Creating a mix of spooks and suits : a new role for intelligence

Abstract

The devastating events of 11 September 2001 demonstrated the United States no longer enjoys a sense of invulnerability to attacks on American soil. On 25 November 2002, President Bush signed legislation creating a Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The purposed of DHS is to solve intergovernmental coordination and resource allocation problems in an effort to prevent future terrorist attacks against America's homeland. The DHS transition team faces many questions and challenges. A major component of the new DHS requires a dedicated effort to monitoring, analyzing, and utilizing intelligence about domestic threats to national security. This thesis defines, describes, and advocates the role of intelligence in the proposed DHS. The role of intelligence in the new DHS is two-fold: 1) a process for the intergovernmental coordination of agencies involved in homeland security, and 2) a tailored, all-source fusion product to support DHS decision-makers. In addition, this thesis focuses on the major intelligence issues for the transition team tasked with creating an information and analysis assessment center within DHS. Defining the role of intelligence in the DHS and creating the means to accomplish this new role for intelligence is no easy task. Published proposals and ideas in general circulation provide a theoretical baseline of how DHS can accomplish this two-fold approach. In order to uncover the 'ground truth' data collection incorporated primary and secondary sources spanning across federal, state, and local intelligence and law enforcement communities. The thesis concludes with recommendations for how the DHS can accomplish this new role for intelligence. DHS policymakers must create a DHS intelligence organizational structure, manage the domestic intelligence process, establish an information-sharing network, incorporate the use of open source information (OSINT), and ensure an internal analytic capability. The time has come to create a mix of spooks and suits capable of preventing future terrorist attacks on American soil.