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jsr

(7,712 posts) Sun Dec 2, 2012, 02:16 PM Dec 2012

Pentagon plans spy network to rival CIA

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/dia-to-send-hundreds-more-spies-overseas/2012/12/01/97463e4e-399b-11e2-b01f-5f55b193f58f_story.html

DIA sending hundreds more spies overseas
By Greg Miller

The Pentagon will send hundreds of additional spies overseas as part of an ambitious plan to assemble an espionage network that rivals the CIA in size, U.S. officials said.

The project is aimed at transforming the Defense Intelligence Agency, which has been dominated for the past decade by the demands of two wars, into a spy service focused on emerging threats and more closely aligned with the CIA and elite military commando units.

When the expansion is complete, the DIA is expected to have as many as 1,600 “collectors” in positions around the world, an unprecedented total for an agency whose presence abroad numbered in the triple digits in recent years.

The total includes military attachés and others who do not work undercover. But U.S. officials said the growth will be driven over a five-year period by the deployment of a new generation of clandestine operatives. They will be trained by the CIA and often work with the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, but they will get their spying assignments from the Department of Defense.

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Pentagon plans spy network to rival CIA (Original Post) jsr Dec 2012 OP

This message was self-deleted by its author AnotherMcIntosh Dec 2012 #1

Why exactly do we need ANOTHER one of these? dballance Dec 2012 #2

I would like to see a written justification and explanation of this new agency. northoftheborder Dec 2012 #3

Why not? The CIA already has its own army. What could possibly go wrong? Comrade Grumpy Dec 2012 #4

Oh, joy! More thugs to screw things up and commit crimes against humanity. Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2012 #5

Response to jsr (Original post)

AnotherMcIntosh This message was self-deleted by its author.

dballance

(5,756 posts)

2. Why exactly do we need ANOTHER one of these?

Reply to jsr (Original post)

Sun Dec 2, 2012, 02:24 PM

Dec 2012

If the CIA, whose mandate is to operate outside the US, isn't able to provide the intelligence we need on foreign governments and terrorists then why do we think creating a whole new infrastructure of intelligence agents will provide a better outcome? It seems to me it's more likely to muddy the "intelligence" waters and just give the top brass at the Pentagon "intelligence" and opinions they can use to argue their positions in discussions about how the US should be deploying and funding resources more than it will provide a useful service.