The Master and the Disciple - Who is Who in the World of the Research Paper

The Master and the Disciple - Who is Who in the World of the Counterintelligence - Research Paper Example The two intelligence communities have been working in close cooperation with each other since the first timid steps of the FBI in counter-espionage, and are still working together, even closer than ever, due to a set of reasons their paths followed in many ways different directions, in the meaning of strategic goals, budgetary constraints with the ensuing structural features, staffing, and efficiency, with all the consequences that stemmed from it. And finally, the paper draws a conclusion that sharing common values and pursuing similar objectives, in particular after the decay of the British Empire, but what is more important, learning from each other’s failures and achievements, the US and the British concepts of intelligence and counterintelligence have quite logically and understandably converged. ‘Counterintelligence means information gathered and activities conducted to protect against espionage, other intelligence activities, sabotage, or assassinations conducted for or on behalf of foreign powers, organizations or persons, or international terrorist activities, but not including personnel, physical, document or communications security programs.’(Executive Order 12333 - United States intelligence activities, Part 3 General Provisions, art. 3.4 Definitions, retrieved on 14 April 2010 < http://www.cia.gov/about-cia/ eo12333.html>) Since the very dawn of the purposeful gathering of information about the plans, capabilities and intentions of foreign powers, it had become essential for a nation not only to keep the powers concerned unaware of that knowledge but also to preserve its own plans, capabilities, and intentions from being revealed. Besides the broad national interest, it’s the ever-growing necessity of effectively detecting and countering the possible threats and hostile activities, which makes any intelligence entity to produce a significant effort in order to safeguard its own operations.