What is the Intelligence Community?

The United States Intelligence Community's website, www.intelligence.gov, states:

The [intelligence community] is a federation of executive branch agencies and organizations that work separately and together to conduct intelligence activities necessary for the conduct of foreign relations and the protection of the national security of the United States.

These activities include:

• Collection of information needed by the President, the National Security Council, the Secretaries of State and Defense, and other Executive Branch officials for the performance of their duties and responsibilities;
• Production and dissemination of intelligence;
• Collection of information concerning, and the conduct of activities to protect against, intelligence activities directed against the US, international terrorist and international narcotics activities, and other hostile activities directed against the US by foreign powers, organizations, persons, and their agents;
• Special activities;
• Administrative and support activities within the US and abroad necessary for the performance of authorized activities; and
• Such other intelligence activities as the President may direct from time to time.