Wippl Pens Article ‘Intelligence and National Security’
Professor Joseph W. Wippl contributed an article titled Intelligence and National Security to the January 2026 issue of Baltic Rim Economies. In the piece, Wippl asserts that a clear understanding of each position in these fields are key to accomplishing their missions and minimizes negligent decision-making.
Wippl begins with outlining how intelligence functions as a core instrument of national security, beginning with a clear definition of intelligence as the collection and analysis of information used to understand problems and guide action.
He emphasizes that National Security is a far more subjective concept. At its most basic level, he defines it as protecting citizens from foreign threats, but its meaning can easily expand to include almost anything deemed politically salient. The article notes that threats may be exaggerated or used to mobilize public support, citing the post-9/11 period as an example in which real dangers were sometimes framed as existential risks to the state itself.
The professor notes the tension between policymakers and intelligence professionals. Policymakers seek warning and certainty in the present, while intelligence officers must think months, years, or even decades into the future. He illustrates this divide through the U.S. experience in Iraq, where the absence of long-standing human intelligence sources contributed to reliance on unverified foreign reporting prior to the 2003 invasion.
The article underscores the central role of intelligence analysts. Effective intelligence depends not only on analytic skill but also on subject-matter expertise and the ability to communicate clearly with decision-makers.
“Great intelligence from all sources of Intelligence on behalf of National Security does not make policymaker decisions easier, rather it makes decisions harder,” said Wippl. “Great intelligence forces the policymaker to deal with and focus on the consequences of decisions.”
Wippl emphasizes that both Intelligence and National Security professionals must have a clear understanding of each of their roles and responsibilities, and have a willingness to listen and collaborate effectively.
Professor Wippl’s full article can be accessed here.
Joseph Wippl, professor of practice of international relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies is a former CIA officer. In his extensive career of 30 years, he has served as an operations officer and operations manager in multiple locations overseas including Guatemala City, Luxembourg, Mexico City and Berlin. Before entering academia, he was the Richard Helms Chair for Intelligence Collection in the NCS training program. To know more about Prof. Wippl, visit his faculty profile.