The Reformation Of American Intelligence

Our U.S. intelligence agencies are undergoing a vast sea change in this post 9-11 era. If anything constructive has come out of this event, it has been the disclosure of a need for much better interagency cooperation. Historically, the various branches of intelligence have jealously guarded their respective turfs, often to the detriment of everyone concerned. Politics and ambition have often occluded or outright hidden truths that needed disclosure, in the interests of national security.

With the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, many of us assumed that all the branches of intelligence would be working under it's aegis. That has turned out not to be, as politicians continue to suggest the appointing of a new intelligence czar to oversee it all. Porter Goss, the new CIA Director, is reportedly overwhelmed at times by the multitude of issues facing him daily. Issues ranging from discontented employees, to those who are resistant to changing the way things have been done there for years. Reasonably one could ask, then how can one man or woman handle all of them?

The much hoped for increase in interagency cooperation has not occurred at the levels sought by those who recognize how critical sharing intelligence is. This, plus the extremely serious issue of leaking highly classified information exacerbates an already tense situation. For serious intelligence watchers, this leaking of key information smacks of an attempt to hobble and disrupt the task at hand-keeping America safe.

Both the leaks leading to the Iran/Contra hearings and the disclosure of secret CIA prisons in Eastern Europe emanated from a foreign press, but were immediately picked up by US journalists. The Wilson/Plame leak came straight from the White House. None of these leaks were spontaneous discoveries of an existing situation, but well thought out and deliberately planted to disrupt our intelligence gathering activities.

All of these factors impact how we are going to insure that our agents are as free as possible from political gaming, and how can we keep their movements and operations safe from those seeking to stop them? One way to foster more cooperation and sharing amongst the varying agencies may well be to have a panel oversee the day to day running of the differing agencies. The panel would be comprised of people from each branch, chosen by their peers for fairness, good management skills, and extensive field experience.

This might help mitigate the impact and the danger of having a lone individual doing the oversight. It appears that no one person would be able to do this without an enormous staff, which increases the risk of more leaks and political gaming. The system is already an unwieldy bureaucracy, with a poor methodology for its system of checks and balances.

Intelligence gathering, by it's very nature requires it be fluid, adaptable and highly mobile. In its current state both in the U.S. and the U.K., each step often requires permissions to proceed, often from people who may be able administrators of their particular sphere, but possess little understanding of the needs and frustrations agents encounter, while trying to do their jobs.

They often spend long days, weeks and months carrying out operations, and at the final hour have the No Go signal sent, by some desk jockey, who either is obeying political orders, or simply lacks the intestinal fortitude or experience to give the go ahead. It's happened in Iraq, pre-war, in Afghanistan and too many other arenas to mention here.

The result is a total erosion of trust between contacts incountry, carefully built up over time, and a hardening of attitudes amongst the agents involved. Many become disillusioned and simply stop trying. This must be changed. Wars are not won by military action, but by the quality and nature of intelligence. The following quote from Sun Tzu's Art Of War is the definitive statement on this topic.

"Of all those in the army close to the commander none is more intimate than the secret agent; of all rewards none more liberal than those given to secret agents; of all matters none is more confidential than those relating to secret operations. Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move"
- Sun Tzu

This is an issue that will require all of us to pay close attention to what DC politicians attempt, in their efforts to try and find a solution to the problem. After all it is our safety that is at stake here.