The Art of Intelligence Quotes

“AQ could not defeat us, but we could undermine our own institutions and threaten our own liberties if we overreacted.”
― Henry A. Crumpton, The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service

“Although these actors and their views were part of the strategic landscape, our strategic planning still seldom factored them into the equation. Third, at an operational, even tactical level, the battlefield was now global. An enemy group could plot and plan on one side of the planet and execute on the other side in days, if not hours. In cyberspace, impact could be measured in seconds. If these emerging and converging factors were changing the nature of warfare, then what was the role of intelligence? How would we identify and discern these micro-actors with macro-impact bouncing around a global battlefield, burrowing into the human terrain and employing deception and denial tactics? Intelligence seemed to be getting harder even as it was becoming more important.”
― Henry A. Crumpton, The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service

“That’s a mark of superlative subordinates; they make their bosses better leaders.”
― Henry A. Crumpton, The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service

“By some unverified accounts, Aristotle said, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” So too with intelligence. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Literary agents Scott Moyers and Andrew Wylie convinced me to write this book.”
― Henry A. Crumpton, The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service

“As a nation, our collective ignorance of intelligence has undermined not only our intelligence capabilities, but ultimately the policy makers and citizens served.”
― Henry A. Crumpton, The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service