What was a significant change in US intelligence resources during the 1990s?

The significant change in US intelligence resources during the 1990s involved a shift from counting nuclear weapons to monitoring weapon dismantling. This alteration reflects the changing landscape of global security following the end of the Cold War. With the reduction in the threat of nuclear conflict, the intelligence community recalibrated its focus from merely tracking arsenal counts to ensuring compliance with disarmament agreements and monitoring the dismantling processes of nuclear weapons. This change highlighted a broader commitment to arms control and nonproliferation, recognizing that the reduction of nuclear arsenals was crucial for global security.

Other options do reflect important aspects of US intelligence operations during the 1990s. While there was an increased emphasis on counter-terrorism strategies, particularly following incidents such as the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, the overall strategic shift in intelligence resources was more about adapting to a post-Cold War environment concerning nuclear disarmament. Cyber warfare began to gain attention as technology evolved, but the intense focus on dismantling nuclear weapons stood out as a primary concern during this decade. The emphasis on tracking nuclear weapons also transitioned, but the priority turned to disarmament verification rather than counting weapons as a goal in itself.