Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was the leader of ISIS, and was once the most wanted terrorist in the world with a $25 million bounty on his head from the U.S. government.
Al-Baghdadi caught the world’s attention by carrying out beheadings.
In 2019, U.S. helicopters carrying members of the U.S. Army Delta Force landed near al-Baghdadi’s compound.
While U.S. military jets protected the skies, Delta Force members raided the compound.
Baghdadi tried to escape the compound through an underground tunnel. As a military dog chased him Baghdadi detonated his suicide vest.
The man who had ruthlessly killed innocent people ended his life being chased by a dog.
The truth is, the U.S. is very good at tracking down terrorists. But this couldn’t be done without intelligence operatives on the ground.
In the case of al-Baghdadi, an informant provided information on his movements and the obstacles U.S. forces would encounter during the raid.
For instance, the fact that Delta Force members deployed the military dog means they were expecting to confront the terrorist in close quarters.
No drone or computer could have provided the human intelligence that the U.S. was getting from the mole. Human intel was needed
And whether the U.S. is tracking a criminal, or watching Russia’s next move, human intelligence is still the most reliable source.
Here are a few reasons why…
Technology can’t truly anticipate the future:
Think about how often you watch the weather report and it turns out to be wrong.
Well, forecasters make their predictions based on computers and models, and they are wrong all the time.
Computers are not the best at predicting what will happen.
Technology may have helped the U.S. determine Russia was going to invade Ukraine, but computers obviously couldn’t tell the U.S. what Putin was thinking.
Only those close to Putin would be able to answer this, which is why human intelligence is so critical.
Guessing game:
Without human involvement, there is a certain level of guessing when it comes to intelligence.
If there are no humans gathering intel, there is a greater chance of gaps in the accuracy of the information collected.
All forms of technology have a weakness or vulnerability.
From being hacked to not being up to date, there is constant maintenance when it comes to technology.
With human intelligence, there is much less guessing.
Fact or fiction:
The biggest issue with using technology to gather intel is that computers are not the best at deciphering truth from lies.
Computers can be tricked. They can more easily be fooled compared to humans.
Whether you are a spy or dealing with a coworker, meeting with people face to face is the most reliable way to gather intel.
As companies create the latest technological advances, there is nothing that can beat human interaction.
