Oxford handbook of national security intelligence / edited by Loch K.Johnson

Throughout the past few decades, inter est in the field of national security intel ligence has increased dramatically as a series of intelligence scandals and fail ures such as the Iran-contra affair and the false claim that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction-has brought attention to this young discipline. The terrorist attacks of 2001 further revealed the inadequacies of the U.S. security ap paratus, and a motion toward reform has formed in the wake of this tragedy. In our information-dominated age, the organiza tions that function in the dark are increas ingly driving policy decisions, and an understanding of these hidden aspects of government is more crucial than ever. The Oxford Handbook of National Security Intelligence surveys the current literature on national security intelligence. presenting a synthesis of theories and findings. The Handbook discusses nation al security intelligence within a political and historical context, explaining how in telligence agencies operate and how they collect information from around the world. It examines the problems that come with transforming raw information into cred ible analysis, and the difficulties involved in disseminating intelligence to policy makers. It explores the balance between secrecy and public accountability, and the ethical dilemmas that covert operations routinely present to intelligence agen cies. This authoritative volume presents a comprehensive overview of the discipline, complete with research agendas and sug gestions for reform. This handbook represents the work of a distinguished team of international contrib utors from a variety of backgrounds among the authors are many prominent scholars, intelligence agents, and politicians Their dynamic array of viewpoints provides the wader with an indispensable portrait of this rapidly developing field of study, app priste for experts and casual maders alike.