Terrorism Evolution in Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Terrorism Evolution in Intelligence - Essay Example This evaluation of different US intelligence agencies seemed to be a formidable task for those lawmakers. The lack of motivation to assess the drawbacks of Intelligence departments and organizational framework might highlight the causes of failures of many reforms proposed, which resulted in insignificant and poor changes. The American intelligence units as they stand today need a thorough understanding of past reformation efforts to solve its present confusing state. Those at the helm of the intelligence affairs have drafted several proposals and studies following the Second World War to harmonize the American intelligence system with the changing times. These reports have now been in declassified form and surprisingly they have never been compiled and assiduously applied by the American administration in their true spirit (Best & Boerstling, 1996). The significance of these proposals and studies does not wholly dependent on impacts it produced on the intelligence community. However , a few remarkable studies motivated by a wartime period have produced positive results. On the other hand, many other studies were not as useful (Stimson & Forrestal, 1996). Terrorism Evolution in Intelligence: An Introduction Since the Second World War America got ascendancy in global politics and acquired many world wide tasks to pursue its own interests. Yet the American Congress, the White House and its organizational bodies like Department of Defense were somewhat naive of the American intelligence departments and their operation. There was a lack of coherence amongst different bodies of intelligence regarding the role played by each intelligence departments as well harmony to undertake the various intelligence tasks. The unplanned wartime steps taken by the Roosevelt administration in 1945 needed a drastic and thorough assessment of intelligence bodies to be considered critically. After assuming the US presidency, Harry Truman stated in his address â€Å"that the antiquated defense setup of the United States had to be reorganized quickly† (Best & Boerstling, 1996). Likewise, many American officials highlighted the need of urgent intelligence reforms: ‘Recent developments in the field of new weapons have advanced the question of an efficient intelligence service to a position of importance, vital to the security of the nation in a degree never attained and never contemplated in the past. It is now entirely possible that failure to provide such a system might bring national disaster’ (Harris, 1995). The major issue for the American officials was how to modernize the US intelligence with the contemporary times. The American officials had been divided about the past war time experiences relating with the suitable ways to meet the intelligence needs. Many of their ideas were conflicting and only some officials had clear views and insight to meet those objective needs of American intelligence. Nevertheless, in 1946 the American administrat ion made various critical decisions for American intelligence units after the Second World War. The National Security Act of 1947 set the course of American intelligence for decades to modern pathways. The American admini