U.S. Intelligence Spending Have Increased More Than 10 Percent In 2018 To $81.5 Billion

Washington Examiner: Spy budgets soared in Trump's first year

Congress secretly boosted U.S. spy agency funding last year, pushing intelligence budgets to their highest publicly known level and raising questions about the reason for the surge.

Non-military spy agency budgets soared nearly 9 percent to $59.4 billion in fiscal 2018, and military intelligence funding grew more than 20 percent to $22.1 billion.

Overall intelligence spending increased more than 10 percent to $81.5 billion, according to the figures released Tuesday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Defense Department, a month after the fiscal year ended.

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Update: US intel budget soars under Trump (AFP)

WNU Editor: Why the huge increase now?

The U.S. Intelligence's 'Black Budget' Is Still Classified

US News and World report: Obama Keeps Public in Dark About 'Black Budget' Requests

"Most transparent" administration congratulates itself for complying with mandatory disclosure requirement.

The self-described “most transparent administration in history” declined to say how much it seeks to bill taxpayers for individual spy agencies as part of President Barack Obama's final budget request to Congress.

Disclosing any agency-specific information -- such as whether the controversial National Security Agency or lesser-known National Reconnaissance Office won backing for a raise or a cut -- “could harm national security,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Tuesday in a press release.

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More News On The U.S. Intelligence Budget

Spies ask for increase in ‘black budget’ -- The Hill
Pentagon says military intelligence accounts for $16.8 billion in FY17 budget -- Reuters
Obama Seeking $19 Billion for National Cybersecurity -- VOA
The Intelligence Community's Big Budget Challenge -- Next Gov

U.S. Intel Budget For 2015 Accidentally Released

The Hill: Intel budget slips in 2015

Federal funding for the nation’s intelligence program slipped by $200 million last year, continuing a gradual decline in budgets for the nation’s spy agencies.

The so-called “black budget” for fiscal 2015 was $50.3 billion, the government said on Friday, down from $50.5 billion in fiscal 2014.

With the exception of 2013, when across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration shrank the intelligence budget to $49 billion, the pot of money for federal intelligence agencies has been steadily decreasing in recent years.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence does not break down how the money is allocated among the multiple federal spy agencies, citing their classified operations. On Friday, the spy office said that “such disclosures could harm national security.”

Update: US Congress Signs Off on Latest $50Bln Spy Agencies' Budget (Sputnik).

WNU Editor: Accidentally released ?!?!?! More like leaked (on purpose).

U.S. Congress Wants To See The Intelligence Community's 'Black Budget'

Obama Would Have To Unveil 'Black Budget' For Spy Agencies Under New Bipartisan Bill -- Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- Reflecting the growing concern about the opaqueness of America’s national intelligence apparatus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation that would require President Barack Obama to unveil budget figures for all 16 spy agencies.

In a letter to the president announcing the bill, the group argued that making these figures public would better serve both Congress and the public, and constitute “a simple step toward much-needed transparency.”

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More News On Congress Wanting Access To The U.S. Intelligence Community's 'Black Budgets'

Congress Spending Bill Demands Details About NSA Spying -- Bloomberg
Congress to intelligence community: Show me the money -- Daily Caller
Lawmakers Push Administration To Release Intelligence “Black Budget” Numbers -- Buzz Feed
This New Bill Would Reveal U.S. Spy Secrets -- Fiscal Times

My Comment: I will be shocked if this happens.

The 11 Charts That Details America’s Secret Intelligence Budget

America’s Secret Intelligence Budget, In 11 Charts -- Washington Post

Barton Gellman, the crazy good investigative reporter who broke the NSA story for us a few months back, has a major scoop with Greg Miller and researcher Julie Tate breaking down the Black Budget, a $52.6 billion portion of the federal government that goes to the CIA, NSA, and other secret intelligence agencies. They got the budget from Edward Snowden, who, you’ll recall, was also the whistleblower responsible for the NSA story. Since 2007, we’ve known how much the total Black Budget is (before that, with some years excepted, we didn’t even know that), but not how much is spent on specific things. Now we know that too.

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My Comment: I suspect that these budget revelations .... usually classified as top secret .... are making many in the intelligence community pull their hair out.

More NSA Revelations: U.S. 'Black Budget' Is $52.6 Billion

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

U.S. Spy Network’s Successes, Failures And Objectives Detailed In ‘Black Budget’ Summary -- Washington Post

U.S. spy agencies have built an intelligence-gathering colossus since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but remain unable to provide critical information to the president on a range of national security threats, according to the government’s top-secret budget.

The $52.6 billion “black budget” for fiscal 2013, obtained by The Washington Post from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, maps a bureaucratic and operational landscape that has never been subject to public scrutiny. Although the government has annually released its overall level of intelligence spending since 2007, it has not divulged how it uses the money or how it performs against the goals set by the president and Congress.

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More News On The U.S. Intelligence Budget

America’s secret intelligence budget, in 11 charts -- Washington Post
US intelligence spending has doubled since 9/11, top secret budget reveals -- The Guardian
Leaked Document Outlines US Spending on Intelligence -- New York Times
'Black budget' document shows goals of U.S. intelligence agencies -- UPI
'Black budget' shows CIA swells in size: Snowden leak -- AFP
Report: Secret budget cited 4,000 NSA leaks -- AP
Report: Classified U.S. Intelligence 'Black Budget' Revealed -- ABC News
Leaked spy budget's three most revealing parts -- CBS News
9 revelations from the ‘Black Budget’ leaked by Edward Snowden -- MSNBC
Report: U.S. spying is costly but often ineffective -- USA Today
Snowden Reveals 'Black Budget' of Spy Agencies -- Newser
The CIA Has Way More Money Than Everyone Thought -- Joe Coscarelli, New York Magazine
Spies, Cyberwar, And Secret Prisons: America's Secret $52 Billion Intelligence Budget Revealed -- Fast Company
A Rare Look at the Government's 'Black Budget' for Spying -- Atlantic Wire
Unprecedented 'black budget' leak reveals the scope of $52 billion US spy complex -- The Verge
Leaked 'Black Budget' Show How The CIA Progressed From Spy Agency To Paramilitary Force -- Michael Kelley, SFGate/Business Insider
Edward Snowden leaks again: five takeaways from the 'black budget' -- Peter Grier, Christian Science Monitor
Edward Snowden Shares $52.6 Billion Intelligence “Black Budget” with The Washington Post -- Vanity Fair

U.S. Military Intelligence Budget Cut By $2.5 Billion. Overall U.S. Intel Budget Will Top Over $75 Billion

U.S. Military Intel Spending Dips $2.5B -- Defense News

The U.S. military’s intelligence spending fell $2.5 billion in 2012, continuing its decline as operations in Iraq finished and operations in Afghanistan wind down.

In all, Congress appropriated $21.5 billion for the military intelligence program [MIP], according to the Defense Department. The figure includes funding in the base budget and war spending accounts.

“The department determined that releasing this top line figure does not jeopardize any classified activities within the MIP,” DoD said in an Oct. 30 statement. “No other MIP budget figures or program details will be released, as they remain classified for national security reasons.”

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More News On U.S. Intelligence Spending

Intelligence spending fell in 2012 for second year in a row -- Reuters
U.S. intel budget topped $75 billion in 2012 -- Washington Times
U.S. Spy Budget Falls to $75.4 Billion in Second Decline -- Bloomberg
US reports slight decline in intelligence budget -- AFP
Intelligence Spending Drops for a Second Year -- Secrecy News
U.S. spent $75 billion on intelligence agencies in 2012 -- Government Security News
Panetta reveals Military Intelligence Program budget requests -- Examiner
US reports slight decline in intelligence budget -- Business Recorder

Will U.S. Budget Cuts Leave Sizable Intel Gaps?

Rumsfeld: Cuts Could Leave Sizable Intel Gaps -- Army Times

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday that any perceived weakness in U.S. power is a greater threat to the country than another nation or terrorist cell.

Rumsfeld held a question-and-answer session with military officers at Fort Leavenworth, and said that past cuts in defense and intelligence spending led to gaps in security. He cautions it could happen again under current tight federal budgets.

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My Comment: I usually agree with former Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld .... but not on this issue. The intelligence budget and community is huge .... tens of thousands of individuals coupled with a budget that is in the tens of billions of dollars. If we still have intel gaps with these resources .... that then tells me that we are truly in big trouble.

2011 U.S. Intelligence Budget Was $54.6 Billion

U.S. Intel Spending Nears A High-Water Mark -- Washington Post

The decade-long splurge on intelligence spending in the United States appears to have hit its high-water mark.

The nation spent $54.6 billion on national spy agencies and programs in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, excluding spending on military intelligence programs, according to figures released by the nation’s intelligence director.

The Obama administration said in February that it had asked for $55 billion for spy agencies for the upcoming fiscal year. Yet with repeated warnings about pending budget cuts, it appears doubtful that the intelligence community will collect that amount in full.

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More News On U.S. Intelligence Spending

Slight decline in funding for US intelligence -- AFP
U.S. spends billions on intelligence in past year -- Xinhuanet
Pentagon bears brunt of US intelligence spending cuts, as wars wind down, CIA heats up -- Washington Post/AP
Fiscal 2011 U.S. intelligence budget was $54.6 bln -- Reuters
Intelligence Agency Funding $54.6 Billion in 2011, Up 2.8% -- Bloomberg Businessweek
IT Budget Savings Outlined for Intel Agencies -- Defense News

A Slight Decline In The U.S. Intel Budget

Slight Drop in U.S. Funding for Intel Programs -- Defense News

The U.S. Congress appropriated $78.6 billion for civilian and military intelligence activities in 2011, a slight decline from spending on these programs in 2010.

In 2011, lawmakers appropriated $54.6 billion for national intelligence programs and $24 billion for military intel programs, down $1.8 billion the previous year, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and Pentagon announced in separate Oct. 28 statements.

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My Comment: Some are calling for even more cuts.

Ex-Spy Chief: Counter-Terrorism Budget Can Be Cut

Photo: Dennis Blair (Credit: Susan Walsh)

Funding For Fighting al Qaeda Could Be Cut, Ex-Spy Chief Says -- CBS

Dennis Blair, one of only four men to have held the post of Director of National Intelligence since it was created after 9/11, suggests that the amount of money spent to fight al Qaeda terrorism -- which he estimates at $80 billion per year, not counting Iraq and Afghanistan war costs -- could be cut substantially.

Blair was DNI, supervising the CIA and over a dozen other intelligence agencies, from January 2009 until President Obama fired him in May 2010. Blair says the White House apparently "wanted a less aggressive, less integrating Director of National Intelligence" -- someone "not as strong."

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WNU Editor: The interview with Dennis Blair can be heard here.

What's my take .... $80 billion is a hell of a lot of money. But I suspect that it is not all directed at Al Qaeda, but at other threats and adversaries as well as general intelligence gathering.

Overall U.S. Intelligence Budgets Are Facing Billions In Cuts

Photo: Flickr/White House

U.S. Intelligence Budget Faces 'Double Digit' Cuts: DNI Clapper -- Aol Defense

San Antonio: After a decade of enormous budget increases the American intelligence community's budget will probably decline by billions of dollars, Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper said here.

Clapper told more than 3,000 people at the annual Geoint conference that the intelligence community's budget had been handed in to the White House's Office of Management and Budget. "We are all going to have to give at the office," Clapper said. The bulk of the cuts will come from accounts labeled information technology, he said.

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Update: U.S. Spies Facing Tens of Billions in Budget Cuts -- Danger Room

My Comment: I have to see these cuts take place to believe it .... because for now .... I am deeply skeptical that such cuts will ever be implemented.

The U.S. Defense Department Still Hides Its Intelligence Spending

Intelligence Spending, Still Buried Deep In Budget -- Washington Post

Don’t hold your breath waiting for Congress to follow up on a recommendation from Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to separate the budget for the National Intelligence Program — which funds the CIA and other intelligence agencies — from the Defense Department budget.

Intelligence spending has always been hidden in the Defense Department. Clapper’s plan would, at a minimum, reduce the defense budget and provide a measure of transparency into the country’s real defense costs. The plan could also strengthen Clapper’s hand as director of national intelligence.

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My Comment: An interesting summary on the political turf war over intelligence spending .... a turf war in which the Pentagon is still able to keep its own budget.