Cranking up intel in Afghanistan
Kent Harris in Stars and Stripes, First Rock tries new intel approach in Afghanistan:
ORGUN-E, Afghanistan — Gathering intelligence about the enemy is good. Getting the time to analyze that information is even better.
That’s the basic concept of the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment’s Battalion Intelligence Team.
First Rock has expanded the number of troops analyzing intelligence it picks up from various sources around Paktika province, according to Capt. Tim Culpepper, the team leader. Instead of having six or seven soldiers perform that task, the team has 42 analysts.
“We are gathering more information, but the real benefit is our ability to go through it all,” Culpepper said. “If I had a normal S2 (intelligence) shop, I wouldn’t get through 10 percent of what we’re getting.”
Read the rest here.
In the meantime, physics professor Faheem Hussain at Counterpunch asks What is NATO doing in Afghanistan? and concludes that it’s time for the evil empire to withdraw. Everyone’s an expert now.
