Probe blames CENTCOM for distorting intel on ISIS

CENTCOM is responsible for US security interests in 20 nations, stretching through the Arabian Gulf region into Central Asia. During operations in Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2015, ISIS gained ground significantly.

From Syria, ISIS seized several cities, including Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, which led to allegations by two senior intelligence analysts alleging that intelligence reports were being changed.

The accusations prompted one of the largest investigations in the Defense Department inspector general’s 34-year history, involving more than 30 personnel, 150 interviews and 17 million documents and files. Approximately 2 million emails were reviewed.

The allegations included charges of top intelligence leaders “arbitrarily adjusting estimates” of ISIS strength; changing a report on an ISIS attack at a US air base in western Iraq after it was “considered too critical” of Iraqi security forces; suppressing information on a battle at Ramadi, Iraq, in April 2015; and suppressing a report of a massacre by ISIS forces in Hit, Iraq.

But the probe stopped short of calling the distortions falsifications. “We did not substantiate the most serious allegation, which was that intelligence was falsified,” the inspector general found.

It did however report a strong perception among analysts that senior leaders attempted to “distort the intelligence products, either through excessive editing, imposition of a narrative, requiring a higher burden of proof for ‘bad news,’ or demanding additional sourcing requirements if the intelligence indicated that” ISIS militants were doing well or that the Iraqi security forces were struggling.

“That widespread perception alone indicated a significant problem,” the report concluded.

One senior analyst told investigators: “Manipulation, watering down, hedging, or preventing from running all together, those are the sort of practices I am talking about.” Another stated: “I wouldn’t say falsified, but definitely change and influence.”

The report confirms numerous intelligence failings at CENTCOM that surfaced during a separate review by a congressional task force.