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Rebuilding Iraqi SIGINT Capabilities: An Example of Inter-Agency Cooperation

SUMMARY

Several US intelligence agencies helped build up the Iraqi National Intelligence Service. When the project started in early 2004, the Iraq SIGINT Element (ISE) was an "unstable" organization of 10 employees which lacked the most basic skills, including how to request, validate and disseminate intelligence.

DOCUMENT’S DATE

Nov 17, 2006

PUBLICLY AVAILABLE

May 29, 2019

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Page 1 from Rebuilding Iraqi SIGINT Capabilities: An Example of Inter-Agency Cooperation
DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL (S//SI//REL) Rebuilding Iraqi SIGINT Capabilities: An Example of Inter-Agency Cooperation FROM: FAD's Technical Health and QRC Support Office (DP33) Run Date: 11/17/2006 (S//SI//REL) Several US intelligence agencies and military organizations have pitched in to help make the Iraqi SIGINT Element viable. (S//SI//REL) Project POOLID, NSA's portion of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) rebuild, has been underway since early 2004. Since the start of the project, the Iraqi SIGINT Element (ISE) has made tremendous strides and has grown from an unstable organization of 10 to a viable SIGINT agency of over 150 employees. None of this could have been accomplished without the help of other intelligence agencies. (Paragraph omitted here for reasons of classification.) (S//SI//REL) The ISE produces dozens of product reports per day, but where do they go after they leave the ISE (besides back to NSA)? Who is the end customer? This question had to be answered to ensure that the ISE reports weren't falling into a black hole. Once product reports leave the ISE, they go to the INIS Directorate of Analysis (DA), which is the all-source analysis center for all of the INIS. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is responsible for teaching personnel in the DA how to disseminate reports and put together all-source intelligence products. (S//SI//REL) At first, DA did not know how to use SIGINT reports correctly. For example, they did not know how to integrate SIGINT situation reports collected on HPCP into other HUMINT reports to validate the information. FAD (NSA's Foreign Affairs Directorate) and DIA worked together to establish a working group between ISE and DA that meets every Sunday to discuss recent intelligence. DIA and FAD also helped put into place a method for DA to send RFIs to the ISE to request targeting specific intel. (U//FOUO) in Camp Prosperity, in Baghdad (S//REL) Other agencies, groups, and offices that have worked together to further Project POOLLID include the US Marine Corps, Task Force 77 (Special Operations), and NGA (the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency). The US Marine Corps and Task Force 77 both provide the ISE team in Al Qa'im and Mosul with accommodations, respectively. In return, the US Liaison provides ISE intelligence reports to the Marines and Task Force 77. The National GeospatialIntelligence Agency provides the ISE releasable maps of key target areas and mapping software called FalconView. Without the cooperation of all of these Agencies and groups, project POOLLID would not have achieved the success it has thus far. (U//FOUO) This article is derived from an article in the Foreign Affairs Digest , October edition. (U//FOUO) See some earlier articles about ISE: (S//SI) Seeing the Iraqi SIGINT Element In Action (S//SI) With NSA Help, Iraqi SIGINTers Make Great Strides (S//SI) Next for the Iraqi SIGINTers: Field Sites (U) What a Difference a Year Makes! -- Reconstructing an Iraqi SIGINT Service
Page 2 from Rebuilding Iraqi SIGINT Capabilities: An Example of Inter-Agency Cooperation
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)." DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108