NCBC advances the broader objectives of the US counterproliferation mission:
- Discourage interest by states, terrorists or armed groups in acquiring, developing or mobilizing resources for WMD purposes
- Prevent or obstruct state, terrorist or other efforts to acquire WMD capabilities, or efforts by suppliers to provide such capabilities
- Roll back or eliminate WMD programs of concern
- Deter weapons use by those possessing nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and their means of delivery
- Mitigate the consequences of any use of WMD against the United States or its allies
The National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center (NCBC) integrates the counterproliferation efforts of the entire Intelligence Community to ensure that the US Government is postured to protect the country from Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). NCBC is a small, diverse group of Officers drawn from across the IC and devoted to integrating the IC's efforts.
Organization
NCTC is aligned under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The NCTC Director (D/NCTC) is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. D/NCTC reports to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) as the NIM-CT and serves as the DNI’s principal adviser on intelligence operations relating to CT. D/NCTC reports directly to the President for CT strategic operational planning activities.
NCTC has four directorates: Directorate of Intelligence, Directorate of Identity Intelligence, Directorate of Strategic Operational Planning, Directorate of Global Partnerships, as well as the National Counterterrorism Operations Center – and two offices – Office of Enterprise Services and Office of Information Technology Services. Findings related to the Office of Legal Counsel, Office of Public Affairs, Office of Legislative Affairs, Protocol, and the Civil Liberties Privacy Office are Shared Services under ODNI, which work together to achieve NCTC’s goal of leading the USG CT community.
History
At the State of the Union address on 28 January 2003, then President George W. Bush declared, “Tonight I am instructing the leaders of the FBI, Central Intelligence, Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense to develop a Terrorist Threat Integration Center to merge and analyze all threat information in a single location.”
On 1 May 2003, the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) opened its doors. Led by its first Director, John Brennan, TTIC filled its ranks with approximately three dozen detailees from across the US Government (USG) and was mandated to integrate CT capabilities and missions across the government.
Prior to the establishment of TTIC, individual Federal departments and agencies (largely CIA and FBI) provided the President their own assessments of the terrorist threat. In effect, the White House was being forced to synthesize Community reporting and draw its own conclusions. This was among the first systemic issues TTIC would be tasked to address and would be critical, given the organization’s need to demonstrate added value. With the stand up of TTIC, information sharing, watchlisting, and situational awareness were beginning to be addressed as USG-wide activities that continue to be critical today.
In August 2004, and at the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, TTIC was incorporated into the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) by Executive Order (EO) 13354, which became the foundation for codifying NCTC’s authorities in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) of 2004. Through EO 13354 and subsequently IRTPA, NCTC was given the responsibilities for not only integrating analysis and coordinating information sharing and situational awareness, but also for strategic operational planning in direct support to the President.
In 2005, NCTC’s mission was expanded further as the WMD Commission called for mission management, and NCTC was established as what is now known as the National Intelligence Manager for Counterterrorism (NIM-CT). The attempted bombing of a US airliner on Christmas Day 2009 led to the most recent addition to NCTC’s roles and responsibilities, prioritizing and thoroughly pursuing the threads of terrorism threats.
Today, NCTC produces analysis, maintains the authoritative database of known and suspected terrorists, shares information, and conducts strategic operational planning. NCTC is staffed by more than 1,000 personnel from across the IC, the Federal government, and Federal contractors. Forty percent of NCTC’s workforce represents approximately 20 different departments and agencies—a tribute to the recognition by the intelligence, homeland security, and law enforcement communities of NCTC’s role in protecting the Nation against terrorist threats. The Center plays a vital role in protecting the Homeland and US interests around the world from the threat of terrorism.
Given NCTC’s unique authority to access both domestic and foreign terrorism information, NCTC analysts are singularly positioned within the Intelligence Community (IC) to make independent assessments and judgments, particularly on sensitive issues, unencumbered by the pressures and considerations that accompany the intelligence collection process. For this reason, NCTC analysts are perceived by other USG partners as “honest brokers,” and these analysts are expected and trained to reinforce the strong working relationships and collaboration that NCTC promotes with all its IC CT partners.
Dr. Catherine Marsh
Dr. Catherine Marsh serves as the Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) within ODNI’s Strategy and Engagement Directorate.In her role, she will lead groundbreaking and multi-disciplinary research programs to achievebreakthrough technologies for national intelligence missions.
Prior to this assignment, Dr. Marsh served as the CIA’s Chief Scientist in the Directorate of Science & Technology where she wasresponsible for ensuring that leading-edge science and technology underlies all present and future DS&T and CIA mission capabilities. In addition, she served as the DS&T’sprimary science advisor, providing strategic scientific assessments of all DS&T mission programs.
From 2015-2016 she held the position of Dean of the DS&T’s George Methlie School where she led the DST’s tradecraft educationprogram. From 2013-2015 Dr. Marsh served as the Deputy Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) within the Office of the Director of National Intelligencewhere she was responsible for investing in high-risk/high-payoff research that has the potential of providing our nation with an overwhelming intelligence advantage.
Dr. Marsh is a renowned power sources expert with extensive experience leadingdevelopment teams both in industry and for the government. Dr. Marsh served as the Director of the Power Sources Center in the DST at CIA, where she led a group that provides multi-disciplinary, agile, flexible, and innovative power solutions for the Intelligence Community. In 2001, she joined the CIA as a senior scientist developing power solutions for many systems that support operations. While in industry, she led the team that put lithium-ion technology on numerous platforms, including the MARS Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
Dr. Marsh is a Director of National Intelligence Fellow and a member of the DS&T’s Distinguished Expert Cadre. She holds B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in inorganic and analytical chemistry from Brown University.