It seems to me there is still quite a problem with the US's ability to gather and interpret information. Something is very wrong within these agencies. How did Russia manage to surprise the world and clobber Georgia?

One problem I see is the Senate committee, "Ovewrsight" use to mean someone was watching over a thing but now it has taken on the other meaning - missed alltogether! This is sad very sad. These people need to go.

http://intelligence.senate.gov/memberscurrent.html

Well looking over the members of the committee...yeah, that's a problem...Warner?  Hagel?   The democrat side??
But it is not their purpose to gather this information and to analyze it is it?   God know WHAT their purpose is but that is a good question...exactly WHAT are they doing.   I know they give themselves vacations, pay raises and one hale of a retirement plan.

The agencies taking care of US business and security have been infiltrated by enemies of this country...oh yeah, i know they say they love this country but they are the first ones to demonize the US.   GWB should have cleaned out the state department of the career bureaucrats and we'd be better off.   Bad move on his part.   They love undercutting a republican president and in the process hurt Americans as well.

Calypso Jones wrote:Well looking over the members of the committee...yeah, that's a problem...Warner?  Hagel?   The democrat side??
But it is not their purpose to gather this information and to analyze it is it?   God know WHAT their purpose is but that is a good question...exactly WHAT are they doing.   I know they give themselves vacations, pay raises and one hale of a retirement plan.

The agencies taking care of US business and security have been infiltrated by enemies of this country...oh yeah, i know they say they love this country but they are the first ones to demonize the US.   GWB should have cleaned out the state department of the career bureaucrats and we'd be better off.   Bad move on his part.   They love undercutting a republican president and in the process hurt Americans as well.

I think this is a big problem with the inteligence agencies, there are key people who do not have the same concept of America most of us at this board. I believe there are far too many socialist types. This is one of those areas that Bush has failed to deal with. I appreciate how President Bush has taken a big stand against Islamic extremests, instituted programs that have protected against terrorist initiatives and bolsterd the economy as a whole.

Congress is not an intelligence agency.  There are several agencies like the DIA, CIA, NSA etc.  They knew the Russians were amassing troops on the border.  They did not know the reason.   Apparently the Russians were just waiting for a reason to go into Georgia and Georgia gave them one.

The agencies are not responsible for taking any position against Russia or any other country.  That would be Congress, the State Department and the President based on information from the intelligence agencies.   What would you have had them do about it?  Russia can amass their troops anywhere in their own country, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.  

Apparently, they can also attack another country and there is nothing anyone is going to do about it..except words.  You can bet this has not gone unnoticed by the Russians and has done nothing but strengthen them.