Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

A Marginally Qualified Intelligence Officer

Many book smart people eventually are told, “It isn’t what you know that’s important but how you use it.”

Many managers who aspire to be leaders eventually get told; it isn’t just figuring out what’s best that’s important but getting others to do it.

We know that the DIA knew that Mohamed Atta was a terrorist associated with the Brooklyn Cell, a year before 911.

We know that lawyers at SOCOM prevented the sharing of that information with the FBI.

We know the FBI knew about Tamerian Tsarnaev before the Boston Marathon Bombings.

Unfortunately knowing isn’t always enough. That knowledge must be recognized by a tier two intellect with the ability to translate it into something useful. Since the days I was a rifle platoon leader in the 25th Infantry Division the lament of combat leaders has always been, things that were known, that might have made a difference, never got translated, passed down and used in a timely manner.

Tony Shaffer has at least a tier two mind. Dr. Christopher Lehman, former special assistant to President Regan on the National Security Counsel called him, “…the real Jack Bauer--- but with an intellect.” Doug Stanton, author of Horse Soldiers, called him someone “… with the instincts of a thriller writer and the knowledge and perspective of a professional insider.”

The DOD IG called LTC Shaffer “… a marginally qualified intelligence officer.”

A superior once quipped, Tony, "...If you weren’t our best intelligence officer, I’d have you fired.”

So there it is, make up your own mind.

This is what Tony has to say about himself:

“…All too often the most important operations (HUMINT) … were viewed by career bureaucrats as too dangerous for their careers---or dead ends…” that could stereotype your career and… limit your potential to become a senior executive.”

“I took risks.”

“Some people loved me, … some hated me. It’s still that way. There was really no middle ground. Some people liked the fact that I could go and find a way to get things done in very complex situations.”

“My unit’ mission (Stratus Ivy) within the context of a much larger operation known as Able Danger…” was dealing with “…significant information on individuals being trained in the terrorist camps--- and, more importantly, their potential targets.”

“We were making progress--- and had a pathway to--- when things were shut down; a decision that was terribly flawed…”

It is an interesting footnote that for someone who was “marginally qualified” DOD spent a considerable sum buying up all the copies of Tony's book they could lay their hands on.