Central Intelligence Agency Analysis
The two “key” intelligence agencies that immediately come to mind are the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The mission of the CIA, the most well known U.S. spying agency (and the subject of many Hollywood movies), is to spy and collect intelligence on foreign governments and to engage in covert operations-some involving questionable “regime change”. According to the CIA’s official website, its purpose is to “collect, analyze and disseminate intelligence gathered on foreign nations through signal (electronic) and human intelligence sources.” The CIA was founded in 1947 by the passage of the National Security Act and previously existed as the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which operated during
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World War II. (CIA, 2013)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in an “intelligence-driven and threat-focused national security organization with both intelligence and law enforcement responsibilities.” (FBI 2016) The mission of the FBI, according to their website, is to “protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States.” The FBI has various sections to deal with domestic and international terrorism, foreign counterintelligence, cyber crime, etc. (FBI 2016)
The FBI was founded in 1908 and was the creation of then Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte , who proposed a “regular force of special agents” who would be responsible for the investigation of certain cases assigned by the Department of Justice. The FBI was created to counter anarchism and Marxism which were flourishing in this country at the time and were linked to the assassination of President McKinley in 1901 when a 28 year old Ohio man named Leon Dzolgosz, an anarchist sympathizer, shot the President. (FBI 2016)
With regard to the evolution of the intelligence community it appears that there really was no such thing as a governmental intelligence community until after the Civil War when the U.S. military began to collect information on foreign militaries. The FBI really didn’t become involved in intelligence gathering until President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the agency to carry out counterespionage activities in Latin America. Roosevelt was also responsible for the creation of the precursor to the CIA, the Office of Strategic Services. (Prados, n.d.)
Under President Harry Truman the Central Intelligence Agency became the official, legally authorized U.S. foreign intelligence organization. The purpose of the creation of this organization was to take the intelligence flowing from "200 different sources" and compress it into a manageable presentation. (Prados, n.d.)
What appears to affect the evolution of the intelligence community (now comprised of 17 different federal agencies) is the inability to make use of available information (or the intentional lack of information sharing) to give adequate warning to prevent an attack from occurring. (Lahneman, 2004).
The recognition that there is a genuine threat from other than foreign military forces means that the stress on the FBI, CIA and other members of the intelligence community must process, analyze and share information quickly to continue to evolve and meet the growing danger of both foreign and home grown threats.
(Pappas & Simon, 2008)
References:
CIA (2013, April 19). About CIA. Retrieved August 15, 2017, from https://www.cia.gov/about-cia
FBI (2016, May 03). A Brief History. Retrieved August 15, 2017, from https://www.fbi.gov/history/brief-history
FBI (2016, April 28). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved August 12, 2017, from https://www.fbi.gov/about/faqs
Prados, J. (n.d.). New American Nation. Retrieved August 15, 2017, from http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/E-N/Intelligence-and-Counterintelligence-Evolution-of-u-s-intelligence.html
Lahneman, W. J. 2004. Knowledge-sharing in the intelligence community after 9/11. International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence 17 (4): 629.
Pappas, A. A., & Simon, J. M., Jr. (2008, June 27). The Intelligence Community: 2001-2015. Retrieved August 15, 2017, from
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol46no1/article05.html
World War II. (CIA, 2013)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in an “intelligence-driven and threat-focused national security organization with both intelligence and law enforcement responsibilities.” (FBI 2016) The mission of the FBI, according to their website, is to “protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States.” The FBI has various sections to deal with domestic and international terrorism, foreign counterintelligence, cyber crime, etc. (FBI 2016)
The FBI was founded in 1908 and was the creation of then Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte , who proposed a “regular force of special agents” who would be responsible for the investigation of certain cases assigned by the Department of Justice. The FBI was created to counter anarchism and Marxism which were flourishing in this country at the time and were linked to the assassination of President McKinley in 1901 when a 28 year old Ohio man named Leon Dzolgosz, an anarchist sympathizer, shot the President. (FBI 2016)
With regard to the evolution of the intelligence community it appears that there really was no such thing as a governmental intelligence community until after the Civil War when the U.S. military began to collect information on foreign militaries. The FBI really didn’t become involved in intelligence gathering until President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the agency to carry out counterespionage activities in Latin America. Roosevelt was also responsible for the creation of the precursor to the CIA, the Office of Strategic Services. (Prados, n.d.)
Under President Harry Truman the Central Intelligence Agency became the official, legally authorized U.S. foreign intelligence organization. The purpose of the creation of this organization was to take the intelligence flowing from "200 different sources" and compress it into a manageable presentation. (Prados, n.d.)
What appears to affect the evolution of the intelligence community (now comprised of 17 different federal agencies) is the inability to make use of available information (or the intentional lack of information sharing) to give adequate warning to prevent an attack from occurring. (Lahneman, 2004).
The recognition that there is a genuine threat from other than foreign military forces means that the stress on the FBI, CIA and other members of the intelligence community must process, analyze and share information quickly to continue to evolve and meet the growing danger of both foreign and home grown threats.
(Pappas & Simon, 2008)
References:
CIA (2013, April 19). About CIA. Retrieved August 15, 2017, from https://www.cia.gov/about-cia
FBI (2016, May 03). A Brief History. Retrieved August 15, 2017, from https://www.fbi.gov/history/brief-history
FBI (2016, April 28). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved August 12, 2017, from https://www.fbi.gov/about/faqs
Prados, J. (n.d.). New American Nation. Retrieved August 15, 2017, from http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/E-N/Intelligence-and-Counterintelligence-Evolution-of-u-s-intelligence.html
Lahneman, W. J. 2004. Knowledge-sharing in the intelligence community after 9/11. International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence 17 (4): 629.
Pappas, A. A., & Simon, J. M., Jr. (2008, June 27). The Intelligence Community: 2001-2015. Retrieved August 15, 2017, from
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol46no1/article05.html