GOP: Intel on Islamic State was manipulated

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Intelligence assessments approved by senior leaders at U.S. Central Command exaggerated the progress of anti-terrorism efforts they ran against Islamic State militants, a House Republican task force said in an initial report released Thursday.

The report detailed what the task force described as “persistent problems” in 2014 and 2015 with the command’s analysis of U.S. efforts to train Iraqi forces and combat the extremist group in Iraq and Syria. Central Command, based in Tampa, Fla., runs the U.S. military operations in the Middle East.

The task force’s investigation isn’t yet complete. A separate investigation by the Pentagon inspector general also is underway.

A Central Command spokesman said the command is reviewing the House report but declined to comment further because the task force and inspector general inquiries are still proceeding.

The task force focused on the command’s intelligence directorate. The office underwent structural and management changes in mid-2014 that resulted in intelligence that was “consistently more optimistic regarding the conduct of U.S. military action” than the judgments of many senior, career analysts at the command, according to the report.

The command’s intelligence on the Islamic State group also was “more optimistic” than that of other U.S. intelligence agencies and what actual events warranted, the task force said. “Additionally, many [Central Command] press releases, public statements and congressional testimonies were also significantly more positive than actual events,” according to the report.