National Security

967 Words2 Pages

The video is of President Bush when he is signing the Bill for the “Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act” from the White House on the 17th of Dec, 2004. A key point that I took away from this video is with the Presidents opening statement, “In a few minutes, I will sign into law the most dramatic reform of our nation's intelligence capabilities since President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947. “ The reason that I feel that this statement is so profound is that it took a stateside terrorist attack to realize that there was a discrepancy with the way that the intelligence community operated. In these times many can not go two years without the need to purchase the next big thing. The way that any community has positive progression is by reviews and improvements. Not only did the intelligence community change 55 years, but the way that society started a change to the entitlement generation where society now feels as if they are entitled to information regardless of the impact to national security.

In 1947 the internet and social media was not as widely used as it is today with even the President “Tweeting” and posting on “Facebook”. When we look at the act of human collections in 1947 the agent was required to possibly get as close as possible to the target to obtain source information. Now days the agent can be at a stand-off range with a laser listening device that not only will record all communication but will also record that same information. How can the intelligence community remain ethical under stipulations set forth by President Truman who was concerned about potential state sponsored attacks?

The attacks of 9/11 elevated the use of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Collections...

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...o may have been unethical, but do to the lack of social leaks these unethical actions may never be revealed. Today’s officers need to be planned out with every precaution already in place.

Works Cited

Headquarter, Department of the Army. “FM2-22.3 Human Intelligence Collector Operations”. Department of the Army. September 2006.

Cosh, Colby and National Post. "The Necessity of HUMINT." National Post (f/k/a the Financial Post) (Canada), May 30, 2008. A12.

Mazzetti, Mark. "Blurring Line between Spy and Diplomat." The New York Times, November 29, 2010. 1.

Shuster, Bud. "Hi-Tech Vs. Human Spying." The Washington Times, February 11, 1992. F3.

TIMES,Daniel Gallington , SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON. "What Hope for HUMINT ?" The Washington Times, May 9, 2006. A16.

http://www.politicalvideo.org/george-bush-signs-intelligence-reform-and-terrorism-prevention-act

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