The Laughing Wolf

A Quick Telling Of Intelligence

This actually got started a week or so ago in response to a comment made over on On The Third Hand. The lament was made that people were falling asleep because they never knew of new attacks that had been thwarted. It was felt that the Administration was doing one and all a huge disfavor by not telling of these intercepts.

The topic deserves a much fuller discussion, but the actions of the french cause me to move to a quick response for now.

It is not necessarily a desire to prevent panic in the populace that motivates the Administration to keep quiet about such acts. It is a desire to protect intelligence sources. In a good op, all the enemy knows is that their team disappeared or was unsuccessful and nothing more. While they have many suspicions, they don’t know for sure who did it, where it was done, or when it was done. This also means that they can’t figure out how their plan was penetrated, or at what level they might be penetrated.

This adds a lot of uncertainty to the equation. Are they being bugged? Are their communications compromised? Is there a mole or moles on the inside? Is it a particular group or cell that is compromised? This creates a lot of work for them, and makes it easier for us.

Even announcing that an action was blocked gives the enemy information. Enough news coverage and speculation, and they can plug the hole. Given the sorry state of the Old Media, I have little doubt that many so-called journalists would not hesitate to give the enemy all possible information while claiming the highest motives. Feh.

On the other hand, I agree with the comment. The public does not know the danger or what has been done to protect them. As a result, they grow complacent, slack, and easily manipulable by politicians and media that DO know better. There should be some things that can come to light, when the sources that made them possible are either protected or are gone. Maybe then the public will realize that this really is a war.

Which brings me to our gallant and brave allies, the french. By their actions, they willfully and deliberately did all they could do openly and covertly to blow our intelligence with the enemy. While they stopped just short of actively aiding them or conducting the attacks themselves, the handling of this affair by the french is nothing short of a deliberate act of war. Should an attack successfully occur because of the actions of the french, they should be held accountable.

Take a look at the lair, gallant allies. The eyes, they are serious and find you to be no allies or friends, and beneath contempt. The paw, well, I think you can see what digit is raised. Fiche moi la paix, cochon!

-30-