Las Vegas Sun

May 19, 2013

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Letter to the editor:

Sharing spy plans undermines spies

Regarding reports that the Defense Department plans to expand its spy agency, our Pentagon people in Washington must be on some special medication, but I’ll try to be tolerant. We are letting the world know that the CIA is going to train an additional 1,600 spies for service overseas over the next few years. That’s pretty sporting of the U.S. to share with our friends and enemies our intensions. I’m waiting to find out exactly where each one of the spies will be stationed and their names, of course. It seems to me that in order to aid our spies ...

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

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  1. After Benghazi it is clear that the CIA does not have a clue what is going on

    At least the WH told us that the CIA does not know what is happening

    So the Defense department is going to do what the CIA should do and failed

    But the problem is Obama cut the Defense Department budget by $1 trillion dollars

    Where is Obama getting the Money. What other programs is he cutting

    Why not fix the CIS

    Does Obama have any idea how to run this country

  2. This new intel practice will preempt Generals' scandals so the rest of the world can learn our secrets.

    CarmineD

  3. Sorry Sam, you have your government agencies mixed up. The 1600 "spies" are in the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency), part of the department of Defense and many are just data collectors. The DIA's new recruits would include military attaches and others who do not work undercover.

  4. "Sorry Sam, you have your government agencies mixed up. The 1600 "spies" are in the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency), part of the department of Defense and many are just data collectors. The DIA's new recruits would include military attaches and others who do not work undercover." @ Jim Weber

    The fact that you, and others, know this intel info, is prima facies evidence of the letter writer's point. At one time, it would take secret or higher clearance to have privy to this information let alone put it in public print.

    CarmineD

  5. I wouldn't get too upset about this. It's not really that big a deal unless they go any further than they already have.

    I had to laugh back in my Marine Corps days when my platoon commander would tell us on certain deployments that we were not even allowed to write letters that contained deployment data. That, the majority of briefings we received were of a "confidential" nature. I learned later that the news back home had spread the news long before even we knew. Heck, even the people I met in foreign liberty ports I visited knew where our next ship destination was long before any of us. It was a common practice amongst us that if we really wanted to know where our ship was heading to next, just ask any civilian.

  6. BChap, in the odl days we had a saying for what you desribe. "Loose lips sink ships."

    "Need to know basis" use to be the mantra. Wonder what ever happened to that intel principle?

    CarmineD

  7. Carmine, why ask me? Ask your government!!!

  8. Author: 1) Wrong agency. 2) Much ado about nothing.

    And get your facts straight before you publish. Plus, publish on subjects with which you have some familiarity. Defense-related in not in your wheelhouse, obviously.

  9. "Carmine, why ask me? Ask your government!!!" BChap

    It was a rhetorical question. The answer is self-evident. It no longer exists.

    CarmineD

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