Essay On Intelligence And Homeland Security

Intelligence Intelligence gathering and dissemination is the key to homeland security and homeland defense. The gathering of intelligence is a dynamic process that requires the cooperation of a myriad of federal, state, and local agencies. Throughout the process there are several capabilities and limitations that could become support or hinder the protection of the nation. Prior to the attacks on 9/11 the intelligence community struggled to collect and analyze information in regards to “transnational terrorism.” (9-11 commission, 2004) This was due to the lack of budget and the multitude of priorities home and abroad. Before 9/11 the major terrorist attacks were outside of the continental United States and the focus was put on collection intelligence on those assets. The link between that intelligence and the potential for an attack on an asset at home was not necessarily considered. Intelligence gathered abroad must be considered viable and should be analyzed for further attacks against the homeland otherwise it could be a limitation. After the attacks on 9/11 and the Pentagon, intelligence gathering became a priority to understand who conducted the attacks and why. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) realized this and more than doubled its personnel to the dedication of the national security mission. (FBI, 2011) …show more content…
Patriot Act. The U.S Patriot Act consists of several parts. One part allows law enforcement and federal agents to utilize investigation techniques that may be viewed as invasion of privacy to some. However, these investigation techniques have “played a key part in a number of successful operations to protect innocent Americans from deadly plans of terrorism.” (US Patriot Act, n.d.) Allowing the use of such techniques and technology is a way of defeating challenges that the United States may face in the way ahead against