The Seven Impossible Demands Policymakers Place on Intelligence

In his remarks at the conference, Dr. Inboden “tried to emphasize a point that has been neglected in the Snowden tumult of the past year: intelligence is an instrument serving policy, and intelligence activities are carried out at the behest and under the ultimate authority of the presidency. For all of the ongoing controversy over the NSA’s methods, at the end of the day the NSA and other three-letter agencies are merely serving the mandate of senior policymakers.”

He then laid out the seven impossible demands policymakers put on the intelligence community including “Do whatever it takes to get me the intelligence I need — but don’t break any laws, offend any allied nations, prompt any Congressional investigations, make any mistakes, or let the media find out in the process.”

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