HARVARD UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SCHOOL

GOVT E-1726
Intelligence and International Security

Fall 2019
Online Web Conference (Zoom)
Mondays 8:10PM

Faculty: Michael D. Miner, miner@g.harvard.edu

Course Assistants: Eliza Edwards, eliza.h.edwards@gmail.com

Ashley Kelso, arkelso@gmail.com

NOTE: THIS SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE as of 23 August 2019

This course explores the opaque world of intelligence and international security. The course begins
with a survey of disciplines and methods of analysis before reviewing intelligence requirements as a
component in policy processes that drive and inform decision-making within the national security
system. Lectures and discussion consider various intelligence related topics including: espionage,
covert action, politicization, counterintelligence, public oversight, intelligence failure, and reform. The
course strikes a balance between contemporary issues and the storied histories of intelligence systems
around the world. Though predominantly focused on the United States the course also considers
intelligence activities in the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and elsewhere. Students grapple with
historical and hypothetical problem sets based upon real-world scenarios to develop assessment
capabilities. Required readings and assignments draw on classic and influential work in addition to
declassified documents which illuminate the historical narrative in a tangible way. Optional readings
and content are highlighted for students interested in additional material. Guest speakers are integrated
into class discussion as schedules permit. The course concludes with reflections on how past
experience informs current perspectives and might elucidate future intelligence requirements to better
anticipate and understand the changing world.

Learning Objectives: (1) Unpack the purpose, nuance, and complexities of intelligence with greater
appreciation for the historical record in the United States and around the world (2) Develop and refine
unbiased assessment capabilities for advanced study in national security and government (3) Enhance
writing capabilities to produce substantive analytical papers on contemporary issues (4) Communicate
analyses and key judgments inside estimates as though writing for a government or military consumer
(5) Improve briefing abilities and comfort level discussing complex though familiar topics.

Expectations: Weekly attendance in the live course, completion of assignments on time, reading of all
assigned materials in advance of class, readiness to discuss intelligence and national security topics,
and weekly participation in an online discussion forum on course website.

Assignments: (1) A national intelligence estimate topic proposal based on an issue selected by the
student from the 2019 Intelligence Community Worldwide Threat Assessment (2) A substantive
review of an intelligence book selected by the student (3) An intelligence assessment addressing a
developing crisis (4) A fully developed national intelligence estimate on the issue proposed by the
student and approved by the faculty (5) A succinct class presentation with a brief Q&A session on the
estimate as though briefing a working group of national security professionals.
Office Hours: Will be held by appointment. Email to arrange a time and never hesitate to do so.

Required Readings: Are available on the course website or in the Harvard Library. All required
readings and assignments should be completed before the start of class the week it is due. They should
be read in the order they are listed from top to bottom unless otherwise directed.

Recommended Readings: Are indicated by * and are included for students whom may find a topic
interesting or want to take a deeper dive into the relevant material.

Note on Readings: This is a dynamic course that incorporates current affairs and modern challenges
as part of assigned readings and assignments. You should expect additional timely readings as
conditions warrant and will be given ample time to read ahead of class.

Required Books: Can be purchased, rented, or found in the Harvard Library and elsewhere.
• Loch K. Johnson and James J. Wirtz, Intelligence: The Secret World of Spies (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2018)
• Mark Lowenthal, From Secrets to Policy (Los Angeles: CQ Press, 2017)
• Thomas Fingar, Reducing Uncertainty: Intelligence Analysis and National Security (Palo Alto:
Stanford University Press, 2011)
Recommended Books: Highly recommended for students and professionals.
• James S. Major, Communicating with Intelligence: Writing and Briefing for National Security
(Landham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014)
Grades: Given the nature of the national security system, there are no deadline extensions or revision
options. Assignment prompts will provide clear direction and expectations. Late papers or projects will
not be accepted. Grade appeals must be submitted no more than five days after the assignment is
returned and must address the comments and consider the assignment expectations.

• Class Participation and Discussion Posts: 20 percent

o Students will be expected to make at least one comment a week on the discussion board on the
course website in response to a discussion prompt. (10)
o Students are expected to contribute to class discussions and attend live classes as directed. (10)
• National Intelligence Estimate Proposal: 10 percent
o Students submit a succinct proposal for their final National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) paper
on a subject they are interested in writing about in more detail. The subject must be selected
from the most recent declassified Worldwide Threat Assessment.
• Short Intelligence Assessment: 10 percent
o Students will produce a three-page intelligence assessment on a developing crisis.
• Intelligence Book Review: 10 percent
o Students will read a non-assigned intelligence book and write a critical review.
• National Intelligence Estimate Briefing: 20 percent
o Students will present a briefing on their NIE and take questions from class.
• Final National Intelligence Estimate: 30 percent
o Students will produce a substantive NIE to the best of their ability.
Grades reflect the quality and quantity of a student’s work submitted throughout the term. Students
registered for undergraduate or graduate credit who complete the requirements of a course may earn
one of the following grades:

• A and A–: Earned by work whose superior quality indicates a full mastery of the subject, and
in the case of A, work of extraordinary distinction. There is no grade of A+.
• B+, B, and B–: Earned by work that indicates a strong comprehension of the course material, a
good command of the skills needed to work with the course materials, and the student’s full
engagement with the course requirements and activities.
• C+, C, and C–: Earned by work that indicates an adequate and satisfactory comprehension of
the course material and the skills needed to work with the course materials, and that indicates
that the student has met the basic requirements for completing assigned work and participating
in class activities.
• D+, D, and D–: Earned by work that is unsatisfactory but that indicates some minimal
command of the course materials and some minimal participation in class activities that is
worthy of course credit.
• E: Earned by work that is unsatisfactory and unworthy of course credit. This grade may also be
assigned to students who do not submit required work in courses from which they have not
officially withdrawn by the withdrawal deadline. Zero or E grades are assigned to students for
missing work.

Harvard Policies: You are responsible for understanding Harvard Extension School policies on
academic integrity and how to use sources responsibly. If needed see Tips to Avoid Plagiarism.

Accessibility: The Extension School is committed to providing an accessible academic community.

The Accessibility Office offers a variety of accommodations and services to students with documented
disabilities. Please visit www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-policies/resources/disability-
servicesaccessibility for more information.

Registration: Undergraduate students should complete all required readings and assignments.
Graduate students will have additional requirements outlined in assignment prompts.

Note on Enrollment: This course is designed for undergraduate and graduate students including those
entirely new to security studies and those with some background and/or professional experience.
Though previous coursework is always useful you do not need prior experience or prerequisite courses
to do well as long as you adhere to requirements. Do not be intimidated by assignment expectations
designed to help you to maximize your potential as you will develop as a writer and critical thinker on
complex issues. Do not hesitate to arrange office hours with the faculty or staff.

Class schedule: Please be mindful of the dates and times for lecture. If uncertain or issues arise please
reach out to the teaching staff and faculty as we are always here to help.
 Course Schedule – Fall 2019

Week 1: Intelligence and International Security

Week 2: Disciplines and the Intelligence Cycle

Week 3: Theories and Approaches in Tradecraft (NIE proposal due)

Week 4: Intelligence as a Component of Policymaking

Week 5: Covert Action

Week 6: Oversight, Ethics, and Accountability

Week 7: Counterintelligence (short intelligence assessment due)

Week 8: The Lion: Intelligence Traditions in the United Kingdom

Week 9: The Eagle: The United States Intelligence Community

Week 10: The Bear: Russian Intelligence Past and Present

Week 11: The Dragon: Intelligence Evolution in a Rising China (book review due)

Week 12: Espionage, Spies, and Secrets in Popular Culture

Week 13: Modern Day Intelligence Operations and Challenges

Week 14: Briefings (student presentations due)

Week 15: National Intelligence Estimates (final NIE due)

 HARVARD UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SCHOOL
Intelligence and International Security, Fall 2019

*Recommended content for a deeper dive into the material including select historical documents.
**Individual readings listed are found in Johnson and Wirtz, Intelligence: The Secret World of Spies.

September 9: Intelligence and International Security

• Mark Lowenthal, Secrets to Policy, Chapter 1.
• Michael Warner, “Wanted: A Definition of Intelligence,” Studies in Intelligence 46, no. 3
(2002) Unclassified Edition.
• Ludwell Lee Montague, "The Origins of National Intelligence Estimating," Studies in
Intelligence 16, no. 2 (Spring 1972).
• Chicago Council on Global Affairs, “Public Attitudes on US Intelligence,” 10 July 2019.
September 16: Disciplines and the Intelligence Cycle
• Mark Lowenthal, Secrets to Policy, Chapters 4-5.
• Loch Johnson and James Wirtz, “Part II: Intelligence Collection.”
• Richard Betts, “Analysis, War, and Decision: Why Intelligence Failures are Inevitable,” World
Politics 31, no. 1 (1978).
September 23: Theories and Approaches in Tradecraft
• Sherman Kent, “Words of Estimative Probability,” Studies in Intelligence 8, no. 4 (1964).
• Richards J. Heuer, Psychology of Intelligence Analysis (Washington, DC: Center for the Study
of Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, 1999) pp.1-30.
• Joseph W. Gartin, “The Future of Analysis,” Studies in Intelligence 63, no. 2 (2019).
• Thomas Fingar, Reducing Uncertainty (Palo Alto: Stanford University Press, 2011) Entire.
September 30: Intelligence as a Component of Policymaking
• James J. Wirtz, “The Intelligence-Policy Nexus.”
• Robert D. Blackwill and Jack Davis, “A Policymaker’s Perspective on Intelligence Analysis.”
• Arthur S. Hulnick, “Intelligence Producer-Consumer Relations in the Electronic Era,”
International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence 24, no. 4 (2011).
• Robert M. Gates, “Guarding Against Politicization,” Studies in Intelligence 36, no. 1 (1992).
• *Shay Hershkovitz & David Siman-Tov, “Collaboration Between Intelligence and
Decisionmakers: The Israeli Perspective,” International Journal of Intelligence and
Counterintelligence 31, no. 3 (2018).
October 7: Covert Action
• Mark Lowenthal, Secrets to Policy, Chapter 8.
• Rory Cormac and Richard Aldrich, “Grey is the New Black, Covert Action and Implausible
Deniability,” International Affairs 94, no. 3 (2018).
• David Sanger, Confront and Conceal: Obama’s Secret Wars and the Surprising Use of
American Power (Broadway Books: New York, 2012) Part II.
• *Ronen Bergman, Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations
(New York: Random House, 2018) Chapter 34.
• *Andru Wall, “Demystifying the Title 10 Title 50 Debate: Distinguishing Military Operations,
Intelligence Activities, & Covert Action,” Harvard National Security Journal 3 (2011).
 • *David F. Rudgers, “The Origins of Covert Action,” Journal of Contemporary History 35, no.
2 (2000).
• *NSC Directive on Covert Operations: NSC 10/2, 18 June 1948.
October 21: Oversight, Ethics, and Accountability
• Gregory F. Treverton, “Intelligence: Welcome to the American Government.”
• Loch K. Johnson, “Congressional Supervision of America’s Secret Agencies: The Experience
and Legacy of the Church Committee.”
• Claudia Hillenbrand, “The Role of News Media in Intelligence Oversight,” Intelligence and
National Security 27, no. 5 (2012).
• Nigel Inkster, “The Snowden Revelations: Myths and Misapprehensions,” Survival 56, no. 1
(2014).
• *Richard Clarke, Michael J. Morell, Geoffrey R. Stone, Cass R. Sunstein, Peter Swire, “Liberty
and Security in a Changing World.” The White House. December 2013. Executive Summary.
• *Office of the Counselor, “McCain Amendment and U.S. Obligations under Article 16 of the
Convention Against Torture.” United States Department of State. 15 February 2006.
October 28: Counterintelligence
• Lowenthal, Secrets to Policy, Chapter 7.
• National Counterintelligence and Security Center, “Strategic Plan 2018-2022.”
• Paul J. Redmond, “The Challenges of Counterintelligence.”
• James M. Olson, “The 10 Commandments of Counterintelligence: A Never-ending Necessity,”
Studies in Intelligence 45, no. 5 (2001).
• *The White House, “Allegations of CIA Domestic Activities,” 3 January 1975.
November 4: The Lion: Intelligence Traditions in the United Kingdom
• Percy Cradock, “The British Experience with Intelligence.”
• Sir John Sawers, “Secrecy Is Not a Dirty Word: How Can the Public Have Confidence in Work
Done in Secret?” Vital Speeches of the Day 77. No. 1 (2011).
• Calder Walton, “The Spies Who Came in from the Continent,” Foreign Policy, 27 April 2019.
• David Bond, “Inside GCHQ: The Art of Spying in the Digital Age,” Financial Times Magazine
23 May 2019.
• *Michael Goodman, “The Foundations of Anglo-American Intelligence Sharing,” Studies in
Intelligence 59, no. 2 (June 2015).
• *Cabinet Office, “National Intelligence Machinery.” 19 November 2010.
November 11: The Eagle: The United States Intelligence Community
• Daniel R. Coats, “National Intelligence Strategy of the United States of America.”
• Stephen B. Slick, “The 2008 Amendments to Executive Order 12333, United States
Intelligence Activities,” Studies in Intelligence 58, no. 2 (2014).
• Loch K. Johnson, “A Conversation with James R. Clapper, Jr., The Director of National
Intelligence in the United States,” Intelligence and National Security 30, no. 1 (2015).
• *Sherman Kent, "Prospects for the National Intelligence Service," Yale Review 36 (1946).
• *Allen W. Dulles, “William J. Donovan and the National Security,” Studies in Intelligence 3,
no. 3 (1959).
November 18: The Bear: Russian Intelligence Past and Present
• Aaron Bateman, “The KGB and Its Enduring Legacy,” The Journal of Slavic Military Studies
29, no. 1 (2016).
• David Gioe, Michael Goodman, and David Frey, “Unforgiven: Russian intelligence vengeance
as political theater and strategic messaging,” Intelligence and National Security 34, no. 4
(2019).
• Thomas Rid, “Disinformation: A Primer in Russian Active Measures and Influence
Campaigns,” United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 30 March 2017.
• *Intelligence Community Assessment 2017-01D, “Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions
in Recent US Elections.” ODNI. 6 January 2017.
• *L. K. Bekrenev, “Operational Contacts: Soviet doctrine on the holding of meetings with
agents,” Studies in Intelligence 9, no. 1 (1995) Adapted from a Top-Secret paper issued by the
Soviet Military-Diplomatic Academy in 1960.
November 25: The Dragon: Intelligence Evolution in a Rising China
• Edward Schwarck, “Intelligence and Informatization: The Rise of the Ministry of Public
Security in Intelligence Work in China,” The China Journal, no. 80 (2018).
• Nigel Inkster, “China’s Draft Intelligence Law,” International Institute for Strategic Studies, 26
May 2017.
• Lindsay Maizland and Andrew Chatzky, “Huawei: China’s Controversial Tech Giant,” Council
on Foreign Relations (CFR: New York, 2019).
• *Ralph D. Sawyer, “Subversive Information: The Historical Thrust of Chinese Intelligence,” in
Intelligence Elsewhere (Washington: Georgetown University Press, 2013).
December 2: Espionage, Spies, and Secrets in Popular Culture
• Amy B. Zegart, “Spytainment: The Real Influence of Fake Spies,” International Journal of
Intelligence and Counterintelligence 23, no. 4 (2010).
• Watch at least one of the following films…one that you have not seen: Dr. No (1962) The Spy Who
Came In From The Cold (1965) Three Days of the Condor (1975) The Hunt for Red October (1990) Sneakers
(1992) GoldenEye (1995) Ronin (1998) Spy Game (2001) The Bourne Identity (2002) Munich (2005) Syriana
(2005) Casino Royale (2006) The Good Shepherd (2006) The Lives of Others (2006) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
(2011) Argo (2012) Skyfall (2012) Zero Dark Thirty (2012) The Imitation Game (2014) Bridge of Spies (2015).
• *Christopher Moran and Trevor McCrisken, “The Secret Life of Ian Fleming: Spies, Lies, and
Social Ties,” Contemporary British History 33, no. 3 (2018).
December 9: Modern Day Intelligence Operations and Challenges (Guest)
• Adrian Wolfberg, “The President’s Daily Brief: Managing the Relationship Between
Intelligence and the Policymaker.”
• C. Lawrence Meador and Vinton G. Cerf, “Rethinking the President’s Daily Intelligence
Brief,” Studies in Intelligence 57, no. 4 (December 2013).
• *David Priess, The President’s Book of Secrets (New York: PublicAffairs, 2017).
December 16: Student Briefings
• Stephen Marrin, “Why Strategic Intelligence Analysis Has Limited Influence on American
Foreign Policy.”
• Christopher A. Kojm, “Change and Continuity: The National Intelligence Council, 2009-2014,”
Studies in Intelligence 59, no. 2 (2015).
December 19: Conclusion/National Intelligence Estimate Due