4 replies to this topic

[DR76]

I noticed that the roles of intelligence analysts always seemed to be a target of Bond's contempt in this film. Because of M's past as an intelligence, this contempt kept popping up over and over again.

Then something else occurred to me. This contempt toward intelligence analysts is obvious in many other spy movies and television series - with the exception of the Jack Ryan movies and another Tom Clancy story called "OP CENTER". Yet, in those Clancy tales, field agents are not put down.

[Eric Stromberg]

This is an interesting topic to me. The field operatives and officers have always used the prestige of being on the tip of the spear as an opportunity to stick it to the analysts who don't endure the day to day risks of field work. In the CIA they are referred to as the "girls back at Langley." In the military there are many ways to put it, one being "those in the rear with the gear." I think in any organization where operations are where the rubber meets the road, and analysts support those efforts, this will be a reality. But I will say that I have seen primadonna operational types who through their arrogance didn't see the technological or other development coming that made them eventual dinosaurs. (Military pilots, anyone?)

Clancy has often said that if he had been in the military or a three letter agency, he himself would have been an analyst or planner type versus operational. I think he identifies with that type of individual and maybe it influenced him to create a reluctant hero like Jack Ryan. Pretty smart writing if you ask me.

[Messervy]

Well, Bond always hated "paperwork" and HQ assignements. He's meant for action in the field.

So, yes, in a way, analysts are portrayed in those films as the "dark side" of espionnage, the noble part being the operatives. That's also because it's more fun and glamourous and action-packed to shoot a movie about someone running along and facing danger instead of someone sitting in front of a computer writting drafts...

Funny, when you think of it, since in the real world of Intelligence, analysts are considered "seigneurs" whereas operatives are, at best, seen as retrievers.

[Messervy]

Well, unless I misunderstand what you said, I think it's quite the opposite in fact: in Goldeneye, analysts are clearly bashed by Bond when he talks with M about the possibility of a Goldeneye satellite and the need to chase the Tiger Helicopter.

[Syndicate]

Don't forget an intelligence analyst's work can be seen by a policy makers(like the president, president's national security advisor, the director of national intelligence, senate intelligence, houe intelligence and so on) if his or her boss(like the CIA's Deputy Director Of Intelligence, also the boos's colleague of the same level, the CIA Depurty Director of National Clandestine Service) and boos's boss(like the CIA Director and CIA Deputy Director) so decide in their meetings together. IF it more then just a reuglar daily intelligence briefing and is it very important that it must be shown to policy makers. This is where the judgment and decison comes from for the policy makers.

In the super spy world one can get away with anything like saying stuff about intelligence anaylst. They don't have to be right about it and so on. Since it NOT even close to the real world type spy stuff. Super spies have always been action, guns, bombs and super spy cars. Don't forget Tom Clancy's John Clark, who is an operation officer in Special Activities Dividon, but have also done regular operation work (has nothing to do with SAD). He respect them for the work analyst do, and that goes the same for Domingo Chavez.

Don't forget former Secretary Of Defense and former CIA Director Robert M. Gates started out his career in the CIA as an analyst. After one day of training as regular CIA Operation Officer (that not even Operation Officers in Special Activities Dividon (SAD),) doing a early morning dead drop or dead drop pick up. He went and talked to people at the CIA to switch over to work in the Directorate of Intelligence as an analyst. Gates have also been part of the president's national security advisor's team before in the early 80s and then back to CIA. It all in his book From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War.

The CIA have said they do not disclose how many analyst they have, that is classified.

Edited by Syndicate, 30 September 2012 - 05:15 PM.