The suicide attack that recently devastated the CIA has led to efforts to figure out how this could have happened - the exact circumstances, who was responsible, the mistakes that may have been made that allowed this to happen, etc., etc. Most of what is found out will never be publicized, however, reading the various press accounts (some examples linked below), this blogger sees that the "sophisticated" meme has reared its ugly head again!
This refers to the propensity to label as "sophisticated" every terrorist "success" against us, and to then brandish it as prima facie evidence of interference from third parties... Thus, EFPs and IRAMs are "sophisticated" and therefore must be supplied by Iran; the 2007 attack at Karbala was "sophisticated" and thus had to have been carried out by the Iranian Quds Force and not Iraqi insurgents; the interception of the unencrypted video feeds from our UAVs is "sophisticated" and again must be due to Iranian interference; etc. Now apparently the use of a double agent to carry out a strike against us is "sophisticated" and thus must have been assisted by the Pakistani ISI!
OK, so the ISI very well could have been involved, as might the Haqqanis... obviously there is no way for this blogger to know the truth of the matter. However, brandishing "sophisticated" as the 'proof' is beyond ridiculous. Also, the argument that the Haqqani network had to have been involved and that it could not simply have been the work of the TTP (Pakistani Taliban) because "... Khost is Haqqani territory ..." is really flimsy. After all it was the CIA that had the bomber driven from Pakistan to Camp Chapman (Khost)!
This blogger sincerely hopes that a little more "intelligence" is being applied here than is being reported! And, repeating the last paragraph of the April 2008 blog entry: "... Sun Tzu is required reading for the Marines and for COIN experts, but for some unknown reason they are ignoring his maxim - “It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.” Underestimating the enemy, internalizing Rumsfeld’s “dead ender” propaganda, assuming that they are stupid, etc. is a big error paid for in lives." It is to be hoped that lives do not continue to be lost needlessly by continuing to underestimate the enemy.
This refers to the propensity to label as "sophisticated" every terrorist "success" against us, and to then brandish it as prima facie evidence of interference from third parties... Thus, EFPs and IRAMs are "sophisticated" and therefore must be supplied by Iran; the 2007 attack at Karbala was "sophisticated" and thus had to have been carried out by the Iranian Quds Force and not Iraqi insurgents; the interception of the unencrypted video feeds from our UAVs is "sophisticated" and again must be due to Iranian interference; etc. Now apparently the use of a double agent to carry out a strike against us is "sophisticated" and thus must have been assisted by the Pakistani ISI!
OK, so the ISI very well could have been involved, as might the Haqqanis... obviously there is no way for this blogger to know the truth of the matter. However, brandishing "sophisticated" as the 'proof' is beyond ridiculous. Also, the argument that the Haqqani network had to have been involved and that it could not simply have been the work of the TTP (Pakistani Taliban) because "... Khost is Haqqani territory ..." is really flimsy. After all it was the CIA that had the bomber driven from Pakistan to Camp Chapman (Khost)!
This blogger sincerely hopes that a little more "intelligence" is being applied here than is being reported! And, repeating the last paragraph of the April 2008 blog entry: "... Sun Tzu is required reading for the Marines and for COIN experts, but for some unknown reason they are ignoring his maxim - “It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.” Underestimating the enemy, internalizing Rumsfeld’s “dead ender” propaganda, assuming that they are stupid, etc. is a big error paid for in lives." It is to be hoped that lives do not continue to be lost needlessly by continuing to underestimate the enemy.
How a Double Agent Lured Seven CIA Operatives to Their Deaths
Suicide attack reveals threat to Obama's Afghanistan plan
Exclusive: CIA Attacker Driven in From Pakistan
Previous blog entries about suspicious"sophistication":
The pattern continues II - Dec 27th, 2009
Lobbing (more than bombs) - Jul 12th, 2008
Backward Iraqis - Apr 28th, 2008
No comments:
Post a Comment