The National Intelligence Estimate is out and, as expected, it ain’t good. After five pages of context, methodology, and a pretty cover, it offers two pages of assessment. And as Secretary Chertoff’s gut reported earlier, al-Qaida is alive and capable of attacking the United States again. Continue Reading »
The wait is over. At long last, the CIA uncovers 700 pages of nasty secrets, including an apparent plot to use mobsters to assassinate Fidel Castro. Fascinating stuff, all found here. In addition to the “Family Jewels” collection, the CIA has also posted the CESAR-POLO-ESAU papers, which studied Soviet and Chinese leadership from 1953 to 1973. 11,000 pages of classic bedtime reading.
During his visit to Singapore this weekend, Secretary Gates mentioned - in passing - that “it’s too soon” to say whether the U.S. is winning the global war on terror (GWOT). Never mind that President Bush effectively coined the term over five years ago, in the days immediately following the 9/11 attacks. Never mind that in FY2006 alone, the president requested over $70 billion in order to fight said war on terror. Never mind Iraq. Gates is right. It’s too soon. It’s always going to be too soon. A boundless war can never be measured. Continue Reading »
The World Bank released a report stating that the restrictions on movement imposed by Israel on the Palestinian territories will continue to severely stunt economic progress for Palestinians. The report says that security concerns still don’t justify cutting off Palestinians from half of the West Bank, effectively killing trade and commerce. The report reminds us that security isn’t just about locking the bad guys up - it’s also about economics, resources, the environment, education. A myopic view of what keeps us safe will come back to bite us. Continue Reading »
As Congressional Democrats prepare to battle President Bush over the Iraq spending bill, National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell humbly suggested that the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) be updated to meet today’s technological capabilities. And surely the rise of the Internets, with all those tubes and such, renders it necessary to update the law to account for all of the instant communication available to the bad guys. Continue Reading »