Al Qaeda and Intelligence

Threat Analysis A Foreign Intelligence Entity (FIE) can be delineated as any identified or suspected foreign organization, individual, or group, whether private, public, or governmental, that undertakes intelligence activities to obtain United States information, block or damage U.S. intelligence gathering, impact U.S. policy, or mess up U.S. systems and programs. In particular, this term takes into account an international terrorist organization and also a foreign intelligence and security service.[footnoteRef:1] The FIE considered in this essay is Pakistani's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is the nation's biggest of its five intelligence services. Pakistan is deemed to be one of the fast-paced and rapidly developing nations in the [1: Center for Development of Security Excellence. "Counter Intelligence Awareness Glossary." CDSE, 2017.] South Asian expanse. Owing to the country's strategic positioning in the core of all the nuclear adversaries, it had grown and develop to become of the best intelligence services globally with regard to the preservation of its sovereignty, and protection of its state security and territory.

In fact, the ISI was ranked as the best intelligence agency across the globe by the International Business Times.[footnoteRef:2] [2: Tristam, Pierre. "Intelligence: The ISI is Pakistan's powerful and feared intelligence service." ThoughtCo, 2017. ] The United States government, from preceding periods, largely rely on the collaboration and sharing of information with the ISI, with the world superpower perceiving Pakistan to be a valued ally in the expanse.

This mutual relationship can be traced back to the Cold War period, a time when the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) directed covert planes into the Soviet Union. More perceptibly, subsequent to the 9/11 attacks, the two intelligence services worked in tandem closely to seize numerous al-Qaeda suspects. High-ranking members of the al-Qaeda such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Younis Al Mauritan were captured by the joint task of the two agencies.

Nonetheless, with the intelligence community of America intensifying its endeavors on the Global War on Terror, the association between the two nations started to disintegrate. With the increase in suspicions, the two different sides have come to be near adversaries.[footnoteRef:3] [3: Waraich, Omar. "The CIA and ISI: Are Pakistan and the U.S.'s Spy Agencies Starting to Get Along?" TIME, 2012.] Overview of Inter-Services Intelligence Location The headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence is situated in Islamabad.

In particular, the agency's entrance is aptly inconspicuous with a single barricade neighboring a small hospice off a busy Islamabad highway. More perceptively, the long walls are filled with barbed wire with bougainvillea spilling over them. From the outset, any visitor is met with an ISI undercover officer, who is responsible and in charge of directing and organization the entrance security and gives directions to both personnel and visitors to the check-point entrance with sniffer dogs and soldiers for checking.[footnoteRef:4] [4: Walsh, Declan.

"The ISI, Pakistan's notorious and feared spy agency, comes in from the cold." The Guardian, 2009. ] Organizational Structure The Inter-Services Intelligence agency is one of the most efficacious and well-organized foreign intelligence and security services (FISS) in the globe. The agency was founded in 1948 but was formally handed the key responsibility of safeguarding the interests of the nation, both domestically and globally in 1950. The key objectives of ISI comprise of not just protecting the interests of Pakistan, but also reinforcing the nation's power base in the region.

The agency operates under a Director General, who is usually a serving Lieutenant General of the Pakistan Army. Under the Director General are three deputies that are designated three different tasks, being general, political, and external. With regard to its staffing, the ISI largely comprises of employees assigned from the police, para-military forces and a number of specific units of the Army. In the contemporary, the agency consists of more than 25,000 personnel, exclusive of its various assets and informants.[footnoteRef:5] [5: Pakistan Defence. "ISI Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence".

(2006).] Structurally, the Inter-Services Intelligence is organized into 6-8 divisions: i. Joint Intelligence X: JIX This division functions as the secretariat by bringing together and providing administrative help to other wings of the ISI as well as field institutions. In addition, it partakes in the preparation of intelligence approximations and threat assessments. It grants administrative help to the other key regional organizations and divisions of the agency. ii.

Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB) It is considered to be one the biggest and most authoritative divisions of the agency and its key function encompasses the monitoring of political intelligence. The division is made up of three subdivisions for VIP security, anti-terrorism, and operations that encompass India. iii. Joint Counter Intelligence Bureau (JCIB) In authority for foreign intelligence actions in Central Asia South Asia, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Israel and Russia also accountable for field observation of Pakistani envoys posted overseas, if need be observing far-off attaches also. iv.

Joint Intelligence/North (JIN) The division partakes in Inter-Service Intelligence operations for Kashmir and Jammu, which take into account the monitoring and supervision of Indian forces deployed within borderline Kashmir powerfully possessed by India. v. Joint Intelligence Miscellaneous (JIM) This particular division is liable for undercover offensive intelligence operations as well as war time reconnaissance. vi. Joint Signal Intelligence Bureau (JSIB) It comprises of Deputy Directors for Wireless, Photos and Monitoring, leads a sequence of signals intelligence collection points, as well as, offers communication support to its assets.

It additionally gathers Intelligence via monitoring of communications mediums of neighboring nations. It has a number of stations, which track as well as collect data signals along the India and Pakistani border, as well as, it offers communications help for freedom struggles in Kashmir. A sizeable number of the staff is from the Army Signal Corps. It is believed that it has its units deployed in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. vii. Joint Intelligence Technical (JIT) There is minimal information regarding this particular division of the ISI.

However, it is believed that the division encompasses an individual section for explosives as well as one designated for chemical warfare. viii. Joint Intelligence Technical Division From the outset, the Inter-Services Intelligence primarily lay emphasis on domestic undercover activities, for instance, monitoring political affairs within the country and also the tapping of telephone conversations. However, as a result of its constricted scope, the agency failed to pinpoint an Indian protected division in the course of the Indo-Pakistani War in 1965.

Once the war culminated, a committee was formed to appraise and assess the agency and its divisions. In the 15-year period between 1983 and 1997, it is reported that the ISI undertook the training of more than 80,000 Afghan Mujahideen for movements in Afghanistan. In particular, in the course of the 90s era, the ISI matured into a dominant and dubious organization.

It is considered to operate as an invincible government and is more often than not referred to as a state within a state.5 Approaches and techniques Inter-Services Intelligence employs several approaches and methods to conduct its intelligence operations both domestically and internationally. In particular, these approaches are methodically and accurately selected by the agency owing to the fact that they provider the protection essential for the FIEs intelligence agents to operate undercover. One of these approaches is through diplomatic concealment.

Pakistani ISI members seek diplomatic cover as a suitable and ideal manner to undertake actions in the internationally targeted nation devoid of being discovered. Another approach that has been employed by the agency for numerous years is through the use of non-governmental organizations as cover. Moreover, global media organizations and institutions are another approach used by ISI agents. Thus technique is deemed to be fitting owing to the fact that the media in most nations are given freedom to move and investigate matters.

This provides such agents with perfect cover to gather strategic and sensitive data and information. Most of all, similar to other FISSs, the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence works in tandem with numerous foreign intelligence entities, for instance MI-6 from Britain, CIA from America, and also other intelligence and security services. Through this approach, the allegiance that is created or strategic alliances formed, ISI agents are able to achieve some magnitude of strategic operation in foreign nations.[footnoteRef:6] [6: Roberts, Mark J.

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate: A State within a State? NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIV WASHINGTON DC INST FOR NATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES, 2008.] Operations Pakistan ISI conducts intelligence operations against the United States and also other foreign countries. With respect to the latter, the FIE boasts of a longstanding level of operational success in intelligence operations. For instance, the Inter-Services Intelligence agency has taken part in numerous espionage and clandestine operations in foreign countries like India, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and also Israel.

Some of these operations have been conducted through strategic alliances with the Central Intelligence Agency of the U.S. Nonetheless, it is imperative to note that the ISI has at the same time conducted covert intelligence operations against the United States. For instance, the FBI have made claims that ISI officials have been actively monitoring and keeping an eye on Pakistani American community with the main goal of obtaining information from the Pakistani residing in the U.S. and more so, those that openly criticize the government.

In addition, it is alleged that the ISI was in support of granting Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, an individual that was responsible for the beheading of Daniel Pearl, a journalist with the Wall Street Journal.[footnoteRef:7] [7: Capriz, Marco, and Kelly George. "Pakistan Inter Services Intelligence Directorate." (2014).] The following section will analyze the level of threat against United States targets. Threat Analysis Personnel, installations, and facilities Pakistan's ISI necessitates implements as well as experience in order to target the United States and its security and national interests.

In particular, the FIE could basically operate in the United States by means of diplomatic cover, working in non-governmental organizations and also working in global media centers owing to the guaranteed freedom of movement. For instance, having its agents operate under diplomatic cover, the ISI would be able to experience its members experience a great deal of freedom sought after to undertake their missions in a successful and effective manner. In addition, this will grant them accessibility to classified and covert information regarding state security of the U.S.

Moreover, agents of the FIE could have the capacity to propagate their covert network through the recruitment of other Pakistani individuals residing and working in the United States and have them operate as agents in place. It is imperative to note that majority of these individuals are able to communicate in fluent English and therefore it would be considerably simple for them to infiltrate other sought after economic, political or professional fields.

This makes it much more prospective for them to function as secret agents and provide the ISI with rare and tactical intelligence.7 Technology, defense industry, and communications As aforementioned above, there is a probability of ISI agents getting to the U.S. However, despite the fact that they could infiltrate U.S. targets of personnel, installations, and facilities, their threat level is low. This is because there is minimal chances of the FIE significantly infiltrating and being a major threat to the U.S.

with regard to technology, defense industry, and communications. To begin with, it is imperative to note that ISI is competent and dexterous in piloting and steering intelligence operations in technology, defense industry, and communications. This is owing to the fact that the agency has been able to do so in neighboring nations such as India, Iran, as well as China. Moreover, ISI is considered to be one of the FIEs together with Russia's SVR that have previously attempted to hack into the systems of the U.S.

military with the main endeavor of unsettling its networks and operations. Nonetheless, the threat level against the U.S. is considered to be significantly low owing to the fact that America boasts of having much more cutting-edge and trailblazing levels of intelligence and agents. In addition, America has its advanced central intelligence that is purposed in identifying, monitoring as well as appraising such FIE endeavors against the interests of the nation. Therefore, the threat level in this regard is low.7 Sensitive military.