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Still Broken: A Recruit's Inside Account of Intelligence Failures, from Baghdad to the Pentagon
After 9/11, billions of dollars were spent to overhaul America’s dysfunctional intelligence services, which were mired in bureaucracy, turf wars, and dated technology. But in this astonishing new book, A. J. Rossmiller, a former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst honored for his efforts here and in Iraq, reveals firsthand evidence that the intelligence system remains in disrepair. Still Broken is a blistering account of the ideology and incompetence that cripple our efforts to confront our enemies and fight our wars.
Like many Americans, Rossmiller was moved to action by the attacks on 9/11. Freshly graduated from Middlebury College, he went to work for the U.S. government in 2004. But his enthusiasm slowly turned to disillusion as he began to fulfill his duties for DIA, the spy arm of the Department of Defense. There he found the Cold War and 9/11 generations at odds, the cause of fighting terrorism superseded by the need to contain a dismally managed war in Iraq, the Bush administration widely mocked and distrusted, and the intelligence process crippled from top to bottom.
Rather than give up, Rossmiller instead went further, volunteering to go to Iraq to aid the troops on the ground, contribute to tactical intelligence, and, he hoped, help bring about an end to a fatally mismanaged war. For six months in that besieged country, he worked for the Direct Action Cell, the “track ’em and whack ’em” unit devoted to unmasking and targeting insurgents. He learned that, to put it mildly, the intelligence process bears no resemblance to the streamlined, well-resourced, and timely operation in a James Bond or Jason Bourne movie. He also experienced the disastrous counterterrorism and detainee strategies for which mass imprisonment–with little interest in guilt or innocence–is standard operating procedure.
Back at the Pentagon as a strategic issues expert in the Office of Iraq Analysis, Rossmiller saw the administration’s heavy hand in determining how information is processed. In a dysfunctional office filled with outsize personalities and the constant drone of Fox News, he filed reports on the ever-worsening situation in Iraq. These assessments, ultimately proven accurate, were consistently rejected as “too pessimistic” and “off message” and repeatedly changed to be more in line with delusional White House projections.
Written with passion, intensity, and self-deprecating humor, Still Broken is a riveting and sobering portrait of Bush-era intelligence failures and manipulations, laid out by someone who witnessed them up close and personal. It also offers a sincere, thoughtful prescription for healing the system so that a new and motivated generation won’t disengage completely from its government.
Like many Americans, Rossmiller was moved to action by the attacks on 9/11. Freshly graduated from Middlebury College, he went to work for the U.S. government in 2004. But his enthusiasm slowly turned to disillusion as he began to fulfill his duties for DIA, the spy arm of the Department of Defense. There he found the Cold War and 9/11 generations at odds, the cause of fighting terrorism superseded by the need to contain a dismally managed war in Iraq, the Bush administration widely mocked and distrusted, and the intelligence process crippled from top to bottom.
Rather than give up, Rossmiller instead went further, volunteering to go to Iraq to aid the troops on the ground, contribute to tactical intelligence, and, he hoped, help bring about an end to a fatally mismanaged war. For six months in that besieged country, he worked for the Direct Action Cell, the “track ’em and whack ’em” unit devoted to unmasking and targeting insurgents. He learned that, to put it mildly, the intelligence process bears no resemblance to the streamlined, well-resourced, and timely operation in a James Bond or Jason Bourne movie. He also experienced the disastrous counterterrorism and detainee strategies for which mass imprisonment–with little interest in guilt or innocence–is standard operating procedure.
Back at the Pentagon as a strategic issues expert in the Office of Iraq Analysis, Rossmiller saw the administration’s heavy hand in determining how information is processed. In a dysfunctional office filled with outsize personalities and the constant drone of Fox News, he filed reports on the ever-worsening situation in Iraq. These assessments, ultimately proven accurate, were consistently rejected as “too pessimistic” and “off message” and repeatedly changed to be more in line with delusional White House projections.
Written with passion, intensity, and self-deprecating humor, Still Broken is a riveting and sobering portrait of Bush-era intelligence failures and manipulations, laid out by someone who witnessed them up close and personal. It also offers a sincere, thoughtful prescription for healing the system so that a new and motivated generation won’t disengage completely from its government.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 9, 2009
His basic premise is true but he presents it in a way that is absolutely self-aggrandizing: Plucky analyst fighting the political bureaucracy in order to speak truth to power. Talked to some people who worked with the kid; they said he was a bit of an ass.
12 Oct 10: Re-reading because I found out I know some of the people who appear in the second half of the book.
18 Oct 10: Still a pompous read.
12 Oct 10: Re-reading because I found out I know some of the people who appear in the second half of the book.
18 Oct 10: Still a pompous read.
November 13, 2019
Having been in the military service, worked with DIA for 4 years, and lived in the Middle East for 10 years, it took me only a few chapters to realize the author had very little actual experience and knew little of the Middle East (I have a Master's Degree in International Relations with concentrations in the Middle East/Foreign Policy). The author should have continued to gain experience and insight into the region, the world-wide intelligence services, and US foreign policy before cashing in writing a book. Readers should temper the author's comments with his lack of authority in mind.
March 5, 2008
Rossmiller writes a short, readable account of the US intelligence community (in particular, the DIA). It's a compelling story, but I would like it more if it were fiction. Being reality, it's rather depressing.
Regardless of political views or goals, everyone should be upset about the way intelligence is systematically manipulated these days. The higher levels of the DIA, CIA, and other agencies are populated by people who refuse to pass up bad news (or news contrary to the Bush administration's positions), even when that news is the result of careful analysis and is repeatedly proved correct. Whether you think we never should have gone into Iraq, or that we should stay to prevent civil war, you should want accurate analysis of the situation. Whether you think the war on terrorism (note: you cannot have a war on terror - that's an emotion) should be fought militarily or with humanitarian aid and police action, you should want accurate analysis of the situation.
And right now no one is getting it, because the people in charge have faith-based politics. Faith ignores evidence and reason, and indeed brushes it aside. That's what the Bush administration has done with everything, from the economy to the military. It doesn't work. You can't make an intra-Shia conflict disappear by saying it doesn't exist. You can't have a meaningful debate with someone who doesn't reason and has no interest in evidence.
The Bush administration once used the term "reality-based community" to describe the rest of us. The punchline? They used it in a derogatory manner. Are you kidding me?
Regardless of political views or goals, everyone should be upset about the way intelligence is systematically manipulated these days. The higher levels of the DIA, CIA, and other agencies are populated by people who refuse to pass up bad news (or news contrary to the Bush administration's positions), even when that news is the result of careful analysis and is repeatedly proved correct. Whether you think we never should have gone into Iraq, or that we should stay to prevent civil war, you should want accurate analysis of the situation. Whether you think the war on terrorism (note: you cannot have a war on terror - that's an emotion) should be fought militarily or with humanitarian aid and police action, you should want accurate analysis of the situation.
And right now no one is getting it, because the people in charge have faith-based politics. Faith ignores evidence and reason, and indeed brushes it aside. That's what the Bush administration has done with everything, from the economy to the military. It doesn't work. You can't make an intra-Shia conflict disappear by saying it doesn't exist. You can't have a meaningful debate with someone who doesn't reason and has no interest in evidence.
The Bush administration once used the term "reality-based community" to describe the rest of us. The punchline? They used it in a derogatory manner. Are you kidding me?
November 30, 2009
Impressive and courageous. A good read for anyone considering government service in general and intelligence work in particular. Although this book falls short due to the fact that Rossmiller makes sweeping recommendations for the IC based on less than 2 years experience working within it, the fact that there is no other way for this type of information to reach the American people is rather sad. Rossmiller has done a service to the country by writing and publishing this account.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews