Best, Richard A., Jr., and Alfred Cumming. Open Source Intelligence (OSINT): Issues for Congress. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, 5 Dec. 2007. Available at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RS34270.pdf and from http://opencrs.cdt.org.
"A consensus now exists that OSINT must be systematically collected and should constitute an essential component of analytical products.... [T]he Intelligence Community [IC] has established the position of Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Open Source and created the National Open Source Center.... [T]he Center is up and running, and providing support ... to OSINT professionals throughout the [IC]. Administrative mechanisms are in place to ensure that there is a comprehensive community-wide open source effort. It appears, however, to some observers that not all agencies have as yet made comprehensive commitments to acquiring and using open source information, nor that the ODNI has taken sufficient steps to ensure that open sources are appropriately exploited."
[DNI/OSC; OpenSource/Gen]
Best, Richard A., Jr., Alfred Cumming, and Todd Masse. Director of National Intelligence: Statutory Authorities: Status and Proposals. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, 2 Nov. 2007. Available at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RL34231.pdf.
"In examining the DNI’s current authorities, it is clear that they are substantially stronger than those held by the former DCI, but whether they are sufficient to implement mandated reforms will depend on several factors. They include whether the authorities themselves are adequate, the DNI’s determination and willingness to assert them, the extent to which the DNI receives presidential and congressional support, and the DNI’s ability to successfully establish a transparent intelligence budget process that will permit him to make and effectively enforce informed and corporate Intelligence Community budget decisions."
[DNI/07]
Best, Richard A., Jr., and Andrew Feickert. Special Operations Forces (SOF) and CIA Paramilitary Operations: Issues for Congress. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, 6 Dec. 2006. Available at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RS22017.pdf.
A judicious look at the issues surrounding the 9/11 Commission's Recommendation 32, which called for responsibility for all covert and clandestine paramilitary activities to be shifted to the Defense Department.
[CIA/00s/Gen; CA/Gen; MI/SpecOps/00s]
Best, Richard A., Jr., and Mark M. Lowenthal. The U.S. Intelligence Community and the Counternarcotics Effort. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, 1992.
[GenPostCW/90s/Gen]
Best, Richard A., Jr., and Clyde Mark. Jonathan Pollard: Background and Considerations for Presidential Clemency. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, 31 Jan. 2001.
This is a balanced review of the arguments for and against clemency.
[SpyCases/Pollard/00]
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