Today's Article
Five years on, a
large number of the
original intelligence
issues remain
unchanged.
large number of the
original intelligence
issues remain
unchanged.
The American Spark
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U.S. Intelligence Reform Law A Failure on Several Points
By Cliff Montgomery - July 7th, 2010
The intelligence reform law which created a National Intelligence director and was to integrate and modernize
America's spy community has in many ways been a failure, according to the findings of a federal report quietly
released last year (large PDF).
The 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act supposedly was created to "address institutional
obstacles that had complicated the [Intelligence Community's (IC)] struggle to adapt to new technologies and
a changing national security environment," according to the study put together by the Director of National
Intelligence (DNI) last year.
"The new act would redraw boundaries between foreign and domestic intelligence, set new rules for
intelligence and law enforcement, enhance the interplay between civilian and military intelligence, correct the
shortfall in information sharing, and meet the needs of traditional and emergent intelligence functions," stated
the DNI report.
But five years on, a large number of those original issues remain unchanged.
"Separating the...roles of the [DNI] on paper has been more easily implemented than delineating the
day-to-day specifics of that division," according to the report.
"The IC continues its struggle to keep up with technological innovations in collection," the study declared.
"Other challenges include transforming analysis, anticipating future threats, increasing critical language
capabilities, and improving hiring and security clearance processing.
"Congress...is still determining what constitutes success in intelligence reform and the oversight process," the
DNI report concluded.
One should remember that this is a DNI study, discussing the current success or failure of the legal actions
which brought DNI into being. It's probably reasonable to assume that the verdict of a less biased observer
would be even more harsh.
If all this weren't bad enough, the report's handlers perhaps unwittingly reveal a continual weakness of the
U.S. intelligence community: A shocking backwardness in data sharing and communications.
The digital "soft copy" of the DNI report--which is the version most members of the press and public would
read--is a massive 18-Megabyte file, even though the short study contains only 25 pages of actual text.
Individuals with a fairly modern computer and a super-quick, broadband Internet access can download such a
monster and actually read it--but almost no one else.
Perhaps that's the point.
Like what you're reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of The American Spark
e-newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be
delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!
By Cliff Montgomery - July 7th, 2010
The intelligence reform law which created a National Intelligence director and was to integrate and modernize
America's spy community has in many ways been a failure, according to the findings of a federal report quietly
released last year (large PDF).
The 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act supposedly was created to "address institutional
obstacles that had complicated the [Intelligence Community's (IC)] struggle to adapt to new technologies and
a changing national security environment," according to the study put together by the Director of National
Intelligence (DNI) last year.
"The new act would redraw boundaries between foreign and domestic intelligence, set new rules for
intelligence and law enforcement, enhance the interplay between civilian and military intelligence, correct the
shortfall in information sharing, and meet the needs of traditional and emergent intelligence functions," stated
the DNI report.
But five years on, a large number of those original issues remain unchanged.
"Separating the...roles of the [DNI] on paper has been more easily implemented than delineating the
day-to-day specifics of that division," according to the report.
"The IC continues its struggle to keep up with technological innovations in collection," the study declared.
"Other challenges include transforming analysis, anticipating future threats, increasing critical language
capabilities, and improving hiring and security clearance processing.
"Congress...is still determining what constitutes success in intelligence reform and the oversight process," the
DNI report concluded.
One should remember that this is a DNI study, discussing the current success or failure of the legal actions
which brought DNI into being. It's probably reasonable to assume that the verdict of a less biased observer
would be even more harsh.
If all this weren't bad enough, the report's handlers perhaps unwittingly reveal a continual weakness of the
U.S. intelligence community: A shocking backwardness in data sharing and communications.
The digital "soft copy" of the DNI report--which is the version most members of the press and public would
read--is a massive 18-Megabyte file, even though the short study contains only 25 pages of actual text.
Individuals with a fairly modern computer and a super-quick, broadband Internet access can download such a
monster and actually read it--but almost no one else.
Perhaps that's the point.
Like what you're reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of The American Spark
e-newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be
delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!
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