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01/06/04
 If
you're the FBI, how do you protect the nation in the 21st
century ... in an age when entrenched, sophisticated criminal,
terrorist, and hostile intelligence networks operate seamlessly
across national borders, enabled by technology that allows
hostile action to lash out at lightning speed from anywhere
around the world?
One important
answer: intelligence.
What
is intelligence? Intelligence is essentially information
on security threats facing our country. It includes the individual
bits of information (say, about a certain individual or group),
the larger body of information, and the conclusions that are
reached from that information. To put it another way: You've
probably heard the phrase "connecting the dots."
Intelligence is not just the dots (individually and collectively)
but also the picture drawn from connecting those dots.
So
why is intelligence so important? Simply put, good
intelligence enables good decisions. The more information
you have about a certain security threat -- say, details on
when, where, and how a terrorist attack is coming -- the better
you can prepare and respond. Or, the more you know about how
a certain organized crime family works and who its key players
are, the easier it is to develop a cohesive strategy to disrupt
and dismantle it. In today's world, it almost goes without
saying: having the right information at the right time is
essential to protecting our country.
What
is the FBI's role in intelligence? The FBI is one
of more than a dozen agencies that make up the U. S. Intelligence
Community, along with the CIA, NSA, the State Department,
Treasury, Homeland Security, various military components,
and other agencies. For the FBI, intelligence is one of several
key tools that we rely on to protect our nation. It helps
us aim at and carry out investigations against threats. It
also is our responsibility to produce and share intelligence
gleaned from those investigations with our intelligence and
law enforcement partners.
New
realities, new approaches. For years, collecting
and assimilating intelligence has been a core competency and
key responsibility of the FBI, one that has grown organically
in response to our evolving mission. Today, new, complex,
interconnected global threats require new approaches to intelligence.
In recent months, the FBI has made a series of important changes
... improving how intelligence is collected and analyzed,
how it is packaged and shared both inside and outside the
FBI, and how it is measured and managed Bureau-wide.
In the
days ahead, we will be spotlighting important elements of
the FBI's intelligence program and sharing more specifics
on ongoing changes. Stay tuned!
Links: Overview
of the FBI's Intelligence Program | Meet
Executive Assistant Director of Intelligence Maureen Baginski
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