Topic: Battle Damage Assessment

Former CIA officer Bryan Dean Wright argues that the DIA was tricked by Iranian personnel feeding false information over tapped phone lines. He claims the Mossad recognized the disinformation while the DIA "willfully" ignored analytical tradecraft to produce a negative report. Wright calls for the firing of DIA Director Lieutenant General Jeffrey Cruz and the suspension of the agency's Iran analytical shop.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest referred reporters to the Department of Defense for "battle damage assessments" of airstrikes against ISIL. Despite over 700 sorties, critics argue there is little visible evidence on the battlefield that the group is being destroyed. The Pentagon uses maps and grainy footage to demonstrate the impact of the campaign, though the effectiveness of the strategy remains under scrutiny.