Resources

Read/review the following resources for this activity:

• Textbook: Chapters 5, 6
• Lecture 1: Collection
• Lecture 2: Analysis – Part 1
• Lecture 3: Analysis – Part 2
• Link (PDF): U.S. Government. A tradecraft primer
• Link (website): Covert Action: A systems approach Wood

Introduction
While gathering intelligence is key in the process, the analysis of the data is what provides the players with the answers as to how to use the material.

Initial Post
Using a current issue in intelligence you find in the news or open source material from the

library
, what training is needed and how would you analyze that issue? Consider what is required to understand the intelligence needed, how to gather the intelligence, and finally, how to analyze the information.

Secondary Posts

read
postings provided by your instructor or fellow students.

read
and respond to the conclusions drawn by your classmates. Remember to read the feedback to your own major postings and reply throughout the week.

Writing Requirements

• In addition to one initial post, respond to at least two peers.
• Initial Post Length: minimum of 250 words
• Secondary Post Length: minimum of 200 words per post
• Using APA format, provide at least one citation with corresponding references page and use appropriate in-text citation(s) referring to the academic concept for the initial post.

Grading and Assessment
Meeting the minimum number of posting does not guarantee an A; you must present an in-depth discussion of high quality, integrate sources to support your assertions, and refer to peers’ comments in your secondary posts to build on concepts.

This activity will be graded using the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric.

Learning Outcome(s): 1, 3, 4, 5
1. Assess the theoretical effectiveness of intelligence and covert action with regard to analyzing governmental structure and national security policy.

3. Define the U.S. Intelligence Community.
4. List the different kinds of intelligence and examine how it is gathered.
5. Examine the history and structure of U.S. intelligence.

student 1 “I feel there are several current issues to discuss within the intelligence community, one being the disconnect between collected intelligence within cultural and political areas. The central intelligence agency states “The national intelligence produced on the technical and cultural/political areas, however, remained largely distinct and separate.” (CIA, 2008). When it comes to looking at terrorism there are multiple cases in which political leaders are also very high up terrorist groups. This is important to state because several terrorist groups are based off their culture which can tie into their religion. This being said if we are only looking at cultural or political intelligence, we may be missing some big connection point between the two. Instead of looking at just the two separately we should bring the research we find on both together and look at it through that aspect. If you are looking at it in an approach of what is needed to understand the intelligence of both they each have their own importance. Political intelligence is often overlooked but a political analyst looks at domestic politics and foreign policy and they give written or oral statements to our policymakers.

As an example, if we are looking into the new ISIS leader, Al-Hashimi, we may miss some big factors about him (Finnegan,2019). We need to be looking at him in both the cultural and political aspects to see who he may be connected to in either ways. We would need to analyze both information and then look at them together to find any connection we might not have found if we just looked at them separately..

Issues for the US Intelligence Community. (2008, June 26). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol49no3/html_files/Collection_Analysis_Iraq_5.htm.

Finnegan, C. (2019, November 6). New ISIS leader is ‘a nobody,’ but US knows ‘almost nothing’ about him: Official. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/International/isis-leader-u…

student “An issue that I have been seeing a lot in the news, which can relate to not only the intelligence community but everything, is personal bias and closemindedness. “In a world of fake news, pundits and super-PAC lobbying groups it can sometimes be hard to figure out what is the motivation behind a piece of information or even what is real.” (Maucione, 2018). Recognizing that everyone is biased is important and that is just how humans are as we all grew up in different ways, and we have our own thoughts and opinions. I think it is important that those who are wanting to be apart of the intelligence community learn to work around our personal biases. This is a reason why it is also important to work in a diverse environment and why there needs to be more races and more women in the community. Over the years I have seen more and more women and different races be apart of the government, but still, a majority is white men. “Everyone in the intelligence community needs to be aware of their bias and where they come from so they can check that bias and find others to offset it.” (Mauscione, 2018). It would be beneficial, if aloud, to have another person of a different background partner with them to make sure the work is not biased, closeminded, and being done for the right reasons. Even artificial intelligence can have biased algorithms to them, not just humans.

This is something that really can not be taught in school, but it is something that has to be discovered for yourself. Although, I can tell that our school is trying to help students to learn to not be close-minded with these discussion boards. Not once have I ever seen students argue or be rude to each other, everyone has always agreed to disagree and discussed their own views while trying to understand the other’s view, which is great. I think that we will all benefit from these discussion boards a lot when going into the workforce.

Maucione, S. (2018). To offset personal biased, intelligence expert says those in the IC community should lean on diversity. Federal News Network. https://federalnewsnetwork.com/academic-insights/2018/09/to-offset-personal-bias-intelligence-expert-says-those-in-the-ic-community-should-lean-on-diversity/