The Post Cold War Period and The Attack on Pentagon - Assignment Example

Q The intelligence in the World has undergone a lot of transformation from the Cold War period and the post Cold War period being streamlined by the challenges being faced by intelligence collectors. The challenges involved in the intelligence collection process have made the intelligence community to make necessary adjustments to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness. Some of the adjustments made by the intelligence community are very controversial and are seen to create more problems than solutions especially in matters of national security as the adjustments are seen to undermine the critical tool of national security. This paper will have a deep insight into the priorities that are likely to be for intelligence collection and not necessarily for national security in the foreseeable future. The paper is first going to look into the adjustments being made by the intelligence community to meet the dynamic demands and then look into the possible effects of the adjustments to national security. The end of the Cold War has not ushered in a period of peace and security in the world and thus the need for a reliable and effective intelligence remains paramount despite the existence of new open sources of information. There are still important but coded facts that need to be learnt especially about the intensions of rogue nations like Iran and Terrorist groups like the Al- Qaeda, the proliferation of unconventional weapons like nuclear weapons and the use of deadly military force on civilians as seen in Syria (United States et al 8). Such facts some of which might be highly classified and concealed can only be identified, deciphered and measured through dedicated and advanced intelligence. The essence of intelligence is to gather information from both open and secret sources, analyse it and package it in a timely and purposeful manner to promote national security, help military operations and aid policy makers to protect the national economy. (Roger and Robert 56) Leadership in the intelligence community is of ultimate essence if at all the community is to succeed in its mandate and thus management skills should be prioritized with emphasis on quality, talent development and reward of excellence while promoting a culture of legitimacy and respect for the law. The highest priorities likely to be for intelligence collection in the foreseeable future are in the field of unconventional weapons especially nuclear development in Russia, Iran, Iraq, and North Korea which might pose threats to security of the World (Lahneman 13). The other area of priority is potential acts of terrorism against the American people both in USA and overseas as well as the allies of USA like Israel. The proliferation of terrorist groups like the Al-Qaeda and the al- Shabab pose considerable threat to USA in the future than ever before thus making it an area of priority. Another area of priority is the political and military advancement in China which could reawaken Arms Race and suspicion and Cold War leading to threat of global peace and security. There is also a great need for economic intelligence which should however not be used offensively to help a firm win a contract or tender but should be utilised defensively to cushion American firms against unfair competition through bribes or other unfair means. It is also imperative to protect the intelligence community against political interference to ensure it functions effectively and ensure good policy making processes. Q.2 The attack on Pentagon on September 11 2001 brought about numerous changes in the security process not only in USA but the whole world changing the approach and manner in which issues of security are handled. Probably one might think that America got more cautious in dealing with sources of potential threat to its citizens while another person might argue that America is going too far in violating civil rights and undermining other nations in the name of safeguarding her security. This paper will explore into the issues that came into sharp focus after September 11 with emphasis on the effect of security operations on civil liberties and also look into the effectiveness of intelligence gathering in post 9/11 as compared to the period before 9/11. Before the attack on September 11, 2001 America had very little experience in dealing with terrorist acts in their own soil and had intermediate experience in dealing with terrorism acts abroad. Before this attack, terrorist apprehended were dealt with using the criminal justice system in America and granted all rights given to other criminal defendants including the warning on their Miranda rights and also a full jury trial (Bolton 286). The authorities faced a lot of difficulties in proofing the guilt of the suspects and securing a conviction in the conventional courtrooms due to issues of admissibility of evidence and other legal technicalities. The Bush administration established the Counterterrorism architecture that focused greatly on intelligence collection, integration and terrorist incapacitation which is seen to suspend the civil rights of suspected terrorists to a great extent (Best 2). For instance, the Bush administration asserted the right to detain a suspected terrorist without trial or even the military commission just like the military can detain prisoners during war. The laws that were put in place after the attack including the USA PATRIOT Act allowed enhanced electronic surveillance thus infringing on people’s privacy for the sake of security. The scrutiny and retro scrutiny of all air travelers into the united state also elicited issues of privacy including collection of commercial data of inbound travelers to identify high risk travelers who might be connected with terrorist groups. The Bush administration also pushed all suspected terrorists into the military system where there was a military commission formed to deal with terrorists instead of the criminal justice system (Imre, Mooney and Clarke 108). The military response applied to suspects who were non-citizens of the USA and were detained in military facilities like Guantanamo. In dealing with terrorism and other acts that is a threat to national and global security there is too much focus on a military response as opposed to other forms of responses which has often elicited controversy in America’s ability to effectively and satisfactorily deal with the issue of terrorism without victimization.. After the attack on September 11, America through the Bush administration performed an overhaul in the counterterrorism laws with greater emphasis on the elements of intelligence collection, integration and incapacitation of terrorists. The new law allowed more intensive intelligence collection allowing access into crucial personal details of travelers to the USA. There was also elimination of the traditional obstacles that existed within the intelligence community and law enforcement to enhance integration and smooth flow of information. This has greatly enhanced the capability of the intelligence community to deal with potential enemies such as the Al- Qaeda which was exemplified by the killing of the famous Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Works Cited Best, Richard A. Intelligence Reform After Five Years: The Role of the Director of National Intelligence. Washington DC: DIANE Publishing, 2010. Print. Bolton, M. Kent. U.S. National Security and Foreign Policymaking After 9/11: Present at the Re-creation. L: anham, 2008. Print. Imre, Robert, T. Brian Mooney and Benjamin Clarke. Responding to Terrorism: Political, Philosophical and Legal Perspectives. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 2008. Lahneman, William J. Keeping U.S. Intelligence Effective: The Need for a Revolution in Intelligence Affairs. Plymouth: Scarecrow Press, 2011. Print. Roger Z. George, Robert D. Kline. Intelligence and the National Security Strategist: Enduring Issues and Challenges. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. Print. United States, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Davi M D'Agostino, Subcommittee on National Security and International Relations, Congress, House. Chemical & Biological Defense: Updated Intelligence, Clear Guidance, & Consistent Priorities Needed to Guide Investments in Collective Protection. Report to the Ranking Minority Member,Subcommmittee on National Secyrity and International Relations,House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. . Washington DC: DIANE Publishing, 2007. Print. Read More