National Intelligence Estimate Failed to Register Taliban Growth
By GARETH PORTER, Counterpunch, 14 February 2011
Despite evidence that the Taliban insurgency had grown significantly in 2010, the U.S. intelligence community failed to revise its estimate for Taliban forces as part of a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Afghanistan in December. That unusual decision was in deference to Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S.-NATO forces in Afghanistan, who did not want any official estimate of the insurgency's strength that would contradict his claims of success by Special Operations Forces in reducing the capabilities of the Taliban in 2010.
Phi Beta Iota: The lack of integrity in the US Intelligence Community no longer surprises, but it continues to outrage. Lies kill one's own. Deja vu. The difference is that Viet-Nam needed Daniel Ellsberg to expose the lies; we have known of all of the lies since 9/11 but chosen to be silent–evil triumphs in the face of our collective silence.
See Especially:
Who the Hell Are We Fighting?: The Story of Sam Adams and the Vietnam Intelligence Wars (Hardcover)
None So Blind: A Personal Account of the Intelligence Failure in Vietnam
See Also:
Journal: CIA and the Culture of Corruption Journal: Taliban’s grip is far stronger than the West will admit
Journal: William Polk on Afghanistan Non-Strategy Plus Consolidated Journal, Review, and Reference Links for Afghanistan
Search: Intelligence and the Viet-Nam War
Worth a Look: Book Reviews on Intelligence (Lack Of)
Reference: Lying is Not Patriotic–Ron Paul
Reference: Empire of Lies & Secrecy
