Feed: Clapper’s claptrap: Intelligence deficiencies evident during Egyptian uprising - AggScore: 12.9

Clapper’s claptrap: Intelligence deficiencies evident during Egyptian uprising

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blockquoteemThe White House is engaged in a fullcourt press to sell the idea that there is nothing to worry about if Egypts Muslim Brotherhood takes power. On Thursday, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in testimony to the House Intelligence Committee that the Muslim Brotherhood is an umbrella term for a variety of movements, in the case of Egypt, a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence and has decried al Qaeda as a perversion of Islam. He added that they have pursued social ends, a betterment of the political order in Egypt, et cetera. Nothing to worry about according to the intelligence chief, just a public spirited band of community organizers. em Washington Times Editorial 21111.blockquotecaption id alignalignleft width210 captionClapper39s gaffes equal those of Janet Napolitano and Joe Biden. Photo Newsbusters img srchttpcdn2b.examiner.comsitesdefaultfilesstyleslargehashe0a0e0a0dedeb6a001ad09725f763450e753.jpg alt width210 height118 captionddDuring his testimony before a congressional committee, the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, uttered the biggest gaffe thus far in 2011 when he all but dismissed the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist threat in Egypt and the Middle East. Those familiar with intelligence and counterterrorism could hardly believe their ears.ddThe intelligence community has to do a better job collecting information that will predict uprisings like those going on in Egypt, while also treating cybersecurity as the next battlefield, CIA Director Leon E. Panetta told the same congressional committee yesterday.Panetta, a former Clinton Administration operative, told members of the House Intelligence Committee that the CIA filed nearly 400 reports last year describing the potential for disruption in the Middle East, but needs better collection when it comes to triggers that ignite these conditions and cause the events that weve seen take place.Panetta said Friday following the resignation of Egypts president that he has established a 35member task force to focus specifically on the types of trigger points that led to unrest in Egypt and could happen in similar situations to be ready for problems when they occur.One intelligence officer told the Law Enforcement Examiner that this is a classic case of closing the barn door after the horses have escaped.How did the worlds largest intelligence community become so impotentThere are many reasons for our intelligence failure including relying more on technology and less on human intelligence over the years, claims former NYPD detective and military intelligence officer Mike Snopes.He also points to several monumental events under both Presidents Clinton and Obama although President Bush did little to correct the deficiencies that existed within US intelligence agencies.For example in 1995, President Bill Clinton composed and signed an executive order prohibiting CIA officers from utilizing unsavory characters as informants In other words, while gathering information or undergoing covert operations, intelligence officers overseas could not develop assets who were themselves terrorists, gunrunners, drug traffickers, organized crime gang leaders and members, or other denizens of the international underworld.Besides Clinton, who was behind such obvious lunacy It was thenCongressman Bob Torricelli DNJ, who prior to capturing a seat in the U.S. Senate attempted to pass a bill limiting CIA operations in 1995. It couldnt pass because of the Gingrichled GOP victory in both houses of congress, so President Clinton issued an executive order.Thanks to President Bill Clinton and Democrat lawmakers the CIA was prohibited from recruiting unsavory characters to penetrate terrorist cells. Under Clinton, the CIA was told to stop focusing on spying and start focusing on politicallycorrect goals such as climate change.During the eight years under Bill Clinton, CIA staff morphed from an intelligence gathering and analysis bureaucracy into a de facto liberalleft think tank similar to the Council on Foreign Affairs and other Beltway pockets of academia. While the Bush Administration attempted to correct Clintons illconceived policy, after witnessing the most horrible terrorist attack in U.S. history on September 11, 2001, President Barack Obamas socalled national security teammany of whom worked for Clinton during his eight years in the White Houseappear intent on returning to the Clinton policy regarding the use of informants.One of the most important elements of any criminal investigation or intelligence gathering operation is the confidential informant.Whether an investigator works as a detective or street cop for a public police agency, a private investigator for a security department or firm, or an intelligence officer for one of several U.S. agencies, sooner or later information will be needed that can only be obtained from a paid or unpaid informant.Sometimes the informant is considered a secret police agenta person who will infringe upon the liberties of citizens. Also, there is at times a feeling of apprehension on the part of the informant that the act of communicating information about the criminal acts of others is somehow immoral, if not personally dangerous. In spite of the attitudes people have about informantsattitudes that include scorntheir use is a basic investigative technique in law enforcement, and a valuable information gathering technique for intelligence agencies,PERSECUTING INTELLIGENCE OPERATIVESAt a time when the United States needs an aggressive intelligence component for its national security community, the worst thing an administration can do is make threats against the men and women who are gathering intelligence and investigating terrorist organizations and leaders. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the Obama Justice Department did.In 2009, the Obama White House announced that the CIA would no longer interrogate suspected terrorists. Any and all interrogations would be conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the direct supervision of a member of the Obama Administration.The move was part of Attorney General Eric Holders intention to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the CIA agents involved in interrogations that had already been investigated by the CIAs Inspector Generals Office. Holders critics pointed out that his law firm represented several terrorists who were tried by the U.S. and such a witchhunt was illadvised.Groups such as Amnesty International, Code Pick and others applauded Attorney General Holders decision to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate cases brought to the Department of Justice against members of the Central Intelligence Agency.The premise of this questionable investigation is the allegations of misconduct by interrogators who questioned suspected terrorist leaders and their foot soldiers.According to the CIAs inspector generals report, during Bushera interrogations of suspects, CIA agents carried out mock executions although no one was physically harmed and the agents made threats of violent torture.Attorney General Holder has been biting at the bit since he took office in January to go after someone anyone regarding what he views as torture, although the IGs report reveals there were only threats of doing physical harm to the terrorists and their associates, said former NYPD Det. Sid Frances, a former intelligence officer.The timing of this news was suspect, as well. Obama was having trouble with his leftwing supporters and with this move by Holder, the Obama Admninistration threw them a bone to keep them from deserting him during his push to pass a health care bill, said the decorated detective and former Marine.Larry Cox, Amnesty International USAs executive director, issued the following statement about the release of various documents and announcements regarding Holders actionThat the Bush administration was prepared to abandon Americas human rights legal obligations is a cautionary tale for those who think any nation can disregard human rights in the fight against terrorism. The report demonstrates that the US government agencies internal monitoring systems are unreliable in upholding American values or laws. Compliance comes through disclosure and reform.The IGs report demonstrates that it is more important than ever that a comprehensive and independent investigation with the full force of the law is created to reveal and hold accountable those who requested, devised and carried out illegal counterterrorism practices. Its time to appoint a special prosecutor to prove that U.S. laws will be enforced, no matter who violated them, said Cox.Meanwhile, many security and intelligence professionals were not happy about Holders latest round of accusations and his creation of a new media feeding frenzy during a time of war.Holder was a Clinton Justice Department bigwig who along with another Associate Attorney General, Jamie Goerlick actually contributed to the US being blindsided on September 11, 2001. During the Clinton Administration, Attorney General Janet Reno, Holder and Goerlick prohibited FBI agents from sharing information with the CIA and vice versa. They even forbade FBI agents involved with intelligence gathering or counterintelligence from communicating with FBI agents involved in law enforcement. A terrorist couldnt have created a better scenario, said security analyst George McHugh.These people Obama, Holder, MoveOn.Org, the ACLU and others are working hard to make Americans less safe and terrorists more secure. Its insanity, he said.