'Back Off' ISIS Warnings, CENTCOM Analysts Reportedly Told

Tampa’s United States Central Command is the focal point of an ongoing investigation kicked off recently by the Pentagon’s Inspector General after allegations of potential misconduct arose.

The Pentagon’s investigation began after reports came to light that analysts at Tampa’s CENTCOM were told to “cut it out” and “toe the line” in creating their assessments of ISIS activity, Fox news reported. Analysts reportedly received emails instructing them to paint a rosier picture of the growing threat posed by ISIS. Final assessments presented by CENTCOM were also reportedly significantly changed to create a more positive accounting of events related to the Iraqi Army’s retreat as ISIS overran a number of cities in that country last year, the New York Times reported.

Both media outlets report that the Pentagon has seized a large number of classified documents and emails from military servers related to the alleged misconduct. Senior lawmakers have also begun their own inquiries into the alleged misconduct.

“Any time there is an allegation that intelligence is being shaved in a certain way, or distorted in a certain way, that’s a cause for serious concern,” the Times quoted Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, as saying. Thornberry chairs the House Armed Services Committee, which is looking into allegations.

To read more, check out the Times’ story.

Photo from the CENTCOM Facebook page