Intelligence in the Rum War at Sea, 1920-1933
Abstract
The "lessons of history" are important tools in formulating the strategy, policy, and tactics to protect our national interests. The lessons learned from the use of intelligence in the Rum War at Sea are totally applicable to today's War on Drugs. Over 95 percent of the drugs that reach our borders originate from source countries that rely on maritime smuggling routes. The value of intelligence as a force multiplier in the Drug War, like that chronicled by the author for the Rum War, cannot be overestimated. Still, these lessons had to be learned anew in the Drug War. In 1988 intelligence was a factor in approximately 15 percent of drug interdictions. By 1988, it was the essential factor responsible for over 85 percent of all interdictions. It is disappointing to know that it took over a decade to convince the Intelligence Community, as well as other responsible agencies, that all-source, fused intelligence was the most important element of our maritime strategy, both for illegal drugs as well as illegal migration. All of the elements described by the author -- interagency cooperation, all-source intelligence, counterintelligence, operational security, communications security, as well as HUMINT, COMINT, and Imagery -- have direct parallels to today's maritime interdiction operations. In this respect, the book is a valuable primer for any intelligence strategist.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA485809
Entities
People
- Eric S. Ensign
Organizations
- National Intelligence University