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thedrifter
04-19-07, 05:17 PM
Marine Corps’ Director of Intelligence Urges Better Information at All Levels

April 18, 2007

By Mark Freeman

The United States needs to improve its efforts to gather and use intelligence -- and not only to enable more effective top-level decision-making on military matters. Enhancing that capability all the way down the chain of command to individual Marines and others on the ground is just as important, said Brigadier General Richard M. Lake, director of intelligence for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Speaking to students, faculty and community members Tuesday in the UCF Student Union, Lake pointed out that, unfortunately, many of the current enemies of the United States are not governments and can easily blend into the fabric of society. That makes the work of intelligence agencies much more difficult.

Lake jokingly invoked memories of the “good old days” of the Cold War, when the U.S. had an identifiable enemy in the Soviet Union. That enemy possessed a massive military force, with large arsenals of tanks, ships and planes. It was easy to locate and target. In striking contrast, Lake said, many contemporary U.S. enemies lack such “state-esque” characteristics. Distinguishing an Iraqi insurgent from an Iraqi who lives a peaceful, law-abiding life is extremely difficult and requires the help of the local population, as well as cultural sensitivity on the part of U.S. forces, according to Lake.

Lake also stressed that the U.S. military presence in Iraq provides security that could help the political and social spheres there shape an environment that makes it less appealing for Sunni insurgent groups or Shia militias to continue their paths of violence.

Sponsors of Lake’s program were UCF's Global Perspectives Office, Political Science Department, Middle Eastern Studies Program, Terrorism Studies Program and Diplomacy Program, along with the Orlando Sentinel and the Global Connections Foundation.

Ellie