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April 13, 2006

Former British Intelligence Chief Sir Richard Dearlove Addresses The Role of Intelligence in the Post- 9/11 World

What is the role of intelligence in the security of the state where in a post 9/11 world in which both conventional and asymmetric threats abound?

Sir Richard Billing Dearlove, who headed the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 1999 to 2004, addressed this issue before students and faculty of The Fletcher School during a Charles Francis Adams lecture held on March 27.

Dearlove, who began his career in the MI6 in 1966, said that the primary business of espionage--gathering intelligence—is no longer focused on prying into the inner secrets of other states. Rather, he argued that the main role of intelligence has become focused on how to constrain non-state actors who successfully elude the state and commit terrorist acts.

An effective counter-terrorism strategy, according to Dearlove, depends in part on the intelligence-gathering capabilities of a state, and this poses several challenges to government.

“There is enormous difficulty in finding human sources--a fanatic who would be willing to provide access to information,” said Dearlove. “And if intelligence sources are available, the problem of sustaining it is difficult as, while a source might report a single incident, subsequent reports may not be made or may be impossible to get.”

Dearlove argued that while the U.S. claims to be dealing strategically with the problem of terrorism, it may not be actually gaining and has, in fact, “gone back in time” in terms of strategy. He said that the war on terror is actually a “war for the soul of Islam”, where two competing views—one compatible with modernity and another committed to the destruction of the current political order and creation of the next caliphate—are colliding with each other.

He said that since “it is easier for moderate Muslims to remain quiet than to stand up against those who want to destroy the current order”, these moderates must be empowered “to be able to raise a model of Islam that is compatible with modernity.”

According to Dearlove, a successful counter-terrorism strategy should, “first of all, empower the security services of moderate Muslim states to fight terrorists legally and effectively.” Dearlove said that the U.S. should also start rebuilding its moral position in the world, and that all counter-terrorism measures should be undertaken thoroughly and with sensitivity. He said that the U.S.' credibility and infallibility in the Middle East is at its lowest ebb, its image having been strongly affected by the events in Iraq and its role in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“The U.S. should be conscious of its image to the world. Bending existing laws appears illegal to many and is difficult. The means to change such laws should not be overridden,” he said. Dearlove argued that it is better to have the public debate over how to fight fundamentalism in open democratic societies rather than give the appearance of skirting those laws for the greater good. Dearlove also emphasized the importance of morality in fighting terrorism, arguing that when a state assumes a high moral ground, it is easier to recruit human intelligence sources. He recalled that during the Cold War, sources presented themselves easily. “Now, the U.S. and its allies have forfeited the moral ground that it held after 9/11 with the media's portrayal of the U.S.' role in the war on terror,” he said.

“We should create an environment wherein such sources would approach us willingly,” Dearlove said.

During the open forum, Rockford Weitz, a Ph.D. student at Fletcher, followed up on Dearlove's point on empowering moderate Muslims and inquired how Islam in moderate states like Indonesia, Malaysia and Central Asia may be bolstered in order to address security threats in the region.

Dearlove replied that there are specific fora where moderate Muslims are willing to stand up and be counted. “We should look at countries that are willing to take a stand,” he said.

By Sharon R. Rivera, MALD '07

Posted by fletcher at April 13, 2006 04:42 PM