Challenges in Intelligence

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer argues that several serious challenges must be overcome within the next few years if American interests are to be well-served by those entrusted with accumulating information on the country's enemies and with formulating strategies for overcoming those enemies. The challenges include unimaginative policy-makers, an unwieldy bureaucracy, imperfect human resources management, the need for international collaboration in a day and age when America is deeply unpopular around the world, the unfortunate trend towards the politicization of intelligence-gathering activities, and slovenly knowledge management. The writer notes that while arguably none of them is any more important than the others, all of them, if taken as a collective, can lead to a paralysis of the intelligence community that might prove, quite literally, deadly. The writer concludes that American intelligence has a host of challenges, from unimaginative policy-makers, to bureaucratic inertia, to combating America's unpopularity overseas, to poor knowledge management, that must all be overcome as quickly as possible.

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From the Paper:

"Another major challenge will be coming up with a more stream-lined decision-making process for all branches of government - not simply the CIA or FBI or any other explicitly intelligence-gathering department. This commitment to efficiency, as most can imagine, is vitally important when it comes to things like protecting American nuclear arsenals from successful infiltration or attack. According to the General Accounting Office, the Department of Energy took nearly two years to develop a new Design Basis Threat capable of accurately assessing the possible size and capabilities of terrorist forces - in no small part because the DOE's review and comment process for developing policy is cumbersome, to say the least. Clearly, one of the great challenges facing America today is coming up with a means by which the bureaucracy can be made to work more efficiently so that all those associated - even peripherally - with the intelligence community are responsive and flexible in a day and age when responsiveness and flexibility are desperately needed. All in all, given as the country's nuclear arsenals are so enticing to sophisticated terrorist outfits with considerable human and financial resources, streamlining the decision-making and implementation process (particularly with regards to things like DBT development) is simply imperative."

Sample of Sources Used:

• DeSouza, Kevin C. 2005. Restructuring government intelligence programs: A few good suggestions. Government Information Quarterly, 22.3, 342-353.
• Hamre, John J. 2004. Should the 108th congress approve intelligence reform legislation before its adjournment? Con. Congressional Digest 83.10 (December): 315-319.
• Intelligence and policy. 2006. America, 194.9 (13 March): 5.
• Haseltine, Eric. 2006. The speed of intel technology. Federal Times, 42.30 (4 September): 21.
• Hart, Douglas, and Simon, Steven. 2006. Thinking straight and talking straight: Problems of intelligence analysis. Survival, 48.1 (Spring): 35-59.

More papers on Challenges in Intelligence:

• Analytical Essay # 134631 : "Challenges Facing the Intelligence Community"
• Persuasive Essay # 149645 : "The Intelligence Community: A History of Reactionary Reform"
• Analytical Essay # 105741 : "Intelligence Community"

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