Domestic Military Intelligence of the United States - Assignment Example

Domestic Military Intelligence Military sciences, Assignment Introduction There have been public outcries about the mannerU.S government agencies pry on its citizens and collect data for their counter-terrorism policies. In particular, the data collection machinery of the intelligence community has targeted anti-war groups and individuals who oppose war through activities such as protests and boycotts1. In some of the leaked documents about these data collection methods, the military monitoring and collection have targeted peaceful protests, which these documents describe as threats. At the forefront in the collection and gathering of this domestic intelligence is the Pentagon that even formed a secretive program, called the TALON (Threat and Local Observation Notice).

Reasons against the TALON Program The first reason the DOD, the FBI, and other intelligence agencies could have performed its functions and thus TALON should never have been formed, is that talon operated in a manner that violated DOD regulations and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Most violations have been reported in the program’s reports that touch on protests and demonstrations. Instead of spending money on a program that violates U.S citizens’ rights and liberties, these resources could have been channeled to already established agencies and programs, which would then work with the CIA and the FBI in collecting data and storing it in databases. Importantly, the main reason the TALON should not have been established in the first place is that most of its functions are already done by DOD and other agencies such as the FBI and the CIA.

For instance, some of the missions of the DOD are to avail official, timely and accurate data on defense policies, operations, and functions. What is more, the DOD also primarily collects and avails military intelligence for counterintelligence. These functions seem similar to those done by the TALON program, which includes the provision of “tailored analytical and data-mining support" to the DOD counterintelligence field elements and activities2. There are several Departments and agencies in the DOD, which deal with both foreign and domestic intelligence and the creation of the TALON program was a mere waste of resources and an infringement on several US citizens’ liberties.

There are about 17 core agencies that form the US Intelligence Community (IC). These include the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, Intelligence and Analysis, the Department of State, Intelligence and Research, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration among others3. All these Departments and Agencies are competent enough to offer the required military counterintelligence to protect US military personnel within and outside its borders.

Although these agencies seem to work independently, they are collaborative and share databases and operations to defend the country by ensuring national security as well as the security of government interests and personnel outside the country4. Although the TALON program, formed under the CIFA, sought to provide a proactive, predictive, and integrated counterintelligence (CI) system to oversight counterintelligence issues, national security agencies such as the FBI and the CIA also have the capacity and mandate to collect, analyze, evaluate, and disseminate domestic and foreign intelligence for national security objectives.

Thus, the CIA’s and the FBI’s databases and intelligence are efficient enough to avail the right information for national security policies and defense decisions. The Department of Homeland Security, Intelligence, and Analysis also offer the information for which the TALON program was formed, more so with regards to merging intelligence related to terrorism with law enforcement within US borders. Worth noting is the role the DHS plays in connecting the many Intelligence Community agencies involved in counterterrorism such as the FBI.

That is, the DHS ensures that data on terror threats is shared among state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies. Some roles of the TALON program could also have been performed by the Department of State, Intelligence and Research, which analyzes intelligence, and intelligence policies, and coordinates intelligence activities to support national and international diplomacy. The functions and resources of CIFA and those of other agencies such as the FBI, the CIA, the DHS, and the DIA should therefore be aligned and integrated to strengthen the operational relationships in counterintelligence.

Conclusion Formed in 2002 in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on US soil, the TALON program has been labeled by many as huge but ineffective and redundant since agencies such as the FBI, the CIA, and the DOD have the mandate and the capacity to execute the functions of the TALON program. Additionally, some have decried the effect of the TALON program of infringing on the rights and liberties of citizens as it collects private data on unsuspecting citizens opposed to war and other counterterrorism measures.