Before he became one of the world's most notorious terrorists in the 1970s and '80s, inspiring movies, books, and future terrorists, Carlos the Jackal was born Ilich Ramírez Sánchez to a privileged family in Venezuela. Over time, his crimes grew bolder, from an attempted assassination to abductions, murder, hijackings, and bombings. Some state leaders tolerated him out of fear he would target their countries, yet his alliances with militants and dictators soured as the years passed. In his new book, The Jackal: The Rise and Fall of Carlos, the World's First Super Terrorist, journalist Joby Warrick profiles the mercenary terrorist and details how American and French intelligence took him down.

Europe’s fear of escalation is encouraging Putin.

This study examined the impact of intelligence gathering, coordination, and technological capabilities on the effectiveness of security forces in asymmetric conflict scenarios The study was anchored o

Long before intelligence became the domain of specialised agencies, permanent staff and technical collection systems, the Republic of Venice had already developed one of the most sophisticated info…

Podcast Episode · SpyCast · 15 September · 36min

Without extensive intelligence systems, neither Myanmar’s kings nor the later British colonial administration could have maintained their dominance over the country’s diverse and fractious society. The collection of political and strategic intelligence was critical to their survival. After Myanmar regained its independence in 1948, a powerful military intelligence organization became key to the durability of the central government, including the junta created after the 2021 coup. Yet, intelligence has long been the “missing dimension” of Myanmar’s published history. To understand the internal dynamics and external relations of this deeply troubled country it needs to be paid much more attention. This study, by an Old Myanmar Hand and former intelligence analyst, draws on a wide range of sources to provide a comprehensive picture of the structure, operations and impact of Myanmar’s intelligence apparatus, from the nineteenth century to the present day. In doing so, it makes a unique contribution both to the field of intelligence studies and to our understanding of modern Myanmar.

Homicides committed by organized criminal groups (OCGs) are a high-risk form of criminal activity due to the potential for apprehension and subsequent law enforcement targeting. To facilitate homicides while reducing risk of police detection, OCGs use intelligence measures in homicide planning...

This edited volume develops a comparative theory of post-Cold War intelligence liaison between the U.S. intelligence community and its international

This chapter explores the origins, development, and prospects of the close and significant intelligence liaison between Britain and the United States, the most

Intelligence has traditionally been a core foundation of Israeli security doctrine, influencing strategic decision-making and threat perception, and serving as

This chapter analyses the contemporary trajectory of the Chinese intelligence services against the backdrop of intensifying Sino-American strategic competition.

This chapter examines the post-Soviet Russian intelligence system, with particular emphasis on its organizational structure, threat perceptions, intelligence

This chapter analyzes the organization and culture of Cuba’s intelligence agencies since the Revolution. The chapter finds that the Cuban intelligence

This chapter examines the structure, doctrine, and operational behavior of Iran’s intelligence community. It argues that intelligence agencies are central to

Podcast Episode · SpyCast · 8 September · 48min

This chapter explores the development and ambivalence of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT), with a focus on Latin America. OSINT is defined as a systematic method of collecting and analysing publicly available data to reconstruct events, particularly where information...

By Gavin Reddy. From the uncertainties of the interwar years to the nuclear anxieties of the Cold War, Britain's shifting international role profoundly shaped the values and interests of the British people.

The problem of intelligence in International Relations theory

The Asia-Pacific theater saw its own scenes of brutality during World War II. But many of us don't know about them. Jenny Chan co-founded Pacific Atrocities Education to raise awareness of these lesser-known horrors. This conversation focuses on the Imperial Japanese Army, which occupied parts of China between 1937 and 1945 as part of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Jenny uncovered new details that showed how intelligence-gathering and covert research enabled war crimes.