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(S//SI) Gearing Up for the Spring Offensive
FROM: MG Richard J. Quirk, USA
Signals Intelligence Director
Run Date: 02/13/2004
FROM: MG Richard J. Quirk, USA
Signals Intelligence Director
(S//SI) In the coming months, U.S. military and intelligence personnel will begin a Spring
Offensive in the Afghanistan-Pakistan area intended to locate and eliminate the al-Qa'ida
leadership. We in NSA have no higher priority than to support this Spring Offensive, and we
must be prepared.
(S//SI) As a result, today NSA will host a Rock Drill focused on this offensive. The Rock Drill will
bring together principal customers, key elements from NSA/HQ, and members of the Extended
Enterprise to review Intelligence Needs and to synchronize roles and responsibilities of the
organizations and people that will be directly involved.
(S//SI) The Rock Drill will pay particular attention to planning and our SIGINT "command and
control," so that we are set up to make decisions quickly and clearly. We will continue what we
are already doing in the Global War on Terrorism, while adding a few additional positions. The
details will be worked out after today's Rock Drill, at which time a SIGINT Operational Plan will
be finalized. That said, we have already determined the following:
1. (S//SI) The MENA/South Asia Issue Management Team will be the lead IMT for the
Spring Offensive, with full support from the Counterterrorism IMT. The MENA/South Asia
IMT will reside in NSOC and, from there, lead a Spring Offensive Executive Steering
Team with SID and IA membership.
2. (S//SI) Senior NSA representatives will be posted to Kabul/Bagram, Afghanistan and to
Islamabad, Pakistan to work with both CIA and CENTCOM personnel on issues related to
the Spring Offensive. Both representatives will report to the NCR CENTCOM. These
positions have been identified and will be named soon.
(S//SI) I understand that meeting the challenges of the Spring Offensive while maintaining
focus on other high-priority missions will not be easy. We must keep in mind that this effort may
not be a quick brute-force operation like Operation Iraqi Freedom's march to Baghdad -- it could
take eight days or eight months. We will be forced to make hard risk-management decisions
about the use of resources and take full advantage of operational opportunities as they arise.
(U//FOUO) I know I can count on all of you for your full support to these critical operations. Here
is a real opportunity to make a decisive and lasting contribution to our nation's security.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108