[wonton2]

The point, I think, was that CIA is biased, not that they came to these results. You cannot really trust their research, since they analyze their «enemies». It is like when a skin care company cites that «9 out of 10 said this is the best skin cream (in a survey of 30 people)»

[rockinghigh]

The CIA is interested in leakers because it uses them to get information from foreign intelligence agencies. They are not enemies.

[nottheciagency]

The CIA has also had a lot of high profile failures and appear to be a hotbed if groupthink derived from their current political masters.

They are a great example of an organization hiring the best and brightest, only to be dimmed by org and political structures.

This is not a recent thing. I believe they blew up a Russian refinery with a sweet exploit in he 80s. But other than that, I’m not sure why anyone would see them other than a bumbling comedy of politics.

[dragonwriter]

> The CIA is interested in leakers because it uses them to get information from foreign intelligence agencies.

To be fair, that is also a reason why they would have a motive to spread misinformation about what they believe motivates leakers, since information about their beliefs on that matter give target nations clues to both actual vulnerabilities and CIAs likely means of attempting to exploit them.

[solarkraft]

By the same arguments their world fact book may be incredible.

[krisoft]

I would agree with you that it's quite extraordinary. :)

Joking aside. I think the difference lies in how easily an adversary can refute the information. You can just call up a library or an embassy to verify most claims in the world factbook. How would you get access to a wide selection of leakers?

[mygo]

the world factbook is unbelievable.

also, just because an adversary is denying information does not mean that they themselves are being truthful.

[jacquesm]

> It is like when a skin care company cites that «9 out of 10 said this is the best skin cream (in a survey of 30 people)

After throwing out the all but three of the original 100 people saying one of the other 9 were the best skin cream.

[eltoozero]

Statistics are like bikinis: it’s not what they reveal, it’s what they conceal.