RESEARCH PROPOSAL INTL 501 AMU. Creative Writing Research Proposal (Research Proposal Sample)
Ethics in Post 9/11 HUMINT Collection.
With the advancement of modern collection techniques post 9/11, interviews and interrogations are major elements of intelligence gathering. Espionage can take many different forms and characteristics, but passing information between two individuals continues to endure. Lying, deception, and manipulation are tools used by spies, or human intelligence (HUMINT) collectors, for the purpose of obtaining information that can be processed and analyzed to the point that it can serve as valuable intelligence for intelligence customers. Does the current human intelligence collection technique follow moral/ethical values? With the use of open-source data and the method of Consequentialism Theory, the proposed hypothesis will hopefully assist in improving HUMINT interrogations that seek to produce critical intelligence information.
Research Proposal INTL 501
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Introduction
Espionage is as old as humanity. Specifically, human spying has been a norm since time immemorial because of the perpetual human conflict and it remains one of the oldest professions in history. Due to technological advancement, spying has assumed multiple forms alongside characteristics, however, the exchange of information between individuals continues to persist. Lying, deception, and manipulation are all weapons used by the HUMINT collectors to obtain valuable information that can be processed and analyzed as useful information. Often, this piece of valuable information is used by a select group at the highest offices in government to facilitate decision-making by shaping foreign policies and national security goals. Some of the radical reforms witnessed in HUMINT stemmed from the 9/11 attack that was a wake-up call on America’s intelligence body on how they handled intelligence. Yet pertinent questions remain unanswered. What compels a country to ask its special citizens to lie, manipulate, and deceive foreign nationals into spying against their respective countries for the sake of foreign policy and national security? And what concerns does this act raise with regard to their sense of self? Is it justifiable for a citizen to spy for another country? This research paper will highlight the fundamentals of ethics of espionage using Consequentialism Theory as it pertains to the human dimension.[Steven A., Stottlemyre "HUMINT, OSINT, or something new? Defining crowdsourced intelligence." International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence 28, no. 3 (2015): 579] [Reece, Doty. "How Can Human Intelligence Collection Be Morally Justified?" Ph.D. diss., University of Kansas, 2018]
Problem statement
The heightened threat of terrorism, including terrorist kidnappings, is a threat to America's and world peace. As such, governments have channeled significant resources, part of which are directed to human intelligence. How, when, and who provides this valuable information remains controversial because it involves deception, lies, manipulation, and sometimes threats. Are the unethical human intelligence operations at the expense of dignity the price to pay for global peace?
