Of Knowledge and Power: The Complexities of National Intelligence (Praeger Security International)
"Kennedy (Georgia Institute of Technology) has provided an accurate, objective critique of the intelligence community. His focus is primarily upon post-9/11 policies and failures. However, he does not neglect earlier history. He points out the complexities of the intelligence process, which are often compounded by a lack of necessary oversight and interference by the executive branch. Often policy makers want immediate information that is slanted to their political views on particular situations, as was the case with Iraq. Such demands often lead to faulty intelligence and policy embarrassments and failures. Typically, Washington's response to such shortcomings has been to reorganize and add more layers of bureaucracy, which has not necessarily eliminated roadblocks. Intelligence estimates are also hampered by an inherently unknowable and dynamic future. This is a valuable work that should not be ignored by the policy-making community. Highly recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections."-Choice