Johnson, author of the acclaimed Secret Agencies and ""an experienced overseer of intelligence"" (Foreign Affairs), here examines the present state and future challenges of American strategic intelligence.

Michael Turner argues that the root causes of failures in American intelligence can be found in the way it is organized and in the intelligence process itself. Intelligence that has gone awry affects national decision making and, ultimately, American national security. Intelligence officials are reluctant to talk about intelligence successes, claiming "the secret of our success is the secret of our success." But these officials also shy away from talking about failures, largely because doing so would expose the failings of American intelligence and have an impact on policy consumers who may become more reluctant to accept and act on the intelligence they receive. Rather than focusing on case studies, the book takes a holistic approach, beginning with structural issues and all dysfunctions that emanate from them. Turner explores each step of the intelligence cycle--priority setting, intelligence collection, analysis, production, and dissemination--to identify the "inflection points" within each stage that contribute to intelligence failures. Finally, he examines a variety of plans that, if implemented, would reduce the likelihood of intelligence failures. While examining the causes of intelligence failures, Turner also explores intelligence as a critical governmental activity, making the book an excellent primer on secret intelligence. Turner writes in jargon-free prose for the informed reader interested in foreign policy and national security policy matters and brings enough depth to his subject that even experts will find this a must-read.

National security intelligence is a vast, complicated, and important topic, made doubly hard for citizens to understand because of the thick veils of secrecy that surround it. This definitive introduction to the field guides readers skilfully through this hidden side of government. It not only explains the three primary missions of intelligence - information collection and analysis, counterintelligence, and covert action - it also explores the wider dilemmas posed by the existence of secret government organizations in 'open' societies. With over thirty-five years of experience studying intelligence agencies and their activities, Loch Johnson illuminates difficult questions such as why intelligence organizations make mistakes in assessing world events; why some intelligence officers decide to work against their own country on behalf of foreign regimes; and how agencies succumb to scandals, including spying on the very citizens they are meant to protect. National Security Intelligence is tailor-made to meet the interests of students and general readers who care about how nations protect themselves against threats through the establishment of intelligence organizations - and how they continue to strive for safeguards to prevent the misuse of this secret power.

This book critically examines the weaknesses of American intelligence led by the Central Intelligence Agency in informing presidential decision making on issues of war and peace. It evaluates the CIA's strategic intelligence performance during the Cold War and post-Cold War periods as a foundation for examining the root causes of intelligence failures surrounding the September 11th attacks and assessments of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs in the run up to the Iraq War. The book probes these intelligence failures, which lie in the CIA's poor human intelligence collection and analysis practices. The book argues that none of the post-9/11 intelligence reforms have squarely addressed these root causes of strategic intelligence failure and it recommends measures for redressing these dangerous vulnerabilities in American security.

“Clears up some common misconceptions of the CIA . . . an insider’s perspective on how covert action really works, or fails” (Savannah Morning News). Covert action has been used as an instrument of statecraft by America’s leaders since its earliest days. Some presidents have used it wisely, contributing to our success and security. Others have used it poorly, not understanding its limitations and weaknesses, with disastrous results. Surrounded by secrecy as it is, it’s not surprising that covert action can provoke confusion, ambivalence, and strong feelings among the citizens of a democracy. Executive Secrets shines a light on the development and execution of foreign policy and the role covert action has played—forging a deeper and more nuanced understanding of both its value and its drawbacks in the ongoing project of keeping the United States safe from its adversaries and respected by its allies. “A most informative study of covert action. . . . A valuable work that will be treasured by scholars and professionals in the field. Highly recommended.” —Choice “Daugherty has done us all a tremendous service by attempting to rescue the Agency from the myths, both well-meaning and malevolent, that shape our understanding of it. . . . This book ought to dispel some of the fog that obscures our understanding of the C.I.A. and that prompts the gigantic mood swings in our attitude toward intelligence gathering and covert actions.” —Mark Bowden, from the foreword A History Book Club Selection

Over 3,300 total pages …. Introduction: The National Intelligence University is the Intelligence Community’s sole accredited, federal degree-granting institution. The main campus is located in Bethesda, MD and it also has Academic Centers located around the world. The faculty of NIU are subject matter experts from around the intelligence community who bring a wealth of knowledge and practical experience, as well as academic qualifications, to the classroom. Included titles: BRINGING INTELLIGENCE ABOUT Practitioners Reflect on Best Practices ANTICIPATING SURPRISE Analysis for Strategic Warning Learning With Professionals: Selected Works from the Joint Military Intelligence College THE CREATION OF THE NATIONAL IMAGERY AND MAPPING AGENCY: CONGRESS’S ROLE AS OVERSEER The Coast Guard Intelligence Program Enters the Intelligence Community A Case Study of Congressional Influence on Intelligence Community Evolution THE BLUE PLANET INFORMAL INTERNATIONAL POLICE NETWORKS AND NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE TEACHING INTELLIGENCE AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SHAKESPEARE FOR ANALYSTS: LITERATURE AND INTELLIGENCE Out of Bounds: Innovation and Change in Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis Managing the Private Spies Use of Commercial Augmentation for Intelligence Operations Intelligence Professionalism in the Americas Y: The Sources of Islamic Revolutionary Conduct GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM: ANALYZING THE STRATEGIC THREAT SENSEMAKING - A STRUCTURE FOR AN INTELLIGENCE REVOLUTION Finding Leaders Preparing the Intelligence Community for Succession Management EXPERIENCES TO GO: TEACHING WITH INTELLIGENCE CASE STUDIES Democratization of Intelligence Crime Scene Intelligence An Experiment in Forensic Entomology BENEATH THE SURFACE INTELLIGENCE PREPARATION OF THE BATTLESPACE for COUNTERTERRORISM A FLOURISHING CRAFT: TEACHING INTELLIGENCE STUDIES INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS IN THEATER JOINT INTELLIGENCE CENTERS: AN EXPERIMENT IN APPLYING STRUCTURED METHODS The Common Competencies for State, Local, and Tribal Intelligence Analysts

This topical volume offers a comprehensive review of secret intelligence organizations and activities. Intelligence has been in the news consistently since 9/11 and the Iraqi WMD errors. Leading experts in the field approach the three major missions of intelligence: collection-and-analysis; covert action; and counterintelligence. Within each of these missions, the dynamically written essays dissect the so-called intelligence cycle to reveal the challenges of gathering and assessing information from around the world. Covert action, the most controversial intelligence activity, is explored, with special attention on the issue of military organizations moving into what was once primarily a civilian responsibility. The authors furthermore examine the problems that are associated with counterintelligence, protecting secrets from foreign spies and terrorist organizations, as well as the question of intelligence accountability, and how a nation can protect its citizens against the possible abuse of power by its own secret agencies. The Handbook of Intelligence Studies is a benchmark publication with major importance both for current research and for the future of the field. It is essential reading for advanced undergraduates, graduate students and scholars of intelligence studies, international security, strategic studies and political science in general.