Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military
From: wiley!jost@uunet.UU.NET (Patrick Jost)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Iraq and no SR-71
Message-ID: <1990Aug22.025406.16355@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 22 Aug 90 02:54:06 GMT
References: <1990Aug8.030554.26134@cbnews.att.com> <1990Aug16.030636.15921@cbnews.att.com> <1990Aug18.182952.25373@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA
Lines: 34
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: wiley!jost@uunet.UU.NET (Patrick Jost)
In article <1990Aug18.182952.25373@cbnews.att.com> richk@tera.com (Richard Korry) writes:
>
>-- The intelligence was that the Iraqis were poised to move into Kuwait.
> All sides knew this. The problem was that the Iraqis had moved their
> forces upto the border and rattled sabers many times before. The Kuwaitis
> were told *not* to mobilize as this would give the Iraqis an excuse to 
>invade. Mubarak of Egypt was told by Pres. Hussein of Iraq that he would
> not attack. Thus, the problem was not a technical one, it was one of 
>interpreting the intelligence - what would Hussein do *this* time.
>Having good intelligence means having the raw data AND the ability to
> correctly interpret it. In this case, the data was there but the
> interpretation was incorrect.
>	rich

I couldn't agree more. This shows one of the major shortcomings of
putting too much emphasis on intelligence collection, and not
enough on interpretation. Vast sums of money are spent on 
increasingly sophisticated collection systems, and less and less
attention is paid to the analysis aspect of intelligence. It is
sad that analysts aren't paid much...that's the main reason I'm here
at a contractor instead of at an analyst's job, which I am much
better qualified for, but I can't live in D.C. on a GS-12 salary!


PJ


                                     |  
Patrick Jost                         | "I'm the thirteenth at the table, 
                                     |  I'm the uninvited guest"
jost@coyote.trw.com                  |              -Marillion