The Contention of U.S Intelligence Manipulation and Political Surveillance: A Post 9/11 intelligence Diagnosis
- August 25, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: IJRSI, International Relations
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue VIII, August 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705
Iffat Anjum, Abdur Rahman Mohammad Thamim
Lecturer, Department of International Relations, Bangladesh Military Academy, Bangladesh University of Professionals, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Abstract — This paper attempts to demonstrate the nature and functions of US intelligence operations in the contemporary world while juxtaposing their compatibility and consistency with relevant international legal frameworks. It has explored whether these operations of intelligence and counter-intelligence dynamism is being confined within the national issues of United States or time to time moving beyond opportunistically. After simultaneous and vigorous intelligence failure of 9/11 terrorist attacks and Iraq WMD intelligence failure (controversially intelligence propaganda) , the intelligence communities of United States have undergone extensive major reforms since 2005 when President George W. Bush signed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. But this diagnosis sheds light on the debate that in spite of being modified and revised these intelligence agencies have still remained the same prejudiced, arrogant and tyrannical institutions prioritizing national interests rather than civil, national and international laws. To exemplify such illiberal attitude and gross intelligence manipulation numerous issues of Abu Ghraib Prison, Guantanamo Bay detention camp and more recent ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Levant) patronization can be highlighted as concrete evidences. Again, covert but authentic sources like WikiLeaks, Edward Snowden and Julian Assange have revealed sensitive contended issues that US intelligence is being used as a political instrument to sustain unauthorized and extrajudicial surveillance violating individual as well as collective rights. They have strongly argued such manipulated entities patronize new threats to international terrorism to continue systematic extremism against the well-portrayed religious fundamentalism. Thereby, this paper tries to examine whether all forms of international terrorism is backed by religious fundamentalism or to some extent ironically being patronized by the ‘countering intelligence communities’ to sustain their political interests and dominance. Finally, considering all such extremely controversial determinants this paper advances to ascertain current international stature and credibility of these intelligence institutions and prescribes several plausible reform initiatives to redesign these entities in a value-neutral, dispassionate and objective manner.
Keywords: U.S intelligence community, propaganda, national interest, international law and extrajudicial surveillance.
