The Washington Post’s big story on the country’s sprawling intelligence system and the military contractors it employs — the same story that caused the State Department and Office of the Director of National Intelligence concern over what it reveals — was published today.
The two-year project, compiled from public records, finds that the U.S. intelligence system has grown so much since Sept. 11, 2001, that it has become too big to manage or even fully understand.
The story and accompanying interactives can be found here. We’ll be looking through it throughout the day.
One choice quote:
Underscoring the seriousness of these issues are the conclusions of retired Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, who was asked last year to review the method for tracking the Defense Department’s most sensitive programs. Vines, who once commanded 145,000 troops in Iraq and is familiar with complex problems, was stunned by what he discovered.
“I’m not aware of any agency with the authority, responsibility or a process in place to coordinate all these interagency and commercial activities,” he said in an interview. “The complexity of this system defies description.”
The acting director of national intelligence, David C. Gompert, responded to the story this morning.
“The reporting does not reflect the Intelligence Community we know,” Gompert said in a statement. “We accept that we operate in an environment that limits the amount of information we can share. However, the fact is, the men and women of the Intelligence Community have improved our operations, thwarted attacks, and are achieving untold successes every day.”
