Intelligence Issues for Congress
Summary
To address the challenges facing the U.S. Intelligence Community in the 21
st
century, congressional and executive branch initiatives have sought to improvecoordination among the different agencies and to encourage better analysis. InDecember 2004, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (P.L. 108-458) was signed, providing for a Director of National Intelligence (DNI) withsubstantial authorities to manage the national intelligence effort. The legislation alsoestablished a separate Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.Making cooperation effective presents substantial leadership and managerialchallenges. The needs of intelligence “consumers” — ranging from the White Houseto cabinet agencies to military commanders — must all be met, using the samesystems and personnel. Intelligence collection systems are expensive and somecritics suggest there have been elements of waste and unneeded duplication of effortwhile some intelligence “targets” have been neglected.The DNI has substantial statutory authorities to address these issues, but theorganizational relationships will remain complex, especially for Defense Departmentagencies. Members of Congress will be seeking to observe the extent to whicheffective coordination is accomplished.International terrorism, a major threat facing the United States in the 21
st
century, presents a difficult analytical challenge. Techniques for acquiring andanalyzing information on small groups of plotters differ significantly from those usedto evaluate the military capabilities of other countries. U.S. intelligence efforts arecomplicated by unfilled requirements for foreign language expertise.Intelligence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction was inaccurate and Membershave criticized the performance of the Intelligence Community in regard to currentconditions in Iraq and other situations. Improved analysis, while difficult to mandate,remains a key goal. Better human intelligence, it is argued, is also essential.Intelligence support to military operations continues to be a major responsibilityof intelligence agencies. The use of precision guided munitions depends on accurate,real-time targeting data; integrating intelligence data into military operations willrequire changes in organizational relationships as well as acquiring necessarytechnologies.Counterterrorism requires the close coordination of intelligence and lawenforcement agencies, but there remain many institutional and procedural issues thatcomplicate cooperation between the two sets of agencies. This report will be updatedas new information becomes available.
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