Confronting an Old Enemy

This paper addresses the Department of Defense (DOD) all-source, analytic intelligence apparatus and assesses its efforts to combat transnational terrorism. Specifically, the author argues the DOD intelligence community requires a cultural shift to prosecute more effectively the war on terrorism and strengthen America's national security. Existing cultural biases, stove- piped operational processes, and limited analyst recruitment programs have weakened the DOD intelligence community's ability to face the twenty-first century terrorist enemy. This study first addresses the recent history (1993-present) of the intelligence community's efforts to battle terrorism. Evidence both criticizing and supporting the intelligence community's efforts is presented, and the impact of key "intelligence gaps" and lessons learned are analyzed.