Strenthening Intelligence for Sustainable Homeland Security of USA-Sundar K Sharma - Nepal

8/9/2019 Strenthening Intelligence for Sustainable Homeland Security of USA-Sundar K Sharma - Nepal

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Strengthening Intelligence for Sustainable Homeland Security of

United States of America

"To lack intelligence is to be in the ring blindfolded." - Former Commandant of the Marine Corps, General David M. Shoup

Background

Vulnerability to terrorism is one of the central issues for Homeland Security strategies of United States.Terrorism is becoming a global challenge and is continually triggering the security situation of United

States. After the event of 9/11, United States has gone through a multiple strategies in homeland

security. The vulnerability to terrorism is the eliciting call to strengthen intelligence capabilities ofUnited States. Keeping in mind the importance of intelligence for the sustainable homeland security of

U.S, this essay tries to put forward an insight on the importance of intelligence based on the lessons

learned from the past terrorist attacks and threats. It has tried to convey a message on the critical role of

intelligence and the ways for strengthening the intelligence for Sustainable Homeland Security of UnitedStates.Regarding the vulnerability context of terrorist attacks and threats in United States, former U.S. senator,Warren Rudman , said that; in three and a half years of deliberations, traveling around the world,

talking to foreign leaders, foreign intelligence services, all the United States experts, academics in this

country and abroad, we came to the conclusion that (A) there are large groups of people in this world

who are terrorists who didn't like us, didn't like what we stood for, didn't like our policies; (B) they hadthe capacity to hurt us; and (C) when they could, they would. 1Upon this realization intelligence is being

integrated as a component of Homeland security. A primary mission of the Department of Homeland

Security (DHS, Department) is to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce thevulnerability of the United States to terrorism, and minimize the damage, and assist in the recovery from

terrorist attacks that do occur in the United States. Since its inception in 2003, DHS has had anintelligence component to support this mission and has been a member of the U.S. IntelligenceCommunity (IC).2 Based on the critical review, this essay has proposed major pathways of

Cooperative Coordination between intelligence community and the law enforcement community,

Incorporation of the highly efficient disciplines of research and development in intelligence

analysis, Smart Investment on intelligence to improve institutional and professional capabilities.

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1 Frontline interview with a former U.S. senator, Warren Rudman (R-N.H.) chaired the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Boardfrom 1997 to 2000. This interview was conducted mid-September 2001.Available at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/terrorism/interviews/rudman.html

2The Department of Homeland Security Intelligence Enterprise: Operational Overview and Oversight Challenges for Congress,

Mark A. Randol, Specialist in Domestic Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism, May 27, 2009, Congressional Research Service,www.crs.gov (R40602,the Department of Homeland Security Intelligence Enterprise Congressional Research Service)

undaKharm

Digitally signed bySundar K SharmaDN: CN = Sundar KSharma, C = NA, O =WorldwideFoundation /Nepal,OU = Research andDwevelopmentReason: I am theauthor of thisdocumentDate: 2010.06.2518:17:28 +05'45'


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Lessons From the Past:

Former U.S. senator, Warren Rudman who was also the chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence

Advisory Board from 1997 to 2000, has argued that although intelligence agencies may be able to assess

security threats, they are rarely able to predict terrorists' intentions. Regarding the event of September11, in an interview, he has said of course it was an intelligence failure. By definition, when something

bad happens to you, and you didn't know about it, it's an intelligence failure.3 According to Loch

Johnson the resulting analytical failures have shown up repeatedly since 1994 in a string of

embarrassing and often deadly disasters4. Across the board of the various intelligence methods,

America's analytic depth is found to be uncomfortably shallow. Loch Johnson argued that, Imagery

analysis in particular has suffered from inadequate attention. The hundreds of photographs a day that

return to the United States from surveillance satellites have overwhelmed interpreters. A seniorcongressional staffer with responsibilities for intelligence oversight recently complained that "less than

half of the pictures taken by our satellites ever get looked at by human eyes," or, for that matter, "by any

sort of mechanized device or computerized device detecting change." In this regard, stepping towardsbetter intelligence is held by many observers to be a crucial factor for strengthening the Homeland

Security of United States.

Regarding the complex dynamics of terrorism and its threats, Rich DiSabatino, the director ofIntelligence Support Group Ltd., inferred that Well, we are probably one of the most powerful

intelligence agencies in the world. However, we have a long way to go, especially with a new threatsuch as sophisticated targets, such as bin Laden. For instance, we can receive information and it could be

processed automatically on keyword recognition. However, if that information was scrambled or

encrypted, you would not be able to even hear the keyword until it was processed in the clear.5

Thechairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and a former CIA officer, Porter

Goss (R-Fl.) said the intelligence community was unprepared for the new terrorist threat. He calls for a

new emphasis on qualified personnel to infiltrate terrorist organizations and analysts who can decodeand understand the information gathered by electronic and other surveillance methods.6 In terms of the

existing strength of the intelligence, he added We don't have enough analysts. We are hopelessly

underinvested in analysts.

2

"Ideally there should be one single organisation responsible for all security intelligence within the country. If there is more

than one, it is almost impossible to define the respective responsibilities of each organisation or to devise any means of

coordinating their activities. .., agents, especially the less reliable, will get themselves on to the payroll of several

organisations and feed them the same unreliable information. Such information seemingly confirmed from different sources

will be accepted as authentic. The different organizations will withhold information from one another in order to obtain the

credit for themselves. A promising line of intelligence may well be cut inadvertently, or even intentionally, by another

organisation. Mutual suspicion and jealousies will arise, quite likely with the result that the separate organisations merely

end up spying on each other. .. The best organisation to be responsible for all internal security intelligence work is the

special branch of a police force rather than a completely separate organisation. It is a great advantage if intelligence

officers have police powers and are able to call when necessary on other branches of the police for support and assistance

for developing their intelligence work." SIS Director of Operations (1950) - Sir Robert Thompson

3Frontline interview , Available at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/terrorism/interviews/rudman.html

4 The CIA's Weakest Link , What our intelligence agencies need are more professors, By Loch Johnson , Washington Monthly,July/August 2001 , Available at: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0107.johnson.html

(Loch Johnson, Regents Professor of Political Science at the University of Georgia, is the author of "Bombs, Bugs, Drugs, and Thugs."This article was supported by a grant from Understanding Government).

5 Frontline interview , Available at : http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/terrorism/interviews/disabatino.html6 Frontline interview , Available at : http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/terrorism/interviews/goss.html


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Ways Forward:

Cooperative Coordination between intelligence community and the law enforcement community

Cooperation between the U.S. intelligence community and the law enforcement community is the prime

factor for strengthening intelligence capabilities in United States. To address the challenges facing the

U.S. Intelligence Community in the 21st century, congressional and executive branch initiatives havesought to improve coordination among the different agencies and to encourage better analysis. This is all

about making cooperation effective for substantial leadership and managerial challenges. The U.S.foreign relations can determine the capability also; it will depend on how government deals with foreign

governments, the amount of information shared back and forth, and the international coalitions against

terrorism threats and attacks. There should be competence rather than competition within the

intelligence community and networks.

Incorporating the highly efficient disciplines of research and development in intelligence analysis

Qualified researchers and analysts are required to understand the information gathered latest technical

tools, e.g. by electronic and other surveillance methods. Incorporating new disciplines can be highlyeffective for strengthening the analytical capability of intelligence researchers. E.g. forensic science

contributes to the gathering of effective and timely intelligence and investigative information onterrorists and terrorist groups.7

Smart investment for smart results

Investment for intelligence should be sufficient enough to enhance the institutional and professional

capabilities. William Gardella has clearly enlightened the importance of researches in intelligence andsaid that the application of a sustained academic expenditure remains a critical necessity. The

complexity of the terrorist ideal demands the rational insight gained from academic investigation8. She

concluded that the capacity to formulate solutions to highly dynamic and complex problems requires asustained academic expenditure.

"Describing a past event is not intelligence analysis, it is history. True intelligence analysis is always predictive"-

Robert M. Clark, Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach (2004, CQ Press)

7TRENGTHENING FORENSIC SCIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES, A PATH FORWARD; by: Committee on Identifying the Needsof the Forensic Science Community, Committee on Science, Technology, and Law Policy and Global Affairs, Committee on Applied and

Theoretical Statistics, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONALACADEMIES, THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS, Washington, D.C., www.nap.edu

8William Gardella, Ascendancy through Perception: the Importance of Dedicated Investment in Academic Homeland Security Research

and Inquiry, CHDS essay contest August 2008, , Copyright 2009 - NPS Center for Homeland Defense and Security , http://www.hsaj.org/

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Past studies have suggested to reform not only the structure of the security system but also emphasized

on the proper resource allocation in the critical mission areas. Intelligence is the most critical missionarea for homeland security (Please see figure below), but contrary to this fact the budget allocation to

intelligence is lowest of all other sectors. In fact, researchers argue with such budgetary provisions and

they have suggested for focusing on smart investment for intelligence researches and development.

Critical Mission Area FY 2008

Budget Authority

(Billions of

Dollars)

Intelligence and Warning 0.3

Border and Transportation Security 20.8

Domestic counterterrorism 2.2

Protecting Critical Infrastructire and Key Assets 3.0

Defending Against Catastrophic Threats 1.3

Emergency Preparedness and Response 1.8

Other 0.2

Total, DHS Homeland Security Activites 29.6

DHS Non-Homeland Secirity Activites 16.8

Grand Total DHS 46.4

Global Homeland Security, Homeland Defense & Intelligence Markets Outlook 2009-2018, forecasts that global

HLS-HLD markets will exhibit a robust growth at a CAGR of 7.3% (for the period 2009-2018).1

The following factors will impact this forecasted HLS-HLD market growth:

The Obama administrations adoption of Keynesian economics, expanding federally-funded HLS-HLD spendingto curb economic recession

Increased funding in some key market sectors such as :Cyber Security ,Bio Defense, Information Technology,C3I,Perimeter and Border Security

The bi-partisan commitment to homeland security in the U.S. The Chinese governments internal security concerns at times of slow economic growth Middle Eastern investments in regime stabilization, to counter threats from homegrown radical Islam Indias escalating Al-Qaeda terror activities The need to replace ineffective counter terror technologies

It concludes that the lion share of this markets expansion will be financed by an ever-growing redirection of non terror-

related national security budgets toward the homeland security, homeland defense and counter-terror intelligence sectors.

Sources: HomelandSecurity Research, 601 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington D.C. 20004, USA

Sources: The National Strategy for Homeland Security, July 2002. , Budget of the United States for FY 2008, Analytical Perspectives as inCindy Williams, 2008-presidential transition series, Strengthening Homeland Security:reforming Planning and resource allocation.

Six Critical Mission Areas for

Homeland Security

Intelligence and Warning Border and Transportation Security Domestic counterterrorism Protecting Critical Infrastructire and

Key Assets

Defending Against CatastrophicThreats

Emergency Preparedness andResponse

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Initiatives for Strengthening Intelligence Capabilities:

Regarding the occasional failure of intelligence president Obama concluded three different failures ;

Failure to follow up on and prioritize particular streams of intelligence , failure to connect the dots of

intelligence that existed across United States intelligence community, failure fed into shortcomings in

the watch-listing system. Based on this conclusion, president has made following remarks for

strengthening the capability of the intelligence,

1. Intelligence community immediately begin assigning specific responsibility for investigating all leads on

high-priority threats so that these leads are pursued and acted upon aggressively not just most of the time, but

all of the time. We must follow the leads that we get. And we must pursue them until plots are disrupted. And

that mean assigning clear lines of responsibility.

2. Intelligence reports, especially those involving potential threats to the United States, are distributed more

rapidly and more widely. We can't sit on information that could protect the American people.

3. We strengthen the analytical process, how our analysis how our analysts process and integrate the

intelligence that they receive. My Director of National Intelligence, Denny Blair, will take the lead in improving

our day-to-day efforts. My Intelligence Advisory Board will examine the longer-term challenge of sifting

through vast universes of intelligence and data in our Information Age.

4. Immediate effort to strengthen the criteria used to add individuals to our terrorist watch lists, especially the

"no fly" list. We must do better in keeping dangerous people off airplanes, while still facilitating air travel.

So taken together, these reforms will improve the intelligence community's ability to collect, share, integrate,

analyze, and act on intelligence swiftly and effectively. In short, they will help our intelligence community do its

job even better and protect American live.

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, For Immediate Release, January 07, 2010, Remarks by

the President on Strengthening Intelligence and Aviation Security.

Example of Plan in Action:

A 100 Day Plan has been built on the foundation established by the National Intelligence Strategy (NIS).

The initiatives contained herein map to the strategic objectivesboth mission and enterprise

addressed in the NIS. The 100 Day Plan represents specific initiatives and tasks to be accomplishedaccording to the priorities of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The goal of the 100 Day Plan

is to demonstrate short-term progress and build momentum for integration and transformation across the

Community. This plan will be followed by the drafting of a 500 Day Implementation Plan that alignsand synchronizes on-going and planned activities not included in the initial 100 Day Plan.

The 100 Day Plan is aligned to six integration and transformation Focus Areas:

1. Create a Culture of Collaboration

2. Foster Collection and Analytic Transformation

3. Build Acquisition Excellence and Technology Leadership

4. Modernize Business PracticesSource: United States Intelligence Community (IC), 100 Day

Plan for INTEGRATION and COLLABORATION, DIRECTOR

OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, WASHINGTON DC, 20511

5. Accelerate Information Sharing

6. Clarify and Align DNIs Authorities

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"If there is ever another major war, it will begin because one side has obtained (or believes it has obtained) such a

complete knowledge of the enemy's intentions and capabilities that it is sure that with its own resources victory is

possible and easy." -Philip Warner

Strenthening Intelligence for Sustainable Homeland Security of USA-Sundar K Sharma - Nepal

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