ABSTRACT
This chapter examines to what extent civil society holds intelligence elites publicly accountable during a long period of journalism-as-usual, namely, a period where there are no whistleblowers on the issue in question. It discusses the torture-intelligence issue. The chapter focuses upon several areas from civil society with the aim of examining best-case scenarios for holding intelligence elites accountable, and thereby providing a tough test of intelligence elites' influence. Beyond demanding transparency, before declassification day the intelligence elite is silent on other strong Accountability Demands concerning political responses to intelligence controversies. The intelligence elite documents, and their manner of release, indicate three aspects of the intelligence elite's strategies of influence. For instance, nobody aired the strong Accountability Demand that, in future, controversial policy decisions should not be enacted without greater consensus from the intelligence community. The intelligence elite had variable success in influencing the press' Accountability Demands across 2014.
