ABSTRACT
The first reaction to the idea of ethics for spies is often a big laugh or comments with “oxymoron” in them. Spies lie, cheat, steal, deceive, manipulate and sometimes do much worse in the course of their work, so this reaction is understandable. That masks a more important point. The world needs a professional code of ethics for spies and other “intelligence professionals.” So some are working hard to create one now.1 A former operator asked, why have intelligence agencies at all if you want to encumber them with rules? Because the nation is in danger, and our world is at war with “terrorists” who don’t obey any rules at all. To win, spies must be better than mere terrorists.
