Fixing Intelligence a 2003 Book by William Odom

In “Fixing Intelligence: For a More Secure America,” Lt. Gen. William Odom, the former director of the National Security Agency (NSA), writes that the Intelligence Community (IC) needs to reorganize to confront the challenges of the modern world. He is writing after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Some of the reforms he proposed were adopted in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IARPTA).

The major proposed reform is removing the dual-hatted nature of the Director of the CIA. This person was also the Director of Central Intelligence and the head of the Intelligence Community, or IC. Before September 11, it was said that the IC was neither intelligent nor a community. Did you feel major reforms were necessary in the Intelligence Community after September 11th?

“Fixing Intelligence: For a More Secure America” Summary

In “Fixing Intelligence: For a More Secure America,” the author makes radical proposals about reforming the IC. Those unfamiliar with Intelligence Community history might do well to read the final chapter first. That chapter is titled “Conclusions–What It All Means.” This chapter is more of a summary of previous thoughts and is therefore useful. There is also a new organizational chart for the IC shown on page 125.

The basic assumption of this book is that fundamental structural reform of intelligence is needed, especially after the September 11, 2001, attacks. The reform is needed, Odom argues, because the IC must conform to the modern world. A second assumption is that the proposals made will serve to provoke discussion, something the book did. However, the arguments made for structural reform will not be as easily accepted by those who work in the community. Which is why, when the reforms actually happened, there was considerable resistance.

Odom makes his argument for reform is in Chapters 2–8. He develops his proposed “principles, concepts, and doctrine” for the IC. Chapter 2, “Essential Dogma and Useful Buzzwords,” stresses that “the major problem confronting all discussion about reform… [is] the absence of a commonly understood
and accepted doctrine—a single set of terms, rules, and practices—for intelligence
organization, operations, and management.” Odom says the IC is dysfunctional, but he never says why. The 9/11 report says why the IC is dysfunctional. Agencies did not talk to each other and often viewed each other as rivals.

For fixing the management of resources, Odom draws on general organizational theory and models from the business and nonprofit worlds. But, despite pages of commentary, there is no simple declarative statement of doctrine and concepts, while principles are mentioned for some topics but not for others. Plus, it is not clear whether the business world or non-profits are valid comparisons.

Proposed Changes to the IC

A green vintage typewriter with a white paper showing the words "NATIONAL SECURITY." The setup evokes a sense of importance and urgency. — Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The most important reform in “Fixing the Intelligence Community: For a More Secure America” is made in the second chapter. Odom argues that the duties of the DCI (the Director of Central Intelligence) deal with resource management, military intelligence, SIGINT, IMINT, HUMINT, and counterintelligence (CI).
Odom makes a strong, though not necessarily compelling, case for separating the currently “double-hatted position” of Director of Central Intelligence and the so-called “director of the CIA.” The new DCI would be responsible for the entire Intelligence Community. This is essentially what happened with the creation of the Director of National Intelligence.

Odom says the IC itself would be reorganized functionally to do the fixing. There are major structural changes proposed. The proposed changes start with a new national clandestine service, including the military services’ HUMINT elements. There would be a new national counterintelligence service which would combine the counterintelligence elements of the FBI, the military services, and elements of the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology attached.

There would be yet more changes. What is now the CIA’s Directorate of Intelligence would go under the National Intelligence Council. The NSA, Odom’s former agency, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency would be unchanged. Odom does say that the magnitude of changes would create some tensions. This is an understatement. The proposed changes are significant. Though Odom deserves credit for knowing his stuff.

Why You Should Read “Fixing Intelligence: For a More Secure America”

You should read “Fixing Intelligence: For a More Secure America” if you want to get a detailed understanding of the IC. Odom, as you might expect, really knows his stuff. The changes proposed will seem fanciful to members and students of the IC. However, the major argument is one that happened.

Parting Shots

The main argument of the book is that a new position should be created to manage the IC. This position was created as the Director of National Intelligence. That said, the other reforms Odom puts forward to do the fixing of the Intelligence Community remain unactioned. Maybe they should be; the IC, your IC, is still broken.