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SID Reopens the Front on Iraq; New Issue Management Team at Work

SUMMARY

SID Director Quirk puts the Iraq team back in action due to reassessment of the continuing war and names leadership to evaluate strategy for force protection, Iraq’s emerging leadership, terrorism, and the hunt for weapons of mass destruction.

DOCUMENT’S DATE

Aug 06, 2003

PUBLICLY AVAILABLE

Mar 12, 2018

TAGS

Iraq

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Page 1 from SID Reopens the Front on Iraq; New Issue Management Team at Work
DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL (S//SI) SID Reopens the Front on Iraq; New Issue Management Team at Work FROM: MG Richard Quirk, USA Signals Intelligence Director Run Date: 08/06/2003 (S//SI) When major hostilities in Iraq officially ended on May 1st , Operation Iraqi Freedom transitioned from Phase 3 (Decisive Offensive Operations) into Phase 4 (Post Hostilities). We see on an almost daily basis that conditions in Iraq remain extremely dangerous, with American and coalition forces very much in harm's way. In light of this, and because a successful outcome in Iraq is of such critical importance to our nation, it is essential that Signals Intelligence resurrect the support and level of effort that were so pronounced when bombs were falling. We are aggressively reopening the front and focusing once again on Iraq with the same emphasis we had during the buildup to the war. (S//SI) As we prepared for Operation Iraqi Freedom, SID stood up the Iraq Issue Management Team (IMT) to ensure the entire SIGINT system was optimized to support the campaign. The three Issue Managers, Dave Hurry of Customer Relationships, Wayne Murphy of Analysis and Production and Greg Smithberger (later replaced by as Greg went forward as NCR CENTCOM) of Data Acquisition, performed exceptionally well to ensure that SIGINT was prepared and organized to play a vital role in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They have all moved on to new positions with our thanks and gratitude. (S//SI) To address the complex and difficult issues the U.S. now faces in Iraq - the formation of a new government, force protection for our military and coalition partners, post-war reconstruction, and more, I've named a new Iraq Issue Management Team -- Ron Carback, Bill Edinger and Rob Joyce. The new IMT continues to serve as the executives in SID for Iraq. They are charged with aggressively reassessing our capabilities, ensuring the national and tactical SIGINT systems are synchronized, identifying and resolving gaps and deficiencies in the SIGINT system, and ensuring we contribute to the post-war Iraqi rebuilding effort. (S//SI) The IMT will be setting up a rehearsal ( a ROCKDRILL ) very soon with SIGINT customers and SIGINT producers to re-baseline our assumptions and goals for Iraq. Out of this planning process will emerge an updated strategy to provide force protection, cover the emerging leadership, root out terrorism within Iraq and continue the hunt for weapons of mass destruction. I ask you to fully support the Iraq IMT and the overall campaign: SIGINT will continue to be an essential source of intelligence on Iraq, and the one most likely to save lives. (U//FOUO) Note: the new Iraq IMT can be reached at line will soon have a STU-III capability.) . (The outside "(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)." DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108