National Security
Analyze the three short briefings attached.
What differences do you see in how Brzezinski and IC analysts framed the crisis?
Having read both sets of briefing papers, do you believe President Carter was right to accept Brzezinski’s
interpretation of events? Assuming the intelligence analysts were aware of Brzezinski’s interpretation of the
invasion, should they have pushed harder on their assessment that the Soviets had far more limited motives
and goals than Brzezinski believed? What should an analyst do when he or she believes policymakers are
misunderstanding events?
Read Brzezinski’s report at the following link
https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1977-80v12/d97
Sample Solution
The primary missions of the intelligence community (IC) are to reduce uncertainty and provide warning about potential threats to the national security of the United States, the safety of its citizens, and its interests around the world. Decision makers—from the White House and Capitol Hill to battlefields and local jurisdictions around the globe—demand and depend on information and insights from IC analysts. The list of individual and agency customers is long, diverse, and growing. So, too, is the array of issues that analysts are expected to monitor: The IC is a complex enterprise with approximately 100,000 military and civilian U.S. government personnel (Sanders, 2008). Of this number, roughly 20,000 work as analysts,
