Why Didn't the U.S. Foresee the Arab Revolts?

In the weeks since street protests in Tunisia led to the ouster of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and demonstrations in Cairo deposed Hosni Mubarak, similar pro-democracy protests have erupted throughout the Arab world. It is perplexing that the American intelligence community and the Obama administration appeared to be surprised by how rapidly the unrest spread from Tunisia to Egypt and now to Bahrain and Libya. Why is it difficult for U.S. intelligence agencies to foresee the strength of these movements? What factors prevent such intelligence from influencing American diplomacy? Jennifer E. Sims, professor of intelligence studies Why, with the U.S....