National Intelligence Focus on Latin America: Is It Adequate

Abstract

Historically, Latin America has been an economy of force region for United States. This is especially true when apportioning strategic intelligence resources. This study reviews and analyzes the allocation of national intelligence resources and priorities for Latin America. The current national security architecture including the National Security Strategy (NSS), the National Defense Strategy (NDS), and the National Military Strategy (NMS) define our national interests in the Western Hemisphere. To determine the adequacy of national intelligence allocation to Latin America it is necessary to review the process of translating the current national strategies into Latin American focused National Intelligence Priorities. This study analyzes three current and projected Latin American threats that potentially impact the security and national interests of the United States: failed states, ungoverned spaces, and transnational threats. Adequate and comprehensive strategic intelligence focus on Latin America is critical to the current and future US national security. The study concludes with policy recommendations to address intelligence efficiency and resource allocation with the relative importance of Latin America to the United States.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 22, 2007
Accession Number
ADA469658

Entities

People

  • Sharon R. Hamilton

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Counterterrorism
  • Department Of State
  • Intelligence Collection
  • Intelligence Community (United States)
  • Intelligence Cycle
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Political Systems
  • Signals Intelligence
  • Surveillance
  • Technical Intelligence
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Unified Combatant Commands
  • United States Southern Command
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Space