I highlighted this from the Post “Top Secret America” piece in a Danger Room post, but let’s re-up:

When Maj. Gen. John M. Custer was the director of intelligence at U.S. Central Command, he grew angry at how little helpful information came out of the NCTC. In 2007, he visited its director at the time, retired Vice Adm. John Scott Redd, to tell him so. “I told him that after 41/2 years, this organization had never produced one shred of information that helped me prosecute three wars!” he said loudly, leaning over the table during an interview.

I like to think I stay on top of these things. And by my count, there’s Iraq, Afghanistan and…

Seriously. Neither Noah and I could figure out what Custer means, and I’ve gotten a number of emails today from friends and sources wondering what the hell his third war is. Best non-conspiratorial guess: there’s a weird habit in defense circles of referring to the “Global War on Terror” as disconnected from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. (None dare call it strategy.) So maybe that’s it. Then again, the whole piece is about an unaccountable garrison state, so you never know…