Pentagon Probe: ISIS Intel ‘Wasn’t Falsified,’ But Was Distorted

A protracted and very serious investigation into claims of CENTCOM leaders deliberately distorting intelligence on the ISIS war before passing it along to decision-makers has concluded with an admission of a “significant problem” and a decision to more or less sweep the whole thing under the table.

This was done by way of centering on the technical definition of “falsifying” intelligence, and arguing that substantial efforts to distort the intelligence to paint a far rosier picture of the conflict did not ultimately amount to falsifying, and that they don’t recommend any punishment for anyone.

There were allegations from a number of intelligence analysts that they were writing up estimates on the status of the ISIS war more or less from the start of the conflict, and that by the time they’d gotten through the higher-ranking officials, they’d been watered-down and their most negative findings were removed outright for Congress or the administration got to see them.

The report conceded that while they couldn’t determine deliberate falsification, there is a strong perception that senior leaders attempted to deliberately distort the intelligence reports to paint the war as going much better than it really was.

Several members of congress said they believed the report confirmed “numerous problems” at CENTCOM, and that their own Congressional review had made similar findings. In both cases, however, there doesn’t appear to be much interest in doing anything about it, or ensuring that future intelligence reports are any less distorted.