The Intelligence Branch (IB) division of the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...

(FBI) handles all intelligence functions, including

information sharing Information exchange or information sharing means that people or other entities pass information from one to another. This could be done electronically or through certain systems. These are terms that can either refer to bidirectional ''informa ...

policies and

intelligence analysis Intelligence analysis is the application of individual and collective cognitive methods to weigh data and test hypotheses within a secret socio-cultural context. The descriptions are drawn from what may only be available in the form of deliberate ...

for

national security National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military atta ...

homeland security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...

, and

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term en ...

purposes. The IB operates through the use of embedded intelligence strategies. The Intelligence Branch consists of language analysts, physical surveillance specialists, and FBI agents. The IB also oversees field intelligence operations through Field Intelligence Groups (FIGs), housed within various localized offices.

Leadership

The Intelligence Branch of the FBI is headed by the executive assistant director for Intelligence Branch. The current executive assistant director is Ryan T. Young, appointed to the position in December 2021.

History

The operations of the FBI have significantly expanded and streamlined in the 21st century. The Intelligence Branch, as a distinct entity, came about in the wake of the

September 11 terror attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...

in 2001. Intelligence analysis became a critical focus for national security efforts, and the

FBI Counterterrorism Division The Counterterrorism Division (CTD) is a division of the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. CTD investigates terrorist threats inside the United States, provides information on terrorists outside the country, and t ...

(CTD) soon evolved to include an Office of Intelligence (within CTD) in 2002. The

9/11 Commission The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was set up on November 27, 2002, "to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11 attacks", includin ...

recommended strengthening efforts to recognize the role intelligence played within the FBI's structure. Following the

Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) is a 235-page Act of Congress, signed by President George W. Bush, that broadly affects United States federal terrorism laws. The act comprises several separate titles with var ...

being passed,

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

John Ashcroft John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) is an American lawyer, lobbyist and former politician who served as the 79th U.S. Attorney General in the George W. Bush administration from 2001 to 2005. A former U.S. Senator from Missouri and the 50th ...

ordered action on the development of an intelligence unit that would operate independently from the CTD. The Intelligence Branch was formally established in 2005. The IB, along with the CTD, the

FBI Counterintelligence Division The Counterintelligence Division (CD) is a division of the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The division protects the United States against foreign intelligence operations and espionage. It accomplishes its miss ...

, and the

FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate The Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate (WMDD) is a division of the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. WMDD addresses and investigates emerging threats the United States faces from the use of weapons of mass de ...

, became part of the newly established

FBI National Security Branch The National Security Branch (NSB) is a service within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The NSB is responsible for protecting the United States from weapons of mass destruction, acts of terrorism, and foreign intelligence operations and e ...

in 2006. As of 2014, the IB is no longer part of NSB and now operates as a department of the FBI.FBI Organizational Chart
Federal Bureau of Investigation, July 15, 2014

Organization

FBI Directorate of Intelligence The Intelligence Branch (IB) division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) handles all intelligence functions, including information sharing policies and intelligence analysis for national security, homeland security, and law enforcemen ...

** Analysis and Strategic Issues Branch ** Intelligence Operations Branch ** Intelligence Services Branch *FBI Office of Private Sector *FBI Office of Partner Engagement

References

External links

* Federal Bureau of Investigation Intelligence analysis agencies United States intelligence agencies {{US-law-enforcement-agency-stub

Leadership

History

Organization

See also

References

External links