Maj. Jeremy Watford examines the historic divide between military operations and intelligence collection—particularly when it comes to statutory authority and oversight responsibilities—and discusses how modern cyber operations complicates this separation.
Watford proposes a new framework to resolve the current tensions in military and intelligence operations largely caused by “bureaucratic territoriality” and to account for the way in which cyber operations essentially “dissolve[s] the line bifurcating military and intelligence activities.”
Most significantly, Watford recommends reaffirming the authority of the military to collect cyber intelligence and granting oversight of these military-led intelligence operations to the Congressional Armed Services to create a clear distinction between military and civilian intelligence activities.