Description
This is the first book to offer the best essays, articles, and speeches on ethics and intelligence that demonstrate the complex moral dilemmas in intelligence collection, analysis, and operations. Some are recently declassified and never before published, and all are written by authors whose backgrounds are as varied as their insights, including Robert M. Gates, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; John P. Langan, the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Professor of Catholic Social Thought at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University; and Loch K. Johnson, Regents Professor of Political Science at the University of Georgia and recipient of the Owens Award for contributions to the understanding of U.S. intelligence activities. Creating the foundation for the study of ethics and intelligence by filling in the gap between warfare and philosophy, this is a valuable collection of literature for building an ethical code that is not dependent on any specific agency, department, or country.
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With the multiple scandals surrounding the torture of detainees at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere, the so-called "extraordinary rendition" program, and National Security Agency warrantless surveillance in the news, the ethics (or lack thereof) of intelligence is probably under more public scrutiny than at any time since the Church Committee hearings of the 1970s. The 23 papers presented in this collection are considered by editor Goldman (ethics and intelligence, Joint Military Intelligence College) to form the beginnings of an effort to develop a standardized code of ethics for intelligence professionals so that "ethics and intelligence" will be taken seriously rather than relegated to jokes about oxymorons. A number of opening essays consider the broad issues of ethics and espionage. Remaining essays include an "ethical defense of torture in interrogation;" consideration of the politicization of intelligence; discussions of the ethics of covert actions; and explorations of the role of sociologists, anthropologists, and businessmen in intelligence activities. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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