Counterintelligence Field Activity
Encyclopedia
Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA) was a United States Department of Defense
(DoD) agency whose size and budget were classified. The CIFA was created by a directive from the Secretary of Defense (Number 5105.67) on February 19, 2002. On August 8, 2008, it was announced that CIFA would be shut down.
The offices of Chief of Staff, Office of General Counsel, and Office of the Inspector General reported directly to the Director of CIFA.
CIFA was then broken into four directorates: Program Management, Information Technology, Operational Support and Training and Development.
Program Management was responsible for budgeting, management and accountability.
Information Technology was responsible for planning and managing special technology needs of the counterintelligence enterprise.
Operational Support planned, directed and managed counterintelligence activities and coordinated offensive counterintelligence campaigns.
Training and Development set performance assessment standards and assured that defense counterintelligence training and education programs, as well as instructors, maintained accreditation and certification.
and law enforcement system that was a near real-time sharing of raw non-validated information among DoD organizations and installations. Feeding into JPEN were intelligence, law enforcement, counterintelligence, and security reports, information from DoD's "Threat and Local Observation Notice" (TALON
) reporting system of unfiltered information, and other reports.
There were seven criteria taken into account in the creation of a TALON report:
Army regulation 190-45, Law Enforcement Reporting, stated that JPEN may be used to share police intelligence with DOD law enforcement agencies, military police, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
and local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies.
, which strengthened and specified a United States citizen's right to privacy as noted in the Fourth Amendment
United States Constitution
. In addition, the Supreme Court of the United States
found in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
the right to privacy against government intrusion was protected by the "penumbras" of other Constitutional provisions. The DoD reflected these in its own guidelines that have been in place since 1982.
CIFA's similar collection and retention of data on peace groups and other activists promoted parallels to be drawn between the two programs by civil rights groups like the ACLU
, and intelligence officials who found the prospect of the military tracking peace groups again to be worrisome.
After ACLU filed multiple Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) requests regarding information gathering on peace groups and NBC did a report citing a Quaker group planning an anti-enlistment action that was listed as a "threat", a review of CIFA activities was ordered by then Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Stephen A. Cambone, who stated at the time that it appeared that there had been several violations.
A complaint requesting the expedition of the FOIA requests by the ACLU was ruled in their favor by a federal court. The released documents showed that at least 126 peace groups' information had been held past required removal dates. The DoD has since stated that it removed all improperly kept data.
On August 8, 2008, it was announced that CIFA would be shut down and its activities would be absorbed by the Defense Intelligence Agency
.
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
(DoD) agency whose size and budget were classified. The CIFA was created by a directive from the Secretary of Defense (Number 5105.67) on February 19, 2002. On August 8, 2008, it was announced that CIFA would be shut down.
Mission
CIFA goals were:- To effectively and efficiently manage and oversee the Defense Department counterintelligence enterprise.
- To synchronize Defense counterintelligence activities across the department, in coordination with the national intelligence community.
- To manage priority counterintelligence plans and projects in fulfillment of national, department and combatant commander requirements.
- To select and develop unique counterintelligence operational support capabilities and make them available to the wider intelligence community.
- To serve as the primary source of career development and training for counterintelligence professionals.
- To identify, develop and field advanced technologies for counterintelligence.
- To create a joint, interoperable and synchronized approach to counterintelligence as a distinct intelligence discipline.
- To assess the feasibility of a department-level joint operational element for Defense counterintelligence.
Organization
The Director of DoD CIFA reported directly to DoD's Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.The offices of Chief of Staff, Office of General Counsel, and Office of the Inspector General reported directly to the Director of CIFA.
CIFA was then broken into four directorates: Program Management, Information Technology, Operational Support and Training and Development.
Program Management was responsible for budgeting, management and accountability.
Information Technology was responsible for planning and managing special technology needs of the counterintelligence enterprise.
Operational Support planned, directed and managed counterintelligence activities and coordinated offensive counterintelligence campaigns.
Training and Development set performance assessment standards and assured that defense counterintelligence training and education programs, as well as instructors, maintained accreditation and certification.
Joint Protection Enterprise Network (JPEN) database
CIFA managed the database of "suspicious incidents" in the United States or the Joint Protection Enterprise Network (JPEN). It was an intelligenceIntelligence (information gathering)
Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
and law enforcement system that was a near real-time sharing of raw non-validated information among DoD organizations and installations. Feeding into JPEN were intelligence, law enforcement, counterintelligence, and security reports, information from DoD's "Threat and Local Observation Notice" (TALON
TALON (database)
TALON , is a database maintained by the United States Air Force after the September 11th terrorist attacks. It was authorised for creation in 2002 by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz, in order to collect and evaluate information about possible threats to U.S. servicemembers and civilian...
) reporting system of unfiltered information, and other reports.
There were seven criteria taken into account in the creation of a TALON report:
- Nonspecific threats.
- Surveillance.
- Elicitation.
- Tests of security.
- Repetitive activities.
- Bomb threats.
- Suspicious activities and/or incidents
Army regulation 190-45, Law Enforcement Reporting, stated that JPEN may be used to share police intelligence with DOD law enforcement agencies, military police, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
United States Army Criminal Investigation Command investigates felony crimes and serious violations of military law within the United States Army...
and local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies.
Privacy issues
The domestic collection of data by military agencies was strictly regulated by laws such as the Privacy Act of 1974Privacy Act of 1974
The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, Public Law No. 93-579, establishes a Code of Fair Information Practice that governs the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information about individuals that is maintained in systems of records by federal agencies...
, which strengthened and specified a United States citizen's right to privacy as noted in the Fourth Amendment
Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause...
United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. In addition, the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
found in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
Griswold v. Connecticut
Griswold v. Connecticut, , was a landmark case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Constitution protected a right to privacy. The case involved a Connecticut law that prohibited the use of contraceptives...
the right to privacy against government intrusion was protected by the "penumbras" of other Constitutional provisions. The DoD reflected these in its own guidelines that have been in place since 1982.
CIFA's similar collection and retention of data on peace groups and other activists promoted parallels to be drawn between the two programs by civil rights groups like the ACLU
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
, and intelligence officials who found the prospect of the military tracking peace groups again to be worrisome.
After ACLU filed multiple Freedom of Information Act
Freedom of Information Act (United States)
The Freedom of Information Act is a federal freedom of information law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government. The Act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure...
(FOIA) requests regarding information gathering on peace groups and NBC did a report citing a Quaker group planning an anti-enlistment action that was listed as a "threat", a review of CIFA activities was ordered by then Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Stephen A. Cambone, who stated at the time that it appeared that there had been several violations.
A complaint requesting the expedition of the FOIA requests by the ACLU was ruled in their favor by a federal court. The released documents showed that at least 126 peace groups' information had been held past required removal dates. The DoD has since stated that it removed all improperly kept data.
Shut down
On April 1, 2008, the Pentagon's top intelligence official (James R. Clapper, the Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence)) recommended CIFA's dismantling.On August 8, 2008, it was announced that CIFA would be shut down and its activities would be absorbed by the Defense Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
.
See also
- Authorization for Use of Military Force Against TerroristsAuthorization for Use of Military Force Against TerroristsThe Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists , one of two resolutions commonly known as "AUMF" , was a joint resolution passed by the United States Congress on September 14, 2001, authorizing the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the attacks on...
(2001) - Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002
- USA PATRIOT ActUSA PATRIOT ActThe USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
, specifically USA PATRIOT Act, Title IIUSA PATRIOT Act, Title IIThe USA PATRIOT Act was passed by the United States Congress in 2001 as a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. It has ten titles, each containing numerous sections. Title II: Enhanced Surveillance Procedures granted increased powers of surveillance to various government agencies and bodies...
entitled Enhanced Surveillance ProceduresUSA PATRIOT Act, Title IIThe USA PATRIOT Act was passed by the United States Congress in 2001 as a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. It has ten titles, each containing numerous sections. Title II: Enhanced Surveillance Procedures granted increased powers of surveillance to various government agencies and bodies... - Fourth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionFourth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause...
- Economic Espionage Act of 1996Economic Espionage Act of 1996The Economic Espionage Act of 1996 was a 6 title Act of Congress dealing with a wide range of issues, including not only industrial espionage , but the insanity defense, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, requirements for presentence investigation reports, and the United...
- Privacy Act of 1974Privacy Act of 1974The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, Public Law No. 93-579, establishes a Code of Fair Information Practice that governs the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information about individuals that is maintained in systems of records by federal agencies...
- Counter-terrorismCounter-terrorismCounter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
External links
- The Pentagon's Counterspies: The Counterintelligence Field Activity - Documents Describe Organization and Operations of Controversial Agency and Database, National Security ArchiveNational Security ArchiveThe National Security Archive is a 501 non-governmental, non-profit research and archival institution located in the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.. Founded in 1985 by Scott Armstrong, it archives and publishes declassified U.S. government files concerning selected topics of US...
, The George Washington University, September 17, 2007