While conspiracy theories flourish and blossom in every discussion of domestic and international politics in Pakistan, these theories are now backed with physical ‘evidence’ of would-be secret designs after the Raymond Davis saga and the covert action raid deep inside Pakistan on May 2 against public enemy number one.
These conflicted and unsubstantiated theories and evidence-lacking analysis rampant in the Pakistani media and talk shows is partly due to a limited understanding of why spy agencies exist and how they operate in various countries. An intelligence agency is a much-needed instrument of statecraft to gather secret information on adversaries, regardless of their existence as state or non-state actors such as terrorist organisations. In addition, the intelligence agency is also mandated by the state to conduct precise, focused and well-defined covert actions and operations, which sometimes take the form of a paramilitary raid, spreading propaganda, sabotage, influencing elections, public discourse and opinion.
In addition to gathering intelligence, an intelligence agency also performs a thorough analysis based on its intelligence assets, sources, and cooperation from other respective foreign and local state agencies. One has to keep in mind that raw intelligence — information extracted from assets and informants — is of little importance if not put into context and perspective through analysis. This is done by intelligence analysts within the intelligence agency who are departmentalised by regional expertise, i.e. country specialists. There are also those analysts who specialise in transnational criminal groups, terrorist groups, weapons and armaments experts and in other technical fields.
The other essential role of an intelligence agency is to conduct effective counterintelligence. Pakistani officials and the Pakistani people have to understand that regardless of whatever the Pakistani government says or desires, foreign intelligence services will continue to operate in Pakistan. And, likewise, Pakistan’s intelligence agencies operate and gather intelligence abroad. This is the job of an intelligence agency, i.e. to steal state secrets, to monitor domestic political situations, and assess future plans and developments to prepare future estimates. This helps policymakers shape strategies for the long run.
To counter the influence and safeguard the country from a foreign intelligence service, the home country needs to have an effective counterintelligence service. Foreign spies, better known as ‘agents’ in Pakistan, operate usually under the guise of their respective embassies and consulates in the home country. Other potential covers may include non-governmental organisations, foreign businesses, physical disguises, and better yet, they could look like you and me by recruiting employees of the home country heritage who could easily mix with the local population.
The best way to confront spies like Raymond Davis is to execute effective counterintelligence tradecraft, not to pull out knives and guns at them or create havoc in diplomatic relations if a foreign spy is caught. Nor should the host country think for a second that the foreign intelligence service would pull out and withdraw all its assets. It should also be noted that it is not only the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that runs intelligence operations and spy rings in Pakistan, but primarily every country with which Pakistan has diplomatic relations. Consequently, Pakistan cannot sever ties with the entire world. Hence, an effective counterintelligence service should be the frontline defence against foreign agencies. This service needs to master surveillance skills without detection from foreign spooks, study their daily lives, bug their homes and offices, and most notably, play them against themselves by providing them misleading information. Counterintelligence, just like intelligence gathering, is an art within itself that requires detailed knowledge of how foreign intelligence services conduct their business.
In essence, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Military Intelligence (MI) and other security and law enforcement agencies should coordinate intelligence sharing and also their counterintelligence tactics in order to protect state secrets, national security interests and, most importantly, constrain and limit the influence and activities of foreign intelligence services.
The writer is a student at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh. He can be reached at [email protected]