A diplomat close to intelligence issues, whom we asked a few months ago about the relationship between Emmanuel Macron and Bernard Emié, the boss of the DGSE, the French external services, had this enlightening reflection: “The president does not has had to manage no scandal linked to the DGSE for five years, which is almost unprecedented.” Under the Fifth Republic, the secret services were too often compromised in trickery, often on the orders of political power, but not only: Ben Barka affair, Rainbow Warrior affair, Jacques Chirac’s alleged hidden account affair…
Our interlocutor also forgot the recent affair of the DGSE hitmen, in fact two guards of a training camp, who supplemented their ends of the month by murdering on contract. The syndrome does not only affect foreign intelligence, the DST and General Intelligence, which have become the DGSI, also having their dark side, from the installation of microphones at the Canard enchaîné to the gossip of Yves Bertrand, boss of the RG, distilled at the press.
In recent years, we have not heard of dark operations, better camouflaged or, more surely, on the way to extinction. We would like to believe that it is the rise of terrorism that has definitively convinced the decision-makers to concentrate on the essential: the protection of the French. But several well-informed sources gave us another explanation: “Politicians no longer take risks, they are afraid of leaks.” Extreme caution which discourages turpitude – this is to be welcomed – but also risky, borderline missions, which some senior intelligence executives quietly regret, our rivals not hesitating to resort to it.
The challenges of our secret services are not lacking, from economic interference to computer hacking, without forgetting jihadism, Russian or Chinese espionage. Because they act for the sovereignty and security of France, our secret services deserve our respect, and we should be delighted that a series like Le Bureau des legends has reinforced their popularity with the public. But respect does not mean deference and the role of the press is to question the methods or the efficiency of our agents, despite the secrecy-defence, which has its virtues but prevents the debate from being held in broad daylight.
EPISODE 1 > DGSE-DGSI, in the secret of anti-terrorist operations
EPISODE 2 >How our secret services hinder Putin
EPISODE 3 > Africa, cyber-security… Intelligence flaws
