Intelligence Studies and Special Operations

Intelligence services receive much public attention with so-called “special operations, such as targeted killings, disinformation and deception operations or cyber-attacks. “Covert action”, “special operations” or “active measures” are common terms for these tasks. Despite public focus on these “active” operations, most intelligence work is comprised of “passive” information gathering.
This class offers an introduction to the study of secret intelligence and intelligence services and of special intelligence operations. We will start out by looking at the basics of intelligence studies before scrutinizing various forms and examples of special intelligence operations. The aim of this class is to provide students with a basic knowledge of intelligence research, an overview of different types of “special operations” and analytic tools to assess them. The class will be held mostly digitally, regular attendance and an oral presentation or written essay are required.