Intelligence: Truth or Care? Australian society's expectations of contemporary intelligence

Australian society is gaining a greater understanding of the field of intelligence. The mixed results achieved by our strategic intelligence capabilities over recent years have led to increasing public scepticism about their value. Disturbing revelations about the use and misuse of intelligence by governments, and illegal methods of intelligence collection such as torture, have contributed to this process. This paper investigates five of the most important questions about intelligence that have emerged over recent years: ' Why does society increasingly care about intelligence? ' Is intelligence merely the servant of decision-makers, or is it the search for the truth? ' What is the truth, and can it ever be fully revealed? ' Is intelligence the best means to discover the truth? ' Why must intelligence professionals care about these questions? The answers to these questions provide fundamental insights into Australian society's expectations of intelligence. These insights are useful pointers for intelligence professionals in the early years of the Twenty-First Century.