Describe and discuss the intelligence cycle.
You are an intelligence analyst for the Department of Homeland Security assigned to the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (DHS-OIA). Your unit has received a threat that the terrorist group, AKA, might be targeting the U.S. homeland. The threat contains the names of 3 individuals who might be part of the plot.
The OIA has monitored this group's activities in the US for the last 10 years, but before the current threat, there has been no information that the group would target the United States because its conflict was localized in Country X. However, the group does have a small infrastructure in the United States that has been used to raise funds among the immigrant population from Country X. The OIA must validate the threat and initiate a strategic assessment to understand the threat of AKA and identify intelligence gaps.
For this assignment, you must write a research paper of 750-900 words discussing each step of the intelligence cycle, specifically detailing how DHS-OIA will utilize the intelligence cycle to validate this threat and initiate a strategic assessment.
Assignment Guidelines
In this assignment, you, as an intelligence analyst for the DHS-OIA will detail how you would utilize the 6 phases of the intelligence cycle to resolve the threat posed by AKA and to initiate a strategic assessment.
The 6 phases of the intelligence cycle that must be addressed are as follows:
- Requirements phase
- Planning and Direction phase
- Collection phase
- Processing and Exploitation phase
- Analysis and Production phase
- Dissemination phase
In 750-1,000 words, address the following:
For each of the six intelligence cycle phases, answer each of the following questions:
What is the purpose of this phase? Explain.
What activities or operations are conducted by the DHS-OIA during this phase? Describe them.
Why is this phase important to the intelligence cycle as a whole? Explain.
Compile your responses into the final research paper, and submit the file to your instructor.
Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.