Dearlove claims MI6 has the broadest international remit and unmatched experience among European intelligence services.
“The United Kingdom in MI6 has, let's say, the agency with the broadest international remit with representation in many countries and with a depth and length of experience which is unmatched by any other European service.”
Dearlove notes MI6 was founded in 1909, giving it unique historical depth among European services.
“bearing in mind MI6 is a historical creation that goes back to 1909 and there is no other European service that has a history with that depth.”
Dearlove notes MI6's founding in 1909 gives it unmatched historical depth among European services.
“MI6 is a historical creation that goes back to 1909 and there is no other European service that has a history with that depth.”
Dearlove says there has been a shocking purge of senior CIA officers based on loyalty to MAGA republicanism.
“I think rather shockingly, been a purge of senior officers on the basis of the degree of their loyalty to mega republicanism.”
Dearlove regards the present US administration as an aberration but says cooperation remains important.
“I think we regard as something of an aberration. But there are still areas of cooperation which are hugely important.”
Dearlove reveals he was the only foreign intelligence officer at Israel's 2006 Hezbollah war debrief.
“When I got there, I discovered it was the IDF Mossad Shin Bet wash up for the two thousand and six war against Hezbollah. I was the only foreign intelligence officer present.”
Dearlove suggests Iranian army could take over, would be nationalistic but more amenable to negotiation than IRGC regime.
“They are the Iranian military. Okay. They would still be a very nationalistic government, but they might be more amenable to negotiation.”
The Brink
“I mean, the huge mistake that Bremer made in Iraq on which we were not consulted, I was chief at the time, was to disband the Iraqi military.”
Dearlove reveals an American general was meeting with 400 Iraqi officers about running Iraq when disbandment order arrived.
“the huge mistake that Bremer made in Iraq on which we were not consulted, I was chief at the time, was to disband the Iraqi military.”
Dearlove outlines Israeli war aims: destroy 450 kilos of enriched uranium and render Iran's ballistic missile system impractical.
“Tiny rich uranium, which survived the original attack during the twelve day war. I think I think the second one is to render the ballistic missile system impractical.”
Dearlove links Trump's eight-day intelligence cutoff to Russian gains at Kharkiv Salient.
“Trump did cut it off briefly at one point for eight days, and that is when the Kharkiv Salient Yeah. Was basically regained by the Russians.”
Dearlove compares Palantir to an intelligence organization that must spend resources protecting against penetration.
“I mean, in a way, you're rather like an intelligence and security organization where they have to spend an awful lot of time and energy and talent, as it were, protecting themselves against predation or penetration, to put it not too lightly.”
Dearlove says Palantir's core capability is layering over legacy systems to make them intelligent and interoperable.
“What Palantir does brilliantly is you can stick it over the top of all these legacy systems and make them much more intelligent and get them to talk to each other.”
Dearlove says big bang system changes are the worst approach for intelligence communities.
“And, of course, the worst thing that you want to do is to have a big bang change in the intelligence community and introduce a new system.”
Dearlove warns that big bang system changes are the worst approach for intelligence agencies.
“of course, the worst thing that you want to do is to have a big bang change in the intelligence community and introduce a new system.”
Dearlove says big-bang system changes are the worst approach for the intelligence community.
“the worst thing that you want to do is to have a big bang change in the intelligence community and introduce a new system.”
Dearlove says Palantir solved the problem of making legacy intelligence systems communicate.
“I mean, I was well aware. I can't remember the exact date, but, I mean, I had retired by then that Peter Thiel and Palantir had the probable solution to this problem.”
Dearlove explains Palantir's core achievement is making disparate legacy intelligence systems communicate through an overlay layer.
“What Palantir does brilliantly is you can stick it over the top of all these legacy systems and make them much more intelligent and get them to talk to each other.”
Dearlove assesses Blaise as forceful and tough with the makings of an effective intelligence chief.
“I gather she's really quite a forceful and tough personality, and I think she has the makings of a head of service and will do credit to the fact that she's the first woman to lead British intelligence.”
Dearlove flew into Libya in an unmarked plane to negotiate Gaddafi's abandonment of nuclear weapons programme.
“I flew into Libya in an unmarked plane to meet Gaddafi, to negotiate Libya's getting rid of their weapons of mass destruction.”
Dearlove says chemistry between Trump and Zelensky is terrible and US can force ceasefire by cutting intelligence.
“It's quite clear you know that the chemistry between Trump and Zelensky is terrible. They don't like each other, they don't get on with each other and that's been clear for some time but if you want to force Zelensky to accept a ceasefire, if you switch off the intelligence”
Dearlove says US switched off intelligence for eight days, during which Ukraine lost the Kursk salient.
“if you want to force Zelensky to accept a ceasefire, if you switch off the intelligence for eight days I think it was and during those eight days they pretty much lost the Kursk salient so you can see immediately the detrimental effect it had militarily on the Ukrainians.”
Dearlove explains MI6 agents receive lifelong anonymity guarantees to protect families across generations.
“those who've worked as espionage agents or agents of The United Kingdom are given a lifelong guarantee of anonymity beyond the grave, so that their families and their relatives' families are not, as it were, ever compromised by what might have been done by preceding generations.”
Dearlove calls the Mitrokhin archive the most revelatory Cold War espionage archive that exists to this day.
“The Matrokian archive is probably the most revelatory archive that exists to this day of Cold War espionage, and a whole range of cases are described, successful KGB cases, described in detail.”
Dearlove says Official Secrets Act penalties for disclosure are only two years and need increasing.
“I think what would be the main characteristic of the changes, the penalties for disclosure will be much higher than they are hitherto at the moment.”
Dearlove argues the UK is Europe's leading intelligence power and led support for Ukraine.
“The UK is Europe's leading intelligence and security power, and of course we also are one of Europe's leading defense powers, and I think you just have to see what's happened in Ukraine and the way that we would have been able, as it were, to lead on the support for the Ukrainians.”
Dearlove criticizes Cameron and Osborne for misunderstanding intelligence implications of Brexit debate.
“If they'd come and asked me and sat down with me, I could have explained to them why they'd got this wrong.”
Dearlove predicts Russians are currently offering intelligence services to the West over Ukraine disagreements.
“There will be, for sure, Russians who will be offering their services to the Americans or to other Western nations because they so fundamentally disagree with Russian policy.”
Dearlove asserts that Chinese intelligence is driving some of China's positioning in science at leading universities.
“the Chinese have positioned themselves in crucial areas of science in all of our leading universities.”
Dearlove states UK is Europe's defense and intelligence leader, deliberately keeping these outside EU control.
“The UK is Europe's defense, security and intelligence leader. We have been very careful over the years not to put any of those equities in the hands of the European communion.”
Dearlove reveals British Telecom signed a deal with Huawei in 2001-2002 while he was MI6 chief, creating significant entanglement.
“The problem is that British Telecom signed a deal back in 2001, 2002 actually, whilst I was chief with Huawei.”
Dearlove says France asked UK to disregard intelligence about Iraq's uranium purchases weeks after sharing it.
“Several weeks after that visit, I got a call from an extremely senior French official saying, Richard, would you please disregard what we told you?”
Dearlove describes arriving in Washington within days of 9/11 to pledge British intelligence support to shocked U.S. officials.
“Intelligence community, I think meeting the President at the time, and really pledging British support to The U. S. In response to this extraordinary attack.”
Dearlove reveals intelligence agencies knew from intercept chatter in June 2001 that something big was being planned.
“And the senior cohorts of FBI and CIA had flown down to meet us, and this was in June. And we knew from the noise, not from specific humid, from the noise.”
Dearlove says intelligence community knew from chatter something big was planned before 9/11 but lacked specifics.
“And we knew from the noise, not from specific humid, from the noise. By noise you mean chatter on Chatter on intercept and chatter that something big was being planned.”
Dearlove says intelligence knew something big was planned before 9/11 but not the specifics.
“we knew from the noise, not from specific humid, from the noise. By noise you mean chatter on Chatter on intercept and chatter that something big was being planned.”
Dearlove argues the 1993 World Trade Center bombing provided a clue to the target eight years before 9/11.
“And what I'm saying is that we had a clue to the target in 'ninety three.”
Dearlove contends Iraqi intelligence sources told Saddam rearmament was more advanced than reality, misleading both Saddam and Western intelligence.
“And the people we were talking to, I think, were telling Saddam that the rearmament was much more advanced than it actually was.”
Dearlove argues Iraqi sources misled both Saddam and Western intelligence about rearmament progress out of fear.
“And the people we were talking to, I think, were telling Saddam that the rearmament was much more advanced than it actually was. So our sources themselves were telling Saddam stuff which wasn't entirely accurate.”
Dearlove argues Iraq invasion decision placed 100% weight on intelligence rather than normal 80% policy mix.
“So as it were, the intelligence beam had too much weight on it and it buckled.”
Dearlove states he has seen no convincing evidence of significant Russian intervention in Brexit referendum.
“I don't think I've not seen anything that convinces me at all that the Russians intervened significantly in the Brexit referendum.”
Dearlove states he has seen no convincing evidence of significant Russian intervention in the Brexit referendum.
“I've not seen anything that convinces me at all that the Russians intervened significantly in the Brexit referendum.”
Dearlove says intelligence analysis, not borders, is key to counter-terrorism as threats come from within Europe.
“Good intelligence, drawing on human and technical sources, and the analysis of data flows is the key to effective counter terrorism.”
Dearlove says intelligence analysis matters more than borders; lethal terrorists already inside Europe and UK.
“And a number of the most lethal terrorists are from inside Europe, including The UK.”
Dearlove asserts UK intelligence capabilities exceed those of most European partners.
“Third, for reasons that I don't have time to explain, The UK, compared to most of its European partners, is good at this sort of intelligence work.”
Dearlove argues Brexit would bring security gains by giving UK full control over its security policy.
“There would, in fact, be some gains as if we left because The UK would be fully master of its own house.”
Dearlove calls Assange an undignified flag bearer who distracts from the important issues WikiLeaks raises.
“So what I think is important in this is the Assange story as such is ultimately a distraction. He's a very undignified flagpant in my opinion for a very important issue.”
Dearlove identifies WikiLeaks' disclosure of 251,287 State Department telegrams as a game changer by sheer scale.
“We'll come back to that in a minute. And Wikileaks is disclosing 251,287 US State Department telegrams. 251,287.”
Dearlove says WikiLeaks is releasing 251,287 State Department telegrams over what will be three thousand days at current rate.
“Wikileaks is disclosing 251,287 US State Department telegrams. 251,287. Now in the past, the journalist who specializes on writing about the State had disclosed 10 State Department telegrams, it would have been a sensation.”
Dearlove says WikiLeaks leak resulted from stunning US IT incompetence following post-9/11 information-sharing mandate.
“The fact that these are in the public domain is a consequence of stunning incompetence in terms of the US government's IT security and should never have happened.”
Dearlove outlines basic IT security protocols that US systems violated: no downloads, no printing, keystroke auditing.
“Now the first thing you do is if you're trying to protect secrets, you don't have any openings on your system. You can read on the screen. Every keystroke is audited.”
Dearlove describes basic security protocols that US systems failed to implement: no print, no download, keystroke auditing.
“You can read on the screen. Every keystroke is audited. You can't print. You can't download. I mean that's just so basic. It's ridiculous.”