Security & Intelligence: Volume 10, Number 1, Spring 2025

Greetings! Welcome to the first issue of our milestone 10th volume. In this issue of Security and Intelligence (S&I), scholars examine a broad array of topics from justified belief to modern warfare and peacekeeping risks.

Our tenth volume opens with a Graduate Lectern worthy of attention. Graduate student Sherry Dingman, with her professor Dr. Kathryn Lambert, brings the soap opera story of La Familia Michoacan (LFM), a Mexican cartel, to academic light. The research highlights the adaptability of criminal organizations to ensure survival.

Our first research article of the issue is “Justification (Justified True Belief) in the Intelligence Context - Testimony and Justification Defeaters” from Linda Johansson, in which they examine “justified belief” while considering justified defeaters in argument maps/trees to assess testimony and evaluate sources in the intelligence community. We then turn our attention to a modern warfare discussion in “Kinetics to Keyboards: The Future of the Special Operations Force Operator Post Global War on Terror” by AJ Rutherford focusing on cybersecurity, digital forensics, and network penetration training, along with collaboration with government, private, and academic entities, providing policy recommendations for enhanced training. In the article “Silent Sacrifices: Political Predictors of UN Peacekeeper Fatalities,” Kathryn M. Lambert then exposes the seldom discussed risks to peacekeeping missions. International cooperation is explored in “The Future of FVEY: Could France Replace New Zealand as an Intelligence-Sharing Partner?” by Victoria J. Sengelman, which delves into the importance of international secrets-sharing practices and partnerships in the fight against terrorism and global security. Sengelman examines a foreign intelligence-sharing partnership with New Zealand, particularly focusing on the potential formation of a partnership with France. “The Cross-Border Cooperation Between Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela” by Laura J. Gender & David J. Kritz explores the effects of geopolitics, political conflicts, and resulting transnational criminal activity on cross-border cooperation and intraregional communication among Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela. “Natural Language Processing for the Intelligence Analysis Process” by Brandon Morad investigates the potential benefits and challenges of integrating Natural Language Processing (NLP) into the US Intelligence Community’s (IC) intelligence analysis process. Morad’s qualitative analysis aims to explore the introduction of NLP into the intelligence analysis process. Finally, “Active Shooter Awareness and Preparedness in Soft Target Scenarios” by Joshua E. Lane examines preparedness and awareness as crucial factors in educating people about the impact of active shooters, which Lane identifies as increasingly significant, resulting in a greater need for awareness and preparedness. Our volume closes out with a detailed and authoritative review of Terrorist Minds: The Psychology of Violent Extremism from Al-Qaeda to the Far Right.

Thank you for joining us on our journey crossing combat lines, examining the intelligence lines of nations in the First World War, exploring social influences on food insecurities, and learning from past analytical mistakes with lessons learned and new analytical approaches. It is a privilege to bring another issue of Security and Intelligence to our readers and the community.