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Reflections
- Intelligence Community
9/11/01 Terror Attacks, Then and Now
Dr. Lenora Peters Gant, Scholar-in-Residence
As a scholar-in-residence at Trinity College, I was asked by
President Patricia McGuire to participate in the Trinity Remembers
Program by giving a lecture about my reflections on the Intelligence
Community (IC) in regard to its actions surrounding the terror
event of 9-11-01. Dr. McGuire asked to publish my lecture in
the Trinity News. After going through a formal review process
via the agency’s Publications Review Board, I am pleased to
highlight my reflections based on the evening lecture that I
presented on September 11, 2002. This article does not represent
the views of the agency nor the Intelligence Community. Much
of the information articulated here is from unclassified and
open sources.
Just imagine you’re sitting at an off-site 200 or so miles
from your duty site with a group of representatives from across
the Community. You hear that an airplane has just crashed into
the World Towers in New York City. You rush to watch CNN. You’re
standing there dumbfounded watching the television monitor and
another plan crashes into the 2nd World Towers building! And
a few minutes later at 9:37 a.m., a plan crashes into the pentagon
- at the heart of American’s defense system.
You immediately get in your car to drive back to the Washington,
DC metropolitan area. Attempting to call the Central Intelligence
Agency’s headquarters to find out what’s going on. All you get
from the ten lines called is a busy signal. Trying to get through
to family members was just as fruitless.
I’m talking about me. And, I can tell you that I was almost
a nervous wreck. I drove back to the Washington Metropolitan
area below the normal speed limit, in the far right-hand lane.
Since parts of Interstate 395 North were temporarily closed,
I pondered how I was going to get home, across the Wilson Bridge
into Maryland. I did get home about 4 hours later by driving
less traveled routes through Northern Virginia. My story is
insignificant compared to the more horrific and heart-wrenching
experiences that exceed our imaginations - some we know about
and others we will never know about.
When I finally used the telephone, I was told that our friends
and colleagues at the Defense Intelligence Agency, housed at
the Pentagon, on the corner where the plane hit, were trapped
in the fiery smoke and blaze. Names and faces will be long remembered.
Many employees in buildings across the Intelligence Community
(IC) evacuated immediately due to the possibility of another
terror attack. Yes, there was probably a little hysteria. That
was then.
No doubt, you read and saw many reactions on the local and
national news. As a scholar-in-residence, these are my views,
perspectives, and insights. When I look back over the past year,
there are four issues that I’ll focus my remarks - (1) the structure
and corporate partnerships across the Intelligence Community,
(2) collaboration among IC agencies and components, (3) competing
demands from multiple consumers, and (4) the IC workforce -
people, our most important asset.
The structure and corporate partnerships among IC
agencies and components
Today, there are fourteen IC agencies and components that comprise
the Intelligence Community. The Director of Central Intelligence
(DCI) manages the IC and directs issues related to the National
Foreign Intelligence Program. The Office of the Deputy Director
of Central Intelligence, Community Management (ODDCI/CM) works
for the DCI and manages the oversight of the IC. Under the Office
of the DDCI/CM there are three Assistant Deputy Directors of
Central Intelligence (ADDCI) —(1) ADDCI for Administration,
(2) ADDCI for Collection, and (3) the ADDCI for Analysis and
Production. In conjunction with the ADDCIs, the Executive Director/Intelligence
Community Affairs (EXDIR/ICA) manages the day-to-day administration
and coordinates “cross-cutting IC-wide” issues and partnerships
for the DCI. The EXDIR/ICA directs the Community Management
Staff (CMS) for the ODDCI/CM. ODDCI/CM directs oversight and
strategic plans for the fourteen IC agencies and components
for the DCI to ensure execution of the National Foreign Intelligence
Program.
Corporate partnerships and mindset were institutionalized
under the current DCI’s leadership before the terror attacks
of September 2001. The DCI issued several IC strategic documents
to focus and unify the Intelligence Community–two key IC focused
documents included the DCI’s Strategic Intent (1999) and Global
Trends 2015 (2000) – A Dialogue About the Future with non-governmental
experts. These documents were strategic versus tactical; nonetheless
they laid the foundation for partnerships and collaboration
that fermented continuous dialogue across the Intelligence Community.
In preliminary reviews, according to a former National Intelligence
Council Chair, the IC had been effective prior to 11 September
2001 in identifying a range and complexity of transnational
threats facing American interests. From terrorism to weapons
of mass destruction, these threats had been briefed to America’s
leadership and policymakers. In some instances, unclassified
versions of these briefings and testimonies could be found on
the Internet. Purportedly, one suggestion expressed difficulty
in prioritizing threats in ways that IC consumers could readily
develop, allocate required resources, and implement executable
strategies. Further, this was noted as being especially true
for “first responders.”
As in any bureaucratic system there are boundaries, turf battles,
funding and autonomy issues. Nonetheless, after the terror attacks
of 9-11-01, I saw more cooperation on an agency, community and
individual level. In late September 2001, I chaired a joint
meeting of the Community Diversity Issues Board, the IC Human
Resources Directors, and the IC Training and Education Board.
We worked to form corporate partnerships in support of the Community
terror efforts. In many instances, employees of all ranks and
grade levels worked around the clock in support of America’s
national security efforts. Many personnel continue to work around
the clock at Command Centers across the Intelligence Community.
Military uniformed personnel and civilians worked hand in hand
during the crisis. Some slept on cots and the agencies’ cafeterias
were opened to accommodate the irregular schedules. Everyone
seemed to demonstrate team spirit, respect, and selfless attitudes
during the crisis—from intelligence officers, administrative
staffs as well as chefs and cooks. I believe the IC agencies
and components worked as a corporate team; that same team spirit
is evident a year later.
Action officers attended White House meetings to assess and
plan strategy in support of Homeland Security. In the meeting
that I attended, there were representatives from across the
government that focused on training issues. We worked cooperatively
to identify shortfalls, examine and share current practices.
We also formed partnerships where appropriate to achieve a common
goal.
In the spirit of cooperation, outreach and unifying around
a common goal, the IC worked out procedures and processes that
enabled relevant information to be shared with the appropriate
authorities in the law enforcement communities. For example,
during our annual spring offsite meeting of the IC Training
and Education Board, agency representatives shared insights
and perspectives about measures taken to coordinate issues for
emergency transportation, terrorism training, chemical detection
methods, as well as employee and facility safety.
I believe that never before have I seen so many organizations
and individuals work so well together. Truly, it was a corporate
effort to brainstorm issues, ferret out clues, and synthesize
data in support of leadership decisionmaking.
Travel schedules were intensified and new coalitions were
formed to collaborate with appropriate authorities across America
as well as with allies around the globe to forge international
cooperation. Intelligence Community leaders and officers supported
America’s leadership—anytime and any place—from the White House
to Camp David as well as from Crawford, TX to Europe and the
Middle East.
I am proud of the teamwork demonstrated by the boards, committees,
and groups that I actively participated.
Collaboration among the IC agencies and components
I believe the war on terror encouraged IC agency constituencies
to be more collaborative. Then and now, it is critical to share
information to accumulate and synthesize data to produce actionable
intelligence. Old intelligence is NO intelligence. As stated
by Mark Lowenthal in his book, Intelligence: From Secrets to
Policy, “all intelligence is information; not all information
is intelligence. “
From where I sat, the message was clear; the IC can achieve
more collaboratively by working cooperatively and sharing information.
Consequently, I believe, the terror attacks gave the agencies
and components an opportunity to rally and unify behind the
DCI’s strategic guidance and directives. The American people
expected nothing less. The collaborative focus, then and now,
continues to be on weapons of mass destruction; cyber, chemical,
radiological, biological warfare; technological systems and
their interoperability to share information effectively and
quickly; protection of methods and sources to better prevent
and protect America’s interests; and assurance of domestic security
and crisis responsiveness.
I believe the Intelligence Community is continuing to adjust
to rapid change. Often times, it is difficult to predict with
exactness every possible terrorist scenario. Nonetheless, it
requires IC leaders, professionals, collectors, and analysts
to constantly reassess decisions, policies and perspectives.
Dr. Richard J. Heuer, Jr., author of the Psychology of Intelligence
Analysis (1999), purports that IC officers and professionals
must continuously test views systematically against information
and expertise (internal and external) to challenge traditional
thinking and status quo practices.
Competing demands and juggling requirements from multiple
consumers
Working Intelligence Community Issues and simultaneously working
agency specific tasks can be extremely challenging. At any given
time, during the terror crises, action officers across the fourteen
agencies and components were, no doubt, working multiple tasks
simultaneously—some IC related and others agency specific. IC
officers synthesized data and prepared draft reports for the
ODDCI/CM prior to final promulgation to the DCI. Juggling competing
tasks and demands are a constant working on the Community Management
Staff. For IC “agency-component” action officers, I believe
that it’s more challenging to guide and lead IC-wide committees
and cross-cutting issues while simultaneously handling agency
specific duties and responsibilities. On the committees/boards
that I chaired and worked, it was those IC action officers that
were the true unsung heroes; because, time and time again, they
performed IC-wide duties by working on inter and intra-agency
task forces, committees, and working groups. They adjusted rapidly
to answering two masters—the DCI’s call for collaboration, unity
and strategic focus; and the agency director’s call for focused
mission readiness and responsiveness to internal and external
consumers including the Secretary of Defense.
Intelligence Community Workforce—people, our most
important asset
My fourth and final issue is people. People are always a priority
for the DCI. The focus is on – attracting, hiring, developing
and motivating a competent IC workforce. A workforce that is
ready and skilled to carry out America’s national security mission
well into the 21st Century is a key priority. As the former
Director of Workforce Issues and Special Assistant for Intelligence
Community Diversity Management, I was directly involved in oversight
for developing and providing focused input to “people” related
strategic functional plans.
We can have the best technologies, electronic systems, and
automated tools, but if we don’t have the best people with the
right skill sets, competencies, and mindset, we could stand
the chance of loosing the war on terror, other American challenges
and freedoms. Freedom of speech, freedom to chose, freedom from
fear, freedom to practice or not practice religion, and opportunities
to strive and to know that a better life is in reach—just to
name a few.
Several of the DCI five-year functional plans in support of
the DCI’s Strategic Intent include people focused goals and
objectives. The two that I’ll mention here are the IC-wide Diversity
Strategic Plan (1999), and the recently issued IC-wide Recruitment
and Retention Strategic Plan (2002). Each of these documents
outline goals and objectives to attract, hire, develop, retain
critical skill talent, and motivate a competitive IC workforce.
The Community, then and now, continues to benchmark with industry
leaders and seek academic expertise. The DCI continues to direct
and sponsor blue-ribbon panels comprised of government, industry
and academic luminaries to assist in the generation of new thought,
provocative challenges, and insights to formulate strategies
and policies. The IC is focused on adapting progressive human
capital practices and industry’s proven best practices to reinvigorate
and reshape its workforce to meet 21st Century challenges.
The General Accounting Office (GAO) 2001 reports predict the
federal government is in a human capital crisis that will continue
over the next 5 to 10 years. The federal government’s workforce
is expected to go through a major transformation and “brain
drain” due in part to the retirement of baby boomers, limited
hiring, and reduced head count over the past decade.
The Hudson Institute’s Workforce 2020 book corroborates GAO’s
predictions. If, in fact, the predictions prove to be correct,
the federal government as well as the IC must aggressively attract,
hire, develop and retain talent that possesses the right skill
sets, competencies, and mindset to carry out its mission over
the long-term.
In conclusion, I believe the Intelligence Community and law
enforcement agencies are continuing to work cooperatively and
collaboratively as never before. The terror attacks of September
11, 2001 give us cause to pause and a chance to reflect on many
issues–some near and dear to our hearts:
- People we care about, people we love and those who are no
longer here with us;
- Places where we were standing and/or sitting when we first
heard the news of the terror attacks;
After driving almost 3 hours to get home from Williamsburg,
VA, I sat glued to my television watching, in horror, the smoke
billowing—from the Pentagon—across the metropolitan skyline.
Many thoughts and scenes of the terror attacks of 9-11-01 will
be embossed in our memory for years to come. September the eleventh,
two thousand and one, revitalized America’s patriotism. And,
I believe, now, more than at any other time that I can remember,
we truly understand what American freedom means; not just for
a few, but for all Americans and people from other countries
and lands who work, visit and attend schools in this great country.
I believe that many people better understand that for America
to stay strong, it is important for our Intelligence Community
and the defense systems to be equally strong. Let’s remember
that what lies within us is a determination to make choices,
muster courage, and be all that we can be in the endeavors and
paths we’ve chosen. I am proud to be an American. Further, I
am equally proud of the men and women across the Intelligence
Community who work to keep us all safe from harm.
Author:
Intelligence Community, Scholar-in-Residence
Trinity College
Programs in International Affairs
125 Michigan Avenue, N. E.
Washington, DC 20017
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