Bush OKs national "counter-intelligence" offensive

[Selatius]

WASHINGTON - President Bush has approved the nation's first counterintelligence strategy, directing the intelligence agencies to go on the offensive — together — against foreign and terrorist threats.

Counterintelligence is the government-wide effort to protect against foreign espionage and intelligence collection. But professionals in this narrow specialty concede the work has largely been done piecemeal by the 15 agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community, and often in reaction to intelligence that's already been lost.

Released Monday, the president's strategy directs the intelligence community to "identify, assess, neutralize and exploit the intelligence activities" of countries, terrorist groups and international criminal organizations who are out to harm U.S. interests. Bush signed the document on March 1.

It also calls on the agencies to protect U.S. intelligence collection and analysis methods from penetration and manipulation.

The 14-page unclassified version of the strategy lacked details and specifics, making it difficult to assess its impact. Intelligence officials have noted that much of the nation's intelligence focus has gone to fighting terrorism.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=7&u=/ap/20050329/ap_on_go_pr_wh/intelligence_strategy

Yes, we all know the glorious, illustrious record of the CIA in upholding freedom and democracy. I wonder if Venezuela is on the list of countries that will be targeted.

[Old and In the Way]

1. Are US interests and Bush interests synonymous?

I rather doubt it.

[punpirate]

2. Expect a flood of...

... diplomatic complaints from countries whose governments weren't informed of intrusions by military intelligence, and more and more staff State Department resignations because of the diplomatic blow-ups because they weren't informed by the Pentagon.

This policy basically says the US will ignore the sovereignty of any nation at will and that the US will put military troops anywhere it pleases, because the thrust of this is not about improving covert CIA operations--it's about the Pentagon's expanded role in intelligence collection, and, very likely, remote assassinations.

[dbeach]

3. Rummy will use this to spy on all who disagree with corporat bushevik poli

It can't happen here..
Freedom and ignorance cannot mutually co-exist for too long.

GWB : " there should be limits to freedom"

[libodem]

4. they'll all be spying on each other

spy vs counter spy...it will be so fouled up nobody will know what to believe about anything and how good does anyone think intelligence gathered from torture is going to be? They will be able to make anyone say anything. There was a reason everything was kept separated for so long...(CIA/FBI)...now it will be a cluster-fuck. the CIA will be able to spy on it's own citizens...it is just a perversion of ethics