The United States currently faces many challenges, including a very widespread lack of confidence in its ability to carry out its many missions competently as well as legally. Counterintelligence (CI) is one of the most vital arenas within the United States Intelligence Community (IC), and is aimed at achieving the main goal of protecting the country, both from insider threats and foreign intruders. It is our nation’s shield and sword. While many improvements to this vital system have been made or need to be made, many issues still remain as no system will ever be perfect.
According to Executive Order (E.O.) 12333, CI is defined as the “information gathered and activities conducted to identify, deceive, exploit, disrupt, or protect against …show more content…
Intelligence agencies are highly targeted because they are the most valuable targets for stealing classified information. U.S. intelligence agencies tend to trust the individuals who work for them because they have gained the proper clearance necessary for the job. This way of thinking is due to the fact that employees are required to participate in a very rigorous process in order to be hired. This process includes extensive background checks, interviews with not only the applicants, but close friends and associates, as well as enduring a CI polygraph examination. According to Lowenthal, one of the biggest espionage problems stems from familiarity with co-workers, as it offers a false sense of security. This false blanket allows individuals to refuse to accept that a co-worker could potentially be working against them. An example of this is the famous case of Robert Hanssen, who worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Hanssen was able to avoid detection because the FBI was busy looking for a rogue employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) instead of one of their …show more content…
This issue largely came about during J. Edgar Hoover’s tenure as the director of the FBI, when he became jealous of the power granted to the CIA. The CIA, in turn, harbored a like view of the FBI, all the while developing negative views of Hoover. The biggest source of tension between the two agencies lies in their views on how to handle CI issues. The CIA is apt at utilizing discovered spies for offensive counterintelligence and counterespionage against the spy’s home country; the FBI, on the other hand, attempts to expose and prosecute any spies in court on charges of espionage. Therefore, the goals of one agency completely contradict and eradicate the goals of the other. This was brought to light with the case of Aldrich Ames, a 31-year veteran of the CIA. Ames, who spoke fluent Russian and specialized in Russian intelligence services, began spying for the Russians in 1985. He was eventually arrested in 1994. According to General David Crane, then-Chairman of the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s school in Virginia, Ames was able to avoid detection for a lengthy amount of time due to the FBI and CIA’s conflicting missions. In the short term, the conflicting missions resulted in an ineffective initial investigation. In the long term, the history of mistrust between the two agencies resulted in the
According to Executive Order (E.O.) 12333, CI is defined as the “information gathered and activities conducted to identify, deceive, exploit, disrupt, or protect against …show more content…
Intelligence agencies are highly targeted because they are the most valuable targets for stealing classified information. U.S. intelligence agencies tend to trust the individuals who work for them because they have gained the proper clearance necessary for the job. This way of thinking is due to the fact that employees are required to participate in a very rigorous process in order to be hired. This process includes extensive background checks, interviews with not only the applicants, but close friends and associates, as well as enduring a CI polygraph examination. According to Lowenthal, one of the biggest espionage problems stems from familiarity with co-workers, as it offers a false sense of security. This false blanket allows individuals to refuse to accept that a co-worker could potentially be working against them. An example of this is the famous case of Robert Hanssen, who worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Hanssen was able to avoid detection because the FBI was busy looking for a rogue employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) instead of one of their …show more content…
This issue largely came about during J. Edgar Hoover’s tenure as the director of the FBI, when he became jealous of the power granted to the CIA. The CIA, in turn, harbored a like view of the FBI, all the while developing negative views of Hoover. The biggest source of tension between the two agencies lies in their views on how to handle CI issues. The CIA is apt at utilizing discovered spies for offensive counterintelligence and counterespionage against the spy’s home country; the FBI, on the other hand, attempts to expose and prosecute any spies in court on charges of espionage. Therefore, the goals of one agency completely contradict and eradicate the goals of the other. This was brought to light with the case of Aldrich Ames, a 31-year veteran of the CIA. Ames, who spoke fluent Russian and specialized in Russian intelligence services, began spying for the Russians in 1985. He was eventually arrested in 1994. According to General David Crane, then-Chairman of the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s school in Virginia, Ames was able to avoid detection for a lengthy amount of time due to the FBI and CIA’s conflicting missions. In the short term, the conflicting missions resulted in an ineffective initial investigation. In the long term, the history of mistrust between the two agencies resulted in the