Secrets and Mysteries

Will the reorganisation of the Home Office mean that Whitehall now has the right structures to spearhead the fight against terrorism?

BBC Radio 4's Analysis: Secrets and Mysteries, was broadcast on Thursday, 19 April, 2007 at 20:30 BST.

Read the programme transcript

The British intelligence community is renowned for its reticence.

Those who have worked in its shadows rarely approach the microphone, especially if the subject is the current threats faced by the country.

In this week's edition of Analysis, Sir David Omand, the Government's former overall Co-ordinator of Security and Intelligence, speaks for the first time in a broadcast interview about the strategy designed to counter the threat of radical Islamist terrorism.

He discusses its components with Peter Hennessy and explains how it differs from both the Cold War dangers the nation confronted and the experience of terrorism it faced for three decades in relation to Northern Ireland.

In the interview, Sir David also discusses how long the threat is likely to last and, drawing on his experience as the top official at the Home Office for more than three years at the end of the 1990s, how well organized to meet it the structure of government is.

He goes on to consider the lessons of the Iraq intelligence dossiers and considers what action the next prime minister should take to further the aims of the counter-terrorism strategy.

The programme also features contributions from three experts in the field of intelligence, government and the public interest.

Barrister and former Home Office civil servant, Shami Chakrabarti, is now director of the human rights organization, Liberty.

She considers the balance to be struck between the secret activities that the intelligence services have to conduct and the ethical framework in which they take place.

Also taking part are two former heads of the Ministry of Defence-Sir Michael Quinlan and Sir Kevin Tebbit.

They set out differing approaches to the question of an ethical code for the intelligence services.

Sir Michael further suggests ideas aimed, post-Iraq, at ensuring that ministers-upon whose shoulders heavy responsibilities rest based on the fruits of intelligence work-are fully conversant with the intelligence system and what it can and cannot do.

While Sir Kevin, based on his recent review of the Danish intelligence services, proposes two steps for their British counterparts to consider emulating to achieve greater transparency and better public understanding of the services' work.

Presenter: Peter Hennessy
Producer: Simon Coates
Editor: Nicola Meyrick