Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / This thesis provides insight into how terrorist organizations exploit the information environment to achieve their objectives. The study establishes an analytical IO framework, by integrating US military doctrine with a fundamental approach to IO theory. The framework proves useful in examining the IO tools terrorists have assembled and how they implement them to influence their target audiences. The thesis shows that terrorists are, indeed, naturally linked to the information environment by their nature and strategy. Generally speaking, all terrorists employ IO tactically to enhance their operations. However, many organizations have a profound understanding of the information environment and also have the ability to manipulate information to achieve their objectives. Since, terrorist organizations are militarily weaker than the states they face and cannot rely on physical attacks to accomplish their goals, they must adopt an information strategy to achieve their objectives. This thesis emphasizes three primary conclusions: first terrorist conduct violent attacks in the physical environment to enable operations in the information environment. Second, terrorist integrate offensive and defensive IO to survive and appear legitimate to potential supporters and to the state. Finally, terrorists intentionally target four different audiences: opposing, uncommitted, sympathetic, and active to influence their perceptions. / Major, United States Army

The work to keep a nation safe from threats or potential threats has become very difficult in the 21st century. The advent of globalisation and the advances in technology resulted in borderless societies and a complex world of changing global threats. It is inconceivable that there would be a government worth its salt that would not create and sustain security institutions to safeguard its people, installations and critical infrastructure that form the bedrock of the economy and government operations in terms of services. Post 1994, South Africa developed an oversight model for the country’s intelligence services, in an effort to ensure that abuses associated with the apartheid era of intelligence remain a thing of the past. Noting that a number of design, functional and implementation changes have occurred in the past 18 years within the accountability and oversight model, this study sought to establish the extent to which the current accountability and oversight model is effective and still relevant in dealing with the 21st century challenges of intelligence. This was the main research question. The study was grounded in the institutional theory in its different variants. This study argued that the South African accountability and oversight model needs to be reviewed and aligned with the latest international developments which bring an institutionalised civilian oversight as part of the central pillars of the model. Through a combination of documentation analysis and interviews of a targeted sample of experts, the study found that while a sound legislative framework is in place within an appropriately designed model, there are inadequate skills at the parliamentary level for oversight. Policy gaps in respect of the control of intelligence at the ministerial level have also been found to be a serious limitation of the current accountability model. The study also found that civilian oversight suffers from a lack of an institutionalised framework. The study concluded with a number of recommendations pertaining to amendments of legislation to provide for an institutionalised framework for civilian oversight, introduction of mandatory training programmes for members of the parliamentary committee on oversight, as well the need to close prevailing policy gaps.

Thesis (M.S. in Defense Analysis)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2003. / Thesis advisor(s): Dorothy Denning, Raymond Buettner. Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-148). Also available online.

The primary focus of this dissertation is the transformation of South Africa's foreign intelligence service. This transformation is seen in the light of the individual histories of the pre-1994 intelligence services (state, homelands and liberation movement) which contributed to the new structures. The legislation which governs these structures is examined. The role of intelligence in supporting foreign policy is discussed in the context of changing patterns of global politics and security concerns. The dissertation concludes with an attempt to draw up an 'intelligence agenda' for South Africa's new service and a discussion of the potential and limits of intelligence, using the Zimbabwe crisis as a case study. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2008. / Vita: p. 337. Thesis director: Christopher J. Davis. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biodefense. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Mar. 19, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 308-336). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 123 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-119).

Thesis (M(Security Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S. in Joint Campaign Planning and Strategy)--Joint Forces Staff College, Joint Advanced Warfighting School, 2006. / "31 May 2006." Electronic version of original print document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-77).

Thesis (M.SS. (Political Sciences))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

This treatise represents a descriptive study of the intelligence community in the United States. It explores the ramifications of terrorism on the intelligence function, post September 11, 2001. In-depth discussions concerning the structure of the U.S. intelligence community are presented as well as a focus on the defined steps of the intelligence process: planning and directions, collection, analysis, production, and dissemination. The final aspect of this study poses questions and issues relating to the restructuring of the U.S. intelligence community in light of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.