Toothpaste out of the tube ....
re: SGMGrumpy's post.
This is one that has plagued my imagination since Oklahoma City. So much toothpaste has exited the tube as more and more people are trained in nasty tactics. It stands to reason that some of them will use those tactics in their "real world" lives - and not as part of some AQ- or Hez-linked org.
The havoc raised by two simple operations - anthrax letters and DC snipers - proves that our nation is very over-reactive to these things. The consequential economic and psychological damage far exceeds the immediate damage done by the operations.
I see this as a problem that will continue - and will probably grow. Thanks for giving us a headsup on this incident.
Greater FBI-DoJ involvement ...
will regularize CIA involvement in the detainment process - in essence, X-ing out the CIA boxes in this chart. That will not affect or solve the DoD detainment process in row 3 - also discussed here.
It also does not address the issue of CIA direct action missions (although those generally will not end up with detainees).
Cops do not make good spy catchers. Nor do Spies do
well at it themselves. The FBI should do cop things, the CIA should do intelligence collection and analysis stuff -- and two new agencies should have been created. One to do the counterspy / counter terror thing for and another for overseas direct action. None of those four things mix well with the others and you badly taint the ability and reputation of any one when you connect it with things it should not be doing.
Spy or Terr catching is dirty work and requires watching and waiting too often; Cops are intrinsically unable to do those two things. Anyone notice that most all the FBI terrorism related convictions entail a sting operation and the alleged perps are blithering idiots?
Using the CIA for DA exposes case officers to retaliation for things not their fault. It upsets the equilibrium and it causes dissension within the agency. The DA mission requires doers, the intel mission require thinkers. Yes, you can find people that can do both -- but not often. The CIA does not have a good record of catching its own spies, much less those from other places. Not their yob...
Unfortunately, given post Nixon, post Church Commission, post Carter and post 9/11 chances to better organize our assets; we instead continued to to bobble the punt. In the last case, we elected to create two massive bureaucracies to oversee the other Bureaucracies and changed nothing for the better. Sheesh. :mad:
No point in rehashing opinions, mine or yours.
Reference to David's call was with respect to this statement by me:
Quote:
from JMM
UK is similar to US. The differences favor / unfavor perps are probably a push; except that the UK has more EU conventions, etc. that they take seriously - and I think, make the job tougher as to terrs. David has the final call on UK issues.
If I am wrong on UK issues, I expect David to correct me because he has more expertise. Frankly, it had nothing to do with you or your opinions.
Then it probably didn't need to be said in a comment
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jmm99
Reference to David's call was with respect to this statement by me:...If I am wrong on UK issues, I expect David to correct me because he has more expertise. Frankly, it had nothing to do with you or your opinions.
nominally addressed to the three quotes from moi, Eh? ;)
As for rehashing opinions, your or mine; certainly true. I doubt we're entertaining anyone or that either of us is learning a thing...:wry: