The U.S. intelligence community¡¯s certainly cannot be faulted for having a narrow focus or Pollyanna perspective.

From a rising China, Russian aggression and Iran¡¯s nuclear ambitions to climate change, future pandemics and the growing reach of international organized crime, the IC¡¯s analysis is as comprehensive as it is worrying.

Inaugurated two decades ago as a gesture of transparency and to inform Congress and the American public, the annual threat assessment offers the intelligence agencies¡¯ top-line conclusions about the country¡¯s leading national-security threats ¡ª though always in ways that will not compromise ¡°sources and methods.¡± As in the past, America¡¯s spies and intelligence analysts have stayed in their lane and avoided policy questions or any suggestion that some problems are more important than others.