This account by @SangerNYT speaks of "intelligence assessments that wildly overestimated the capabilities of an Afghan Army that disintegrated." nytimes.com/2021/08/15/us/… Which prompts a reader of the news to ask how that over-estimate happened.
But... 1/3
But... 1/3
This report from @meekwire of ABC News goes in a different direction. It quotes an unnamed intelligence official: "The intelligence community assessment has always been accurate; they just disregarded it." They = the Biden Administration. 2/3 abcnews.go.com/US/afghanistan… There's more—
Intelligence failure?
"Numerous U.S. officials tell @ABC that the opposite was true, insisting that key intelligence assessments had consistently informed policymakers that the Taliban could overwhelm the country and take the capital within weeks."
abcnews.go.com/US/afghanistan… 3/4
"Numerous U.S. officials tell @ABC that the opposite was true, insisting that key intelligence assessments had consistently informed policymakers that the Taliban could overwhelm the country and take the capital within weeks."
abcnews.go.com/US/afghanistan… 3/4
Conflicting reports are common in a fast-moving situation, but these two prompt a reader of the news to ask: WTF?
Intelligence estimates wildly overstated the capacities of the Afghan Army (NYT)
vs.
The intelligence was dead on; the policy-makers simply ignored it. (ABC)
4/4
Intelligence estimates wildly overstated the capacities of the Afghan Army (NYT)
vs.
The intelligence was dead on; the policy-makers simply ignored it. (ABC)
4/4
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