A MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft. REUTERS/U.S. Air Force/Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Pratt/Handout
Anatomy Of An Air Strike: Three Intelligence Streams Working In Concert -- David Axe and Robert Beckhusen, Reuters
In a fast-moving war with an elusive foe like the Islamic State militants, information is as important as guns, jet fighters and bombs.
Sometime early this summer, U.S. Special Operations Forces launched a raid into Syria in an effort to rescue several American hostages being held by the group. But the commandos’ information was out of date. The captives were no longer in the target area.
The attempted rescue, which the Obama administration revealed one day after a graphic video was posted depicting an Islamic State member beheading kidnapped American journalist James Foley, underscores the importance of timely intelligence. The Pentagon’s escalating campaign against Islamic State fighters in Iraq depends completely on reliable information.
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My Comment: Intelligence, having assets on the ground and in the air, and coordination .... these are the three critical components in a U.S. air strike. On paper this looks like something that is easy to do .... but in the real world .... I suspect that making all three work together in a timely fashion is not as easy as it looks.
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