Frederick Forsyth, a
columnist with the British newspaper the Express, and the author of The
Outsider: My Life in Intrigue, as well as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File and other
classic thrillers, offers a column on why the U.K. and the U.S. must share
intelligence in the war on terrorism.
The passing over of this “intel” was on a
highly confidential basis. But someone across the pond foolishly leaked it to
the US media, which of course printed it.
This information included the
identity of the terrorist as well as pictures of the shrapnel, the detonator
and some labels retrieved from his clothing and backpack.
This provoked perfectly
understandable outrage over here. Since then some voices have suggested we
cease such sharing of information. That also is extremely foolish advice.
Most of us do not know, or
need to know, the full measure of the information-share that goes on between
our two countries but it is staggering in its volume and importance in keeping
us safe – or at any rate a lot safer than we would be without it. Other
countries salivate at the closeness of this relationship and with good cause.
They do indeed receive help
from the Anglo-American intel alliance but it is very edited. The reason? Total
disclosure has a price: total trust. That is what some idiot in Washington has
broken.
So why would we be crazy to
end co-operation?
You can read the rest of the
piece via the below link:
You can also read my Crime Beat column on Frederick Forsyth via the below link:
And you can read the Washington Times review of The Outsider by my friend Joseph Goulden via the below link:
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