Communities of Practice – Page 923 – Public Intelligence Blog

Marcus-Aurelius-150x150 — Marcus Aurelius

By Max Boot

Los Angeles Times, December 6, 2012, Pg. 19

The Defense Intelligence Agency is planning to dramatically expand the ranks of its covert “collectors” — a.k.a. case officers or, more popularly, spies. It has 500 or so and hopes to double that number.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this plan, which is being pushed by the DIA's new director, Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. It is unlikely to lead to a militarization of U.S. foreign policy, as some fear — the military is already the dominant player in the intelligence community, with its control not only of the Defense Department's DIA but also the National Security Agency and other high-tech outfits.

The real question is, will a beefed-up DIA make up for the intelligence community's long-standing difficulties in acquiring high-quality human intelligence? On that score, unfortunately, there is real cause for doubt.

Continue reading “Marcus Aurelius: Max Boot on Better Spies, Not More”

2012/12/052012/12/05

Lynn Wheeler: Iceland Right – Everyone Else Corrupt

03 Economy, Commerce, Commercial Intelligence, Ethics, Government

Top Economists: Iceland Did It Right … And Everyone Else Is Doing It Wrong

Iceland Shows the Way

Nobel prize winning economist Joe Stiglitz notes:

What Iceland did was right. It would have been wrong to burden future generations with the mistakes of the financial system.

Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman writes:

What [Iceland's recovery] demonstrated was the … case for letting creditors of private banks gone wild eat the losses.

Read full string of superb quotes.

2012/12/05

Lynn Wheeler: Fukushima Lies Continue

03 Economy, 07 Health, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Proliferation, 11 Society, Commerce, Corruption, Earth Intelligence, Government, Idiocy, Ineptitude

Deception Confirmed by UN

Government and Industry Still Denying Science at Fukushima

John LaForge

CounterPunch, 5 December 2012

EXTRACT

Disinformation and denials confounded by science

Official lullabies, denials and attempted cover-ups are desperate shields against the enormous economic and legal liability that would follow any acknowledgment of the depth and breadth of radiation’s likely effects. Tepco said Nov. 6 that it may need 11 trillion yen, or $137 billion, to cover its damages. Tokyo already set aside ¥9 trillion in July as part of the federal bailout and takeover of the utility. Minister Edano hinted last May that the government may cover some of the costs of decontaminating certain limited areas. Comprehensive decontamination is not even being considered because, as the science ministry reported in Nov. 2011, radioactive fallout from the triple meltdowns was found in every one of its 57 prefectures.#

The journal Science reported this fall that 40% of the fish caught off the coast of NE Japan are contaminated with radioactive cesium at levels well above what the government allows.** Author Ken Buesseler of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution concluded that there is either a source of cesium on the seafloor, or it is still being dumped into the ocean by Tepco.

Read full article.

2012/12/052012/12/05

Chuck Spinney: Palestinian Endgame & Obama’s Quagmire

08 Wild Cards, Corruption, Government, Military, Peace Intelligence

The author of this important opinion piece is a highly respected observer of politics in the Middle East with long standing connection in Israel as well as the Arab world.

Obama is Courting Danger in the Middle East

by Patrick Seale

Agence Global, 04 Dec 2012

U.S. President Barack Obama is behaving in the Middle East as if unaware of the dangers his policies are provoking. It is often said that big ships cannot easily or swiftly change course, but the U.S. ship of state is steaming headlong towards an iceberg. The collision could make 9/11 seem like a traffic accident. To protect America, its interests and its allies will require bold corrective measures — and the earlier in his second term the better.

Read full article.

The views of another seasoned observer.

What Exactly Would Israel Like to Do With Its Palestinian Population?

By William Pfaff, Truthdig, 4 December 2012

What exactly is it that Israel intends to do with the Palestinians now in the territories that it has just opened for home construction for Jewish settlers, thereby extending its policy of occupying and annexing what are legally Palestinian lands?

Read full article.

2012/12/05