Mission Impossible
The inside story of how a band of reformers tried--and failed--to change America's spy agencies
Direct authority Sec. Defense over NSA, NGIA, NRO, DIA, and Armed Forces intelligence organizations
Secretary of Defense
The secretary of defense coordinates the military's varied intelligence units. The Defense Department is home to huge agencies that handle spy satellites and electronic eavesdropping.
National Security Agency
The NSA collects and analyzes overseas electronic communications, such as phone calls, and runs the nation's codes and cryptography efforts.
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
The NGA provides the United States and its allies with imagery and maps drawn from spy satellites, aircraft, and other means.
National Reconnaissance Office
Established in 1960, the NRO builds and operates the nation's spy satellites. Its existence was an official secret until 1992.
Defense Intelligence Agency
Created in 1961, the DIA's more than 7,000 staff provide intelligence on foreign armed forces, weapons systems, and military strategies.
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps intelligence organizations
Each armed-service branch collects and processes relevant intelligence, focused heavily on tactical military operations.
Oversight Committees
The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence authorize the community's budgets and oversee its operations.
With Kevin Whitelaw and Monica M. Ekman
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