About the NSA . . .

A group of historians recently prepared a report on a large portion of the NSA's operations dating back to its post-war beginnings. Given No Such Agency's justifiable obsession with secrecy, the project was and is an amazing undertaking. (Notwithstanding the fact that it has pulled back its curtain somewhat over the past decade or so. Check out James Bamford's excellent and groundbreaking books on the agency if you're interested in what they do, etc.)

Portions of the historians' report are being made public today. I haven't read it, but from what I understand, a lot of what made it to the public version are fantastic accounts - of spectacular failures.

I'm sure the accounts will be accurate, or at least as accurate as human memory, etc., can make them. But I suspect that the historians involved would be the first to say that the public report presents a somewhat lopsided view. The reason - the agency itself discouraged or redacted information on its successes.

I'm guessing - I don't know any of the historians involved. But I base that guess on my own experiences.

A few years ago, I wrote what amounted to a history of special operations during the period from Panama to post-Gulf War I. (My credit is so obscure you'll never notice it, which is fine with me.) There was a lot of official cooperation - the best - but I'd say 90 percent of that involved missions that had failed. And even when we were done, the editing took out a lot of the good stuff.

Why? Because the good operations are models for what works, and you don't want to tell the enemy what that is... Even if you can get some of the same stories by hanging out at the bar that night and not being a jackass.

I certainly don't believe that U.S. intelligence agencies are infallible. The image sometimes portrayed in fiction - mine occasionally included - often paints a ludicrously optimistic view of what goes on. (I do occasionally try to be realisitic - that's a top for another time.) We certainly do need to remember that the intelligence agencies, the military, big business, small business - everything humans do is fraught with imprecision, errors, and plain bad luck.

On the other hand, things do work out a heck of a lot of times. Even more times than some of those in the field like to admit.

The NSA report is bound to be fascinating reading. Just remember the context is slightly skewed.