09 January 2007

US Spy Agencies

A story on NPR about the upcoming "National Intelligence Estimate" report mentioned that it represented the best work of all 16 U.S. spy agencies. SIXTEEN!? How many people could even name five? The CIA, FBI, and NSA get most of the press. What else is there? DHS is a new one I guess.

I found this site at www.intelligence.gov which lists all sixteen agencies.

Each branch of the military has its own spy agency, including the Coast Guard(?!) and the Department of Defence. Those and the big 4 mentioned above make 10. Let's take a look at the remaining six.

Drug Enforcement Administration: Yes, those guys have good reasons to be spying around.

State Department: These guys probably don't have their own spies. They (and the DHS) are in more of an oversight capacity, coordinating the other groups. Do we really need two competing oversight agencies?

Department of Energy, Department of the Treasury: These are surprising agencies to find on the list. I would have thought the FBI would handle money laundering, and the CIA would take care of nuclear energy spy-work.

National Geospatial Intelligence Agency: These guys run the spy satellites. And stuff. Cool. But only since 1996.

National Reconnaissance Office: No, wait, these guys run the spy satellites. The NGIA just makes pretty pictures with the data from the satellites. Or something like that. Here's a nice quote: "The NRO established in 1960 ... existence of the NRO was declassified on 18 September 1992."

If that isn't enough, this page lists 38 US Intelligence agencies and web sites. Oh well, I don't think any amount of spying will ever actually amount to "intelligence".
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