Intelligence Assignment on Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

This intelligence assignment provides a detailed analysis of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) including its history, legislation, ideology, structures, methods, priorities, targets, challenges, and assessment. The report covers the role of CIA in ensuring national security, its aims, and priorities, and the challenges it faces. The report also provides an assessment of the agency's effectiveness in its operations.

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Intelligence Assignment 1
Contents
Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................1
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
History, Legislation and Oversight..................................................................................................2
Ideology and Aims...........................................................................................................................4
Structures and Methods...................................................................................................................5
Priorities, Targets and Role.............................................................................................................7
Challenges........................................................................................................................................8
Assessment....................................................................................................................................10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12
References......................................................................................................................................13

Intelligence Assignment 2
Introduction
An Intelligence agency is one of the significant government departments that collects and
provides foreign, political and military-related information to policy makers in order to ensure
national security. The selected Intelligence agency for this assignment is Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA). CIA is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the United States federal
government and the same works for the national security (Rondina, 2017). The reason for
selecting this agency for the assignment report is it is significance and incredible contribution to
national security. This agency is an indispensable part of the US defense system and dealt with
many of the critical issues in the past, which is discussed in this assignment further. The details
related to this agency such as history, roles, responsibilities, agendas, and challenges are detailed
in the discussion below.
History, Legislation, and Oversight
In this topic, the aspects related to history and development of the subjective agency i.e. CIA has
been elaborated here. Similar to all other government and national security agency, CIA was
also not been created and developed overnight and this agency has completed a long journey.
Every bit of it is history is not possible to cover, therefore the major developments and changes
are mentioned herewith. Prior to the official establishment of CIA also, government was working
on the subject of national security and for this reason, it has developed few agencies like Office
of the Coordinator of Information (COI), Office of Strategic Services (OSS), Strategic Services
Unit (SSU) and Central Intelligence Group (CIG) during the period from 1941 to 1946. CIG was
a dedicated agency in the concerned area i.e. national security but was bounded by the restriction

Intelligence Assignment 3
of the Department of State and the armed services. This was the reason for that this agency
further becomes an independent one and been renamed with “Central Intelligence Agency” in the
year 1947 (Durbin, 2017). Hence, this can mention here that 1947 was the year when CIA was
founded officially.
President of that time had appointed Mr. Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter as director of this agency. CIA
has established under the National Security Act 1947 (Vilasi, 2014). At the time of creation of
this agency, the mission of the same was not well defined by the said act; hence, the authority
has added some lead objectives of this agency in the act instead altering the act. Two years later,
the president has signed the specific act named “Central Intelligence Agency Act.” This separate
act provides following powers to this agency
1. The power of taking personal actions outside the standards of US Government Procedure
2. Confidentially funds intelligence missions and operations.
By the year 1953, this agency became an established and significant authority of government. At
this time, CIA was doing well in it is functioning area and the same has achieved it is basic
structure and also scaled it to retained for the next 20 years. In conjunction with this, by this year
CIA was six times in terms of size in comparison to the year 1947. Cause of good working and
functions on 4th August 1955, the president has signed a bill to construct headquarters for this
agency. In the year 1961, employees of CIA have started to relocate from discordant buildings in
Washington to newly constructed headquarters. The year 1984 was also an important year for
CIA when this agency got the exemption from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The year
2004 was a significant year in the history of CIA as in this year president has signed the

Intelligence Assignment 4
“Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act “due to that restructuring model became
applied to this agency (Taylor, 2012).
In the year 2017, CIA was America’s as well as the world’s chief intelligence agency. Ensuring
the national security by way of a collection of information, sharing the same with the defense
department, conduction covert operation and maintaining foreign political influence are the
major responsibility of CIA.
Ideology and Aims
The vision of CIA is to provide strategic advantages to the United States by it are insights,
actions, and information. Aims of this agency are far crucial to discuss. As it is an intelligence
agency, it focuses on the collection of data, crucial information, and terrorism-related news.
While using the ideology, this agency, focuses on human psychology. What the officers think
about a particular situation and dhow they need to conduct, all these aspects are a part of
Ideology used by this agency. The lead vision of CIA is to ensure national security in the US by
it is functions and activities.
Aims of this agency are to do the required task carefully and efficiently. In conjunction with this,
the following are the lead Aims of CIA:-
1. To Control over terrorism and similar issues.
2. To Safeguard the information and secret of the nation
3. To Provide details of critical safety issues by collecting intelligence, which matters.
4. To provide accurate, timely and comprehensive foreign intelligence with respect to the
national security (fas.org (a), 2018).
5. To maintain the integrity during the conduct.

Intelligence Assignment 5
6. To prepare the intelligence reports in order to provide basic structure to the president for
the preparation of security policies of the country.
Further, CIA is very committed towards it is visions, mission, and aims. This agency has agenda
to stop terrorist activities and to provide a safe and peaceful environment to the citizen of US.
Since the establishment of CIA, the same has the aim to help government authorities on the
matters related to national security.
Structures and Methods
In the context of an organization, a structure refers to the organization hierarchy in general.
Being a significant organization in the area of national security, this agency has adopted many of
the methods of working, that is detailed hereunder after a brief of CIA’s structure.
In CIA, mainly four offices of directors are there. These offices are:
1. Director
2. Deputy Director
3. Executive director
4. Deputy Executive Director
Further, according to the different functions and departments, various directories have also been
established by this agency. These directories are classified as analysis, digital innovation,
operations, science & technology and support. CIA has also it is mission centers to that this
agency serves (fas.org (b), 2018). Structure of CIA can be well understood by the given diagram:

Intelligence Assignment 6
(Cia.gov (a) , 2018)
Methods of CIA are the intelligence techniques that this agency uses in the course of the
performance of it is a duty. These techniques are mentioned hereunder:-
1. Secrecy and Protection: - CIA adopts this method as very basic one. Keeping an eye on
foreign government actions is the main focus of this agency. Although CIA has to provide open
data sources yet this agency keeps the crucial and confidential news a secret.
2. Human Intelligence: - This is the method where a person or agency gathers information
from human resources (Sternberg, 2018). CIA mainly collected HUMINT from the Clandestine
acquisition of documents, photography, and other material. This method is very important.

Intelligence Assignment 7
3. Codes and Ciphers: - In the course of the performance of the duty, CIA uses different
methods and techniques. Use of codes and ciphers is one of them. With the use of such codes,
CIA provides the secret information to authorities. These codes are specifically prepared for a
given purpose.
4. Technology: - As the nature of work of CIA is critical, the same use technology and
software to make it is work efficient, fast, error-free and reliable. As HUMINT is a significant
method for CIA, similar technologies and advancement also have their significant impact and
influence (Cia.gov (b), 2018).
In addition to the above, CIA also uses many other methods such as Intercepting
Communications, Open-Source Intelligence, Imagery intelligence and so on (ciaagentedu.org,
2018).
Priorities, Targets, and Role
As mentioned earlier, that CIA is the lead intelligence agency of US; hence the same consists of
some defined priorities, targets, and roles. In this discussion, the role, priorities, and targets of
this agency are defined and summarize in order to provide a glance over the topic. Priority of the
CIA is to provide the correct intelligence-related information to the respective government
departments. In order to understand the priorities and targets of this agency, it is necessary to
mention the role of the same. What is the basis of those policies? Here the role of CIA comes
into light. As this is the duty of CIA to provide security-related data to authorities for the
preparation of security policies, lead priority of this agency is to provide such data accurately and
timely. Targets and priorities of this agency are nearly connected. The lead target of CIA is to
develop the strategies to set the substantive priorities that fulfill the competing demands of

Intelligence Assignment 8
military planners, policymakers, and law enforcement officials for long-term analysis, strategic
warning, and current intelligence and to provide them guidance on more specific requirements
(Piet and Kanet, 2016).
CIA plays a great role in the development of society. A society as well a nation cannot be
developed in a well-versed manner until unless the same remains fear free. This is necessary to
mention here that although CIA is the intelligence agency of US yet the same has significant role
and value across the globe. In addition, to ensure the national security of the US, this agency also
works for the international security by providing necessary information and ideas for different
treaties. Wars, weapons, defense, secrecy, freedom, and official integrity, these are some
valuable factors of a nation’s security. CIA is the department that keeps these factors in
consideration. The defense department is one of the significant departments of US but CIA
works harder in the field of security of citizens in comparison to the defense department as it
collects the crucial information and provides the summary thereof. CIA has saved many of the
lives. Many of the initiatives have taken by this agency, for Instance, in the year 2002, the office
of the general council of this agency started discussing interrogation techniques with the office of
legal council’s lawyers (ciasavedlives.com, 2018). After reviewing the targets and priorities, this
can state here that the role of CIA cannot be neglected, as the same is far significant.
Challenges
Being an intelligence agency, CIA has faced so many challenges in the past and facing the same
in present. In this heading, the challenges which this agency has faced in past and also facing in
present are detailed. As this agency is dedicated towards national security and terrorism
prevention, the same need some liberty and level of individual authority. CIA has to take

Intelligence Assignment 9
immediate action in order to protect citizens and the country from terrorist attacks. Critics have
portrayed a negative image of this agency. According to them CIA often does the tasks and take
the decision without taking approval of the executive branch of US government. In the year
2005, a presidential committee, which was examining intelligence failures mentioned in it, is
released a report that CIA has inaccurately assessed Iraq’s prewar efforts to acquire and produce
destruction (Pringle, 2018). In addition to this, CIA has faced many other challenges and critics
over the period. As earlier mentioned that in the year 2017, CIA becomes the world’s premier
agency, yet it is facing a number of challenges. These challenges are mentioned hereunder:-
1. Technical Challenges: - For the collection of data and information, analysis,
counterintelligence and conversion of actions, CIA needs an advanced technical support,
but this agency is not getting the same. Further, security of crucial data is also the
important duty of CIA and for this, the agency remains in need of technological
advancement (Slick, 2011).
2. Attraction and Retention of talent: - In the emerging area, new talent is a basic need
for CIA’s operations. Although this agency is making efforts for new recruitment by
changing and managing it is portal accordingly, yet in the coming days, CIA can face
issues related to efficient human resources.
3. Management of Resource: - This is also a lead challenge before CIA, it has to manage
the agency resources during the time of fiscal austerity (cia.gov (c), 2018).
4. Big Data Management: - Management of a completely large set of data is another
challenge for this agency. Since it has evolved in the year 1947, the same has a huge
amount of data and storages of the same is now an issue for CIA.

Intelligence Assignment 10
5. Open sources Centre: - In 2005, CIA’s open resource center has established. CIA is
responsible for all the collected data on this open-source platform, hence, reliability and
secrecy of data does not remain possible.
Assessment
As discussed in the aforesaid topics, that CIA is one of the important intelligence agency of the
nation, it has a great history and the same has also some challenges. Now, under this heading, a
brief assessment of this agency is being done. Regardless of the critics and negatives, CIA is
very effective in it is operations. CIA is one of the lead intelligence agencies of the world that
majorly collects all kind of information such as HUMINT, ELINT, OPEN SOURCE, and
SIGINT. CIA delivers and shares this information with the defense departments and in this way
contribute it is efforts to national security. CIA has very dedicated staff and for this reason, it is
effectiveness enhances. The success of CIA can be measured by it is development over the years.
In the starting years from 1941 to 1946, the government has established 3 to 4 agencies but none
out of them was able to fulfill the expectations of the country. It is been 70 years of continuous
service that CIA is providing to the country.
Being a superpower the US had several threats, but it has observed that CIA has controlled such
issues up to a great level. During the financial year 1999, the intelligence community has
prepared and provided several reports in the area to support policymakers. In order to evaluate
the performance and effectiveness of the agency, this is important to state that in addition to
positives, some loopholes are also there in the system of CIA. It has noted in the past few years
that officers and employees of CIA are taking early retirement; because they want to get rid out
of that building (Goodman, 2018). The reason for the same is that CIA is being vast in the size

Intelligence Assignment 11
and it is becoming hectic for the employees to work in an organization of this size. If one focuses
on the unique features of CIA, then this would not be wrong to mention that this is the primary
intelligence agency and for this reason is different from the other agencies of the country. At
present 17 intelligence agencies exist in the US. These intelligence agencies are the Defence
Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency and many more
(Agrawal, 2017). All these agencies have their different functions and significance. Not similar
to other agencies, CIA has it is an independent working area and the same has more
responsibilities and authorities in comparison to other agencies. Where all these agencies have
their different working style, the role of CIA becomes more significant due to it is the nature of
work. Central Intelligence Agency keeps an eye on the affairs of the foreign government and
organizes covert operations. Security is an important factor and becomes more important as soon
as a factor called the nation to add on to this.
The main mission of National Security Agency is signal intelligence and processing of
cryptology. On the other side, the Defense Intelligence Agency works as the lead intelligence
agency for the Department of Defense (Szoldra, 2013). These all intelligence agencies have their
headquarters in various locations around the country. The State Department's Bureau of
Intelligence and Research, The Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Security Branch, The
Dept. of Energy, and more than 5 agencies have their headquarters in Washington. Central
Intelligence Agency has it is headquarter in Langley, Va. in the territory of United State (Ghosts
of DC, 2018). By reviewing different aspects of various domestic agencies of the US, this can
state that in terms of functions, significance, and size, CIA is different from rest of the agencies.

Intelligence Assignment 12
Conclusion
After the previously mentioned discussion, it can be concluded that CIA is the lead Intelligence
Agency, of US. Among all the 17 intelligence agencies of this country, CIA is the one that has a
certain level of independence and authorities. As earlier mentioned that CIA focuses on the tasks
and actions of foreign governments, this can be stated that this agency acts in a very significant
manner in the area of national security. Since 1947 till today, CIA has faced so many issues yet
the same is working continuously and now this agency is focusing on the recruitment of new and
young talent in the organization.

Intelligence Assignment 13
References
Agrawal, N. (2017) There's more than the CIA and FBI: The 17 agencies that make up the U.S.
intelligence community. [online] Available from: http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-17-
intelligence-agencies-20170112-story.html [Accessed on 20.07.18]
Cia.gov. (a) (2018) CIA Organization Chart. [online] Available from:
https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/leadership/cia-organization-chart.html [Accessed on 19.07.18]
Cia.gov. (b) (2018) Intelligence Techniques.[online] Available from:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/intelligence-history/intelligence/intelltech.html
[Accessed on 19.07.18]
Cia.gov. (c) (2018) CIA Vision, Mission, Ethos & Challenges.[online] Available from:
https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/cia-vision-mission-values [Accessed on 20.07.18]
ciaagentedu.org. (2018) CIA Offices of the Director Explained.[online] Available from:
https://www.ciaagentedu.org/offices-of-the-director/ [Accessed on 20.07.18]
ciasavedlives.com (2018) CIA saved Lives. [online] Available from:
https://ciasavedlives.com/timeline.html
Durbin, B. (2017) The CIA and the Politics of US Intelligence Reform. UK: Cambridge
University Press.
fas.org (b), (2018) The Central Intelligence Agency. [online] Available from:
https://fas.org/irp/offdocs/int010.html [Accessed on 19.07.18]

Intelligence Assignment 14
fas.org. (a) (2018) Vision, Mission, and Values of the Central Intelligence Agency.[online]
Available from: https://fas.org/irp/cia/product/facttell/vision.htm [Accessed on 16.07.18]
Ghosts of DC. (2018) Three Things About The Cia’s Langley Headquarters. [online] Available
from: https://ghostsofdc.org/2013/10/02/cia-langley-virginia/ [Accessed on 20.07.18]
Goodman, M. (2018) The CIA: History and Performance.[online] Available from:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/darkside/themes/cia.html [Accessed on 19.07.18]
Piet, R. and Kanet, R.E. (2016). Shifting Priorities in Russia's Foreign and Security Policy.Oxon
: Rutledge.
Pringle, R. W. (2018) Central Intelligence Agency. [online] Available from:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Central-Intelligence-Agency [Accessed on 18.07.18]
Rondina, C. (2017) Who Are the Heroes.PA:Dorrance Publishing.
Slick, S. (2011) The Intelligence Community Faces Sharp Challenges, but No Crisis.[online]
Available from: https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/01/11/the-intelligence-community-faces-sharp-
challenges-but-no-crisis/ [Accessed on 20.07.18]
Sternberg, R. J. (2018) The Nature of Human Intelligence. New York: Cambridge University
Press.
Szoldra, P. (2013) These 17 Agencies Make Up The Most Sophisticated Spy Network In The
World.[online] Available from: https://www.businessinsider.in/These-17-Agencies-Make-Up-
The-Most-Sophisticated-Spy-Network-In-The-World/articleshow/21134654.cms [Accessed on
19.07.18]

Intelligence Assignment 15
Taylor, C. (2012) Presidential Liability. US: Xlibris Corporation.
Vilasi, A. C. (2014) The History of the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.).USA: Author House.