Reform of our intelligence services is far overdue. Our intelligence gathering operations have been going downhill over the past 25 years or so. Technology based intelligence is a very important part of the equation, but you can't complete the job without groud operatives, which are in short supply. We also lack analysts, experts, and translators to go over all the data that has been collected. One way or another, there is no substitute for human intelligence. We have to remember that we're not fighting a foreign nation so much as we're fighting insurgents operating beneath state sanction, usually in small groups. State sponsored terrorism is a reality, but many times it occurs across national boundaries. Satellite photos and drones may be able to spot terrorist training camps and positions, but only human intelligence can effectively battle and capture those who operate from small cells. Essentially we have to bea them at their own game in order to get a handle on the problem.

Technology-based intelligence gathering directly failed to warn the government that 9/11 was in the making. Planning for the attacks dated back to 1996, and in those five years, our technology was not able to predict or at least prepare us for those attacks. Human involvement in the gathering of intelligence is a necessity if we plan to protect our homeland from future terrorist attacks.

Absolutely one of the options we are best-prepared as a country to pursue and that will net the most effective results. We should allow the CIA to do its job. Technology is good - terrorists are bad.

Anything we are considering that involves technology is probably going to take longer than the rebuilding of the WTC, especially if it has anything to do with intelligence. And before anyone volunteers, please don't try to explain to me how we'd pull it off. If I fall asleep in science class at school...well. It's your guess what would happen if you tried to explain this. Even with the brains of the CIA, this may not be something we could reasonably pull off. I wish it were, but we humans are no superbrains. So let's start advancing our tech"knowledge"y.

If, and ONLY if hands-on HUMAN involvement is increased. I work with technology every day of the week and it's great. BUT it is NOT the "All Powerful Oz" any more than the Wizard was.

More freakin' Big Brother??? NO WAY. Of course they'll say they'll only spy on "terrorist", but pretty soon they'll use that excuse to spy on anyone they please.