Counter Intelligence

Keshav Mazumdar

Antiterrorism Officer & Sr VP ATAB

Anti Terrorism Accreditation Board

Counterintelligence Planning

Planning of Tactical Operations, the Critical Component of Overall CI Planning

• Planning of tactical operations includes CI planning.
• This is an extremely important component of the overall planning.
• As CI/HUMINT operations require much more time than other intelligence disciplines these are looked into at the very beginning of tactical operations planning by the Commander or Team Leader.
• It is the the CI staff officer who assists in the planning.
• He may further be joined by the Human exploitation team officer in charge and the CI second in command

C.I. Planning

• Requirement:
• CI planning is required as it aids the Commander in situation development. The commander can asses security vulnerabilities, get an estimate of the threat intelligence and force protection factors. It also helps in the overall formulation of intelligence and force protection operations. During planning overall intelligence effort certain intelligence disciplines like HUMINT have close ties with CI—hence the need for clear CI planning.

CI and HUMINT Integrated

• CI activities and HUMINT operations need to be integrated and deconflicted as both have similar methodology , CI focusing on threat intelligence and countering it while HUMINT focusing on collecting information about the enemy.

Human Exploitation

• Effective human exploitation (such as sources, refugees, EPW etc) such as using interrogation/translation to extract information of intelligence value from EPWs.

CI Information Provided to Commander

• During the planning phase of tactical operations CI information is made available to the Commander and countermeasures suggested.
• The commanders benefit from CI information given at this phase because it helps to formulate tactical plans and because CI/HUMINT operations, by their very nature, generally require

more time than other intelligence disciplines to yield substantive results.

CI Determines Vulnerabilities

• CI looks outside-in and hence the CI staff officer participating in the planning phase advises the Commander on the vulnerabilities which enemy intelligence may target.

CI Staff Officer Provides Direction

The commander formulates an all-source intelligence collection plan to which the CI staff officer contributes by:

• a)Assisting in giving direction to the planning by focusing on the enemy's intelligence, subversion, terrorism and sabotage capabilities.
• b)Making it sure by coordinating with the intelligence operations officer and collection manager who are also present in the planning that the collection requirements levied on the CI/HUMINT operatives are in tune with the Commanders intelligence requirements and that the CI elements have the capability to pursue the activities thus helping the overall collection plan by inserting such realistic factors.

Planning the Activity

• The CI Staff officer along with the help of the CI/HUMINT Company commander directs the collection effort—collection of intelligence pertaining to the enemies intelligence, terrorist, subversive, and sabotage capabilities, oversees the production of the said intelligence, ensures the timely dissemination to higher-ups and the units on the ground and finally recommends and monitors CI measures throughout the Command.
• Throughout he is assisted by the Officer in charge of the Collection Depot and the Operations Staff.

CI Planning Considerations

• Key considerations in planning CI operations include:
• Determine clearly the Area of Ops and the Area of Interest. The concept of operations, the command/support relationships between HUMINT, CI and Reconnaissance units.
• What are the intelligence requirements which the supporting CI units have been tasked with?
• What are the priority intelligence requirements, whether it’s the enemy ground/air ops, target battle damage assessment or future intentions of the enemy?
• What is the MAGTF concept of operations, task organization, main and supporting efforts?

Enemy Considerations

Intelligence operations are designed to know as much as possible about the enemy. Key points are:

• What are the threat forces characteristics? Are they guerilla type or do they belong to terrorist, insurgent organizations? Is there any sabotage group involved? Are there any enemy HUMINT/CI personnel? Are we handling an enemy with the forces structured on conventional lines or is it they are loose asymmetric cells? What are their centers of gravity and vulnerable nodes? Their sizes, composition, TTPs?

Who are their Commanders and key leaders?

• The it C2 nodes (Command and Control Junction node) and associated vulnerabilities?
• What are the TTPs of its C2 and CIS systems? What is the CI structure and what are their CI measures to prevent CI exploitation?
• Who are the known enemy personnel engaged in intelligence, terrorist, sabotage, insurgency , CI or security activities?
• Who supports them /sympathizes with them from among the political/administration or population domains?

Information on Enemy Installations

• What are the key physical facilities, including installations used by the enemy?
• What are the key communications, media, chemical, biological, utilities, and political installations and facilities?
• Which political parties, student groups, political/national figures and student leaders support the cause of the enemy and are hostile to our country?

Standard Intelligence Cycle

• CI planning and execution is conducted in concert with the six phases of the standard intelligence cycle.
• The first phase is planning and direction. It consists of those activities that identify pertinent intelligence requirements (IR) and provide the means for satisfying those requirements.
• Intelligence planning and direction is a continuous function and a command responsibility. The commander directs the intelligence effort; the intelligence officer manages this effort for the commander based on the intent, designation of priority intelligence requirements (PIR), and specific guidance provided during the planning process.

6 Phases of Standard Intel Cycle

• Planning and Direction Functions
• Requirements development
• Requirements management
• Collection management
• Production management
• CI Planning and the Intelligence Cycle

Operations drives intelligence. Intelligence drives operations

• This dynamic is the essence of mission-based intelligence support and is carried out by flexible and not rigid application of the intelligence cycle.
• The intelligence cycle is not an end in itself. Every intelligence requirement undergoes processing separately.
• Planning is continuous. As the operations proceed further intelligence requirements surface and older ones are modified.

CI is Decision Planning and Execution Planning.

• Counterintelligence planning is composed of two iterations of the intelligence cycle.
• Decision planning and Execution planning.

Execution Planning

• In the first phase the battle space and threat is determined by processing basic intelligence and counterintelligence procedures (collection, collation, analysis of information of intelligence and counterintelligence value) resulting in the production of intelligence and CI estimates and the intelligence preparation of the battlefield.
• Using these end products the Commander now goes forth to develop and select the various COAs. Now the second iteration, via execution planning takes place.

Cause of Action

• For every COA selected the resulting scenario is studied and the concept of operations determined.
• Keeping the mission in perspective, and based on the concept of operations, refinement of the intelligence and counterintelligence variables occur together with a review of the IPB, implementation of the final intelligence and counterintelligence collection, production and dissemination plan.

COA Mission Specific Intel

• The end products of which are mission-specific intelligence products and CI measures for the Commander to integrate with the concept of operations and conduct mission execution. As execution proceeds fresh intelligence requirements surface and each requirement is given unique attention, satisfied so as to ensure smooth mission execution.