...all we need is philosophy
Intelligence & Interview is aimed to bring different international perspectives and experiences into the common debate of intelligence studies. It is not aimed to revolutionize a field, but it is based on the idea that we should start to recognize more the role of different perspectives from a national, cultural, and linguistic standpoint. Recently, an interview triggered a long discussion with a friend of mine on the utility of this conception.
The intelligence world has its grievances everywhere in the world. This is particularly true in the Western democracies precisely because… they are democracies. In theory, democracies are the land of human rights, transparency, and ultimately openness. After all, any other form of government is not so engaged with those values. However, the reality is always more complex, and history teaches us that even the most established and oldest democracies in the world, comparatively speaking, have their covert activities. But is this only history? Are covert actions simply dead, a “relic of the Cold War”? This is exactly the right introductory question for this insightful interview. After twenty interviews now, in which we covered less controversial topics (but are there any in the intelligence studies?), I thought to tackle one of the most fascinating, complicated, and complex topics of intelligence studies. It wasn’t possible to find a better person than Magda Long, Ph.D. candidate at King’s College – London, whose passion for intelligence and research is so completely transparent. Her in-depth knowledge and passion will be apparent to all our readers once they go through the interview. And I’m always glad to bring different opinions on my research topics and ideas. Indeed, I argued elsewhere that covert actions are not part of intelligence in theory; but they are for historical reasons. And it is cool to put it after the interview on intelligence ethics! Ok, I hope I persuaded you that if you are interested in covert actions, especially in the current geopolitical competition, this is definitely the interview you were searching for. Then, it is with my distinct pleasure to publish the interview on Scuola Filosofica – for those who don’t know it yet; it is one of the leading cultural blogs in Italy. In the name of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Giangiuseppe Pili, Magda: thank you!
I’m tremendously excited to publish this wonderful interview with Kira Vrist Rønn, senior lecturer at University College Copenhagen. Professor Vrist Rønn published extensively about the philosophy of intelligence. Specifically, she worked on the epistemology of intelligence and intelligence ethics. These two topics are indeed the core of “Intelligence & Interview N.20”. Though practically oriented, the intelligence studies include an important and – I would add – fundamental theoretical component. Intelligence theory is indeed crucial to understand the practical aspects of the intelligence profession. Is objectivity possible in intelligence analysis? What is intelligence? Is intelligence ethics possible, or is it an unbearable oxymoron? Is intelligence an art or a science? To reply to all these questions, we need to bring philosophical concepts to clarify what intelligence is. Professor Vrist Rønn was a pioneer in this research, and she authored and edited several works (see below). Given my long-lasting research interest in both epistemology and ethics of intelligence, I can only be thrilled by publishing this thought-provoking interview. Recently, Intelligence & Interview N.19 already touched on the epistemology of intelligence. But that was a starter, also considering the different main topics of that issue. This interview goes deeper on the epistemology and ethics of intelligence. Then, it is with my distinct pleasure to publish the interview on Scuola Filosofica – for those who don’t know it yet, it is one of the leading cultural blogs in Italy. In the name of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Giangiuseppe Pili, Kira: thank you!
As we expand the number of Intelligence & Interview series quickly, we are working hard to bring as many different national experiences as possible. As I had personally stated several ways, Int & Int aims to boost a common and enlarged dialogue beyond the usual boundaries, bringing as many perspectives as possible. Considering how close France is to Italy geographically, culturally, and historically (for instance, my mother’s little town still remember the French revolution vividly – not a joke at all), it was my duty to bring the crucial French intelligence perspective. It was then natural to me to approach professor Franck Bulinge, an ex-practitioner, expert in intelligence analysis and disciplines, with a strong, solid grasp on France’s intelligence history and present. In addition, I was delighted to discover his publication in Italian (see below), edited by a common colleague, Giuseppe Gagliano & Cestudec – one of my first supporters in my research and who wrote two precious introductions to two books of mine. Finally, Professor Bulinge is also deeply involved in developing an epistemology of intelligence, recalling the lesson of Isaac Ben-Israel’s research (The Philosophy and Methodology of Intelligence) that deeply shaped the philosophical understanding of intelligence. Then, it is with my distinct pleasure to publish the interview on Scuola Filosofica – for those who don’t know it yet, is one of the leading cultural blogs in Italy. In the name of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Giangiuseppe Pili, Franck: thank you!
1. Professor Franck Bulinge, let’s start from the basics. How would you like to present yourself to the International readers and Philosophical School (Scuola Filosofica)?
I am a researcher at the Mediterranean Institute of Information and Communication, specialized in information literacy. At the University of Toulon, I teach informational self-defense as well as intelligence analysis, critical thinking, management of crisis information, and last but not least, script writing for web series. I am a glider pilot, I love trekking and I live far from cities in the heart of Provence.
The first time I met Professor Mario Caligiuri was during my PhD. I was in the middle of it, and I had recently published my monograph on the philosophy of war. Everything started with that. I sent the book to Professor Caligiuri, and then a long conversation on intelligence and war started. Then, I met him several times, even in the outstanding Master of Intelligence – University of Calabria, where I was honored to present my research two times as an invited lecturer. In 2018, I started to be part of Intelligence Lab. To make a long story short, we co-authored a book, Intelligence Studies, where we try to compare the Italian intelligence experience and the Anglo-Saxon intelligence from a theoretical and practical perspective. We are currently working together to bring Italian intelligence to the attention of international journals of Intelligence Studies. Meanwhile, Professor Caligiuri and Dr Luigi Rucco, who also co-authored a book Quantum Intelligence, worked relentlessly to elaborate a sound strategy to boost Italy’s intelligence culture, which is Professor Caligiuri’s long-lasting mission even before he was appointed director of the Master of Intelligence. Then, Professor Caligiuri, along with Professor Domenico Talia and Professor Alberto Ventura, founded the Italian Intelligence Society (or, as I call it, Italian Society of Intelligence). Though still very young, this an already vibrant national reality scientifically and culturally. Given the current Italian landscape, this is more than simple good news. This is a light of hope. Then, they invited me to be part of the Editorial Board. I was honored to accept and then I started to work on the project “Intelligence & Interview”, which should be republished by the Society when it reached a sufficient number of publications. The Italian version will be in English for international readers, and the English interviews will be republished in Italian. This is the project. In this way, I&I will be able to bring international scholars within Italian intelligence studies and vice versa. As recently stated in a podcast, we must work united to bring the national experiences to the scientific community. For this reason, I waited to consolidate the already substantial audience of I&I to interview Professor Caligiuri and Dr Rucco. Then, it is with my distinct pleasure to publish the interview on Scuola Filosofica – for those who don’t know it yet, is one of the leading cultural blogs in Italy. In the name of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Giangiuseppe Pili, Mario and Luigi: thank you!
Questa è la traduzione dell’intervista “Intelligence & Interview #10“, quando ancora non aveva il titolo ufficiale della serie! Sembrano passati pochi mesi, ma la serie ha avuto un clamoroso successo e ha proseguito la sua storia con ricercatori e professionisti nazionali e internazionali. Philani Dhlamini è un esperto di intelligence, specialmente nel ramo OSINT e Social Media. Tuttavia, egli è anche un ricercatore e una delle sue missioni è quella di portare gli studi sull’intelligence in Africa all’attenzione della comunità internazionale degli studi sull’intelligence. In tal senso, egli mi ha invitato a presentare la mia opinione sulla necessità di allargare il dibattito a livello internazionale sia sull’Africa sia oltre. In questa circostanza (qui il podcast) ho avuto modo di specificare i motivi per cui gli intelligence studies sono ancora così influenzati dal pensiero anglo-americano, circostanza comprensibile ma da superare. Ho parlato lentamente e sembra quasi balbettante. Ma la causa era la difficoltà del tema, che andava ponderato con molta attenzione. Proseguire verso una maggiore integrazione significa lavorare in un contesto internazionale in cui le singole comunità di studi sull’intelligence nazionali portano il loro caso all’attenzione della comunità scientifica. Mi pare di poter dire che questo obiettivo sia ancora molto lontano, come il caso europeo – e italiano – dimostrano. Infatti, le pubblicazioni disponibili in lingua inglese sulle singole esperienze nazionali europee – e il nostro caso non è affatto un’eccezione in tal senso – sono assai poche e comunque principalmente francesi o tedesche (dove gli UK fanno già parte integrante e costitutiva degli intelligence studies come si può intendere dal recente libro scritto insieme al professor Mario Caligiuri – Intelligence Studies in cui tracciamo proprio il paragone tra il caso italiano e quello internazionale). Per tale ragione, una delle prime dieci interviste è stata proprio con il dott. Dhlamini, per iniziare a congiungere i diversi fili dispersi della storia e cultura dell’intelligence. Senza ulteriori indugi, pur consigliando la versione originale scritta in un inglese denso e ricco, vi lasciamo alla scoperta dell’intelligence nella storia e cultura africana.
“Intelligence & Interview” #17 is honored to present you a wonderful interview with an exceptional guest, Dr. William Spracher, Professor of Strategic Intelligence and Director of the Writing Center at the National Intelligence University! The first time I saw Professor Spracher, he didn’t know it. It was my first time at the International Studies Association convention in Baltimore, 2017. It looks like an age ago, and it was my first engagement with the Intelligence Studies Section (ISS). I was intimidated, and I used to listen carefully, silently. Since then, I had the pleasure of participating in ISA regularly, and Professor Spracher was always there. However, the first time we spoke was due to a wonderful opportunity Professor Spracher was advertising: a student volume to be edited by the American Intelligence Journal. I kindly asked him if it was a sound idea to advertise it a bit. And I did it. Moreover, I had the pleasure to meet Professor Spracher again at the International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE) conference (2019) in New York. It was one of the best conferences I ever attended. I confess that I really enjoyed it. In addition, it was my first time in NY, and it was an overwhelming experience. Professor Spracher was present to my panel, where I presented one of my well-known (maybe not) “crazy” research. It was a comparison between chess and intelligence. Then, I submitted it to the American Intelligence Journal, whose editor in chief is Professor Spracher himself. It is my fifth article in an international journal, “Is a Chess Player and Intelligence Analyst?” (American Intelligence Journal, 36: (2), 74-85). Professor Spracher is a very dedicated and inspiring person whose experience in the field of intelligence education, intelligence tradecraft, and so much more is well-known. Then, it is with my distinct pleasure to publish the interview on Scuola Filosofica – for those who don’t know it yet, is one of the leading cultural blogs in Italy. In the name of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Giangiuseppe Pili, William: thank you!
Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is not new anymore. After all, even in Italy, the first Robert Steele’s work translated is almost twenty-year. A great historian such as Christopher Bayly stated that fifty-years is a good parameter to judge the long-term when human history is concerned. Then, OSINT is already old. Sure, the smart reader would say, OSINT is with us since intelligence started. After all, as Giovanni Nacci states in this interview, information is naturally born open, the great majority of the time. Yes, but even considering the OSINT revolution due to the World Wide Web & the ICTs, OSINT is already something mature. It is an intelligence discipline that is taking new ways from the old ones, testifying the livelihood of its evolution through time, as Efren Torres stated in Intelligence & Interview #8. In addition, today, OSINT seems to be the solution for everything, though it looks difficult to be believed looking to the world around us and its ineffable uncertainty and resistance over human capacity to control it. So, today we have an Italian OSINT expert whose passion for the discipline is apparent by all his activities. He is the founder of Intelli|Sfèra, a project entirely devolved to OSINT theory and techniques. This is a fascinating Italian window to an old/new intelligence discipline. Then, it is with my distinct pleasure to publish the interview on Scuola Filosofica – for those who don’t know it yet, is one of the leading cultural blogs in Italy. In the name of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Dr Giangiuseppe Pili, Giovanni: thank you!
1. How would you like to present yourself to the Italian readers and Philosophical School (Scuola Filosofica)?
I usually introduce myself as a former Italian Navy Officer and enthusiast professional and advisor (since 1998) in theories, methods, and systems for the strategic treatment of information and specialist in Open Source Intelligence applications. I’m a public administration official with about five “lustrum” of administrative proceedings, data protection, Information, and Communication Technology applications. Furthermore, I’m author and co-author of papers, articles, and books about OSINT and creator of the proposal for a “General Theory” for Open Source Intelligence (a summary is available here) and founder of Intelli|sfèra, a cultural project whose aim is the interdisciplinary innovation in the Open Source Intelligence.
Questa è la traduzione dell’originale Intelligence & Interview #11, scritta dalla professoressa Candyce Kelshall sulla Canadian Association for Secrutiy and Intelligence di cui è la presidente. Siamo lieti di pubblicare oggi la traduzione italiana a cura del dott. Giacomo F. Carrus del Team di Scuola Filosofica e coordinatore regionale della Società Italiana di Intelligence (SOCINT). L’intento di Intelligence & Interviews è quello di esplorare temi fondamentali sulla sicurezza, intelligence, tecnologia e filosofia. Essa ha la duplice valenza di portare esperti nazionali all’attenzione internazionale o, viceversa, di dialogare direttamente con professionisti e ricercatori d’eccellenza in campo internazionale. Il progetto si estenderà con la pubblicazione delle interviste in italiano e in inglese in due volumi distinti così da non perdere questa eccezionale esperienza di dialogo internazionale, multilinguistico e disciplinare. Intelligence & Interview è un progetto di ampio respiro sostenuto dall’associazione culturale Azione Filosofica e Scuola Filosofica, con il supporto della Società Italiana di Intelligence e Intelligence Lab. Ideata e realizzata dal Dr Giangiuseppe Pili insieme al Team di Scuola Filosofica. Con questo vi auguriamo una buona lettura!
1. Professoressa Candyce Kelshall, partiamo dalle basi. Come vorrebbe presentarsi ai lettori italiani e a Scuola Filosofica?
Sono istruttrice professionale e accademica nel campo della polizia, delle forze dell’ordine, dell’esercito, dei servizi segreti e del commercio in oltre 17 paesi. Ho insegnato e preparato programmi accademici negli ultimi 14 anni presso l’Università di Buckingham UK, l’Università del Sussex UK, la Rabdan Academy UAE, la Simon Fraser University Canada e il British Columbia Institute of Technology.
Professor Maria Gabriella Pasqualini is not only one of the best (if not THE best) Italian intelligence historian. She is also a passionate photographer (the pictures you see are hers). And she is a wonderful person. Her passion for her research can only be known to those who had the pleasure of talking to her. Since I started working on “Intelligence & Interview”, now arrived at its 15th issue, I had the pleasure to meet extraordinary persons. All of them are enthusiastic, deep thinkers, and valuable experts in their fields. However, Professor Pasqualini is really a perfect expression of what lead me to embark on this project in the first place. My curiosity toward topics I love brought me the opportunity to discuss what I work at a new level of understanding. This interview is on Italian intelligence history. Bringing the Italian perspective to the international community is a goal I’m pursuing since I started working with professor Caligiuri and Fabrizio Minniti. That’s why Fabrizio and I published a paper in the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence on the Italian reform’s aftermath. Professor Pasqualini is definitely an authority impossible to be matched in her field. Her knowledge comes from years of experience and research directly into the archives. We worked together to be sure that this interview is sufficiently able to give the international readers the flavor of Italian history. So, I’m excited to publish this interview after so many personal exchanges with professor Pasqualini. She really enriched me. I hope you all will be. She published so much in Italian, and beyond that, I can only recommend her work. It is really worthy. Then, it is with my distinct pleasure to publish the interview on Scuola Filosofica – for those who don’t know it yet, is one of the leading cultural blogs in Italy. In the name of Scuola Filosofica Team, our readers, and myself, Dr Giangiuseppe Pili, Maria Gabriella: thank you!
