The secret world created by the government in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, has become so large, uncontrollable, and secretive that no one knows how much it costs, how many people work in it, how many programs exist, or exactly how many agencies are doing the same work.
Investigating the Secret World
The Washington Post conducted a two-year investigation that discovered a geographically equivalent alternative to the United States, a secret world hidden from public view and lacking rigorous oversight. After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth, the system put in place to protect the United States has become so massive that assessing its effectiveness is nearly impossible.
Other Findings of the Investigation
Other findings from the investigation include:
- About 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies are working on counter-terrorism, homeland security, and intelligence-related programs at around 10,000 locations across the United States.
- Approximately 854,000 individuals, nearly one-and-a-half times the population living in Washington, D.C., hold top-secret security clearances.
- In Washington and surrounding areas, 33 complexes for clandestine intelligence work have been built or are being constructed since September 2001. They occupy the equivalent of nearly three Pentagons or 22 U.S. Capitol buildings – about 17 million square feet of space.
- Many security and intelligence agencies are duplicating efforts, leading to redundancy and waste. For example, 51 government organizations and military commands track the flow of money to and from terrorist networks. Analysts who interpret documents and conversations obtained from foreign and domestic spying produce 50,000 intelligence reports annually – a volume so large that many are routinely ignored.
Concerns About National Security
These are not academic issues: Lack of focus, not a lack of resources, was at the heart of the Fort Hood incident that resulted in 13 deaths, as well as the thwarted Christmas Day bombing not due to the thousands of analysts employed to find lone terrorists but thanks to a vigilant passenger who saw smoke coming from his neighbor in the seat.
Management Challenges
Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated in an interview with The Washington Post that since September 11, the number of intelligence units in the Department of Defense has doubled, and he intends to review these programs to check for waste. He added that b
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/top-secret-america/2010/07/19/hidden-world-growing-beyond-control-2/?itid=mr_investigations_5
Leave a Reply