Saturday, November 29, 2008

Intelligence briefings the President receives daily are counterproductive

The new president must as a priority change the thought process of intelligence gathering. While it would be too controversial to scrap the current system, he must set up a small but focused team to gather information using an alternative strategy to counter global terrorism, and especially the type inspired by the Islamic world’s anti US ideology. This can run in parallel with the existing set-up so comparisons can be made.

In order for the fox to enter the chicken coop, the cocks should be recruited from within the coop, as no doubt has already been tried. However the recruitment method must change from that of money to ideology, to match the same recruitment methods of the terror groups.

The US indirectly funds the terror groups as a result of the way money circulates, and the way the terror groups use blackmail to fund themselves. The Saudis by paying protection money to the terror cells get surety that they will not be harmed. Their money comes from the oil that they sell to the US etc. It is therefore important that this same route is used to identify and infiltrate the masterminds and recruit committed Moslems even with an anti US bias to carry out US intelligence work and not use the current but dated techniques of vetting their intelligence recruits. This method eliminates the possibility of getting the best sources to your side at the lowest cost.

Additionally, the bureaucracy within the intelligence community dissuades the highest caliber of operatives, due to hierarchical interests. All this can be broken down if a team is set up with direct reporting access to the President, bypassing the traditional routes and even the Director of the CIA who by definition has to toe the line to run his behemoth.

I am absolutely sure we can then get to the bottom of some of the real culprits engaged in planning and executing terror, much more accurately and speedily, preventing the sort of mayhem that occurred recently in Mumbai. I am sure Obama must be mad that US intelligence yet again missed the boat on informing him in advance of the distinct possibility of this and therefore now is an opportune moment to set up this top secret mission.

Those entrusted to protect the Nation are the very same people who sometimes unwittingly assist in doing just the opposite. Lets immediately set up this new approach, before it is too late. There is just no alternative.

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