Taliban Victory: A Moment of Truth for Western Intelligence Agencies

After the cold-blooded massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, the government of Israel resolved to escort all those responsible to their creator.

One by one, the Israeli Secret Service, the Mossad hunted down each perpetrator and eliminated them.

Like every mission of such magnitude, there was always the possibility of a mistake.

For the Mossad, the mistake came in the form of the killing of Achmed Bouchiki, a Moroccan immigrant in Norway.

This was one of the lowest points in the history of Israeli Intelligence.

Instead of blaming others and covering their backs, the Mossad used the episode as a moment of truth.

They restructured their operations to prevent reoccurrence of such events.

Intelligence Agencies Catalogue of Failures

The ‘Bay of Pigs’ debacle was a watershed moment in US intelligence history.

Then Vietnam.

Then the fall of the Berlin Wall

Then 9/11

Then Iraq

Then Russian occupation of Crimea

Then Islamic State

Now the Taliban.

It’s Time for Intelligence Agencies Accountability

President Biden rightly took full responsibility for the debacle, after all, the buck stops with him.

However, isn’t it time the heads of intelligence agencies are held accountable?

After the Norwegian blunder, the head of the Israeli Intelligence tendered his resignation to the Prime Minister.

Will the head of the CIA and the chief of US Military Intelligence do the same?

Until such time that security operatives are held accountable for intelligence failure, such failures will continue.

I am aware such a view is unpopular.

But the fact is we do celebrate the victory of our intelligence agencies. In the same token, when they blunder, we need to call them out.

How is it possible for the most primitive fighting force in the world to defeat the most technologically advanced fighting force in the history of mankind?

This is a colossal failure on an epic proportion.

Someone other than the politicians need to be held accountable.

This failure should be the beginning of accountability for security operatives.

Lest we forget, there is Pakistani Taliban.

What would happen if they took over Pakistan?

Remember, Pakistan has nuclear weapon.

God help India.