Intelligence Community in the United States is a federation of 17 separate agencies working together under the coordination of the office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Their primary responsibility is conducting intelligence activities necessary for maintaining foreign policy and national security then reporting to the president of the United States. The members of the Intelligence Community achieve this by collecting and producing internal and external intelligence, which is used in military planning and action. Essentially, the Intelligence Community operates under two separate programs namely: The National Intelligence Program (NIP) and The Military Intelligence Program (MIP). The NIP deals with all projects and activities designated by the DNI and the president of the United States. On the other hand, the MIP refers to all projects and programs of the military department in an effort to acquire intelligence for purposes of planning and conducting military operations by the United States Armed Forces. The ultimate goal of the Intelligence Community is to better protect the Americans against terrorists and natural disasters by increasing local and national security.
Following the September 11, 2001, attack in the United States, the government created the National Commission on Terror Attacks to investigate the incidents leading to the attack. The commission was established in 2002 where after 17 months of interviews and reviewing documents, they issued their final report in 2004. It conducted interviews to over ten countries, reviewed many documents including classified national security documents and relied on the FBI for investigation (Harvard Society for Law and Public Policy, 2009). In the report, the commission identified intelligence community failures that occurred before the attacks. Moreover, the National Commission on Terror Attacks concluded that the attackers were from Saudi Arabia, although there was no evidence that the Saudi government funded the organization. There was also evidence of close communication between the attackers and Iran, with al-Qaeda hijackers passed through Iran with no entry stamps in their passports. These were among the findings of the incidences that led to the 9/11 attack as reported by the commission. This was in efforts to identify gaps and recommend effective strategies for the country to prepare adequately for future attacks.
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In the 2004 report, after thorough investigations, the National Commission on Terror Attacks provided 41 recommendations. These recommendations were aimed at restructuring the Intelligence Community. This was essential since the attack highlighted the Intelligence Community weaknesses. For instance, the Intelligence Community lacked effective planning for counterterrorism mechanisms; second, the community lacked a centralized leader as well as a leader where the various agencies could not operate in an integrated manner. As such, the 9/11 report recommended the creation of a Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The director will be able to provide directions and enhance integration among its agencies; also, the director will account for the community performance (Norcross, & Brown, 2012). Additionally, the National Commission recommended the establishment of a National Counterterrorism Center. This would enable integration of counterterrorism intelligence activities as well as plan executive operations nationally. In addition, it would bridge the gap between various branch departments, thereby enhancing interagency coordination.
Additionally, 9/11 Commission recommended that the in order to successfully deal with terror attacks, the United States government should consider strengthening relationships and commitments with foreign nations. This will play a major role in determining the future of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the fight against terrorism. Consequently, the government should seek to establish a relationship with Saudi Arabia that is beyond oil. As a result, they can agree on a shared commitment to reform and enable both sides to defend their citizens on a common platform. All these efforts are aimed at suppressing potential attacks from countries in the Middle East, where most terrorists originate. Essentially, these countries are referred as potential terrorist sanctuaries, from where they spread to other nations globally. The National Commission on Terror Attacks also suggested that in order to implement the outlined recommendations, the government should build unity of effort in the Intelligence Community (Kahan, 2015). Although it is not an easy task to bring together organizations that work independently to share information freely, it is essential for a more secure country free from terrorists and natural disasters.
I agree with the recommendations presented by the 9/11 Commission regarding preventive measures of future catastrophic attacks. The recommendations are aimed at protecting the citizens of the United States to the greatest extent possible. Consequently, the Commission has provided legislative initiatives that would ensure that government’s resources are used to prevent and better prepare for terrorist attacks. Additionally, they outlined strategies that would enable the country to respond to and recover from natural disasters and terror attacks more efficiently. In the wake of frequent terror attacks, the recommendations provided by the Commission will place the nation in a better position to deal with such issues (Norcross, & Brown, 2012). Moreover, the primary role of the government is to protect its citizens from internal or external attacks. Social, economic development, and political stability of a country depend on local and national security. As such, by implementing such recommendations, the government will be fulfilling its duty to the people of the United States.
Since the 2014 report, the United States government has made efforts to implement the recommendations so as to secure the nation from terrorists. For example, following the 9/11 report, the government created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This brought 22 organizations into a single Cabinet-level department to better mitigate and defend the country against dynamic threats. Furthermore, over the preceding years after its creation, DHS has evolved and strengthened the security enterprise to address evolving terror threats. Moreover, the Congress created the Director of National Intelligence who is in charge and accountable for the performance of the Intelligence Community. The director also enhanced integration among the various organizations that make up the Intelligence Community (The United States, 2005). As a result, different departments of agencies that are part of the Intelligence Community are producing better intelligence compared to the past. With comprehensive information, the DHS can identify and combat threats in their communities more effectively.
Another recommendation that has been implemented from the 9/11 commission report is combating immigration fraud. Through a risk-based system, the DHS can now prevent dangerous people from entering the United States who pose a threat to local and national security. This is achieved by improving the accuracy of personal identification documents and promoting information sharing between various Intelligence Community. In addition, border security has been enhanced by investing in personnel and technology to avoid illegal entry of weapons, terrorists, and drugs. However, in most of the recent terror attacks, the attackers have been identified as American citizens. It is clear that terror groups are using the internet to recruit their members from any country and later using them to carry out the attacks. As such, preventing entry of illegal immigrants or securing the borders cannot efficiently combat terrorist attacks internally. The Intelligence Community should create better strategies to combat such kind of attacks (American Muslim Task Force, & International Institute of Islamic Thought, 2004). To achieve this, various organizations should come up with solutions that will best address the situation for a more secure country.
The world after the Commission’s recommendation reforms has experienced significant organizational changes both for policymakers and the Intelligence Community. These changes are necessary to increase the nation’s preparedness against future terrorism and natural disasters. The most significant changes involved the creation of various departments to better address security issues both on the local and international level. For policymakers, the primary focus has been formulating strategies that will be applicable for the global campaign against terrorism. In addition, since the implementation of some recommendations in the 9/11 commission meant the integration of various agencies. As such, policymakers have been forced to share information with the Intelligence Community regarding a variety of crises and potential attacks (Kahan, 2015). A good relationship between the Intelligence Community and policymakers is essential to ensure that post 9/11 world is better prepared for future terror attacks. On the other hand, Intelligence Community should educate policymakers on various intelligence to promote their efforts of establishing better strategies.
Preparedness against terrorists’ attacks and natural disasters calls for unity among various stakeholders in the government and private organization. This will ensure that all these agencies are committed and work together towards achieving a single goal; local and national security. As such, the recommendations from 9/11 commission matter to the Intelligence Community since it serves as a guideline. Moreover, it provides efficient approaches that will help the community address various issues concerning terrorist attacks. On the other hand, policymakers will create better policies that will concentrate on achieving national security by including all participants such as DHS. Since the final report was based on findings from interviews and reviewing of documents, it indicates gaps and better approaches to assessing threats to protect the country better. In the hands of policymakers and the Intelligence Community, the recommendations will provide direction and access the capability of their current strategies. Although terrorist attacks are dynamic with changing technology, these recommendations serve as a step in improving the security level of the country.
References
American Muslim Task Force., & International Institute of Islamic Thought. (2004). First impressions: American Muslim perspectives on the 9/11 commission report . Herndon, VA: International Institute of Islamic Thought.
Harvard Society for Law and Public Policy. (January 01, 2009). Intelligence oversight, national security, and democracy. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, 12, 2.
Kahan, J. H. (January 01, 2015). Hedging against terrorism: Are US businesses prepared? Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning.
Norcross, J., & Brown, D. L. (January 01, 2012). Intelligence-led policing: Using community policing to fight terrorism. Texas Police Journal, 60, 6.
United States. (2005). Reform of the United States intelligence community : Hearings before the Select Committee on Intelligence, United States Senate, One Hundred Eighth Congress, second session, August 18, 2004 and September 7, 2004 . Washington: U.S. G.P.O.
