New intelligence chief celebrates five years

DNI anniversary

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) celebrated its five year anniversary at its headquarters in McLean, VA on April 21. Among the many speakers and notable guests, DNI Dennis Blair (center stage), took to the stage to discuss the future of American intelligence efforts.

The following are some selected comments from the director’s speech.

“… Our future will be focused on the excellence of an integrated intelligence enterprise, driven by joint missions; powered, united by technology; continually learning and improving.

“...Our mission will still be clear in this complex and dynamic world. Determined, adaptive adversaries like al-Qaida will still be trying to attack Americans, and we must stop them. This isn't just the information age. It is the – truly – intelligence age. What we’ll be able to do with information technology in 2015 will make today look like the Dark Ages. The next five years will be a golden age of collection. We will be understanding our adversaries’ information systems at the same time that we’re protecting our own.  Information technology will strengthen our depth of analysis, our delivery of support and – above all – our sharing and our cooperation across the community.

“…But whether we’re the best intelligence enterprise ever will depend on our integration, our agility, and our reflection of America’s values. If we can truly combine signals, human intelligence, geospatial intelligence, law enforcement information, open-source intelligence, new kinds of intelligence that haven't even been invented yet; if we can bring analysts together with all the information they need, in seamless, imaginative, constantly evolving ways; and if we can maintain and increase the trust of the American people, not only in what we do, but how we do it; if we can do all of that, we’ll be the best.

“…The one overarching driver of future intelligence greatness will be the leadership of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, because we – you – are the only intelligence organization that wakes up every morning and thinks: “How can we make this entire intelligence enterprise better?

“…The mission is clear, the demand is unrelenting, the technology is exploding, and the talent bench is deep. The next five years of America’s intelligence enterprise can be spectacular. It’s up to us.”

To read the director’s full comments, click here.