ABSTRACT
Intelligence is information that is acquired, exploited, and protected by the activities of organizations specifically established for that purpose. Full-service intelligence consists of four elements: collection, analysis, counterintelligence, and covert action. Covert action activities fall into one of four areas: propaganda, political action, paramilitary operations, and intelligence assistance. Of the four elements of intelligence, collection and analysis have historically caused less consternation in the United States than covert action and counterintelligence. Exploiting an adversary's inadequate security and counterintelligence capabilities can also help a state maintain its strategic power during peacetime. Counterintelligence challenges are not always tangible. Under the right circumstances, clandestine efforts to influence public opinion and decision-making in foreign countries can play an important role in world politics. Both covert action and counterintelligence have at times made significant contributions to protecting a state's national security interests. Conversely, a lack of capability in these areas has left states at a significant disadvantage with respect to their adversaries.
