Intelligence and Security
Explain the role and responsibilities of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and, in particular, what action he must take to deal with this situation, i.e., in ensuring that this terrorist attack on the U.S. does not take place.
The DNI is said to be one of the most important people as far as the security of U.S. is concerned. This is because of the role he plays in the security system of the country. The DNI is usually appointed by the president and he is subject to the control, authority, and direction of the president. The DNI has several specific roles in relations to security matters including the following;
Serving as the chief or principle advisor to the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council, and the President in relations to matters pertaining intelligence of the whole nation.
Serving as the head of the 16-members in the United States Intelligence Community
Being the top most security agent, the DNI is therefore responsible for giving any directive in relations to what should be done and actions to be put in place in relations to any security matter. In view of the situation at hand, the DNI may give a directive or advice in that matter to both the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council on how to act so as to eliminate the threat in question . One of the actions that may be taken is to find more intelligence in relations to the situation and enhancing security in all the airports that may be used in the rout to the U.S. airport.
Source
Marks, Ronald A. Spying In America in the Post 9/11 World: Domestic Threat and the Need for Change. London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2010. Print.
Identify and explain the roles of the top five Intelligence Community element (agencies, departments, military, technical and scientific, etc.) that will be called upon by the DNI in an effort to clearly identify the precise nature and timing of the threat and planned attack on the U.S., in order to prevent the terrorists from carrying out this planned attack on the U.S.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-The CIA has the responsibility of providing national security intelligence to senior U.S. policymakers. This agency carries out several responsibilities which include collection, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence information to top U.S. government officials such as the DNI . The CIA would accumulate a list of all the flights scheduled to leave Aden and get all the names of possible passengers. It will then do a thorough search on every passenger to check whether they pose any threat. The search of this information will be done in conjunction with Yemen and all countries at stake.
Federal Bureau of Investigation-This agency has several responsibilities including understanding threats to national security and penetrating transitional and national networks that have the intention of harming the U.S. The FBI will ask for any leads from the airport and check if there is any significant information that might point out the planned attack. The informant will be asked to provide clearer information and perhaps the source.
National Security Agency-The agency is considered to have several intermediary as well as top functions inclusive of coordinating, directing, and performing activities that are highly specialized to produce foreign signals intelligence information, and protect U.S. information systems. This agency will tackle the task of following up the various terrorist groups in Yemen and knowing the members and their location. With the help of Yemen government, this agency will spy on the listed members and get information from them. For instance through the use of bugging systems and questioning of suspects.
Sources
Garthoff, Douglas F. Directors of central intelligence as leaders of the U.S. New York: Government Printing Office, Government Printing Office. Print.
Johnston, Rob. Analytic Culture in the United States Intelligence Community: An Ethnographic Study. Washington (D.C.: CIA's Center for the study of intelligence, 2005. Print
Explain the appropriate level of collaboration, if any, required with foreign partners by the U.S. government, and identify the roles of the agency or agencies of the U.S. government that will be responsible to lead this international collaborative effort. Also, identify which foreign country (or countries) intelligence and law enforcement agencies will be called upon for assistance and the nature of assistance that should be requested.
The U.S. department of state plays a big role in ensuring collaboration with the foreign intelligence units. The fact that is tasked with the responsibility of analysing and disseminating information regarding any terror attack gives it the leeway to interact with other intelligence units in other nations in order to reduce terrorism. Some of the foreign countries whose intelligence will be called up are the Israeli intelligence unit as well as the British intelligence unit as well as any other unit that helps reduce the spread of terrorism. On most occasions, the nature of assistance is usually informational or tactical support while in the field (Borene).
Source
Borene, Andrew M. The U.s. Intelligence Community Law Sourcebook: A Compendium of National Security Related Laws and Policy Documents. Chicago, Ill: American Bar Association, 2010. Print.
Does the IC have the capabilities required to prevent this planned attack on the United States homeland. Give reasons for your conclusion, including explanation of the capabilities, if present, or needed, if not
The IC has the capabilities of preventing such an attack due to several reasons. Having had the information that there would be an attack and the information was gotten from one operator; the IC through its agencies such as FBI, CIA, and NSA can obtain more intelligence in regards to the threat and as such identify and eliminate the terrorists before they carry out the attack (Richelson 152). These agencies have enough resources as well as ability to gather information and identify the threats.
Source
Richelson, Jeffrey. The US Intelligence Community. London: Blackwell Publishers, 2008. Print.
Works Cited
Garthoff, Douglas F. Directors of central intelligence as leaders of the U.S. New York: Government Printing Office, Government Printing Office. Print.
Marks, Ronald A. Spying In America in the Post 9/11 World: Domestic Threat and the Need for Change. London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2010. Print.
Richelson, Jeffrey. The US Intelligence Community. London: Blackwell Publishers, 2008. Print.
Borene, Andrew M. The U.s. Intelligence Community Law Sourcebook: A Compendium of National Security Related Laws and Policy Documents. Chicago, Ill: American Bar Association, 2010. Print.
Johnston, Rob. Analytic Culture in the United States Intelligence Community: An Ethnographic Study. Washington (D.C.: CIA's Center for the study of intelligence, 2005. Print.
