Intelligence Collection: How to Plan and Execute Intelligence Collection in Complex Environments (Praeger Security International)

Mike Hall is the master instructor on how we should plan for and conduct collection and analysis against the threats that we actually have to deal with; instead of the ones most in he IC want to focus on. Understand, this is a textbook, not a thrilling yarn. I would insist my intel staff used this as a core reference.

A capsule review cannot possibly do justice to this magisterial, essential read for intelligence professionals. While a stand-alone work, it is best after the earlier volume by these authors, INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS: HOW TO THINK IN COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS (2010). Like its predecessor, this book takes the reader into "intellectual high-country." It is not prescriptive, filled with process, procedure, and techniques of intelligence tradecraft. Instead, it deals with how to think about advanced intelligence collections; it provides a lexicon, a mental framework, and in-depth discussion on the nature of this business. Those seeking magic formulas to get them through a collections tour won't find them here. But for readers interested in conditioning their minds to better address complex collection problems, this is the first place to start.Like its companion volume, this is a dense book, best digested in chunks. It also assumes the reader has extensive background in the intelligence field in particular and in violent conflict in general; the novice will be overwhelmed, the journeyman awakened, and the advanced practitioner intrigued and challenged. That is the major strength but also the biggest weakness of the work--it is hard to approach without a guide or coach for all but the most experienced. Hall and Citrenbaum go beyond discussing symptoms in intelligence collection difficulties; they are interested in identifying and addressing root causes through a "system of thought." Instead of providing an alchemist's recipe book to cure what ails intelligence leaders and collection managers, the authors lay out a cognitive paradigm, a philosophical foundation necessary for contemporary intelligence problem-solving.It's obvious that the impetus for this book is its self-proclaimed call for change, given the unique challenges of intelligence operations in irregular warfare whether it is supporting counterinsurgency or counterterrorism operations. Our old World War II and Cold War methods exhibit shortfalls in this complex, usually urban operating environment that the authors argue can be overcome through a different way of thinking. Description of 12 intelligence collections contradictions--and broad solutions for them--set the stage for more detailed analysis. Readers have their mental azimuth bearings laid out for them in the first third of the book; what text remains unswervingly follows that course to the intellectual far shore. The cognitive trip there is more important than the destination itself.At first reading, the book is perhaps most easily grasped by those working national security intelligence at "the sharp end," especially military intelligence, doing the type of work as we have in Iraq and Afghanistan in fighting terrorists and insurgencies. But to confine the book to this audience does the rest of the intelligence community an injustice. While Hall and Citrenbaum write in military terms, using military jargon, and citing military references, there is much that would apply in pursuing organized crime, in dealing with business intelligence issues complicated by cultural/ethical differences, and more. If successful business executives find it useful to read military tracts such as Sun Tzu's THE ART OF WAR and Musashi's THE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS, their competitive intelligence specialists will appreciate what these authors bring to the table.Some may accuse me of hyperbole, but this and the previous INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS: HOW TO THINK IN COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS aim to do for intelligence what Clausewitz's ON WAR does for warfare; these books provide a comprehensive theory for its subject. This latest work is quite an ambitious undertaking that nevertheless succeeds in achieving its object. Certainly there is nothing else that can compare. It will be interesting to see how others evaluate this theory over time as they apply their craft of intelligence collection in practice. Hall and Citrenbaum have laid the foundation that others will build upon. This book belongs in the professional libraries of intelligence practitioners, whether they are involved in national security, law enforcement, and even competitive intelligence. It is my personal hope that it does more than occupy shelf space alongside other esteemed titles. It demands to be actively read, thought about, discussed/argued over, read again, and leveraged in thinking about and practicing intelligence collection.