Download or read book Eyes on Spies written by Amy B. Zegart and published by Hoover Press. This book was released on 2013-09-01 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amy Zegart examines the weaknesses of US intelligence oversight and why those deficiencies have persisted, despite the unprecedented importance of intelligence in today's environment. She argues that many of the biggest oversight problems lie with Congress—the institution, not the parties or personalities—showing how Congress has collectively and persistently tied its own hands in overseeing intelligence.
Download or read book Congressional Oversight of Intelligence written by Frederick M. Kaiser and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2011-05 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contents: (1) Intro.; (2) House and Senate Select Committees on Intelligence; (3) Joint Committee on Atomic Energy as a Model; (4) Proposed Joint Committee on Intelligence Characteristics: Methods of Establishment; Jurisdiction and Authority; Membership; Terms and Rotation; Leadership; Secrecy Controls; Pros and Cons; (5) Alternatives to a Joint Committee: Changing the Select Committees¿ Structure and Powers; Concerns about Restructuring the Intelligence Committees; Constraints on Coordination; Increasing the Use of Congressional Support Agencies; (6) Observations on Oversight of Intelligence: Obstacles to Oversight: Secrecy Constraints. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find publication.
Download or read book H R 3822 to strengthen the system of Congressional oversight of intelligence activities of the United States written by United States. Congress. House. Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Subcommittee on Legislation and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Congressional Oversight of Intelligence written by Congressional Research Service and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-01-02 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prior to the establishment of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) in 1976 and 1977, respectively, Congress did not take much interest in conducting oversight of the intelligence community (IC). The Subcommittees on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the congressional Armed Services Committees had nominal oversight responsibility, though Congress generally trusted that IC could more or less regulate itself and conduct activities that complied with the law, were ethical, and shared a common understanding of national security priorities. Media reports in the 1970s of the CIA﷿s domestic surveillance of Americans opposed to the war in Vietnam, in addition to the agency﷿s activities relating to national elections in Chile, prompted Congress to change its approach. In 1975, Congress established two select committees to investigate intelligence activities, chaired by Senator Frank Church in the Senate (the ﷿Church Committee﷿), and Representative Otis Pike in the House (the ﷿Pike Committee﷿). Following their creation, the Church and Pike committees﷿ hearings revealed the possible extent of the abuse of authority by the IC and the potential need for permanent committee oversight focused solely on the IC and intelligence activities. SSCI and HPSCI oversight contributed substantially to Congress' work to legislate improvements to intelligence organization, programs, and processes, and it enabled a more structured, routine relationship with intelligence agencies. On occasion, this has resulted in Congress advocating on behalf of intelligence reform legislation that many agree has generally improved IC organization and performance. At other times, congressional oversight has been perceived as less helpful, delving into the details of programs and activities. Other congressional committees have cooperated with the HPSCI and SSCI in their oversight role since their establishment. Intelligence programs are often closely tied to foreign and defense policy, military operations, homeland security, cybersecurity, and law enforcement. Committees in both chambers for Foreign Affairs/Relations, Armed Services, Appropriations, Judiciary, and Homeland Security, therefore, share jurisdiction over intelligence. Some have suggested the current overlapping jurisdictions for oversight of the IC in Congress contribute to the perception of weak congressional intelligence committees that have relatively little authority and insufficient expertise. Others cite the overlapping responsibilities as a strength. Oversight of the IC spread over more committees can contribute to greater awareness and transparency in Congress of classified intelligence activities that are largely hidden from public view. They also claim that since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Senate and House rules have changed to enable the congressional intelligence committees to have more authority and be more effective in carrying out their oversight responsibilities. Further reform, they argue, may be unrealistic from a political standpoint. An oft-cited observation of the Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States (i.e., the 9-11 Commission) that congressional oversight of intelligence is ﷿dysfunctional﷿ continues to overshadow discussion of whether Congress has done enough. Does congressional oversight enable the IC to be more effective, better funded, and better organized, or does it burden agencies by the sheer volume of detailed inquiries into intelligence programs and related activities? A central question for Congress is as follows: Could additional changes to the rules governing congressional oversight of intelligence enable Congress to more effectively fund programs, influence policy, and legislate improvements in intelligence standards, organization, and process that would make the country safer?
Download or read book Congressional Oversight of Covert Activities written by United States. Congress. House. Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Congressional Oversight of Intelligence Activities written by United States. Congress and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-01-17 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Congressional oversight of intelligence activities : hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence of the United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, November 13, 2007.
Download or read book Legislative Oversight of Intelligence Activities written by and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Distributed to some depository libraries in microfiche.
Download or read book Congressional Oversight of Intelligence written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Interest in congressional oversight of intelligence has risen again in 2007, in part because of the House Democratic majority's pledge to enact the remaining recommendations from the U.S. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, commonly known as the 9/11 Commission. Its conclusions in 2004 set the stage for reconsideration of the problems affecting Congress's structure in this area. The commission's unanimous report, covering a wide range of issues, concluded that congressional oversight of intelligence was "dysfunctional" and proposed two distinct solutions. These were, (1) creation of a joint committee on intelligence (JCI), modeled after the defunct Joint Committee on Atomic Energy (JCAE), with authority to report legislation to each chamber; or (2) enhanced status and power for the existing select committees on intelligence, by making them standing committees and granting both authorization and appropriations authority. Congress's interest in a joint committee on intelligence dates to 1948 and the early years of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). Similar recommendations have arisen in the meantime, although the lion's share were made before separate intelligence committees were established in the House (1977) and Senate (1976). The numerous proposals for a joint committee on intelligence, which would end the two existing intelligence panels, moreover, vary significantly across a number of dimensions and raise competing viewpoints over practical matters and matters of principle. Although it did not adopt either of the 9/11 Commission proposals, Congress has pursued other initiatives for changing its intelligence oversight structure and capabilities. This has occurred through the chambers' leadership, existing committees, and a Senate bipartisan working group, leading to that chamber restructuring its oversight panels. In the 110th Congress (H.Res. 35), the House altered its arrangements when it created a Select Intelligence Oversight Panel on the Appropriations Committee, a hybrid structure that is perhaps unique in the annals of Congress. The new 13-member panel combines members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Appropriations to study and make recommendations to relevant appropriations subcommittees, including the Defense Subcommittee on the annual intelligence community appropriations. Other proposals, some with a long heritage, include clarifying and expanding the independent authority of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) over the intelligence community, particularly the CIA. Additional options are to place the CIA expressly under the Government Performance and Results Act and increase the coordinative capabilities and reporting of relevant inspectors general. This report first describes the current select committees on intelligence and then covers the former Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, often cited as a model for a counterpart on intelligence. The study also sets forth proposed characteristics for a joint committee on intelligence, differences among these, and their pros and cons. The report, to be updated as events dictate, also examines other actions and alternatives affecting congressional oversight in the field.
Download or read book Oversight of U S Government Intelligence Functions written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Government Operations and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 562 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Sensitive Covert Action Notifications written by Alfred Cumming and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2010-11 with total page 17 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Legislation enacted in 1980 gave the executive branch authority to limit advance notification of especially sensitive covert actions to 8 Members of Congress -- the ¿Gang of Eight¿ (G8) -- when the Pres. determines that it is essential to limit prior notice in order to meet extraordinary circumstances affecting U.S. vital interests. Partial contents of this report: Requirements for Notifications of Sensitive Covert Actions to Congress; Additional G8 Requirements; When Prior Notice to the G8 is Withheld; Directors of National Intell. and CIA Critical of G8 Notifications For Non-Covert Actions; House Intell. Committee Replaces G8 Procedure in FY 2010 Intell. Authorization Act; G8 Notifications: The Historic Record; Conclusion: Striking a Balance. Charts and tables.
Download or read book Congressional Oversight of Intelligence written by Frederick M. Kaiser and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Crs Report for Congress written by Congressional Research Service: The Libr and published by BiblioGov. This book was released on 2013-11 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Interest in congressional oversight of intelligence has risen again in 2007, in part because of the House Democratic majority's pledge to enact the remaining recommendations from the U.S. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, commonly known as the 9/11 Commission. Its conclusions in 2004 set the stage for reconsideration of the problems affecting Congress's structure in this area. The commission's unanimous report, covering a wide range of issues, concluded that congressional oversight of intelligence was "dysfunctional" and proposed two distinct solutions. These were, (1) creation of a joint committee on intelligence (JCI), modeled after the defunct Joint Committee on Atomic Energy (JCAE), with authority to report legislation to each chamber; or (2) enhanced status and power for the existing select committees on intelligence, by making them standing committees and granting both authorization and appropriations authority. Congress's interest in a joint committee on intelligence dates to 1948 and the early years of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). Similar recommendations have arisen in the meantime, although the lion's share were made before separate intelligence committees were established in the House (1977) and Senate (1976). The numerous proposals for a joint committee on intelligence, ...
Download or read book Congress Oversees the United States Intelligence Community 1947 1994 written by Frank John Smist and published by Univ. of Tennessee Press. This book was released on 1994 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Foreseeing conflict between the legislative and executive branches over the proper functions of government, the Founders of the United States built into the U.S. Constitution the checks and balances that Edwin S. Corwin called "an invitation to struggle." Smist argues that congressional intelligence-oversight committees--such as Senator Church's 1975-76 committee--can, by taking up this struggle, not only handle sensitive information responsibly but help shape rational foreign policy. When Congress is shut out of the intelligence process-as in President Carter's abortive Iran rescue mission and Reagan's Iran-Contra affair-the results can be catastrophic. Smist's detailed analysis of congressional oversight of U.S. intelligence from Pearl Harbor through Iran-Contra is based largely on his interviews with participants, including senators, representatives, and executive-branch officials. The analysis is informed by Smist's dialectical model of "institutional" (conservative, supportive) versus "investigative" (radical, questioning) oversight, which allows him to uncover the frequently obscured historical value of previous Senate and House investigative committees. For example, the Pike committee, 1975-76, even though its final report was suppressed by the House, was able to elicit then Secretary of State Kissinger's admission of presidential control over covert actions, thus shattering the doctrine of "plausible deniability." Because these committees continue to wrestle with the principles underlying government, their unfolding drama is meaningful for the student of constitutional history. This book provides new conceptual tools for the study of intelligence oversight and gives the direct testimony of key participants, making it important not only as political science but as history." --
Download or read book Legal Perspectives on Congressional Notification written by United States. Congress. House. Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Oversight and Accountability of the U S Intelligence Agencies written by American Bar Association. Working Group on Intelligence Oversight and Accountability and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work assesses the efficacy and appropriateness of existing structures for oversight and accountability of intelligence agencies in the U.S.
Download or read book The Coast Guard Intelligence Program Enters the Intelligence Community written by Kevin E. Wirth and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work builds on earlier publications in this series, particularly Occasional Paper Number Nine, The Creation of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency: Congress's Role as Overseer, by Anne Daugherty Miles. The author of the present paper has examined how the Coast Guard became a member of the Intelligence Community, how Congress was involved, and how Congress will likely be increasingly involved in the organization of the Community. Although the United States Coast Guard has utilized intelligence capabilities since the service's inception in 1790, the Coast Guard was not included as a formal member of the Intelligence Community until December 2002. Mr. Wirth describes the story behind the short but significant amendment to the National Security Act of 1947 which resulted in the Coast Guard's formal entry into the Intelligence Community. Researched within eighteen months of passage, this case study exhaustively documents extensive congressional and Coast Guard staff work. Interviews at the action officer level clearly reveal the view from the bureaucratic trenches, and additional attention to talking points, meeting minutes, and email summaries add immediacy as they further clarify positions from within departments, staffs and agencies. A brief examination of the surrounding political and geopolitical events, such as the bombing of the USS Cole, political changes in Congress, internal Coast Guard actions, and the tragic attacks of September 11th, provide context to the passage of this provision. Derived from a thesis completed in 2003, this paper illustrates the importance of gathering electronic data immediately, since much of the reference material on which this study is based existed only as informal e-mail or documents stored on computers. Much of it likely would have been erased had the research started even a year later.
Download or read book Legislative Proposals to Strengthen Congressional Oversight of the Nation s Intelligence Agencies written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Government Operations. Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations and published by . This book was released on 1975 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
