Spies’ Lies: Intel on ISIS Changed to Fit Rosy Narrative. Off The Grid on the ‘Stalinist’ CENTCOM Shocker

Today, The Daily Beast posted an exclusive scoop from inside authorities that personally filed a formal complaint with the Pentagon that senior officials were manipulating intelligence on ISIS to support the narrative that we are winning the war with ISIS. More than 50 intelligence analysts brought this to the attention of Pentagon’s inspector general, who is now opening an investigation.

As Shane Harris and Nancy A. Youssef write, “The allegations echoed charges that political appointees and senior officials cherry-picked intelligence about Iraq’s supposed weapons program in 2002 and 2003.” And one defense official told The Daily Beast writers, “The cancer was within the senior level of the intelligence command.”

In reaction to this so-called “revolt” of the intelligence analysts, Mark Hemingway at The Weekly Standard tweeted, “I’m so old I remember when cooking intelligence reports for political reasons was grounds for impeachment.” No allegations have been filed against anyone in particular as of yet, but if these allegations prove true, this could mean the end of numerous careers.

As The Daily Beast points out, “Many described a climate in which analysts felt they could not give a candid assessment of the situation in Iraq and Syria. Some felt it was a product of commanders protecting their career advancement by putting the best spin on the war.”

This means we’ve yet to hear how poorly the campaign against ISIS and al Nusra, al Qaeda’s branch in Syria, has been progressing thus far, but the viewpoint of the intelligence analysts who made this report is described as “pessimistic.” Will this all lead to American boots on the ground in the Middle East? Well, if the GOP retakes the White House in November 2016, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will.

Written by

Alex Logan

As cohost of the political commentary series, Jesse Ventura's Off the Grid, Alex Logan is The Body's body man. Alex and the former governor, action star, wrestler, and everything else in between, tackle the headlines of the week with an uncensored and independent spirit as we hold the two parties' feet to the fire. A deserter of Dayton, Ohio, Alex graduated from the University of Southern California Film School with a degree in Writing for Screen and TV. Alex has assisted in the booking of live acts for the Creative Artists Agency; written jokes, sketches and stunts for MTV and producer Johnny Knoxville; developed treatments and scripts for Anonymous Content and Mark Gordon Productions; and co-founded the Improv Olympic West’s headliner sketch group, The Mutiny, who play sold out shows around LA and at the Chicago and San Francisco Sketch Fests, as well as producing numerous videos for the front pages of YouTube, College Humor, and Funny Or Die. He did a stint as Editor and Technical Producer on Larry King’s Hulu talk show before partnering with Larry and Jesse to co-create Off the Grid. In the first season, Alex co-headed the entire production, writing, producing, and cohosting over 150 episodes. And he's back for Season Two, now serving as producer and host of a series of Man on the Street field pieces called, On the Grid. He also wrote this professional bio with his own two hands.

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