Military intelligence officer interview

[Savage]

This morning I met with a British military intelligence officer (currently stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Vegas). We discussed all sorts of things, including personal growth, military strategy and tactics, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We talked for about 2.5 hours.

I had the thought that some of what he shared would make for a fascinating interview, and he agreed. He's looking to write and publish some material of his own anyway, so this would be win-win.

As you'd expect, there are some things he can't talk about for security reasons, but those appear to be very limited domains that involve such things as current low-level operations and specific individuals on the ground and such. There's a great deal he can talk about openly that isn't classified. I was fascinated with his perspective and the ideas he shared, and I asked him all sorts of questions about how the wars were going and how things have changed over time. I even asked him about the effect of the Wikileaks documents that went public earlier this week.

Before I go forward with an interview (which would most likely be in plain text format), I wanted to see if there's interest in it. And if so, what questions would you like me to ask him?

He's currently up for a promotion, so if that goes through, he will have the rank of Major.

[Plays With Life]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Before I go forward with an interview (which would most likely be in plain text format), I wanted to see if there's interest in it. And if so, what questions would you like me to ask him?

Yes - I would love to read this. If I think of any questions, I'll post them here.

[SnerpGoodWord]

I would be interested in the interview, mostly because he sounds like he would have an interesting perspective. I don't have any specific questions.

[Zach M]

Yes I'd be interested. The things I'd like to hear about he might not want to discuss on the record, like what really happened on 9/11. To anyone who dismisses what really happened please, please, please watch the destruction of Building 7 for yourself. It's on YouTube. I'm not getting into any arguments today.

[Brutha]

I would be expecially interested in the questions that you choose to ask him

[ZephyrusX]

Yah, I'd be interested in reading the interview. It would be interesting to see how much the military officer's perception of the war deviates from Obama's administration. Does he think that Obama is exacerbating the terrorist threat (by use of 'attacking drones' in Pakistan or whatever), and from his point of view, how pervasive is this criticism towards Obama amongst other military officers?

[Gene]

I would certainly be interested in his perspective.

[Gene]

I have two questions for the individual. Where is the U.S. making the greatest errors and miscalculations.

Where is the U.S. doing the right thing and accurate in the approach to the war.

Actually three questions as my third question is stay the course or bail at the earliest opportunity.

[roxyruby]

Yes

[JSB]

Afghanistan has long been known as the "Graveyard of Empires". Does he see this as still true today?

Does he see the coalition (primarily US-UK) as having any realistic chance of success in achieving it's long-term goals there, or will Afghanistan be back to "business as usual" once foreign occupation forces leave?

The Taliban movement was created by Pakistan's intelligence services, by indoctrinating young Afghan refugees from the Soviet occupation in the '70's and '80's, in an attempt to gain influence in the country once the Red Army was expelled. Is the ISI still the driving force behind the Taliban, or have the Taliban grown out of their control?

[jayh]

I don't know if this is "actionable" info but honestly - no, I'm not interested... I'll probably skip this one...

[mityno]

Awesome if you can really get the real scoop!

Some GREAT questions from others here and 3 of my own...

Originally Posted by ZephyrusX

1)...how much the military officer's perception of the war deviates from Obama's administration.

2) Does he think that Obama is exacerbating the terrorist threat (by use of 'attacking drones' in Pakistan or whatever),

3) ...from his point of view, how pervasive is this criticism towards Obama amongst other military officers?

Originally Posted by Gene

4) Where is the U.S. making the greatest errors and miscalculations.

5) Where is the U.S. doing the right thing and accurate in the approach to the war.

6) ...stay the course or bail at the earliest opportunity(?)

Originally Posted by JSB

7) Afghanistan has long been known as the "Graveyard of Empires". Does he see this as still true today?

8) Does he see the coalition (primarily US-UK) as having any realistic chance of success in achieving it's long-term goals there, or will Afghanistan be back to "business as usual" once foreign occupation forces leave?

9) The Taliban movement was created by Pakistan's intelligence services, by indoctrinating young Afghan refugees from the Soviet occupation in the '70's and '80's, in an attempt to gain influence in the country once the Red Army was expelled. Is the ISI still the driving force behind the Taliban, or have the Taliban grown out of their control?

10) Is the war in Afghanistan really partially or mostly about building and maintaining the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline?

11) Is former CIA associate Osama Bin Laden really "off-limits" because he was simply being used as a ploy for justification to invade Afghanistan? Are the reports true that he could have been captured or killed many times shortly after the initial invasion but high command would not send the requested support the tactical operations that had close encounters with him required thus making the whole "hunt" for him nothing more than a big PR sham.

12) When will we begin the war with Iran?

.

[hawkal]

What were the real incentives behind invading Afghanistan and Iraq when it is known throughout history that there have been other leaders and regimes just as bad that we didn't feel a need to intervene with?

Why were British forces already on the front line to invade Iraq before government had even given the go ahead to invade?

How will the rise of China's economic and military power affect British and American military policy and tactics?

[stewartM]

I'd like to know if he believes in what he's doing...

[cacheborn]

Yes, I would be interested in his perspective. In particular I am curious to know if the Military officers agree with the policies of their government. If not (which may be the case) how do they feel about doing the job?

[Channing]

It is said that the first casualty when war comes is truth.

Nevertheless, I would also like to hear his opinion.

Specifically I wonder if he can confirm the rumors that rogue elements within the US military or secret services are secretly supplying the Taliban. This would not surprise me as there are hardliners within the MIC that want to prolong this war as much as possible.

[fdr]

I like stewartM's question. I'm not really interested in reading about political concerns or "what's it like over there" on this blog -- the Internet has plenty of resources for that -- but I want to know personal-development-related stuff.

For example, how does fighting a war fit into his desired alignment with truth, love, and power?

In his current role, what are his biggest challenges every day on a personal level? The biggest rewards for him?

How have his experiences in the military changed him as a person?

And, I concur with Brutha's sentiment as well.

[TravisU]

Probably going to skip on this one.

Personally I don't like it when politics gets mixed up in self-improvement blogs.

Go with what inspires you though
;-)

[Savage]

Originally Posted by TravisU

Probably going to skip on this one.

Personally I don't like it when politics gets mixed up in self-improvement blogs.

Go with what inspires you though
;-)

Good luck keeping the external world separate from your inner world.

Personally I find that task to be impossible. Everything "out there" is within us.

[jayh]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Good luck keeping the external world separate from your inner world.

Personally I find that task to be impossible. Everything "out there" is within us.

Do you mean this from a subjective reality point of view, or more from a "be the change you want to see in the world" point of view? Or maybe both?

[Jaiysun4]

Being a Brit i'd be really interested. However a few things that spring to mind are - these sweeping questions about high level information are not going to be answered! And secondly, how much does he want this going all over the internet?

[ar81]

It is told that "those who kill by the sword will die by the sword".
I may like to see what military people may think about this.

[KaleidoskopicVision]

Originally Posted by ar81

It is told that "those who kill by the sword will die by the sword".
I may like to see what military people may think about this.

They probably like the idea of a bloody honorable death. We're not all tree huggers y'know. Though I do hug trees and own a gun. I dislike that quote (which is from Jesus by the way) because I firmly believe there comes a time in life where it is appropriate to kill (also part of a parable from the Bible, some band made it into a song. I do love how contradictory the Bible is).

Steve, ask him to disclose as much as he's willing about UFOs and aliens. Especially if he has anything to say about the recent incident in China where a UFO trailed some sort of wormhole across the sky, forcing airports to ground all planes.

Also ask him what he thinks the impact of a booming Muslim population in the UK is leading to. There's quite a bit of tension between Islamic and the rest of the people living in the UK and negative sentiments aren't getting any better. Ask him if he thinks it's smart/prudent for the UK to be backing the US military presence in the Middle East.

And finally, ask him how much the UK knows about the US governments project HAARP in Alaska. If you don't know what it is, definitely check it out. Quite fascinating, if a little bit disturbing.

[ar81]

Originally Posted by KaleidoskopicVision

They probably like the idea of a bloody honorable death.

"Honorable death" sounds pretty orwellian (DEATH=GOOD).

[Brutha]

Steve, ask him to disclose as much as he's willing about UFOs and aliens. Especially if he has anything to say about the recent incident in China where a UFO trailed some sort of wormhole across the sky, forcing airports to ground all planes.

In what kind of world do you think we live in if the governments are able to keep UFOs secret and at the same time give everybody in the army access to information about them? This guy isn't even a mayor.

11) Is former CIA associate Osama Bin Laden really "off-limits" because he was simply being used as a ploy for justification to invade Afghanistan? Are the reports true that he could have been captured or killed many times shortly after the initial invasion but high command would not send the requested support the tactical operations that had close encounters with him required thus making the whole "hunt" for him nothing more than a big PR sham.

Again, in what kind of world do you think we are living? It's one think to believe in the conspiracy theory that the US doesn't want to capture Bin Ladin. It's however quite another thing to believe that this kind of information wouldn't be on strict need to know basis and even be shared with foreign nations.

And finally, ask him how much the UK knows about the US governments project HAARP in Alaska. If you don't know what it is, definitely check it out. Quite fascinating, if a little bit disturbing.

Considering that HAARP isn't even a little bit secret and lets anyone visit the facility it's quite fascinating how much myth got created about it.

[KaleidoskopicVision]

Originally Posted by Brutha

In what kind of world do you think we live in if the governments are able to keep UFOs secret and at the same time give everybody in the army access to information about them? This guy isn't even a mayor.
Again, in what kind of world do you think we are living? It's one think to believe in the conspiracy theory that the US doesn't want to capture Bin Ladin. It's however quite another thing to believe that this kind of information wouldn't be on strict need to know basis and even be shared with foreign nations.
Considering that HAARP isn't even a little bit secret and lets anyone visit the facility it's quite fascinating how much myth got created about it.

Have you visited the facility? I'd definitely like to check that out. Didn't know it was open to everyone. Regardless, simply because it is open to everyone doesn't mean it is just a harmless little radio station. Oh and I just looked at HAARP's official site, turns out you're wrong, Frequently Asked Questions
Scroll down to "Can I visit HAARP?"

"The HAARP Research Station does not employ sufficient on-site staff to allow routine tours of the facility. Entry to the facility is normally restricted to those having a need to conduct business at the facility.
We recognize that there is great interest in the scientific work of the facility. In response to this interest, HAARP schedules open houses at which any and all are invited to visit the site. Several scientists are usually present at these open houses so that visitors can talk directly with those who use the facility for research. Open houses have been held most years since 1995 and have proven to be a popular event. The most recent open house was held on July 17, 2010."

There is also no visitor's center, although there are scheduled open houses. I'm not saying this is justification for any conspiracy, just that you are incorrect.

As to the UFO question, sure it would be on a strict need to know basis to be informed about anything dealing with ETs, but maybe he needed to know at one point. It's worth the question. Plus, simply because you aren't directly told about something doesn't mean you have no ears, perhaps he's heard things he wasn't necessarily supposed to. You seem very bothered by the proposition of this question, I am sorry if you were probed by Greys. Truly I am. And what the hell does Bin Laden's capture have to do with this? I think you're confusing me with another deluded conspiracy theoriest . I also think we live in a world where human beings seek power over one another because to cooperate is incredibly risky and requires making yourself vulnerable to a degree to one another. I think we live in a world where most people operate out of fear of this vulnerability. I also think the world is never as simple as choosing love over fear, we are hardly alone in this universe and that we as individuals and we as human beings aren't at the top of the food chain.

[jeff3]

Originally Posted by Brutha

In what kind of world do you think we live in if the governments are able to keep UFOs secret and at the same time give everybody in the army access to information about them? This guy isn't even a mayor.
Again, in what kind of world do you think we are living? It's one think to believe in the conspiracy theory that the US doesn't want to capture Bin Ladin. It's however quite another thing to believe that this kind of information wouldn't be on strict need to know basis and even be shared with foreign nations.
Considering that HAARP isn't even a little bit secret and lets anyone visit the facility it's quite fascinating how much myth got created about it.

Thanks, I sense that you may wear only a tiny bit of tin foil, I prefer to wear none at all....but only because it blocks my ability read the minds of everyone on the planet.

As for the article, I'm willing to read about anything, hopefully it would give enough back-ground and personal stuff to get a sense of who the guy really is. If it's just Q & A , ehhh probably just more disinformation and he'd likely be briefed on what he can and can't say and just not even be able to tell Steve that. The last fiasco with the Rolling Stone interview is probably still reverberating through the ranks and generating memos.

[Lil Chris]

Originally Posted by Brutha

Considering that HAARP isn't even a little bit secret and lets anyone visit the facility it's quite fascinating how much myth got created about it.

It not quite the same as let's say a tour of The Hershey's Factory and it's not "open" to the public, you can't just stop by and look around...

[Brutha]

There is also no visitor's center, although there are scheduled open houses. I'm not saying this is justification for any conspiracy, just that you are incorrect.

Open houses are about allowing visitors.

And what the hell does Bin Laden's capture have to do with this?

I quoted two different posts by different people with a total of three claims.

[rozoweskarpetki]

Hope it's not too late to add some questions. I'm really grateful that you're sharing this opportunity
I'm not sure what kind of information he has or what kind of information he can even give... But here goes...

1) I'd like to know some basic stuff about his work. Like what his responsibilities are precisely. For example, does he or has he ever recruited sources and collected intelligence from people on the ground? Does he or has he ever worked in interrogation? Perhaps he's an analyst? Or maybe what he does is in fact more of an office job? So what does his job look like?

2) It would be great to find out more about the different intelligence organizations involved in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and how they cooperate.
On the US side of things there's the military intelligence, the CIA and the FBI (am I forgetting somebody else?). I've heard stories of these organizations not cooperating well together. Even stories of US military interrogators in Afghanistan exchanging information with British intelligence officers rather than with the CIA because with the British intelligence they had a give and take relationship whereas the CIA would refuse to give them most information and would often leave them without the information necessary to interrogate a suspect (like where and why the suspect was caught!).
So I'd be curious to know how all of that works. I'm not sure how much he'll be able to say about this, but anything he can would be great. Even if it's very mundane stuff I'd still be very curious about that.

3) A follow up on the previous question - how many intelligence organizations are actually involved in gathering intelligence about terrorist activity in Western nations, as well as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? I've heard practically nothing about the involvement of intelligence organizations from outside of the USA and UK. Yet that doesn't sound right - so many countries are involved in these wars that one would think they all have a vested interest in gathering intelligence. How does all that work?

4) Why is he stationed in Vegas? I know that might be a stupid question, but I'm genuinely curious. I don't get why a British military intelligence officer would be stationed in Vegas of all places.

5) What kind of places has his job taken him and where has he been stationed before? What were the circumstances?

6) What kind of access to terrorist suspects do different intelligence organizations have? Or if he's not able to answer quite so generally - has the British military intelligence ever had access to the prisoners in Guantanamo? If yes, then in what way and in what way were they limited? Have they ever had access to prisoners in CIA secret prisons?
I'm not sure how valid this line of questioning will be as it depends a lot on what he actually does and what kind of people he knows, but I'd love to know more about the interrogation process and how different organizations vary their approach.

7) What can he say about CIA secret prisons? I suppose the answer might be not much, but I'd still love it if you could try that line of questioning. I'm particularly interested in the CIA prisons which were rumoured to be in Poland, Lithuania and Romania. Though the topic of secret prisons is generally something I'd like to know as much as possible about.

8) How does he feel and what does he know about the torture of terrorism suspects in Guantanamo and other such places? US intelligence were allowed certain controversial practices, but how does the stance of the British military intelligence differ? Is he aware of any conflicts between British and American intelligence organizations over such practices? What about between different American organizations? (I've heard, for example, that the CIA has a harsher policy than the FBI) Has he spoken to American intelligence officers about such matters and how do they feel about it?

9) Has he ever been face to face with somebody incarcerated for terrorism in Guantanamo or a similar place? If yes, then what was that like? If no, does he know somebody who has - what were their feelings?