View Poll Results: Are there ethical responsibilities for Americans gathering intel versus the enemy?

Voters
15. You may not vote on this poll
  • All people should be treated fairly despite the situation

    12 80.00%
  • Only enemy combatants should be placed under torture

    1 6.67%
  • Any individual with useful information should be placed under torture

    1 6.67%
  • No opinion either way

    1 6.67%
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Thread: Ethics in Intelligence

  1. #21
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    As a member of the so-called intelligence community, I reject the poll and especially Mr. Holme's view. Strangely, I'm reminded of this intelligence joke from Pat Lang's site:

    The Olympic Committee decided to hold a special series of games to know which was the world's best intelligence service.

    A lot of countries sent teams, often from both their military and "civilian" services. Each team was composed of a captain and two sergeants. They all assembled on the island of Cyprus (no idea why). There were various events and they eventually came to the ultimate and most heavily weighted event which was to be a kind of treasure hunt. They all went up into the mountains in the western part of the island where there are a series of parallel ridges covered in pines and separated by deep terrain compartments. They assembled in front of a woodline. In front of the teams there were several UN referees in white coveralls with blue helmets and a stack of cages in each of which there was a white rabbit. The head UN boffin held up a rabbit and said that it would be released into the woods behind him and that after 15 minutes the first team chosen at random would go in after it. The team that came back with a live rabbit in the shortest time would win the event.

    The rabbit went in. 15 minutes passed and the KGB team went in after it. They could be heard thrashing about and eventually emerged with the rabbit in 35 minutes. The next team was the French DGSE. They came back with the rabbit in 10 minutes. (The rabbit looked strangely content). Next was the turn of the Mossad. They were back in in 13 minutes loudly proclaiming that they were "the best." The CIA never found the rabbit. Finally it was the turn of the Syrian Mukhabarat (the secret police). A half hour passed, 45 minutes, then an hour. The UN people went in to find them. They went down one steep slope into the valley bottom, then up another rugged incline to the top of the ridge. From the height, they could see the three Syrians who were at the bottom standing in a sandy road. They had captured a large animal. The UN men crept down, hiding the while in the bushes until they were close enough to see and hear.

    The Syrians had found a Nazarene donkey. (The kind with a cross marked in the fur of its back). One of the sergeants had a grip on the head while the other sergeant beat the beast's hindquarters with a stick.

    The captain was whispering to it, "Confess, confess, we KNOW you are a rabbit..." ("I'tarif, I'tarif, na'ref annak arnab.")
    I think Mr. Holmes ideas would have the effect of turning us into the Mukhabarat. No thanks.
    Supporting "time-limited, scope limited military actions" for 20 years.

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Entropy View Post
    Strangely, I'm reminded of this intelligence joke from Pat Lang's site:
    Having first heard it in Damascus, I always use that one in my Syrian politics lectures
    They mostly come at night. Mostly.


  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rex Brynen View Post
    Having first heard it in Damascus, I always use that one in my Syrian politics lectures
    I think he heard it in Damascus too, actually!
    Supporting "time-limited, scope limited military actions" for 20 years.

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