Partners or Competitors? The Evolution of the Department of Defense / Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Relationship since Desert Storm and its Prospects for the Future - 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq

Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this unique book attempts to understand the evolution of the CIA/ DOD relationship since Desert Storm and determine its current standing. To understand the historical and contemporary context of the CIA/DOD relationship, the author draws on primary and secondary sources. Primary sources include interviews with two former Chairmen of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, interviews with previous and current DOD and CIA leadership, government documents, and written first-person accounts. The secondary sources include academic journal articles, historical and current affairs accounts, and various media reports.

Although the author highlights specific events in the 1980s that helped shape the subsequent CIA/DOD relationship, the paper focuses on the two decades following Desert Storm. The author breaks the 21 years into two periods: post-Desert Storm/Cold War (1991-2001) and post-9/11 (2001-2012).

Although the CIA and DOD relationship expanded significantly following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the author contends its foundation was set 10 years earlier in the aftermath of Desert Storm and in the Cold War. During the 1990s, Congressional policy pronouncements and organizational changes within both institutions increased the opportunity for communication and liaison partnerships between the CIA and DOD. Conflict, war, and terrorist threats provided a common focus for development and integration, but it was the existence of a structure coupled with policy direction developed in the 1990s that set the conditions for the rapid maturing of that partnership post-9/11. Over time, the relationship morphed from intelligence support to the warfighter into a more comprehensive, mutually supporting partnership in pursuit of America's most important operational and strategic objectives. There is little doubt the relationship would have matured during operations following 9/11, but the growing pains experienced over time would have been much greater absent the organizational and policy changes of the early '90s.

To understand the historical and contemporary context of the CIA/DOD relationship, Major David Oakley draws on secondary sources of academic journals, historical and current affairs accounts, and various media reports supplemented by primary sources. But it is the primary sources of personal interviews with two former Chairmen of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, interviews with previous and current DOD and CIA leadership, government documents, and written first-person accounts that add a new dimension and uniqueness to the paper. Major Oakley takes those policymakers and executors back in time to reflect on those legislative actions and how they affected the development of today's capabilities.

The CIA/DOD partnership appears to be closer than ever before, but there are certain issues and conditions that could, for better or worse, affect how the partnership evolves in the future. Understanding how the CIA/DOD relationship has evolved since Desert Storm will provide an appreciation for the future trajectory this partnership might take.