Inside the Ring

Washington Times ^ | 5-29-07 | Bill Gertz

[JZelle]

Space intel wars

Defense officials say a turf war is shaping up that could diminish the capabilities of the government's most important space intelligence center, the Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC).

The Air Force center, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, was the key center in identifying China's secret anti-satellite weapons program and monitoring the provocative Jan. 11 test by China of an anti-satellite weapon.

The officials say NASIC's space-threat analysis work is in danger as a result of a Defense Intelligence Agency reorganization plan that seeks to take the space-threat missions from NASIC, which is under the Air Combat Command, and give it to DIA-run components, including the Missile and Space Intelligence Center in Huntsville, Ala., the Army National Ground Intelligence Center in Charlottesville and the Office of Naval Intelligence.

"These actions by DIA are clearly not based on the outstanding performance of NASIC in this area over the last 10 plus years, but rather demonstrate DIA's gross mismanagement of defense intelligence by putting political interests ahead of providing the best intelligence for the nation," said one official opposed to the move.

[Cicero]

I’m sure he meant well, or at least I hope so, but Bush’s solution of piling bureaucracy on top of bureaucracy while leaving all the bad apples and clintonoids in place below this rickety superstructure is not the way to solve our security and intelligence problems.

[jagusafr]

NASIC does some really neat stuff - I’m sure they’ve figured out a way to get out of Columbus!

Colonel, USAFR