Democratization of Intelligence

Does “national character” correlate with the nature of national, strategic intelligence across a major region of the world? This question remains open and important, given that the intelligence services of any country by DEMOCRATIZATION deﬁ nition ideally provide an institutional guarantee of national survival. In the end, public consciousness of the intelligence function can contribute OF INTELLIGENCE directly to the positive evolution of intelligence as one of the oldest of political institutions, in such a way that we can begin to identify a MELDING STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE phenomenon of “democratization” of national intelligence. AND NATIONAL DISCOURSE Russell G. Swenson and Susana C. Lemozy Editors As may be inferred from most of the essays in this book, the emphasis on state security and control of violent criminal activity is a strong, distinctive feature of the intelligence services across the region. One possibility is to extend the research carried out for this book to a systematic comparison of the institutional framework and operational emphases in other regions where, as we know through an emerging body of comparative research, there is an impetus to institutionalize democratic reform and improve the integration of law enforcement and strategic intelligence. Intelligence studies are on the brink of making the leap to a level where they will have practical relevance. This book edited by Russell Swenson and Susana Lemozy holds importance for its presentation of usefully detailed essays and for the impetus it gives for theoretically oriented comparative studies. The book should be required reading for scholars interested in the combination of intelligence, strategic culture, security and democracy. Marco Cepik Professor of Comparative Politics and International Security Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Visit the NDIC Press at www.ndic.edu RUSSELL G. SWENSON AND SUSANA C. LEMOZY EDITORS PCN 17140 NATIONAL DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE COLLEGE SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR Democratization of Intelligence Melding Strategic Intelligence and National Discourse Russell G. Swenson and Susana C. Lemozy Editors NATIONAL DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE COLLEGE WASHINGTON, DC July 2009 Opinions expressed in this book are those of the authors and do not represent the policies or points of view of their respective national governments. SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR Th e National Defense Intelligence College supports and encourages research on intelligence issues that distills lessons and improves Intelligence Community capabilities for policy-level and operational consumers. Democratization of Intelligence: Melding Strategic Intelligence and National Discourse — Russell G. Swenson and Susana C. Lemozy, editors Th is abbreviated English edition of the book Democratización de la Fun- ción de Inteligencia—El Nexo de la Cultura y la Inteligencia Estratégica (NDIC Press, January 2009) presents that book’s introductory material in translation, along with essays by three U.S. and Canadian authors. Essays by the editors and by a Peruvian observer, which make up the introductory material, provide the reader unfamiliar with Spanish or Portuguese an overview of all essays in the original edition. Th e original book features essays by 28 authors who represent 14 countries in the Western Hemisphere plus Spain. Th e book aims to educate offi cials as well as students about the vicissitudes that accompany the develop- ment and execution of the government intelligence function. Th e authors demonstrate that national, strategic intelligence in any country of the Hemisphere can experience episodes of devolution as well as positive evolution, at the same time that the culturally modulated practices of government professionals can oscillate between periods of repression and democratic observance. Essays by authors who are U.S. Government employees were reviewed and cleared for public release by the Department of Defense’s Offi ce of Security Review. Th is edition and the original book in Spanish and Portuguese are avail- able at http://www.ndic.edu/press/press.htm. ii | Russell G. Swenson, PhD, Director, NDIC Press Library of Congress Control Number 2008944062 ISBN 978-1-932946-27-7 SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR CONTENTS v FOREWORD Marco Cepik 1 FRAMEWORK FOR A NORMATIVE THEORY OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE Russell G. Swenson and Susana C. Lemozy 27 INVITED COMMENTARY Jorge Serrano Torres SELECTED ESSAYS 63 Refl ections on the U.S. Intelligence Culture: Career Engagements of a Civil and Military Intelligence Offi cer—Jon Wiant 79 Canadian Intelligence Culture: An Evaluation—Stephane Lefebvre 99 National Intelligence: Made in the U.S.A.—Bowman H. Miller 115 EDITORS’ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS REVERSE BLANK | iii SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR FOREWORD Marco Cepik*1 Th is new book edited by Russell Swenson and Susana Lemozy contin- ues and deepens a research partnership that has been useful to the fi eld of intelligence studies in the Americas and beyond. In the wake of contributions such as Bringing Intelligence About (Swenson 2003) and Intelligence Professionalism in the Americas (Swenson and Lemozy 2004), the editors bring together in this volume 23 essays that address the theme of national culture and its infl uence on the nature of the intelligence function in 15 countries of the Americas and of Spain. As the various authors discuss why and how national cultures infl u- ence threat perceptions, security and defense policies, and the design of intelligence institutions in their respective countries, readers are treated to more than a description of the intelligence landscape. Th e editors seize on that auspicious circumstance to formulate a theory about the democratization of the national intelligence function. Th e theory proposes that the strategic intelligence culture in each country contributes in its own way to the process of democratization, which, in turn, infl uences the nature of intelligence activities in those countries. Th is hypothesis is explicit and verifi able. Although it requires additional test- ing in other national contexts (especially in Africa and Asia), the diverse essays presented here successfully demonstrate the applicability of the concept to Latin America, the United States and Canada, and to Spain. Research on culture, informal institutions, norms and values associated with intelligence is advanced by this important work, which further develops a line of inquiry that has deep roots in intelligence studies (Jervis, 1985; Lowen- thal, 1992; Bozeman, 1992; Boardman, 2006). Given that intelligence culture depends, for its behavioral expression, on operationalization or codifi cation through individual initiative and collec- tive action, the work presented in this book complements, and does not con- | v tradict, institutionally oriented studies that focus on the intelligence function, whether in the military arena or in criminal or police arenas. * Professor of Comparative Politics and International Security at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He holds a doctorate in Political Science and is the author of Espionagem e Democracia (Rio de Janeiro, FGV, 2003), as well as four other books and approximately 30 book chapters or journal articles presented in Portuguese, Spanish or English. He also holds a Fellowship with Brazil’s National Scientifi c Research Council. SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR Several volumes of intelligence case studies have appeared in recent years, many of them centered around well-defi ned research problems and sup- ported by systematic, empirical evidence (e.g., Herman, 2001, 66-158; Johnson, 2006; Bruneau & Boraz, 2007; Gill & Farson & Phythian & Shpiro, 2008). Th ese works, together with the present volume, are a fuller realization of comparative studies, building on works by the preceding generation of intelligence scholars (e.g., Richelson, 1988; Godson, 1988; Johnson, 1996, 119-145; Herman, 1996, 16-136). As may be inferred from most of the essays in this book (including the cases of Costa Rica and Colombia as two extremes in terms of the militariza- tion of their intelligence services), the emphasis on State security and control of violent criminal activity is a strong and distinctive feature of the intelligence services across the region. An interesting possibility would be to extend the research carried out for this book to a systematic comparison of the institutional framework and operational emphases in other regions where, as we know through an emerging body of comparative research, there is an impetus to institutionalize democratic reform and improve the integration of law enforcement and strategic intelligence (e.g., Williams & Deletant, 2001; Gill & Brodeur & Tollborg 2003; Born & Johnson & Leigh, 2005; Wetzling, 2006; Gill, 2006; Cepik, 2006; Burch, 2007). Intelligence studies are on the brink of making the leap to a level where they will have practical relevance. Th is book edited by Russell Swenson and Susana Lemozy holds importance for its presentation of usefully detailed essays and for the impetus it gives for theoretically oriented comparative studies. Th e book should be required reading for scholars interested in the combination of intelligence, strategic culture, security and democracy. vi | SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR SECRET//FGI//NOFORN//FRD//MR References BOARDMAN, Chase. (2006). “Organizational Culture Challenges to Interagency and Intelligence Community

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