ABSTRACT
Intelligence is the business of collecting information, analysing it and providing assessments to government for policy-making in relation to national security. Most studies of intelligence focus on topics such as operations, changing technology, and the kind of threats agencies must deal with. Few discuss ethical aspects in any depth (Jones: 1989). 1 But intelligence by its nature pushes the bounds of legality and propriety, and perhaps routinely oversteps them. This chapter looks at ethical issues surrounding the gathering of information. The moral dilemmas faced by those who analyse information and advise governments deserve separate treatment (Pillar 2006).
