Pat Ryan over at al Sahwa has an outstanding analysis of the CNAS/ISAF "Fixing Intel" report I highly recommend everyone read. Ryan's article goes right into the weeds of the issue with realistic alternatives for returning intelligence viability back to the tactical level. The full article can be read here.
Comments on open source information along with criticisms of battalion-level S-2 assessments throughout the CNAS/ISAF report reminded me of this recent posting over at Long War Journal's Threat Matrix blog.
The 1/17’s soldiers said their train-up was also marked by an absence of good intelligence on what they would be facing in the Arghandab. In their zeal to give their men some insight into their future area of operations, noncommissioned officers such as Staff Sgt. Matthew T. Sanders, 1st Squad leader in Charlie Company’s 1st Platoon, resorted to printing out information on the Arghandab region from the Long War Journal, a respected non-Defense Department Web site, and posting it on bulletin boards.
“We made our own little S-2 because we weren’t getting anything from the S-2 [intelligence directorate],” Sanders said.
I am sure there are plenty of us in the blogosphere that would be more than willing to compile open source information on behalf of units currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. We only need a central meeting place for tasking requests and responses. Would the Pentagon approve of such open source collaboration?
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