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Other Agencies Involved in Homeland Security

We have a number of other federal agencies that have major roles to play in national security/defense and intelligence gathering.

• The Department of Defense containes four agencies that are dedicated solely to intelligence collection. DOD spends about 85 percent of the country's annual intelligence budget (around $40 billion but their actual budgets are classified).
• The Central Intelligence Agency, whose director sits on the National Security Committee, not only collects and analyzes national security information and aids the military with that information, but also shares that information when necessary for national defense.

Other intelligence-oriented agencies include:

• National Reconnaissance Office—Builds, launches, and maintains the country's spy satellites.
• National Security Agency - Intercepts and, if necessary, cracks foreign signals, whether e-mail messages, cellphone calls, or regular land-line calls.
• Defense Intelligence Agency—Gives the military information and tips on other countries' militaries.
• National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency—Analyzes satellite photos, using them to make maps.

Other agencies which have a major role in homeland defense are:

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducts investigations for the Department of Justice and the Attorney General, who has responsibility for all federal terrorism offenses. (Link to the FBI Directorate of Intelligence.)
• The Department of State is the lead agency when it comes to international relations and diplomatic missions. As stated earlier, the Secretary of State sits on the NSC. The U.S. representative to the United Nations reports to the Secretary of State.
• Finally, there are the many state and local officials as well as countless first responders, who are essential to national defense.

In addition to the traditional national security and defense responsibilities, there is also the need to coordinate our defense with other countries. For example, the military and the Secretary of Defense assign one of its highest ranking officers to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which plays a key role in fighting terrorists before they reach our shores.

Student Activities and Assessment Tools

• The students should evaluate the effectiveness thus far of the coordination between DHS and other agencies in homeland defense. You may wish to use the evaluation form provided.