Need To Know

Beskrivelse

Need to Know explores the world of intelligence services and their role in shaping informed decisions. This book sheds light on the evolution of Intelligence Studies, especially in Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Discover how access to intelligence archives transformed public understanding and academic research across Europe.

Intelligence services aim to help decision makers make well-informed choices, and Intelligence Studies strives to help the public grasp the intelligence process. For many years, scholars faced restrictions on accessing sources and citing materials, while European intelligence agencies tightly controlled public information on security matters.

Everything shifted after 1989 when the Iron Curtain fell, and citizens in Central and Eastern Europe gained access to the archives of former intelligence and security services. Western European countries gradually followed, sparking a new era for Intelligence Studies across the continent.

Established in 2011, the annual 'Need to Know' conferences created a European platform dedicated to discussing foreign intelligence. Many contributors, particularly from Central and Eastern Europe, have significantly advanced the field through their research.

This publication is the first from the conference series, offering readers a fascinating glimpse into diverse topics such as the Abu Nidal Organization in Poland, the Canadian embassy in Havana, Danish historiography, and the activities of Czechoslovak agents in London.

Both this volume and the 'Need to Know' conferences aim to deepen understanding of intelligence and foster collaboration among international Intelligence Studies scholars, marking an exciting beginning for future exploration.

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