The Intelligence Game: Illusions and Delusions of International Espionage - Hardcover

Rusbridger, James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1561310085 ISBN 13: 9781561310081

Publisher: New Amsterdam Books, 1998

Synopsis

"The purpose of this book," writes James Rusbridger, "is to open the window of accountability–and show the pointlessness of so much intelligence work.... America spends at least $12 billion a year on its intelligence community but if one allows for various illegal activities, such as the Iran/Contra Operations, the true total is certainly much higher. Overall, a total of $13 billion is available from two secret budgets to fund all America's intelligence operations. In Russia, intelligence operations are so inextricably mixed with military defense spending that no accurate figures could ever be produced, but, bearing in mind their attempt to copy the Americans in every sphere of operations, it seems logical to believe that their annual bill is no smaller. In Britain, the official cost of the two main intelligence services, MI5 and MI6, is put at around £100 million a year, but the real figure is nearer four times this. Whatever the final cost may be, all such agencies have two things in common. First, they are very inefficient. Second, they multiply like rabbits on a dark night. The intelligence world makes even the most inept government departments seem quite efficient...."

About this title

About the Author

James Rusbridger worked for many years as a commodities broker and he was involved in British intelligence operations in the course of his frequent visits to Eastern Europe. He now lies in Cornwall, where he does research and writing on many aspects of the intelligence game for newspapers and television. He has also written Betrayal at Pearl Harbor.

From Publishers Weekly

British author Rusbridger questions the claims of the major intelligence services (CIA, MI5, KGB, Mossad et al.), arguing that espionage has never been as threatening as they want us to believe. Nor are they much good at catching spies, he maintains. What they're good at is scaremongering, and in his view intelligence directorates never hesitate to invent windmills to tilt at in order to justify their hugely expensive peacetime programs. MI5's claim of foiling an "attempted IRA attack" at the Prince Andrew-Sarah Ferguson wedding is one of the bogus planted tales he cites. Beyond seeing them as essentially useless, Rusbridger points out that pervasive lawbreaking is part and parcel of the security services. He claims that the British government's vindictiveness over Peter Wright's Spycatcher stemmed from the book's revelations of burgling and bug-planting by the British secret service. Rusbridger argues persuasively that much of the activity carried on by the worldwide intelligence community--especially the collection of information readily available in technical journals and the compiling of dossiers on "potentially subversive" individuals--is pointless. Photos.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: New Amsterdam Books
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1561310085
• ISBN 13: 9781561310081
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320