Abstract
This quotation, which introduces Dana Priest and William M. Arkin's article in The
Washington Post "A hidden world growing beyond control" - the first in a series of several articles investigating on the United States' intelligence community - seems to underline a very important and somewhat preoccupying phenomenon : the growing privatization of intelligence activities. Indeed, it is know acknowledged and incontrovertible that following the 9/11 attacks on the United States, there has been and dramatic increase in intelligence privatization, especially because of the growth of intelligence activities after the attacks and the global expansion of the "War on Terror"
declared by the Bush administration.
Privatization of security and military activities is historically very old (Ancient Greeks and Romans used to hire mercenaries for certain missions and specific tasks) and has been an ongoing process for centuries. It is therefore not a recent phenomenon. And as spying is also very old - some say it is "the second oldest profession" - it seems only logical that intelligence activities and spying would be subject to privatization as well.
