Intelligence Agencies

The United States operates the largest spy agency network in the world. Despite the end of the Cold War, which was allegedly the reason for creating this network, the network has continued to receive massive tax support, now approaching $100 billion per year. This network, consisting of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Council (NSC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and related agencies, along with some support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is allegedly supposed to protect the United States and its citizens. But in fact, as the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks starkly showed, these agencies are not able or willing to perform this mission. In addition, these agencies have repeatedly been shown to conduct missions that destabilize other countries and governments and to cover up their mistakes and mislead Congress when convenient to do so. This network and its propensity for secrecy is antithetical to the ideals of a free and open democratic government.

 

Currently, the intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA, often go beyond providing information and actively interfere in other nations' internal affairs. As instruments of the executive branch, the various intelligence agencies sometimes undertake covert military actions in blatant disregard of the constitutional provision that only the House of Representatives may declare war. These covert actions often serve no purpose other than to subvert and destabilize legitimate governments that disagree with U.S. policies. In direct violation of its charter, the CIA manipulates domestic policies through misinformation and intimidation.

 

The Green Party advocates strict control of intelligence agencies:

 

Immediately cease the practice of using intelligence agencies for industrial espionage.

 

The U.S. spy intelligence network and their budgets should be made more visible transparent and accountable to the public; and their operations downsized scrutinized for possible downsizing and redirected for the "post-cold war" era.

 

These agencies should be stripped of their ability to conduct any actions outside of surveillance and intelligence gathering, and of passing along this information along with foreign policy recommendations to Congress and other appropriate agencies.

 

Any subversion/destabilization actions conducted by these agencies or any of their members should be rendered as criminal acts in violation of their roles, subject to imprisonment and permanent banishment from further government office.

 

Heads of these agencies should be held to a standard of accountability higher than most other governmental positions for any actions that their agencies are involved in; and any abrogation of their duties should subject responsible parties to criminal penalties.

 

Rely more on international intelligence agencies and utilize information that has been disclosed prior by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide accurate and unbiased information as the basis for negotiations, conflict resolution and treaty verification.