Counterintelligence Field Activity
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Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA) is a US Department of Defense (DoD) agency whose size and budget are classified. It appears CIFA was created by a directive from the Secretary of Defense (Number 5105.67) on February 19, 2002.
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[edit] Mission
The mission of DoD's CIFA is to develop and manage DoD Counterintelligence (CI) programs and functions that support the protection of the Department, including counterintelligence support to protect DoD personnel, resources, critical information, research and development programs, technology, critical infrastructure, economic security, and U.S. interests, against foreign influence and manipulation, as well as to detect and neutralize espionage against the DoD.
[edit] Organization
The Director of DoD CIFA reports directly to DoD's Assistant Secretary of Defense (Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence - C3I) / Chief Information Officer.
For certain functions the DoD CIFA is treated as a Combat Support Agency. It consists of: (1) A Director, (2) The Joint Counterintelligence Evaluation Office (JCEO), the Joint Counterintelligence Analysis Group (JCAG), the Defense Counterintelligence Information System (DCIIS) Program Office, the Joint Counterintelligence Training Academy (JCITA), and the Defense Counterintelligence Force Protection Response Group (FPRG).
In carrying out the mission of these elements, the Director of the DoD CIFA may employ law enforcement personnel, in whole or in part, as appropriate, to carry out the DoD CIFA's law enforcement functions.
[edit] Joint Protection Enterprise Network (JPEN) database
DoD's CIFA manages the database of "suspicious incidents" in the United States or the Joint Protection Enterprise Network (JPEN). It is an intelligence and law enforcement system that is a near real-time sharing of raw non-validated information among DoD organizations and installations. Feeding into JPEN are intelligence, law enforcement, counterintelligence, and security reports, information from DoD's "Threat and Local Observation Notice" reporting system of unfiltered information (TALONs), and other reports.[1]
[edit] Privacy issues
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There is controversy regarding the JPEN system CIFA's domestic spying activities. Some believe CIFA may be collecting information on American citizens in violation of the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In addition, the Supreme Court of the United States found in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) the right to privacy against government intrusion was protected by the "penumbras" of other Constitutional provisions.
Others believe CIFA is acting within the law as provided by the Constitution. Specifically, Article Two of the United States Constitution suggests that the President has the chief responsibility to protect America from attack. In addition to Article Two, the President (and CIFA) may rely on Congress' specific Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists, (“AUMF”) and the War Powers Resolution as foundation.
Further, since CIFA is associated with law enforcement, the USA Patriot Act and in particular, Patriot Act's Title II: Enhanced Surveillance Procedures and Patriot Act's Sec. 504, entitled "Coordination with law enforcement," gave increased powers of surveillance to this DoD agency.
[edit] Proposed mission changes
A recent (2005) proposal would transform the CIFA from an office that is security oriented to one that can also investigate suspicious activity within the United States such as treason, foreign or terrorist sabotage, or even economic espionage
Discussions are underway (2006) that propose a controversial merger between CIFA and Defense Security Service (DSS) [2]. Critics say the merger would create a Secret Police spying on Americans.
[edit] See also
- Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (2001)
- Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002
- USA PATRIOT Act, specifically USA PATRIOT Act, Title II entitled Enhanced Surveillance Procedures
- Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution
- Economic Espionage Act of 1996
- Privacy Act of 1974
