Mission Impossible
The inside story of how a band of reformers tried--and failed--to change America's spy agencies
No one can be sure if the reforms pushed by the ODCI would have stopped the 9/11 or Iraq intelligence failures. But in both cases, a more open, more accountable, more fully networked intelligence community would surely have stood a better chance. "We did do a lot," says one former staffer, "but we could have done so much more had George backed us, or had we existed in a different structure, or had Congress given a rat's ass." With intelligence reform again on the national agenda, there is one more chance to get it right.
The U.S. Intelligence Community
Fifteen agencies make up the sprawling U.S. intelligence community, ranging from the 300 staffers at the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research to the 38,000 people at the eavesdropping National Security Agency. The CIA chief also serves as director of central intelligence and is tasked with leading the community, but the DCI wields little actual influence outside the CIA. Eight of the agencies and most of the budget are run by the Department of Defense; other agencies, like the FBI and Homeland Security, run their own operations.
The Budget Breakdown
Although the precise figure is classified, the U.S. intelligence budget now stands at some $40 billion annually, officials say. Growth has been explosive; the amount has jumped by 50 percent in the past six years. Much of the budget goes to high-tech hardware such as satellites and electronic listening posts.
85 pct. Department of Defense agencies
10 pct. Central Intelligence Agency
5 pct. Other agencies
THE PRESIDENT
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
The NSC is the president's principal body for setting and coordinating national-security policy.
Direct authority NSC over DCI and SD
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
The DCI runs the CIA, serves as the president's chief intelligence adviser, and is charged with coordinating the entire intelligence community.
Direct Authority DCI over CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
Leader of America's civilian intelligence community, the CIA collects foreign intelligence, runs covert operations, and provides reports and analysis on national-security topics.
Limited authority DCI over FBI, DHS, Treasury, CG, State, Energy, NSA, NGIA, NRO, DIA, and Armed Forces intelligence organizations
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The FBI's National Security Division is responsible for thwarting foreign spies and terrorists within the United States.
Department of Homeland Security
Created in 2003, DHS runs an intelligence unit, the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate, charged with analyzing terrorism and other threats inside the United States.
Department of Treasury
Part of the intelligence community since the early 1970s, Treasury works through its Office of Intelligence Support, which collects and analyzes data that affect U.S. fiscal and monetary policy.
Coast Guard
The Coast Guard's intelligence program deals with information tied to safeguarding more than 95,000 miles of U.S. coastlines and other maritime issues. It joined the U.S. intelligence community in 2001.
Department of State
State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research analyzes foreign intelligence drawn from, among other sources, America's diplomatic missions abroad.
Department of Energy
DOE's small intelligence unit analyzes issues related to foreign nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, and energy security."
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