Course introduction

Games Without Frontiers

Dear Students,

Games Without Frontiers is an advanced course in Political Science designed for M.A. students specializing in defense and security studies. The course introduces fundamental political, operational, and terminological concepts that influence the intelligence cycle of external-national intelligence organizations operating within democratic systems.

In addition to the study of classical intelligence doctrines, the course will also address contemporary aspects of Cybersecurity and Cyber Intelligence. Each academic year, the course focuses on one major external intelligence agency as a case study. In the current semester, the course will examine selected operational, structural, and supervisory aspects of the Israeli external intelligence service, known as Mossad, with particular attention to evolving control mechanisms exercised by the Israeli government, especially within the context of the post-HUMINT (post-Human Intelligence) era.

1. Basic Concepts of National Intelligence Organizations

·         Differentiating between foreign and internal intelligence services.

·         Analyzing classical and contemporary technological paradigms relevant to intelligence operations.

·         Human intelligence in the cyber era: transformations, challenges, and continuities.

·         Information versus disinformation: operational perspectives.

·         "A View to a Kill": distinctions between fictional representations of intelligence operations and empirical realities.

·         The operational environment of external intelligence services in democratic regimes.

2. Intelligence Services in Democracies, New Democracies, and Autocracies

·         Examination of the legal frameworks governing the operation of foreign intelligence services.

·         The chain of command: Theoretical and practical considerations regarding the subordination of intelligence agencies to political decision-makers.

·         Comparative analysis of models delineating the relationships between political echelons and intelligence services: theoretical approaches versus practical implementation.

3. Political Oversight of Intelligence Services

·         Critical assessment of existing political oversight models: capabilities, limitations, and adaptability to contemporary threats.

·         Cyberspace as both an obstacle and an opportunity for the oversight and accountability of intelligence activities.

·         Emerging models of civic control over foreign intelligence services.

·         The role and function of the intelligence report within the intelligence cycle: between personal interpretation and political ambiguity.

4. Cyber Intelligence

·         Defining cybersecurity and introducing relevant terminologies: "Darknet," "social engineering," and "hacking."

·         Overview of core concepts in Cyber Warfare: military utilization, deterrence strategies, countermeasures, and offensive operations.

·         Critical review of major methodologies guiding contemporary cyber intelligence organizations.

·         Exploration of political and ethical dilemmas inherent in cyber intelligence activities.

·         Structuring frameworks for civic control and supervision over cyber and traditional intelligence services.

·         Investigating the patterns of interaction between political decision-makers and intelligence professionals, aiming to conceptualize future models of cooperation.

5. Who Is Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

·         A concise historiographical analysis of the Israeli Mossad: myth construction versus factual accounts.

·         Examination of institutional mechanisms utilized by the Israeli government and the Knesset to oversee Mossad activities.

·         Evaluating the effectiveness and limitations of oversight mechanisms within the broader framework of democratic accountability.

We will engage critically with theoretical literature, empirical case studies, and methodological debates throughout the semester, aiming to enhance both conceptual understanding and analytical capabilities regarding intelligence organizations and their governance in democratic systems.