Intelligence And Homeland Security Essay

Final Assignment
Topic 1: What are the capabilities and limitations of intelligence in supporting homeland security efforts?
The United States has endured numerous security breaches and high security threats over the past two decades. After the attacks on 9/11, the office of Intelligence became a vital source in retrieving sensitive data and tracking down potential terrorists and their networks which could pose a threat to the American people and then forwarding that vital information to the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies. Intelligence became a key role in “assessing threats to critical American infrastructures, bio-and nuclear terrorism, pandemic diseases, threats to the borders to the nation, and radicalization

Through the progression of the years, the intelligence operation within the United States government has changed tremendously over the last decades for both domestic and foreign intelligence. The intelligence community has grown and has evolved into executing different roles within the government; this includes law enforcement and government agencies. Both law enforcement and intelligence organizations have recognized the necessity to collaborate and exchange data in eliminating high security risks. The September 11 attacks also led to the expansion of more agencies and organizations to combat

Under this new law, intelligence agencies were limited on the bulk collection of telecommunications that could be retrieved from U.S citizens along with other restrictions aimed toward the IC. This law was put into effect to enhance the privacy protections of the American people but was a backtrack for the IC. For agencies like the DHS, FBI, and NIC; it was a discouragement for homeland security in eliminating and reducing anti terrorism resources. The DHS is now in a position where they have entered their second era of existence and have expanded tremendously. The Department of Homeland Security has accomplished new stages of interagency direction. Not only have they enhanced their directions with state and local agencies, they have also assimilated the private sectors within the homeland security enterprise. They have made great strides in developing strategic and operating plans and have effectively created, expanded, and enhanced programs towards anti-terrorism. Security in all aspects of the country has increased