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2. Intelligence, Surveillance and Spies: One Family's Ordeal
3. Intelligence Community's Secret Surveillance Network
What is the Intelligence Community, who are its members, and what are the major intelligence responsibilities of member organizations?
The Intelligence Community is an assemblage of separate agency intelligence organizations which gather, evaluate, and distribute information, most of which is secret. The Intelligence Community is made up of 16 organizations whose activities are controlled and coordinated by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), who reports to the President. The DNI is charged primarily with developing the overall intelligence budget, designing procedures to govern large intelligence acquisitions, setting priorities and coordinating policies/activities for the 16 intelligence agencies, monitoring covert operations, setting policy for working with foreign intelligence services, authority to request information from nonintelligence agencies, and performing joint planning for counterterrorism operations for the 16 intelligence agencies. Reporting to the DNI besides the 16 intelligence agencies are the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), which is staffed by terrorism experts from the CIA, FBI, and the Pentagon; the Privacy and Civil Liberties Board; and the National Counter Proliferation Center.
The responsibilities and authorities for the Intelligence Community are provided primarily in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004; Title 50, "War and National Defense", of the US Code; Executive Order 12333, "United States Intelligence Activities"; and the USA Patriot Act. In the September 21, 2009 issue of the Wall Street Journal, L. Gordon Crovitz reports that the U.S. spends 75 billion dollars annually for civilian and military intelligence operations. There are 200,000 intelligence professionals.
A brief description of the 16 members of the current Intelligence Community is provided below, with emphasis on their major intelligence responsibilities.
1. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)- The CIA's major intelligence responsibilities are (1) to clandestinely collect foreign intelligence, (2) to conduct counterintelligence and counterterrorism activities related to foreign intelligence and national security matters, and (3) to develop the necessary technical collection systems required for carrying out the (1) and (2) responsibilities.
The CIA operates within and outside the United States in accordance with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, Title 50 of the US Code, Executive Order 12333, and the USA Patriot Act. Presidents authorize covert operations (special activities) through issuance of written Findings. Such operations are double-edged swords, and should be avoided during peacetime except under grave situations.
Within and outside the United States, the CIA operates a vast network of informants, surveillants, and support personnel. Such outside-Agency personnel complement the Agency's internal intelligence staff, which consists primarily of Agents, counterintelligence and counterterrorism operatives, and technical and analytical support personnel.
2. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)- The FBI's main intelligence responsibility is to conduct counterintelligence, counterterrorism and intelligence activities within the United States in accordance with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, Title 50 of the US Code, Executive Order 12333, and the USA Patriot Act. These activities are under the direction of the head of the National Security Service, who in turn is hired by the FBI director and the attorney general but with the concurrence of the Director of National Intelligence.
In summary, the role for the FBI entails the detection, penetration, prevention and neutralization, by lawful means, of espionage, sabotage, terrorism, and other activities directed against the United States by hostile foreign persons and organizations.
Inside the United States, the FBI operates a vast citizen network of informants, surveillants, and business/personal connections. Such personnel complement the Bureau's internal intelligence staff, which consists primarily of Agents, Special Support (Surveillance) Group (SSG) personnel, and various support personnel.
3. Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)- The DIA's major responsibility is to satisfy the foreign intelligence and counterintelligence requirements of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the various other commands and components of DOD and other agencies.
4. National Security Agency (NSA)- The NSA's major responsibility is to provide centralized coordination, direction, and performance of highly specialized technical operations to ensure that U.S. Government communications are protected and that foreign communications are a source of intelligence data.
5. National Geospatial Intelligence Agency- This organization, a support agency of the DOD, provides timely, relevant, and accurate imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information in support of military and other users.
6. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)- An agency of the Department of Defense, the NRO reports to the Secretary of Defense, who in concert with the Director of Central Intelligence, has ultimate management and operational responsibility for NRO. The NRO manages the satellite reconnaissance programs for the entire Intelligence Community.
7. Air Force Intelligence- The Air Force Intelligence's major responsibility is to conduct and manage the collection, processing and analysis and dissemination activities sufficient to meet worldwide Air Force and national needs.
8. Marine Corps Intelligence- The Marine Corps Intelligence's major responsibility is to provide responsive and broad intelligence support for the worldwide Marine Corps organization.
9. Army Intelligence- The Army Intelligence's major responsibility is to provide specialized intelligence support to the Army worldwide and to the DOD.
10. Naval Intelligence- The Naval Intelligence's major responsibility is to fulfill the intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative and security requirements of the Department of Navy.
11. Department of State- The Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research produces political and economic intelligence sufficient to meet the State Department's needs. It focuses on issues bearing on US national security, economic well-being, and promotion of democracy throughout the world.
12. Department of Energy (DOE)- The Department of Energy's major responsibility is to openly collect political, economic and technical information concerning foreign energy matters. It is primarily a consumer of intelligence information.
13. Department of Treasury- The Department of Treasury's major responsibility is to openly collect foreign financial and monetary information and to assist the Secretary of Treasury in his roles of chief economic and financial adviser to the President.
14. United States Coast Guard- The United States Coast Guard deals with intelligence information relating to U.S. maritime borders and Homeland Security.
15. Department of Homeland Security- The Department of Homeland Security prevents terrorist attacks within the United States, reduces America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimizes the damages and recoveries from attacks that do occur.
16. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)- The DEA's primary mission is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the U.S. and to bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the U.S. those organizations and personnel who are involved in the growing, manufacture, and distribution of controlled substances. In carrying out this mission, the DEA shares counterterrorism information they uncover as a part of their work with the other members of the Intelligence Community.
The costs incurred by the Intelligence Community for FY-2010 was 80.1 billion dollars.
Note: Although the Government has not acknowledged it, there exists within the United States a major, secret, broad-based surveillance network consisting primarily of retired and ex- Intelligence Community personnel, retired and ex- military personnel, citizens from all walks of life, current Intelligence Community employees, intelligence officers from nations friendly to the U.S., elements of community emergency services (police, fire, ambulance, etc.), and employees of the U.S. Postal Service. This network began in 1975 following the disbandments--caused by Congressional and public pressure-- of the CIA's Operation Chaos and the FBI's Operation Cointelpro antiwar, anti-Communist, surveillance programs. While the website author has considerable knowledge on many aspects of this surveillance network, he remains unclear as to who authorized and funds this network, who heads up this network, and which Congressional committee, if any, provides oversight on this network.
The website author is aware of one case in which the above network has conducted illegal surveillance on an American family--all citizens with exemplary character-- for more than 35 years (1975 to the present). Damages incurred by this family as a result of this surveillance operation include:
1. Father--Career trashed and subject harassed for 18 years in workplace; health problems.
2. Mother-- Health problems.
3. Children-- Careers seriously damaged.
Such illegal action on the part of the Intelligence Community is a total affront to our U.S. Constitution-- specifically Amendments 1, 4, 5, 9 and 14--and should be investigated and prosecuted by the Department of Justice.
Bibliography:
1. Website http://www.intelligence.gov/1-members.shtml;United States Intelligence Community- Who Are We.
2. Ranelagh, John: The Agency: The
Rise and
Decline of the CIA; Simon and
Schuster, New York,
1986, 847pp.
3. Title 50, War and National Defense, of the US Code. A copy may be obtained at http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/50/ web site.
4. Executive Order 12333: United States Intelligence Activities; Signed originally by President Ronald Reagan on December 4, 1981. A copy may be obtained at http://www.nara.gov/fedreg/codific/eos/e12333.html web site.
5. The USA Patriot Act; Signed by President George W. Bush on October 25, 2001.
6. Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004; Signed by President George W. Bush on December 17, 2004.
7. The website author's personal
files.
Web site created originally by William Albert Hewgley on December 24, 1997.
This web site is maintained by:
William Albert Hewgley
318 Shady
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Kingston, Tennessee
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Phone and Fax:
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This is web
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Latest Update: October 29, 2010
