Assignment week 1

Task 1

You are an intelligence analyst for the Department of Homeland Security assigned to the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (DHS-OIA). Your unit has received a threat that the terrorist group, AKA, might be targeting the U.S. homeland. The threat contains the names of 3 individuals who might be part of the plot.

The OIA has monitored this group’s activities in the US for the last 10 years, but before the current threat, there has been no information that the group would target the United States because its conflict was localized in Country X. However, the group does have a small infrastructure in the United States that has been used to raise funds among the immigrant population from Country X. The OIA must validate the threat and initiate a strategic assessment to understand the threat of AKA and identify intelligence gaps.

For this assignment, you must write a research paper of 2-3 pages discussing each step of the intelligence cycle, specifically detailing how DHS-OIA will utilize the intelligence cycle to validate this threat and initiate a strategic assessment.

Assignment Guidelines

• In this assignment, you, as an intelligence analyst for the DHS-OIA will detail how you would utilize the 6 phases of the intelligence cycle to resolve the threat posed by AKA and to initiate a strategic assessment.
• The 6 phases of the intelligence cycle that must be addressed are as follows:
  • Requirements phase
  • Planning and Direction phase
  • Collection phase
  • Processing and Exploitation phase
  • Analysis and Production phase
  • Dissemination phase
• In 2-3 pages, address the following:
  • For each of the six intelligence cycle phases, answer each of the following questions:
    • What is the purpose of this phase? Explain.
    • What activities or operations are conducted by the DHS-OIA during this phase? Describe them.
    • Why is this phase important to the intelligence cycle as a whole? Explain.
• Compile your responses into the final research paper, and submit the file to your instructor.
• Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.

Task 2

Intelligence Failure

You are an intelligence analyst for the Department of Homeland Security assigned to the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (DHS-OIA). In light of recent threats within the United States and increasing scrutiny and criticism regarding failures within the U.S. Intelligence Community, you have been asked by senior DHS executives to provide them with an overview of the intelligence cycle. In this overview, you are to specifically detail which phase in the cycle, in your opinion, would be most susceptible to an intelligence failure and why. In addition, you have been asked to provide recommendations based on your expert experience to prevent failures in that phase.

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas:

• Which phase of the intelligence cycle do you feel is most susceptible to an intelligence failure? Why?
  • Be sure to justify your response with sufficient supporting research.
• Do you think the failures have been occurring for some time, or are they relatively new developments? Explain.
• What 2 recommendations can you make to the U.S. intelligence community that you feel may help in preventing those failures from occurring? Explain.
  • How difficult would it be to implement your proposed solutions? Why?
• Which phase in the intelligence cycle do you think is the least susceptible to failure? Why?

Task 3

Address the following in 600–900 words:

• • Describe the 3 branches of the U.S. federal government.
    • Explain the role of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
    • Why are there three branches of government? Explain.
    • What is the purpose of the concept separation of powers? Explain.
    • What is federalism? Explain.
      • How does this impact the criminal justice system? Explain.
  • With regard to the criminal justice system, explain the roles of the following primary components:
    • Law enforcement
    • Criminal courts
    • Civil courts
    • Corrections
  • Explain the role of each component. Explain how each component is both interdependent and independent.
  • What are the similarities and differences between the federal and state criminal court systems? Explain.
• Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.