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Did a group of experienced military officers, comprised of intelligence analysts, Iraq war veterans, and reservists, some who are also police officers in Los Angeles, form their own "vigilance committee" to hunt down al Qaeda suspects operating inside the U.S.?

If true, what drove these men to risk their careers, their reputations, and their personal freedom to break strict laws on the handling of top-secret documents?

The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper is uncovering some details from a secretive military court-martial that occurred in July:

"Marine Gunnery Sgt. Gary Maziarz said patriotism motivated him to join a spy ring, smuggle secret files from Camp Pendleton and give them to law enforcement officers for anti-terrorism work in Southern California.

"He knew his group was violating national security laws. But he said bureaucratic walls erected by the military and civilian agencies were hampering intelligence sharing and coordination, making the nation more vulnerable to terrorists.

[...]

"'I decided to make a difference and act,'" Maziarz testified during his court-martial in July at Camp Pendleton.

"Now Maziarz and his alleged conspirators are being investigated by the FBI, National Security Agency and Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

"Details of Maziarz's case emerged after he pleaded guilty to mishandling more than 100 classified documents from 2004 to last year. The overall breach could be far larger: Investigators believe that as far back as the early 1990s, the intelligence-filching ring began taking hundreds of secret files from Camp Pendleton and the U.S. Northern Command, which tracks terrorist activity in the United States.

Among the alleged conspirators are two colonels in the Marine Corps Reserve, one a detective for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the other a veteran in the LAPD. A commander in the Naval Reserve who worked as an intelligence analyst at U.S. Northern Command headquarters is also an alleged conspirator.

What do they know that we don't?

Why did these men feel compelled to act outside the bounds of established procedures and break the law in this manner?

One possibility is that the conspirators all suffer from hyperactive imaginations. Reinforced by a group-think process that swirled out of control, they might have dreamed up an al Qaeda threat inside U.S. territory that the rest of the nation's law enforcement community just didn't see.

The other possibility is that Gunnery Sergeant Maziarz is right: that the 9/11 Commission and all of the other investigations following the 2001 attacks really have failed to achieve the kind of information-sharing among government agencies needed for effective protection against terrorist plots. The conspirators, experienced veterans in their fields and with much to lose, decided to do something effective, i.e. act outside the accepted system.

Another cultural divide in America

Over a million Americans have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones. That's a large number but it is only a tiny sliver of the U.S. population. Many of the war veterans return home and become aware of a large cultural divide in the country. They find out that most Americans don't have any experience or knowledge about military life. The war veterans are confused by how the media portrays them and their day-to-day life in the war zone. Many veterans complain about the lack of shared sacrifice in American society, about the depravations they suffer during a 15-month tour in Iraq compared to the casual and frivolous life enjoyed in suburban America.

Perhaps most important, many of the war veterans have actually seen real jihadists, either armed with an AK-47 or smirking from a street corner as the U.S. soldiers drive by. For the vast majority of Americans back home by contrast, an al Qaeda terrorist is an abstract and increasingly mythical concept as the harsh memories of September 2001 fade into misty oblivion.

Pay attention to the war veterans

There was apparently no such fading memory for Gunnery Sergeant Maziarz and his alleged conspirators. This is also likely the case for many thousands of additional U.S. combat veterans who have seen the violent face of the jihadists.

America's war veterans are for the most part intelligent, perceptive, and aware of the debates that go on about America's foreign policy. And they have far more practical experience to bring to these discussions than the vast majority of Americans.

Gunnery Sergeant Maziarz has confessed to crimes and will suffer criminal punishment as a result. His alleged conspirators are likely in legal jeopardy and may soon join him in the brig. This is as it should be for breaking the law.

But those government officials responsible for protecting the country against terrorist attack have a responsibility to perform their jobs diligently and competently. Rogue "vigilance committees" can form whenever this is not the case.

Let us hope that the strange case of Gunny Sergeant Maziarz occurs just this one time. Those leaders charged with protecting America have their responsibility in this regard. And those Americans who are back from fighting the jihadists may be monitoring the performance of America's law enforcement leaders closest of all.