Intelligence and contemporary conflict: communication in diplomacy, statecraft and war

The global stage is increasingly influenced by the pivotal role of secret intelligence and secret services, especially given the growing complexities of international conflicts.

In an increasingly dangerous world, the role of intelligence services has never been more crucial. Sweden and the world face ever more alarming conflicts. Covert activities, whether in the form of subversion, disinformation or covert operations, are vital in the international game of power. It has never been more vital to understand the value of the role that intelligence services play in the fields of diplomacy, statesmanship and war. This highly topical collection of essays brings together intelligence scholars and officials from the US, Britain, Canada and Sweden in order to assess how information, both classified and public, has impacted conflicts from the analogue past to the digital present. It offers a discussion on how intelligence services today are carried out to support or undermine international security and tries to determine what is good practice for political leaders and decision- makers when they apply the lessons of history to understand the world today.