Abstract
This edited volume results from a workshop hosted by the Norwegian Parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Committee in October 2008. The growth of post-Cold War transnational threats led by organised crime, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism have impelled intelligence services to cooperate with other states. Such international cooperation has widened and intensified since 9/11. The volume focuses on how accountability mechanisms have remained territorially bound in national oversight and review bodies, despite this globalisation of national security and responses.
The four parts (‘Introduction’, ‘Challenges’, ‘Oversight and Review’ and ‘Role of Law’) have diverse chapters written by numerous authors on interrelated topics: governmental accountability; blacklisting and financial sanctions against suspected terrorists; civil and human rights; international law; human rights law and state responsibility; rendition and torture; cooperation in international operations; peacekeeping, weapons inspections and the apprehension and prosecution of war criminals; national oversight; challenges and paradoxes of domestic inquiries; European inquiries into illegal transfers and secret detentions; national courts; and formidable challenges and imperfect solutions. The approach of covering the accountability, legal and human rights challenges that cooperation poses is enhanced with substantial examples referenced to primary sources. Such diversity and expertise will appeal to professionals and students in international law, global governance, intelligence and security.
This well-written book with substantiated arguments and plausible solutions achieves its goals in four central ways: identifying the current state of international intelligence cooperation; analysing roles of political and judicial oversight and review bodies in holding the intelligence services and political authorities to account; identifying accountability deficits arising from international intelligence operations; and options for reform. It is the first publication on accountability and intelligence, making it particularly valuable in the age of globalisation and after increased transnational events post-9/11, where intelligence services engage in greater surveillance, with expanded powers.
Of particular methodological and empirical merit are the concept and presentation of preventing the abuse of power and finding the right balance between civil liberties and the protection of national security. Examples include personal data sharing, blacklisting of suspected terrorists, rendition, interrogation and multilateral operations. The twelve chapters provide a cohesive, logical and easy read to substantiate the central aims of the volume. However, one notable shortfall is the exclusive focus on governments exchanging information with one another, since information exchange is M4IS2: multiagency, multinational, multidisciplinary, multidomain information sharing and sense making; and the eight entities that do M4IS2 are commerce, academic, government, civil society, media, law enforcement, military and non-government/non-profit.