FAS

CIA Guide to Analysis of Insurgency, and Other Resources

02.04.09 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

A Central Intelligence Agency publication on the analysis of insurgencies that has often been cited but not widely circulated was recently released by CIA under the Freedom of Information Act.

“This pamphlet contains key definitions and analytic guides applicable to any insurgency…. Among other things, this guide is designed to assist in conducting a net assessment of the overall status or progress of a specific conflict,” the document (pdf) states.  The CIA “Guide to the Analysis of Insurgency” is undated, but may have been written in the 1980s.

Update: See also this 2012 revision of the “Guide to the Analysis of Insurgency.”

U.S. military intelligence agencies should follow the lead of Federal Express and other corporations and use “operations research” tools to guide their investment decisions and resource allocations, according to a new study by the Defense Science Board.  See “Operations Research Applications for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance” (pdf), January 2009.

The Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (AF ISR Agency) is a little-known successor of the former Air Intelligence Agency, and its mission is described in this January 27, 2009 Air Force directive (pdf).

publications
See all publications
Government Capacity
Press release
Denice Ross of the Federation of American Scientists Named NAPA Academy Fellow

Denice Ross, former U.S. Chief Data Scientist and Data Policy Institute lead at the Federation of American Scientists, will be honored for her stewardship of public data by the National Academy of Public Administration, where she has been named a Fellow.

11.10.26 | 3 min read
read more
Global Risk
Blog
NATO Nuclear Posture Moving North; New Satellite Images Show Extent of New Construction at RAF Lakenheath

Confirmation that the construction of the security perimeter and associated security infrastructure at RAF Lakenheath are still ongoing once again raises questions about whether U.S. nuclear weapons have already been deployed to the base.

11.05.26 | 7 min read
read more
Climate & Environment
Blog
New Climate Intervention Regulation in Alaska Takes Inspiration from Permitting That Already Works

Alaskans are sensibly pulling back from the vogue for bans and returning to a western tradition that has worked for more than half a century – one that welcomes innovation but also oversees it closely.

11.05.26 | 3 min read
read more
Government Capacity
Blog
Why America Needs to Grow the Field of Data Policy

The strength of our nation’s data policy isn’t just in the rules we write, but in how effectively we translate those rules into a system that prioritizes the public good. Join us in this movement to design and build more resilient national data policies.

11.02.26 | 5 min read
read more