Investigation Of A Security Clearance For A Position Impacting Our National Security

Snowden’s leaked information prompted debates all over and it brought major concerns about personal privacy and the security of citizens. His actions to risk his personal freedom to bring controversial information to the public domain is an act of great patriotism, it upholds the virtues contained in the US constitution. (Gurnow, 2014) Nonetheless, ever since the events of terrorism in 2001, the NSA has given spy agencies mandates to carry out surveillance on suspicious persons, thus reducing acts of

Edward Snowden. This is a name that will be in the history books for ages. He will be branded a traitor or a whistleblower depending on where you look. Many Americans feel that Edward Snowden is a traitor who sold the United States’ secrets aiming to harm the nation. Others believe that he was simply a citizen of the United States who exercised his right to expose the government for their unconstitutional actions. It is important to not only know the two sides to the argument of friend or foe, but to also know the facts as well. My goal in this paper is to present the facts without bias and to adequately portray the two sides of the argument.

Over the last several years, cyber attacks have been continually rising. This is in response to emerging threats from rogue nations and terrorist groups. They are increasing their attacks on government, military and civilian installations. According to James Clapper (the Director of National Intelligence) these threats have become so severe. It is surpassing terrorism as the greatest challenge facing the nation. In response, the National Security Agency (NSA) began conducting surveillance on those who are involved in these activities and others which are threat to US national security interests. This program became so broad; it started continually collecting phone records and emails on ordinary Americans. This angered many, who felt that the US was acting in a way that circumvented established legal guidelines and procedures. To fully understand what is taking place requires focusing on the event, the government 's response and the ways it did / did not meet our national security goals. Together, these different elements will illustrate what occurred and the lasting impacts on everyone. (Greenwald 2014)

Throughout its more than hundred year history, the Federal Bureau of Investigations has been a very important agency to the United States. As a threat-based and intelligence-driven national security organization, the mission of the FBI is to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, to enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to provide leadership to federal, state, and international agencies (“A Brief History of the FBI”). The Bureau’s success has always depended on its agility, its willingness to adapt, and the ongoing dedication of its personnel. But in the years since

The shocking tragedy on September 11, 2001 altered the course of American national security. Prior to the 9/11 attacks, homeland security was rarely debated as a hot topic, even within the small circle of policy elites (Kamarck, 2013, p. 34). The only prior homeland attack on America was Pearl Harbor and this was not on U.S. mainland. Many Americans were shocked that such a tragedy could occur on American soil and they are still shocked to this day. People are still recovering from this tragic event. The government knew that the country’s enemies still posed an enormous threat to the nation’s security. In response to the events that took place on 9/11, the United States Congress passed the USA/Patriot Act, which intensified the surveillance powers held by the federal government through the National Security Agency (NSA) and other federal agencies. This act increased national airport security procedures, metro security in most major U.S. cities, and extended the government’s capacity to spy on citizens.

In its early days, the FBI’s responsibilities differed greatly from the role it plays today. Because there were “few federal crimes,” agents “investigated violations of law involving national banking, bankruptcy, naturalization,

Associate Dean once said “It just dispelled all of the bad things I’d ever heard about the FBI… that the FBI was sneaky and out to get people.” The career of the FBI is a remarkable and exciting career, because of the endless possibility of helping the world get better in any kind of way . The research will describe the career of Federal Bureau of Investigation , what is required to become a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent a successful career and the impact this career has on has on society.

Claiming its actions are related to the War on Terror, the NSA has insisted that these programs are legal, have not been abused, and are vital to preventing terror attacks. The leaked programs have not only created domestic furor, but also put U.S. diplomatic relations with its allies in jeopardy. With the overthrow of the Ukrainian government creating tension between the U.S. and Russia, Snowden's asylum in Russia is a political and diplomatic blow to U.S. prestige and moral authority. And with the threat of further Snowden leaks looming, future U.S. intelligence operations may hinge on the willingness of Washington to alter its policies.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a unique government agency that employs intensive research and immediate actions to solve issues that the general police cannot settle themselves (Quick Facts). The FBI’s today mission statement is “to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners” (Quick Facts). Today, the organization focuses on certain threats that requires strategic intelligence to protect our nation, threats like terrorism, foreign intelligence operations and espionage, technology-based crimes, criminal

With the end of that war and the advent of the Atomic Age, the FBI began conducting background security investigations for the White House and other government agencies, as well as probes into internal security matters for the Executive Branch.

The issue of the NSA surveillance would not be happening if it was not for the plane crashes of September 11th, 2001, an event that could have been prevented if the government had taken the measures of surveillance it has today. The effectiveness of the NSA’s programming today could have pinpointed the people carrying out the plans to aboard the planes and take control during that time. As an enormous country, it can be helpful to know where threats stand and where they don’t. As President Obama stated in his NSA reformation speech,

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the United States of America domestic security and intelligence which also serves as the federal government’s law enforcement agency. Working under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI simultaneously considered as part of the US intelligence community, comprises of many other federal and state agencies and reports to both the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence. The agency performs a leading role in counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and criminal investigative roles making it have jurisdictions of over 200 categories of federal crime. Even though most of FBI’s roles are domestic and limited to crimes within the US borders, it is equivalent to intelligence

Spying on American citizens is now a common method employed by the government striving to protect the nation from terrorist attacks. Nonetheless, since its incorporation, the Act has been controversial as politicians and citizens alike have argued between the need to keep society safe and abusive powers of the government over its citizens. Although, mandated to serve as

Recently, the case of the Inland Empire men accused of organizing a terrorist plot has become highlighted news in the United States (Hansen, 2014). For months, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was monitoring their activities with the active participation of a confidential

Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency (N.S.A) subcontractor turned whistle-blower is nothing short of a hero. His controversial decision to release information detailing the highly illegal ‘data mining’ practices of the N.S.A have caused shockwaves throughout the world and have raised important questions concerning how much the government actually monitors its people without their consent or knowledge. Comparable to Mark Felt in the Watergate scandals, Daniel Ellsberg with the Pentagon Papers, Edward Snowden joins the rank of infamous whistleblowers who gave up their jobs, livelihood, and forever will live under scrutiny of the public all in the service to the American people. Edward Snowden released information detailing the