Truth is the first casualty of war
THE publication of purloined top secret data by Al Jazeera will have global diplomatic consequences.
Now that the intelligence institutions have been dragged out of the dark into the limelight and many of their secrets exposed, their story can be told with at least a degree of confidence.
It is an extraordinary exposé, detailing convoluted plots, intrigue, blunders, and triumphs.
The latest leaks raise serious questions about the ultimate worth of the global intelligence octopus.
One point that must be borne in mind even today is that our knowledge of the world’s secret service activities remains clouded.
Many of the revelations about them can’t be checked, and different accounts of the same event are often contradictory.
The revelations are a war of words. As in any war, truth is the first casualty.
It is imperative that those who compile intelligence reports are familiar with the realm of espionage.
They will discover what imbecilities are committed in the hallowed name of intelligence.
A timely reminder is the New Testament’s Luke VIII, 17 passage: “Nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest.”
Leaks have always come from people who might have an interest in distorting the facts. Espionage and counter-espionage exist in what CIA officer James Angleton called “a wilderness of mirrors, because suspicion, like mirrors, reflect upon each other, reaching to infinity”.
Truth is elusive in this secret world. It is a bewildering reality as in the world of Jules Verne.
In 1974 counterintelligence CIA officer William Hood said: “Any intelligence officer who assumes his service is penetration-proof is ignorant of intelligence history.”
The intelligence process is the lifeblood of the diplomatic and military machines. Unfortunately, at a time when there is a greater need than ever for a clear understanding of what intelligence can and cannot do, the function has become bogged down and tainted by activities that have nothing do with intelligence.
These include assassination plots against leaders, the subversion of governments, propaganda and psychological warfare, all of which are foreign to the intelligence function.
The tragedy is in failing to maintain a distinct organisational boundary. In essence, intelligence is one thing while operations are something else.
Raw intelligence must be treated with caution. The question is: how did official top secret data end up in the public domain?
The Al Jazeera exposé is an astonishing tale of deception, conspiracy and side-shows of how global intelligence institutions behave when issues of secrecy are decided.
Many countries have a thirst for intelligence that cannot be satisfied by their own agencies. So they set up networks of cooperation with others – which can lead to some curious relationships.
The activities of the world’ s major intelligence services are unremitting and relentless, and often in contradiction of the apparent political realities.
Covert operations against friends and assistance for those in “another camp” all happen regularly in the twilight world of the intelligence war. FAROUK ARAIE
Joburg