Military Intelligence

Intelligence Collection
commentary
Intelligence Losses Pose Large Risks as U.S. Troops Head Home
Jason H. Campbell @JasonHCampbell, Javed Ali
Jan 24, 2019
The Hill
Departing theaters such as Syria and Afghanistan carries a host of associated risks, challenges and potential benefits. Leaders would be well served to factor into the debate the importance of U.S. intelligence collection capabilities, its connection to U.S. presence overseas and its role in anticipating current and future threats.
Read More »

Military Intelligence
blog
Roberta Wohlstetter: A Military Analyst Ahead of Her Time
Mar 7, 2019
RAND researcher Roberta Wohlstetter is known for her theory about why the attack on Pearl Harbor took the United States by surprise. Her book was later used as a lens for analyzing the Cuban Missile Crisis and the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Read More »
Military Intelligence
commentary
Explaining the Defense Intelligence Agency's Critical Role in National Security
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Jan 11, 2019
War on the Rocks
Despite its varied roles and responsibilities, the DIA can be boiled down to just two core missions: intelligence analysis and intelligence collection. Having a better understanding of these core missions could help to properly frame the agency’s value to the intelligence, military, and policymaking communities.
Read More »
Politics and Government
commentary
Presidential Intelligence Briefings: The Process Is Working. But Is Trump Listening?
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Feb 15, 2018
Lawfare
President Trump receives intelligence briefings on a fairly regular basis and he appears engaged in discussions with senior staff and the intelligence community about content. Ideally, this process is informing his national security decisionmaking.
Read More »
Space Science and Technology
blog
Mert Davies: All-Star Pioneer of the Cosmos
Jan 5, 2018
Merton Davies spent his early years using satellite imagery to spy on terrestrial targets. His work led to the first successful reconnaissance satellite, Corona. Later, he used deep-space photographs to map the planets in our solar system.
Read More »
Intelligence Community
commentary
Adapting the President's Daily Brief to Trump
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Jan 6, 2017
War on the Rocks
President-elect Trump is receiving President Obama's version of the daily briefing; it has yet to be tailored to his preferences, to which every president is entitled. The intelligence community should seek to adapt the briefing to maximize its interest and relevance to the president-elect.
Read More »
Counterterrorism
commentary
ISIS vs Special Ops
Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100
Dec 8, 2015
Foreign Affairs
However critical to the fight against ISIS, using special operations forces for raids represents only half of the needed military adjustment. The other half is the effort to build indigenous forces capable of taking and holding territory in Iraq and Syria.
Read More »
Military Intelligence
commentary
Loose Clicks Sink Ships: When Social Media Meets Military Intelligence
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung, Olga Oliker
Aug 14, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
Social media updates can reveal military intelligence. But stopping a soldier from posting a geotagged tweet or Instagram photo presents challenges.
Read More »
The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
Disrupting Terrorist Safe Havens
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Aug 18, 2014
The Hill
Disrupting the terrorist safe havens in Syria and Iraq would require a balanced approach that makes the business of terrorist planning and training difficult without entangling U.S. forces in new conflicts and angering the very populations the United States seeks to assist.
Read More »
Military Tactics
commentary
The Downside of Drones
Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100
Nov 1, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
The chief political drawback is that target countries' populations view drone attacks as violations of their sovereignty every bit as much as manned raids. The chief military drawback: A drone attack destroys the critical intelligence that is needed to ensure that the tactical strike can be converted to strategic advantage.
Read More »
Counterterrorism
blog
Do U.S. Raids in Libya, Somalia Signal a Shift in Terror Strategy?
Oct 10, 2013
The raids that the United States conducted over the weekend in Libya and Somalia could signal a new focus in Washington on capturing terrorist suspects and gathering intelligence rather than relying on drone strikes. RAND experts Linda Robinson, Angel Rabasa, and Seth Jones comment.
Read More »
Military Information Technology Systems
commentary
Calling for a Time-Out in the Army Intelligence Software Debate
Christopher G. Pernin, Isaac R. Porche III @IsaacPorche
Aug 21, 2013
The RAND Blog
The Army's Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) program has been getting much attention from Congress, and its future was the subject of a heated exchange between the Army's Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno and Representative Duncan Hunter in May.
Read More »
Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
Learning Curve
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Mar 14, 2013
Foreign Policy
The post-Vietnam “never again” attitude led to a severe atrophy of the U.S. military's counterinsurgency skills and it is quite possible that the U.S. military will go through a similar phase of unlearning over the next several years, writes James Dobbins.
Read More »
Counterterrorism
commentary
New 'Rule Book' to Set Parameters for Targeted Killings
Patrick B. Johnston
Dec 5, 2012
The Orange County Register
A constrictive rule book against direct-action counterterrorism techniques could be in tension with operational realities. But it would go some way toward establishing the legal and ethical framework under which such difficult decisions are made, writes Patrick Johnston.
Read More »
Terrorist Organizations
commentary
Do Targeted Killings Work?
Patrick B. Johnston
Sep 28, 2012
Council on Foreign Relations
When terrorists are afraid to poke their heads above ground, it becomes exceedingly difficult for them to communicate, coordinate, and conduct attacks—especially sophisticated ones like 9/11, writes Patrick B. Johnston.
Read More »
Intelligence Analysis
commentary
What Should We Expect of Our Spies?
Gregory F. Treverton
May 25, 2011
Prospect Magazine
Questions not asked or stories not imagined by policy are not likely to be answered or developed by intelligence, writes Gregory F. Treverton.
Read More »
Terrorist Organizations
commentary
Al-Qaeda after bin Laden
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
May 12, 2011
National Journal
Wary of communicating with each other and with al Qaeda's field commands, al Qaeda central could become more isolated, more dependent on its affiliates, allied groups, and individual acolytes, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
Read More »
Nuclear Weapons and Warfare
commentary
Book Review: 'Fallout' by Catherine Collins and Douglas Frantz
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jan 9, 2011
Los Angeles Times
Anyone concerned about nuclear proliferation or interested in the world of espionage will want to read Catherine Collins and Douglas Frantz's provocative new book, "Fallout: The True Story of the CIA's Secret War on Nuclear Trafficking," which tells a fascinating story whose characters come straight out of a spy novel, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
Read More »
Military Strategy
commentary
Wanted Dead or Alive? When We Don't Get Our Man
Benjamin Runkle
Mar 3, 2009
International Herald Tribune
On his first day in office, President Barack Obama issued a dramatic series of executive orders intended to symbolize a change of direction in America's "war" on terrorism. Despite the headlines these orders generated, a more significant policy shift may have been the one signaled the week before his inauguration, writes Benjamin Runkle.
Read More »
Politics and Government
commentary
The Secret Briefing Obama Needs on Day One
Gregory F. Treverton
Jan 22, 2009
Foreign Policy
A select few Americans will ever see the president's daily brief -- a digest of the intelligence community's most closely guarded secrets. But trust me, Barack Obama is going to need much more useful information than he is getting now, writes Gregory F. Treverton.
Read More »
commentary
Iran's Covert War in Iraq
Rick Brennan, Jr. @rickbrennanjr
Mar 16, 2007
Washington Times
Published commentary by RAND staff: Iran's Covert War in Iraq, in the Washington Times.
Read More »
commentary
Media Leaks Hinder Intelligence Gathering
James B. Bruce
Mar 11, 2007
Washington Times
Published commentary by RAND staff: Media Leaks Hinder Intelligence Gathering, in the Washington Times.
Read More »
commentary
Lessons for Intelligence in the Campaign Against al Qaeda
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Mar 2, 2006
Vanguard
Published commentary by RAND staff: Lessons for Intelligence in the Campaign Against al Qaeda, in Vanguard magazine.
Read More »
commentary
True Intelligence Reform Is Cultural, Not Just Organizational Chart Shift
Gregory F. Treverton, Peter A. Wilson
Jan 13, 2005
Christian Science Monitor
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
commentary
Why Allies Send Spooks to America
Seth G. Jones
Oct 25, 2004
International Herald Tribune
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
commentary
Intelligence -- a Funhouse of Reflections
Gregory F. Treverton
Feb 15, 2004
San Francisco Chronicle
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
commentary
A Perilous Dialogue of Pessimists
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Feb 4, 2004
Financial Times
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
commentary
Why We Didn't Get the Picture
Bruce Berkowitz
Feb 1, 2004
Washington Post
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
commentary
Fight Terrorism With Intelligence, Not Might
Sara A. Daly
Dec 26, 2003
Christian Science Monitor
Fight terrorism with intelligence, not might.
Read More »
commentary
The Big Difference Between Intelligence and Evidence
Bruce Berkowitz
Feb 2, 2003
The Washington Post
Usually intelligence does not offer crystal-clear answers, and we should not hang decisions to go to war or do anything else on its ability to do so, writes Bruce Berkowitz in a Washington Post commentary.
Read More »
commentary
Dissect the Divisions
Gregory F. Treverton
Jun 9, 2002
Baltimore Sun
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
commentary
Terror's Aftermath: A Counterterrorism Policy for Yesterday's Threat
Bruce Hoffman
Sep 16, 2001
Los Angeles Times
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »
commentary
Intelligence in the Information Age; Spy Data For Sale
Kevin M. O'Connell
Apr 8, 2001
Newsday
Published commentary by RAND staff.
Read More »