Bureau of Intelligence and Research

Bureau of Intelligence and Research
Agency name	Bureau of Intelligence and Research
Formed	01 October 1945
Preceding1	Office of Strategic Services
Jurisdiction	United States Department of State
Headquarters	Harry S Truman Building, Washington, D.C.
Employees	~300
Chief1 name	Brett Holmgren
Chief1 position	Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research
Website	https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-political-affairs/bureau-of-intelligence-and-research/

Bureau of Intelligence and Research is the analytical arm of the United States Department of State, providing all-source intelligence analysis to the Secretary of State and senior diplomats. Established from the research division of the Office of Strategic Services after World War II, it is one of the smallest members of the United States Intelligence Community. The bureau is renowned for its objective, evidence-based assessments that inform United States foreign policy and diplomatic strategy.

History

The bureau traces its origins to the Research and Analysis Branch of the Office of Strategic Services, which was dissolved by President Harry S. Truman in 1945. Its functions were transferred to the State Department under the Assistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas, forming the Interim Research and Intelligence Service. It was formally established as the Bureau of Intelligence and Research in 1957. Throughout the Cold War, it provided critical analysis on events like the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the Soviet–Afghan War. Its analytical independence was notably demonstrated during the George W. Bush administration regarding assessments of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Organization and structure

The bureau is led by the Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, a position confirmed by the United States Senate. It is organized into several regional and functional offices, including offices focused on Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, the Near East and South Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. Functional offices cover issues such as terrorism, international narcotics, geographic information systems, and global issues. With approximately 300 personnel, primarily civil service analysts, it operates within the Harry S Truman Building in Washington, D.C..

Functions and responsibilities

Its primary function is to produce all-source intelligence analysis from information gathered by agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, tailored to support diplomatic missions. The bureau assesses political stability, economic trends, and leadership dynamics in foreign nations. It also manages the State Department's liaison with the broader United States Intelligence Community, represents diplomatic interests in National Intelligence Estimates, and oversees the department's geospatial intelligence and human rights reporting programs.

Relationship with other intelligence agencies

As a member of the United States Intelligence Community, it collaborates closely with the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The bureau provides a unique diplomatic perspective to interagency groups like the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council. It often offers dissenting or nuanced views in community-wide assessments, famously challenging the consensus on Iraqi WMD programs before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It also works with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on counterintelligence matters affecting diplomatic posts.

Directors and leadership

The bureau is headed by an Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, appointed by the President of the United States. Notable past directors include Thomas L. Hughes, who served during the Vietnam War and the Six-Day War, and Carl W. Ford Jr., a former Central Intelligence Agency officer. The current assistant secretary is Brett Holmgren, who previously served on the National Security Council staff. The director also serves as the State Department's principal liaison to the Director of National Intelligence.

Notable contributions and assessments

The bureau is credited with several prescient and independent analyses. It correctly assessed the low probability of a Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring and accurately doubted the existence of a missile gap with the Soviet Union. It famously dissented from the 2002 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. More recently, it has produced influential analyses on the Arab Spring, the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, and the geopolitical implications of climate change.

Category:United States Department of State Category:Members of the United States Intelligence Community Category:1945 establishments in the United States