The Threat on the Horizon

"Loch Johnson's account of the Aspin-Brown commission will be viewed as a classic in the literature on American government and intelligence studies. His insider story reveals how official Washington thought about intelligence in the years before the 9/11 tragedy and how the commission's work fits into the ongoing effort at intelligence reform. The Threat on the Horizon tells a fascinating tale about a part of government that is generally inaccessible to citizens and scholars alike."--James J. Wirtz, Dean of the School of International Graduate Studies, Naval Postgraduate School "Loch Johnson's lively first-hand account is a rare behind-the-scenes look at an inquiry into U.S. intelligence. He shows that the answers, and even the questions, are more complicated than most think."--Paul R. Pillar, Professor of Security Studies, Georgetown University "Making the American intelligence process work has vexed and perplexed policymakers and analysts for decades. Nobody understands the dynamics of intelligence gathering and analysis, and the politics and process of reform, better than Loch Johnson. In The Threat on the Horizon, Johnson provides a compelling inside view of a key reform effort in the 1990s. Johnson is a rare combination of a top-flight scholar and a political and policy insider. This book is an even rarer combination--scholarly depth, insider insight, and readability--that make it a must-read for anyone interested in American security and American politics."--Norm Ornstein, Resident Scholar, The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research "The chapters examine Latin America's gap using different disciplinary viewpoints, historical frames of reference, and methodologies, employing clear prose and non-technical language. The essays are accessible to non-specialists in the region and ideal for classroom use, especially given the bibliographic references in the end-notes." -- Political Science Quarterly