Quote Originally Posted by William F. Owen View Post
Just reading this - thanks to finding a cheap-copy, and a recommendation from Jedburgh.

It contains an extract from the Middle-East 1918 Intelligence Handbook,

The Arab Bureau was really a Tribal Department where all the information about tribes was recorded, and which also compiled and issued various analyses of tribes, genealogical tables, tribal maps, personalities and who's who and so on...

...so basically given that this is provably a military G2 area, and, as I have said, always has been, so why the HTT route?

...and as one reviewed notes here, HUMINT can be massively over played.
I'd respond to that by stating that the military (G2, CA, SF) are focussing on other things, and have abdicated that mission. So the HTT occupies the vacuum.

Our local HTT does a pretty good job of evaluating the things that don't normally figure into the G2 "loop". They evaluate how ops affect public opinion and work to integrate US/Afghani "soft" issues, such as engagement with not only local leaders, but also some of the rank and file citizenry.

I recently attended an "Afghan Night" where the local leaders/citizens were able to mix fairly freely with ISAF soldiers in a secure environment. This event was conceptualized, researched and executed by the local HTT. In the 8th year of US presence here, it was the first time done, and was wildly popular with both the Afghans and the ISAF personnel.

The so-called "G2 channels" in the US army are primarily concerned with finding doors to kick in and people to shoot/arrest. HTT should be concerned with advising the Commander what the consequences are IF they kick in the door and arrest those people.