‘Don’t tailor inputs to suit Govt’

Former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra today called for greater coordination among intelligence agencies and underlined the importa...

Former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra today called for greater coordination among intelligence agencies and underlined the importance for them to guard against the tendencies of tailoring intelligence inputs to suit the needs of the Government.

This tendency to organise intelligence inputs in a manner that it facilitates a government to undertake a pre-determined action, said Mishra, is ‘‘disastrous’’ and could lead to consequences that would be far more grave than intelligence failures.

Speaking at the inauguration of a workshop, Recent Intelligence failures in the US, UK and Russia: Lessons for India, organised by the Observer Research Foundation, Mishra stressed on balance between technical intelligence and human intelligence for a proper assessment.

Story continues below this ad

The former principal secretary highlighted the manner in which intelligence inputs were tailored in the US and UK to facilitate military action against Iraq. This, in reality, ended in ‘‘catastrophic results’’ in Iraq which harmed both the governments concerned.

Mishra emphasised the need for coordination among intelligence agencies which can be done through organised sharing of information for better assessment. Citing the 9/11 Commission Report, he said, the lack of coordination was a problem not only in India but also in countries like the US. If the FBI had shared certain information with the CIA, the 9/11 disaster may have been averted.

He hoped that the UPA Government at the Centre will look into this aspect of intelligence sharing during the on going review of agencies’ functioning.

Noted security analyst and security expert K. Subrahmanyam, while speaking in one of the sessions, talked of the need for strengthening the joint intelligence council.

PM Modi addresses the nation ahead of the rollout of new GST rates.

PM Modi says ‘GST savings festival’ begins soon: how household budgets are set for boost

Explained2 min ago

Ahead of the rollout of GST 2.0 effective from September 22, companies have announced lower prices for over 375 common-use goods. The government has urged corporates to pass on the benefits to consumers, resulting in cheaper prices for FMCG products, milk, butter, cheese, pickles, jams, and ice creams. Other items like shampoo, soap, cement, durable goods, and cars may also see a reduction.

View all shorts

Live Blog