Editing Intelligence agency (section)

== Objectives ==
Intelligence agencies can provide the following services for their national governments.

* Give early warning of impending crisis;
* Serve national and international [[crisis management]] by helping to discern the intentions of current or potential opponents;
* Inform national defense planning and [[military operation]]s, known as [[military intelligence]];
* Protect sensitive information secrets, both of their own sources and activities, and those of other state agencies;
* Covertly influence the outcome of events in favor of [[national interest]]s, or influence [[international security]]; and
* Defense against the efforts of other national intelligence agencies, known as [[counterintelligence]].

There is a distinction between "security intelligence" and "foreign intelligence". Security intelligence pertains to domestic threats, including [[terrorism]] and espionage. Foreign intelligence involves information collection relating to the political, or economic activities of foreign states.

Some agencies have been involved in [[assassination]], [[arms trafficking]], [[coup d'état|coups d'état]], and the placement of misinformation [[propaganda]] and other [[Covert operation|covert]] and [[clandestine operations]] to support their own or their governments' interests.