen proceeding west on MSR Tampa in the vicinity of the village of Blue Lagoon.//

There are actually two stories here. The first story is of course the "fizzled and distrust" story, which in my view is painfully weak. The reporting of shipments of men and supplies from Iran across Iraq to Syria appears to have not violated any security protocols. Why would the reporting of men and materials going Syria to Iraq present a security issue ?

The second story, and possibly the more revealing and troubling is the apparent lack of regional ISR coverage for our own situational awareness. Forget the Iraqi's for a moment, what about our own regional situational awareness, our own regional indications and warnings (I&W), and our own prevention of 'strategic surprise.' This represents the potential of an astonishing intelligence gap. A gap that I personal cannot believe was permitted to happen.

With a background of repeated urgings from the Iraqi gov't regarding their perceived Syrian border threat, and with all that is going on within Syria, I simply cannot believe that the US intelligence community would permit [unless directed otherwise] such a gap to exist. Not sharing and spitefully setting the Iraqis up for failure [fizzled and distrust], I can believe.

In the final analysis, I am left to believe we knew about ISIS intent and activities on the ground and elected to do nothing until the situation got completely out of hand.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-06-21 07:25|| 2014-06-21 07:25|| Front Page Top

#2 elected to do nothing until the situation got completely out of hand.

Yep that sounds like SOP for this regime. Would you ever expect different on any issue/situation?

Posted by AlanC 2014-06-21 08:13|| 2014-06-21 08:13|| Front Page Top

#3 More like "until the situation became politically untenable."

As far as an intelligence gap: it's not a surprise, if one takes into account the petulant passive-aggressive attitude by the administration that "the war is long over." Hence, aside from some specific missions (like strikes in NW Pakistan and ops in Africa,) the focus of IC assets were re-directed elsewhere.

Posted by Pappy 2014-06-21 08:53|| 2014-06-21 08:53|| Front Page Top

#4 More like "until the situation became politically untenable."

Exactly correct. Unlike Chicago politics, hiding the bodies has become quite a challenge.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-06-21 09:25|| 2014-06-21 09:25|| Front Page Top

#5 Hummm who's got the garbage franchise in Iraq?

Posted by Shipman 2014-06-21 10:45|| 2014-06-21 10:45|| Front Page Top

#6 The current administration seems to think that if they ignore a situation, it will go away.

In their reality, Al Qaeda/ISIS has been defeated so the intel is exaggerated. If it doesn't fit the narrative, ignore it.

Posted by Bill Clinton 2014-06-21 11:49|| 2014-06-21 11:49|| Front Page Top

#7 ISR is a specific term inside the IC (Intelligence Community). It came into vogue in the early part of the GWOT. ITs part of the old C3I doctrine, basically a spelling out of the "I" (intelligence) component. ISR encapsulates a lot, including NSA (Surveillance) and NRO (Reconnaissance) assets and their products, as well as the typical Intelligence community assets - in the case of ISR, I stands in form much of the intelligence production and analysis activity, thus the S and R to differentiate the gathering of data form the production of Intel. Also, S and R have HUMINT and Military counterparts, like police work (think stakeout) for the surveillance component, and good old fashioned scouts (Cavalrey) or recon (USMC Force Recon) for the Reconnaissance component.

So its a buzzword acronym that a lot of high ranking civilian types (and some military people) like because it encompasses so much that they don't know a damned thing about, yet they can sound smart discussing it.

Posted by OldSpook 2014-06-21 13:49|| 2014-06-21 13:49|| Front Page Top

Posted by Ulung Thravirt1475 2014-06-21 18:20|| 2014-06-21 18:20|| Front Page Top

22:49 USN, Ret.
22:15 Squinty
21:45 KBK
20:55 Shipman
20:49 Shipman
20:38 OldSpook
20:34 KBK
20:19 SteveS
19:57 Shipman
19:53 Shipman
19:48 SteveS
19:42 Shipman
19:37 Shipman
19:33 Shipman
18:34 Squinty
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18:29 Ulung Thravirt1475
18:29 Frank G
18:27 Ulung Thravirt1475
18:24 Ulung Thravirt1475
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18:19 Ulung Thravirt1475