The Oxford Handbook of National Security Intelligence

"This is a book about national security intelligence (NSI), a phrase referring to the activities of a nation's secretive government agencies. Foremost among these activities is the collection and analysis of information that might provide policy officials with timely, accurate, and unbiased knowledge of potential threats and opportunities a decision advantage. Examined as well are the intelligence responsibilities of covert action and counterintelligence. Covert action refers to the use of hidden operations to advance a nation's interests in world affairs activities that include propaganda, political actions, economic sabotage, and paramilitary operations. Counterintelligence requires a nation's secret services to protect its own secrets from being stolen, and to help shelter the homeland from attack by hostile intelligence services, terrorist organizations, and domestic subversives. Explored, too, is a fundamental challenge faced by democratic nations: keeping their secret agencies accountable to the law and ethical values. This vital task involves the executive and lawmaking divisions of government, plus the intelligence agencies themselves, to carry out programs that help ensure the legality and morality of spy operations. The era of new and more serious intelligence accountability over intelligence activities began in earnest during 1975 with the Church Committee inquiries and continues today. The ongoing search continues in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and several other democracies, for the proper balance between the close supervision of intelligence under the law, on the one hand, and sufficient executive discretion to permit the effective conduct of vital intelligence missions against foreign autocrats and domestic insurrectionists, on the other hand"-- Provided by publisher.