| Summary/Abstract |
The current debate on intelligence ethics is internally inconsistent and suffers from at least three problematic issues. First, there is no academic consensus regarding the definition of intelligence—for instance, on whether covert operations should be included in the description of intelligence, which is relevant for discussing intelligence ethics.1 We will not immerse ourselves in the definition of intelligence, but simply include covert operations in intelligence ethics to cover as many aspects as possible. Second, it is common to view intelligence ethics as an oxymoron.2 Viewing a term as an oxymoron means viewing the term as consisting of two contradictory parts like found missing or misunderstood. If one considers intelligence ethics to be an oxymoron, then discussing whether and how intelligence activities can or should be ethical is irrelevant. The proponents of this view often claim that ethical considerations hamper the conduct of, for example, National Security Intelligence (NSI). The reason for this is the belief that ethical considerations would make intelligence agencies less effective, or even prohibit proper and essential NSI operations, covert or not.
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