Summary of Playing to the Edge: by Michael V. Hayden | Includes Analysis

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Summary of Playing to the Edge by Michael V. Hayden | Includes Analysis

 

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Playing to the Edge considers the changing role of the US intelligence community from 1999 to 2015. The author, Michael Hayden, served as the head of both the National Security Agency (NS

• Language: English
• Publisher: Instaread, Inc
• Release date: May 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781945048579

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Overview

Playing to the Edge considers the changing role of the US intelligence community from 1999 to 2015. The author, Michael Hayden, served as the head of both the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during this period. He uses his own experiences to ground this discussion. Playing to the edge is a sports reference that refers to athletes who abide by the rules of the game while using every inch of the playing field to their advantage.

Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the intelligence community strengthened programs and used new tactics to keep Americans safe. New positions and new government bureaucracies were created to respond to the challenges of the so-called War on Terror. New programs, such as NSA metadata surveillance and the development of aerial drones, were conducted without civilian oversight, and in some cases, without public knowledge. When later revealed by investigative journalists or in documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, many of these programs proved controversial. During this period, the threat of cyber warfare and growing Iranian power in the Middle East became other important areas of concern for the intelligence