Is Turkey Another Intelligence Failure?

U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) at the U.S. ambassador's residence during the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) in Paris, France in this December 1, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE

Stephen Blank, Atlantic Council: Turkey: Another U.S. Intelligence Failure

A less-well known but vital outcome of NATO’s Warsaw summit was the Alliance’s decision to create an intelligence and security division from among its existing organizations. This move is long overdue. There is a plethora of threats facing Europe and the United States, and yet the West has a record of intelligence failures that has come to characterize its policy today. As media reports indicate, the Turkish coup caught virtually the entire US foreign policy establishment by surprise; analysts were writing up to the last moment that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s control over the military seemed secure.

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WNU Editor: I have been waiting all week for someone to write this article .... because this was a U.S. intelligence failure. The Turkey coup caught everyone by surprised .... and what I find perplexing is that considering the many U.S. military personal relationships with many of these Turkish Generals, and coupled with the heavy U.S. military AND intelligence presence in the country because of the war against the Islamic State .... no one knew what was happening?!?!?! Someone had to know .... and what I would not be surprised that within Langley, the Pentagon, and in the Oval Office a discussion and analysis is happening right now on this subject.