The Human Terrain Team (HTT) concept is a good one badly managed. I have an article coming out, approved by DoD, waiting for CIA to pee all over it, that recommends that HTT be transferred to DIA/DH where ALL HUMINT, overt to covert, should be. The HTT personnel selections, team deployments, and over all management is about as ugly and unprofessional as I have ever seen in 30 years of government service beginning in the Marine Corps infantry, going on through the clandestine service, and ending as the senior civilian responsible for creating the Marine Corps Intelligence Center (today a Command).

Pelton is 100 per cent on the money, and the Army response was crafted and approved by light-weights who have not actually connected to reality–In My Humble Opinion (IMHO).

Semper Fidelis
Robert Steele, Maj USMCR (Sep)
CIA KR-594
CEO, OSS.Net, Inc.

As a former military type I found his article to be informative, and accurate. And the general conduct and professionalism of those he wrote about reassuring.

In no way did I find his commentary disrespectful to anybody. Simply direct and to the point. The fact is war and deployments are not tea parties, nor do they typically bring out the best in men. That’s a given.

I think what we have here is the typical right wing knee jerk reaction to the media that pervades much of our military, especially in the aftermath of the Bush era.

I suppose we can expect to see some big expose on A-Rod’s sterroid use in the coming months, while MJ not only gives a free pass to admitted sterroid user, Mickey Rourke, but elevates him to rock star status.

http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/MilitaryReview/

In re: Death Threat Tarnishes Human Terrain System. At open anthropology (max), inteldaily.com, pravda.ru and cryptome.org

Better check out this site below bubba’s:

http://www.ops-alaska.com/humanterrain

http://www.indymedia.org/media/2009/02//921401.ppt

I tried to post this info but it did not take.

If anyone wants a copy of the game-plan briefing above, send an email to cioran123@yahoo.com. Note that LTG Kimmons is this http://www.dami.army.pentagon.mil/. Reach your own conclusions about whether the HTS is an intel program or not. Kimmons is the one who said “let’s kick it out there and see what happens.”

Here is latest comment, yesterday, from Fondacaro to HTS Members

“HTS Teammates,

In the interest of giving you all the good news, all at the same
time, I am forced to ask you all for one more day of patience and
forbearance as we chase the last action through to approval at
Department of the Army level. Issues we are after are higher pay caps
(which are already resolved), danger pay and compensatory time. The
responsibility to get the right answers to you is mine alone. In that
same vein, that we are late doing so is my fault alone too. We are
breaking a lot of glass along the way, but its glass that’s long overdue
to be broken. The next time we answer it will be complete and it will
be right. Grant us one more pass on your already generous and patient
forbearance. In the interim, please throw any and all rocks at me.

Sincerely

Steve Fondacaro

I say all that to say that RYP is what he says he is, a wildman with an extreme point of view. His reports should be viewed as such, another perspective, maybe not right, but always good to view problems from as many angles as possible. It would be a mistake to take his reporting as “professional” journalism, but it is a form and should be taken with a grain of salt.

That said, I have to flat call him out on some points.
1) Never bad mouth the folks who have served, risked and died- if you haven’t!
2) An LTC sure know one heckuva lot more than he ever will about THT and HHT!
3) NEVER compromise Operators or Operations- that’s a crime!

And for all you younger troops and RYP, there is a method to the madness.
This is a GLOBAL War and just because it might not make sense to you when you’re down in the weeds on the ground, there is a big satellite picture where all these pieces fit together… give your command and government some credit. They ain’t perfect either, but they ain’t stupid. There is a plan… we all need info and we learn and we grow.

The bottom line, our cause is a good one and in time, we will prevail as we are just, we are the good guys and we are all on the same team!
Remember that, keep the faith, play well together and fight the enemy!
Saludos!
Myke Hawke sends

At least nobody is going to accuse Mr. Pelton of being biased in favor of the US Military. It is a pity he won’t let himself be biased in favor of fact or ethical behavior.

There are a lot of writers out there who can cover this story for Men’s Journal who can do the job professionally and well. Lose Mr. Pelton from your rolodex and get somebody serious like Michael Yon, Michael Totten, or Bill Roggio to cover military matters in the field for you. It is much less expensive to hire quality reporting than to buy a disgrace like the one Mr. Pelton tied to your masthead.