This course includes a mid-term and final exam. The take home mid-term and final exam questions are provided below.
Take Home Mid-term Exam
- Who was head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and founder of the CIA?
- The National Security Act of 1947 was driven by what two major events?
- What two events concerning Cuba in the early 1960s are considered a major CIA setback and a major CIA success?
- What conflict resulted on Support for Military Operations becoming a priority CIA mission?
- What were three major reasons for the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004.
- What DOD legislation was cited by the 911 Commission as a model for IC joint centers?
- What two major 911 Commission recommendations were not in the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004?
- What two National Centers were created by the 2004 Reform Act?
- What are three major technical collection issues or controversies?
- What famous reconnaissance aircraft still in use was developed by the CIA?
- What are the three major types of IMINT satellites?
- MASINT has been compared to what here senses?
- Which DCI wanted to put imagery exploitation in DOD?
- What is the meaning of the phrase D&D?
- What are the two major types of cover used by the CIA?
- From what country did Iraq allegedly try to buy uranium for nuclear use?
- What two countries were able to defeat CIA polygraphs?
- HUMINT is most useful in determining hostile capabilities or intentions?
- "The Wall" refers to what barrier between CIA and FBI?
- What is the major defensive mission of counterintelligence?
- The major KGB spy in the CIA was named?
- What are three of the four types of analysis?
- What are three of the five qualities of good intelligence analysis?
- What are three tools for good analysis?
- What is the difference between a puzzle and a mystery?
- What is the basic problem with establishing joint intelligence centers?
- What are three reasons for bad intelligence analysis?
Take Home Final Exam
Provide answers of 500-750 words to five of the following eight questions:
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004, and how would you further reform and improve intelligence community performance post 911?
- Do you believe the intelligence community has too much or too little oversight by each of the three main braches of government, particularly in the area of covert action? Explain your reasons and proposed remedy.
- There is currently tension between two main missions of the intelligence community, informing and warning policymakers of threats to our strategic interests and supporting U.S. military operations. Is the IC doing too much, too little or about enough to support or troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and how would you change the mix?
- Richard Betts argues that warning failures are inevitable. Was 911 primarily an intelligence failure or a policy/political failure? Why? What would you do to improve strategic warning intelligence and the interaction between intelligence and policy in the future?
- Discuss the "Wall" between intelligence and law enforcement? How much does it need to be revised for the war on terrorism, and what are the dangers to civil liberties in improving domestic intelligence collection?
- Concerning the Iranian nuclear program, how would you use the various collection means to gather useful information? Based on lessons learned, how would you use the Iraq WMD experience to improve analysis and avoid potential politicization of the results?
- If you had to reduce the intelligence budget by 25%, how would you make the cuts, if any, in each of the major intelligence activities? What performance standards or processes would you use to make your decisions?
- How well do each of the various collection means function in the war on terrorism? How would you improve them?