W. Patrick Lang

W. Patrick "Pat" Lang is a retired colonel in United States Army Special Forces, and then was National Intelligence Officer for the Middle East, South Asia and Terrorism, and then Director of the Defense HUMINT Service (i.e., human-source intelligence) at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

For his service in DIA, he was awarded the “Presidential Rank of Distinguished Executive.” This is the equivalent of a British knighthood. He is an analyst consultant for many television and radio broadcasts.

Philosophy of intelligence

Among the problems he sees in American intelligence are:

1. Leadership: A problem not unique to the United States, there are failures in managing all phases of the intelligence cycle. The public, Lang believes, thinks that the leadership of the United States intelligence community is filled with executives "reminiscent of “George Smiley,” the wonderful British spy and

spymaster whose presence fills the earlier novels of John Le Carre. The character, “Smiley” is wise, sadly pessimistic, a profound student of mankind and devoted to his “people.” While such people do exist, top-level executives are apt to be managerial rather than subject matter specialists. They often fall into the trap of mirror-imaging.