Intelligence Challenges in Homeland Security - Essay Example

Intelligence Challenges in Homeland Security 26th June How should the intelligence community balance civil liberties and security in intelligence activities?The antagonist that exist between civil liberty and intelligence community has had devastating consequences in the terror attack on World Trade Centre in September 2001. The intelligence community failed to protect the people against the terror attack because it faced so many challenges among them that of abiding by the law to ensure that they do not infringe on civil liberty.

Therefore, the intelligence community needs to balance the extent of their activities in ensuring that they respect civil liberty and at the same time have an edge in intelligence gathering.1 Government and policy maker should consider intelligence community activities are welcomed just as civil liberty is respected. Moreover, the acceptance of the intelligence community activates ease the tension created through their course of duties. Public debate and civil society’s participation also ensure that people understand the reason and purpose of the intelligence community.

2 The security of a country depends on the success or failure of the intelligence community. Intelligence community has grown over for more than 30 years and has evolved with the advent of new technology to support the functions of government in the provision of services to the citizens. Therefore, a balance between civil liberty and intelligence community ensures that people are secured with all that government offers, and their life is protected.3 The current governments are formed through a democratic process and, therefore, intelligence community need to respects the values of democracy to deceive it activities with dictatorship.

One of the important measures that balances civil liberty with the intelligence community is the institutionalization of civil society.4Response PaperStudent Posting 1I agree that civil liberties hinder efficient collection of intelligence information from individuals and corporations. The right of liberty guarantees people from surveillance by people and government without their knowledge. Therefore, to ensure that security is guaranteed by the government agencies civil liberties and intelligence community activities should strike a balance.

I concur that the engagement of civil societies and public debate ensures that people understands the roles of the intelligence community and thus offers assistance rather that threatening on civil suits. However, public participation may post a threat to national security as not all information is supposed to be shared, it is essential to make people aware of the need for intelligence collection. I agree that the intelligence community gather information from media and internet where people share their information and activities.

Student Posting 2I agree intelligence collection is important in securing the surety of a nation and its people. However, there is a debate unto what extent that the intelligence community can go into people privacy to ensure that we are all safe. I concur that it is very difficult to balance between civil liberty and intelligence collection because the two are in contrast with one another. The Department of Homeland Security was created to assess, receive and analyze intelligence information while at the same time adhering to the country’s civil liberties.

5 Therefore, the intelligence community has to seek court orders to espionage on its citizens to avoid breaking the law. Therefore, the responsibility of security is rested on individual and security agencies, as a result, of civil liberty. However, the security of the citizens should solely be the obligation of the government and, therefore, a balance between intelligence communities and civil liberties ought to be established through public awareness. BibliographyImmerman, Richard H. Intelligence and Strategy: Historicizing Psychology, Policy, and Politics.

New York: Blackwell Publishing Limited , n.d.Logan, Keith Gregory. Homeland Security and Intelligence. Califonia : Praeger, 2010.Margarit, Mihaiu. "Why intelligence? Intelligence and the challenges of the present." Romanian Journal of Security Studies, 2010: 28-37.