I think all governments engage in intelligence gathering vis-a-vis other governments.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
For some, the very act of intelligence gathering seems illegitimate when applied to the crime of terrorism.
The United States, like any great power, is always going to have an intelligence operation, and some electronic surveillance is obligatory in the modern world.
In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office.
I certainly believe that improving our intelligence is of important national interest.
Intelligence services exist to do things that are illegal abroad. They exist to tell lies.
Well, it's a - I don't want to disappoint you, but it's a time worn tradition of Australian Governments over many years not to get into any discussion about that aspect of intelligence matters.
You have multiple intelligence agencies. They all ultimately report to the director of national intelligence but, you know, it never comes in neat packages. So you have to make judgments on what you have, and it's not easy to do.
I tend to be naive and gullible, I guess, but I try to believe that governments believe what they say.
In the aftermath of September 11, and as the 9/11 Commission report so aptly demonstrates, it is clear that our intelligence system is not working the way that it should.
You want to keep intelligence separate from policy.