Congress probing US spy agencies’ possible lapses on Russian offensive in Syria
http://atimes.com/2015/10/congress-probing-us-spy-agencies-possible-lapses-on-russia/
Congress probing US spy agencies possible lapses on Russian offensive in Syria
By AT Editor on October 8, 2015
Senior US lawmakers have begun probing possible intelligence lapses over Moscows intervention in Syria, concerned that American spy agencies were slow to grasp the scope and intention of Russias dramatic military offensive there, US congressional sources and other officials said.
A week after Russia plunged directly into Syrias civil war by launching a campaign of air strikes, the intelligence committees of the US Senate and House of Representatives want to examine the extent to which the spy community overlooked or misjudged critical warning signs, the sources said.
Findings of major blind spots would mark the latest of several US intelligence misses in recent years, including Moscows surprise takeover of Ukraines Crimea region last year and Chinas rapid expansion of island-building activities in the South China Sea.
Though spy agencies have sought to ramp up intelligence gathering on Russia since the crisis over Ukraine, they continue to struggle with inadequate resources because of the emphasis on counter-terrorism in the Middle East and the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, according to current and former US officials.
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While our congresscritters are " probing US spy agencies" they should also ask the NSA where illegal opioid drugs are coming from.