The National Intelligence Agency was a sub-organization of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America which has been in existence since 1947. Under the Intelligence Reorganization Act of 1992, the National Intelligence Agency lost most of its autonomy to the CIA. Before this time, the National Intelligence Agency operated independently and was more closely associated with the National Security Agency.
The National Intelligence Agency employed both civilians and members of the United States armed forces. The NIA also bestowed several military-like decorations for services performed within the agency. The highest of these is known as the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.
Famous quotes containing the words national, intelligence and/or agency:
“All men are lonely. But sometimes it seems to me that we Americans are the loneliest of all. Our hunger for foreign places and new ways has been with us almost like a national disease. Our literature is stamped with a quality of longing and unrest, and our writers have been great wanderers.”
—Carson McCullers (1917–1967)
“It’s easy to forget what intelligence consists of: luck and speculation. Here and there a windfall, here and there a scoop.”
—John le Carré (b. 1931)
“It is possible that the telephone has been responsible for more business inefficiency than any other agency except laudanum.... In the old days when you wanted to get in touch with a man you wrote a note, sprinkled it with sand, and gave it to a man on horseback. It probably was delivered within half an hour, depending on how big a lunch the horse had had. But in these busy days of rush-rush-rush, it is sometimes a week before you can catch your man on the telephone.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)