Change in the name of efficiency is certainly an admirable goal, though the language of MBAs doesn’t always translate well in the world of intelligence.

The Energy Department is downgrading its counterintelligence unit in what officials say is a “hostile takeover” by the intelligence office. […]

“This [consolidation] is ostensibly for better efficiencies,” said one official who opposes the move. “But counterintelligence will be less effective and less of a defensive program.”

A merge in the name of information-sharing sounds suspect to me, since by the very nature of the work CI isn’t going to be sharing much of anything with straight-leg intel. As to questions of efficiency, find me the CI shop that is anything but a token force and I’ll show you a shop that might actually see some benefit in merging overhead functions.

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.