A bipartisan group of senators is urging John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence, to see to it that an information-sharing implementation plan, as required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, is submitted to Congress without further delay.

The plan was due in July I think, and they can’t seem to keep anyone in the driver’s seat . . . have fun storming the castle . . .

As long as the data ownership culture prevails, this is unlikely to make much headway. Keeping people who take risks alive is always a concern, but if history teaches us anything in this business it is that the people who could make the most use of a given piece of information are often times not the people who control it. Nothing more useless than a report you can’t use.

The internal-competition in the IC is also a factor here; why share when someone else might beat you to the punch with an assessment? Don’t think it doesn’t happen. In effect the first fight is with your colleagues across town, then the actual adversary. That’s no way to run an IC.

Consolidate or (more will) die.

About the Author

Michael Tanji

Michael Tanji spent nearly 20 years in the US intelligence community. Trained in both SIGINT and HUMINT disciplines he has worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the National Reconnaissance Office. At various points in his career he served as an expert in information warfare, computer network operations, computer forensics, and indications and warning. A veteran of the US Army, Michael has served in both strategic and tactical assignments in the Pacific Theater, the Balkans, and the Middle East.