Drones in Iraq - Why Wasn't the Data Encrypted?

I can't help but think that the failure to encrypt the spatial data collected by drones in Iraq, as described in this article from the Wall Street Journal, is at least in part due to a lack of appreciation of the value of that data. Unfortunately, that is not just a shortcoming in the defense community - it is a reflection of a broader problem within government, particularly at the highest levels. As Chris Tucker points out however in this excellent piece in Foreign Policy, the impact is particularly acute within the military.