A Judicious Look at Intelligence

books:


	• Countering Terrorism: Blurred Focus, Halting Steps (Hoover Studies in Politics, Economics, and Society) Richard A. Posner Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2007 - 264 pages average customer review:based on 1 review view larger image
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A Judicious Look at Intelligence

With this book, Judge Posner has completed what he refers to as his trilogy on the U.S. Intelligence System. The core of each book is an argument for creating a domestic intelligence agency that would be independent of the FBI. In this book this argument is amplified and joined with a detailed and effective critique of the FBI as an intelligence organization. Now Posner has no experience in the often arcane processes associated with production of intelligence nor has ever openly been affiliated with any intelligence agency. Yet his criticisms and suggestions should not be taken lightly. Much like the academic Amy Zegart (Spying Blind, Flawed by Design), he has made a serious and informed analysis of the U.S. National Security systems and found them badly wanting.

Posner does not denigrate the FBI. Indeed he recognizes it as a world class law enforcement agency, but points out clearly and carefully that the very attributes that make it so effective at law enforcement, make it highly unsuitable for the role of a domestic intelligence agency. Much as Zegart has done in her books, Posner identifies the cultural characteristics of the FBI that prevent it from developing into an effective intelligence producer. His arguments are logical and well constructed but are inadequate to force a change on the entrenched and complacent bureaucracies that make up the U.S. Intelligence System, and especially a bureaucratic force like the FBI.

In addition, to his primary purpose of building an argument for a new domestic intelligence agency, Posner offers some sound advice on how to make the Directorate of National Intelligence into more effective and more relevant agency. However, in this area Posner may have gone astray. He assumes the ill-conceived and badly executed reforms mandated by congress in the wake of 9/11 were really worth doing and that fixes at the top of the U.S. intelligence structure will make real improvements. In point of fact an argument can be made that imposing additional bureaucratic hierarchies on top of an already top heavy bureaucracy is analogous to putting a new roof on a building whose walls and foundation are rotting away.

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Countering Terrorism evaluates the successes and failures of recent efforts by the U.S. government to reform our intelligence infrastructure. Posner challenges the over-politicized, now conventional wisdom that these reforms have threatened our civil rights and liberties.