Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines recently spearheaded an effort in which Congress received a report assessing intelligence community threats.
The endeavor examined various threats against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, great power competition, and rapidly evolving technology.
According to the 2021 Annual Threat Assessment, the country and its allies will face threats stemming from an increasing number of empowered non-state actors in the coming year. The complexity of the threats, their intersections, and the potential for cascading events create new challenges for the intelligence community.
“The American people should know as much as possible about the threats facing our nation and what their intelligence agencies are doing to protect them,” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said. “This report provides transparency to Congress and our nation’s citizens with the aim of bolstering trust in our work and institutions.”
The assessment accounts for functional concerns, such as weapons of mass destruction and technology, focusing on China and Russia while taking into consideration Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang have demonstrated capability and intent to advance interests at the expense of the United States and its allies.
According to the report, the nation will experience the greater potential for migration surges by Central American populations impacted by the pandemic’s economic impact and extreme weather, as well as illicit drugs and transnational organized crime continuing to take its toll on American lives, prosperity, and safety.