How an over-reliance on technology is undermining America's war on terrorism

The Prometheus Institute ^ | 2/29/2008 | Jason Treece

[tang0r]

While the U.S. has made significant strides since 9/11 in both the reorganization of our intelligence community and in tailoring our technological superiority to meet new needs, the United States is only beginning to address the HUMINT requirement. Perhaps one of the most interesting trends that seeks to address this deficiency is in the rise of Global Intel majors at universities. The University of Denver, Ohio State and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are but a few schools that are tailoring curriculum to facilitate a more productive transition into HUMINT gathering. Interest in this field has been generated as a result of 9/11 and is expected to increase as the threat of terrorism remains a growing concern.

One problem that the U.S. is currently facing in regards to improving its HUMINT capabilities is a lack of seasoned, knowledgeable, and experienced field agents. While the Cold War was a veritable proving ground for new agents to learn the ropes, the several decades of dwindling HUMINT capabilities and the subsequent retirement of good agents has resulted in a lack of foundational instruction that is so necessary to the success of this collective domain. While an influx of eager young trainees and increased recruitment efforts across the intelligence community bodes well for establishing a base for the future, it will be some time before the efficiency, skill, and effectiveness of these new agents sufficiently develops and HUMINT capabilities again rise to levels they once were.

[Grimmy]

The castration of our HUMINT capabilities was done purposely and with great vengeance by legislative incompetents reacting to malicious media reporting.

It took them a couple decades to hamstring our HUMINT and it will take at least that long to rebuild it.

[Grimmy]

Oh, and forgot to add...

Until the media is made to pay full measure for its constant perfidy in adopting the cause of our enemy, then we have no real reason to believe we’ll ever rebuild an effective HUMINT capability.

[ASA Vet]

MI Ping

[Grampa Dave]

The anti America Legacy of Jimmy Carter still lives.

[Recon Dad]

Start with the Church Committee and doing business with unsavory types.

As William F Buckley put it;

Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality the cost becomes prohibitive.

William F. Buckley Jr.

[IGOTMINE]

I wil miss that man.

[Grimmy]

I’d actually start with the School of Frankfurt devotees and their infiltration into our university system and the spawns of commie rat bas***ness that grew from them.

But the Church Commission makes for a good target too.

[Rick.Donaldson]

Yep, that is the truest statement I’ve ever heard here on FR I think.

You don’t go out and advertise on “Craig’s List” or eBay for “spies”, you have to make contacts, and you have do the leg work to recruit them. And you have to do so in each country where they are needed.

Sad, but true.