Introduction to Intelligence Studies

Introduction to Intelligence Studies234

Members of the Executive Branch and Congress as well as military com-

manders oen request NIEs from the IC.

In NIEs, analysts assess the issue at hand and forecast how the issue

might further develop in the future. Oentimes, analysts include alternative

analysis to document the dissenting opinions of those writing the product;

because so many people across so many agencies are involved in the writing

of an NIE, analysts oen fail to unanimously agree on their nal judgments.

A 2002 NIE about the nuclear capabilities of Iraq contained a footnote

describing the Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research’s

disagreement with the consensus opinion of the report; although the major-

ity of int