The US Intelligence Model and the UK Intelligence Model - Research Paper Example

The US Intelligence Model and the UK Intelligence Model Various countries have different models, which they employ in order to defend their country. They structure their intelligence service in many different ways, which vary from one country to another. The main idea behind this approach to uniqueness is to make it possible to learn and see if their ideas can be implemented in order to streamline their intelligence process at home. Moreover, this process enables the countries to realize what is department in their country is working in the best manner. This article looks at the intelligence service in the US and compares it to the intelligence service of the UK. These different countries have different approaches when it comes to the intelligence service that they use. However, their main idea is to achieve a common goal. That is each intelligence service should protect each country. There are very little or no similarities in the intelligence service of this two countries. This also involves their structure. The intelligence service in the United States of America delegates the intelligence service among sixteen different agencies. The sixteen different agencies run across the military, and the federal governments. Eleven of the intelligence services are in the federal government while five are in the military. Several advantages come along with using this methodology. One of them is that it gives each intelligence service an opportunity to handle a specific part of the intelligence conundrum (Defense Intelligence, 2012). This intelligence services are then divided into various divisions. One of them is the Central Intelligence Agency. This branch of the intelligence service, deals with the human intelligence operations. Secondly, the U.S has another branch of intelligence service called the National Security Agency. This branch deals with signal intelligence. The division of this intelligence to work independently allows every intelligence division to be an expert in its own field. It also allows the several intelligence services to be handling many different cases. Conversely, this intelligence services are too bureaucratic, which hinders the quick flow of information from one division to another. Moreover, the collaboration of the different intelligence services is made difficult. This is because of the different rules and principle that are used in the internal operations of the organization (CIA, 2012). A second pro in the US intelligence services is that there is correspondence in intelligence service. Some of the various examples noted is the various branches of the military. They make part of the sixteen numerous mechanisms in the intelligence machinery. This intelligence services have to work together with other intelligence service in this country in order to achieve a common objective. This methodology implies that every branch is capable in various forms of intelligence such as the sign and signal unit, Technical Intelligence, human intelligence unit and the Imagery Intelligence. Therefore, the different intelligence agencies have different missions, which overlap their departments meaning that they have to collaborate with the other intelligence services to succeed in their maneuvers. This makes their model much more streamlined, efficient, and cost effective. The intelligences service in the United Kingdom is much different. Their intelligence service is divided across three departments namely, the M-I5, the M-I6 and the UK’s Government Communication’s Headquarters. Having fewer departments in the UK intelligence service means that the government is intelligence has several cons and pros. one of the pros is that the intelligence service has low levels of bureaucracy. This means that information can be shared freely with low involvement of other agencies. Conversely, having fewer agencies means that there is more work for each one to do in order to complete the mission assigned. There can also be correspondences in the information issued. In addition, the level of leakage can be vital since the few intelligence works contain more information (Le Carré, 2011). However, there is supposed to be a supervisory unit that oversees what all the agencies are doing. This will enable the government and the citizens of the different organization to have freedom of information and expression. This is not available in the UK intelligence. However, in the US, a special branch oversees the implementation of this mandates. This lies with the parliament and the executive branches. There are special teams of lawyers who are set aside to ensure that the customary tasks are being conducted properly. Direction is vital in the intelligence service. Different directors are employed in the intelligence service to oversee the proper administration in this country. The directors head the various intelligence services in the US. The mandate of these directors is to oversee the directing, which this organization are headed to, and to give priority to the various assignments that this organizations are headed to. It is also the mandate of this organization to give out information that is based on the numerous intelligence reports that this services have revealed. However, an independent body known as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence supervises all the directors of the intelligence services in the US. This body the ensure the numerous agencies missions have been accomplished and conducted within the boundaries set by the law in order to protect the rights of the citizens (Wittkopf, 2007). The information obtained is then transferred to the upper management to the director of this body. However, there are several intermediaries involved in conveying this information. This makes the mandates a huge issue because the director of this board has to come across the various bureaucracy and red tapes. In the UK, the model is quite different. There is a similarity in that the directors head the various intelligence agencies. However, they report directly to the head of government, who is the prime minister. Moreover, they are answerable to the Chancellor of Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. There is no need of intermediaries in this model. This enables the disbursement of duties to be more direct from the top level to the bottom level. The prime minister is responsible for giving directions to the intelligence service. It allows the intelligence service to give focus on the prime direction that they are directed to head to. In addition, this model gives more room to carry out more missions. This is because they are conducted more quickly, effectively and efficiently. The job of the intelligence service in the UK is overseen by the UK parliament. The judges of the high court also control them. In the recent past, the ruling party chairperson controls the intelligence service board of the intelligence service. The American intelligence service is different. This is because the legislative and executive branches are responsible to oversee the well-functioning of the intelligence service. They organize for a panel of sixteen members, each to represent the numerous sixteen agencies. This board is known as the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. The members of this board are appointed from outside the federal government. They receive their assignments directly from the president. These prevent a conflict of interest in the numerous investigations that are conducted. In addition, it helps to eliminate any biasness in the investigations. In the UK, the MI5 is responsible for investigation in the Great Britain alone. This agency is responsible for gathering information on the intelligence conducted around crime, narcotics, immigration, and benefits fraud. This corresponds to the federal bureau of investigation in the US. The rules in the UK concur with the constitution of that country. This eliminates the violation of human rights of that country (Jeffery, 2010). Contrary, in the US, there are special agencies, which would handle these cases. This brings out the importance of the coordination with the federal bureau of investigation. There are several other regulations that govern the mechanisms used by the intelligence commission. This includes regulations such as EO12333 in the federal constitution. In contrast to the UK intelligence service administration, the administration worries not since the violation of human rights is not governed by their constitution. It implies the intelligence service MI5 would carry out investigation services even to those who are given the mandate to apprehend suspects. The courts in the UK make the final decision on what has been legislated by the legislative body (Born & Caparini, 2007). Moreover, the British intelligence service of both MI6 and MI5 are responsible for the human intelligence services. This forms the prime part of their tasks. The MI5 carries out intelligence services concerning the organized crimes while MI6 deals with terror group networks. Another important part is the GHCQ, which is responsible for crimes that are conducted involving sign. An example can be identifying members of various criminal groups such as Mafia. In the US, the involvement in this criminal activities calls for a collaboration of all the intelligence services. For example, the military intelligence unit collaborates with other intelligence units such as central intelligence unit. On advanced terror and criminal activities, the marine corps of the US military have special equipment that they use to gather information and intercepting it from their enemies. Other intelligence services such as the FBI and the CIA have special segments in their units that deals the same way with this kind of threats and criminal activities. They are further delegated to that numerous branches in the country. Another area, which I am going to compare, is the websites of these agencies. The website of the intelligence service in the UK is in different languages alongside the national language of that country. For instance, the websites are available in French, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic. Conversely, the website of the intelligence service in the US is available in English language alone. Instead, the website of the intelligence service of the CIA and NSA contains puzzles, which are meant to please visitors such as children. However, the website of the intelligence service in the UK has questions that are meant test the level of intelligence on their visitors with skills in administrative and analysis (Howard & Hinsley, 1990). Additionally, both countries use highly advanced equipment, which allow them to monitor and guard their countries. However, the intelligence service of the US uses more of this equipment due to the large nature of the country. The vast country means that the level of criminal and terror activities in this country are more than those in the UK are. In addition, they level of criminal activities advancement is high in this country. This brings out the need of more sophisticated equipment in both countries. Meanwhile the equipment used in the US is more in number (Orttung, 2006). Budget allocated to the intelligence service of these countries is also a notable difference in the two systems. Having a more complicated network, the US intelligence service uses a higher amount of budget allocation than any other country in the world. This is inclusive of the UK. The US intelligence is involved in more matters outside their borders than other countries. This is because it is the prime target of most terror networks in the world. Being the greatest economy in the world, the US has a large influence on the economic and political matters in the world. This influences are not necessarily what other people are interested in. in order to curb this, some group of terror networks have aimed at targeting the source of this influence in a way to influence the country to neglect some influences. Such terror group is the Al Qaeda. This in turn has increased the amount of work to this numerous US intelligence services (Miller, 2008). The intelligence model of the UK is much simpler in comparison to the intelligence service of the US. The intelligence models are much different in the way they are structured and in the roles played by each of them. The UK model is cost effective, efficient, and simpler to administer. The prime reason for such a simple model is that the laws in the UK permit for the intelligence agencies to operate liberally within the borders of the country. Contrary, to the US model, the intelligence model is quite segmented. This allows the US intelligence service to be highly specialized in the work that they do. A disadvantage comes along with the utilization of this model in that, they are redundant, ineffective, there is a tendency to increase the level of red tapes. References Born, H and Caparini, M. (2007). Democratic Control of Intelligence Services: Containing Rogue Elephants. New York. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. CIA. (2012). The Office of Strategic Services: Secret Intelligence Branch. Central intelligence agency. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/oss-secret-intelligence-branch.html Defence Intelligence. (2012). Defense: About Defense. Defense Intelligence. Retrieved from http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/SecurityandIntelligence/DIS/ Howard, M & Hinsley, F. (1990). British Intelligence in the Second World War: Strategic Deception. London: Cambridge University Press. Jeffery, K. (2010). Mi6: The History of the Secret Intelligence Service 1909-1949. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. Le Carré, J. (2011). Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. New York: Penguin Group USA, Incorporated. Miller, R. (2008). United States National Security, Intelligence and Democracy. Studies in Intelligence Series. New York. Taylor & Francis. Orttung, R et al (2006). National Counter-Terrorism Strategies: Legal, Institutional, and Public Policy Dimensions in the US, UK, France, Turkey and Russia. London: IOS Press. Wittkopf, E et al. (2008). American Foreign Policy: Pattern and Process. New York. Cengage Learning. Read More