P Kharel

For good or otherwise, nation-first approach reigns supreme in the conduct of a functioning sovereign country. When the crunch comes, this gets manifested overtly or covertly. This might mean distorting existing international norms and the very principles previously so vociferously proclaimed as the ultimate tenet of truly representative liberal governance. In the world of espionage, double dealing and double cross can be trained on anyone by the unlikeliest of individual or institution. Judas, Brutus — whatever you may call. At the end of the day, the nation-first approach supersedes other considerations, for good or bad.
One of the latest cases in point is the incident that came to light in May. According to the disclosures in the Danish media, Denmark’s Defence Intelligence Service (DR) aided the United States to gather information on European politicians. The target included German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Officials from other ostensibly US-friendly countries like France, Norway and Sweden were also victims of the wiretapping done with Danish help.

Enrage triggered
Similar disclosures were made in 2013, when the US whistleblower Edward Snowden brought to light that the American National Security Agency tapped Merkel’s phone. The enraged Chancellor strongly protested and the then American President Barack Obama had hard time soothing her feelings. With no effective alternative in sight, the German leader did not refer to it again in public while her American counterpart assured her that the error would not be repeated. The Danish press, however, revealed that the American intelligence continued to place her under surveillance at least a year after the Obama pledge.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg reacted: “It’s unacceptable if countries, which have close allied co-operation, feel the need to spy on one another.” France’s Europe Minister Clement Beaune described the incident “extremely serious”. When leaders and officials of “close allies” are spied upon with collaboration from another “close ally”, the fate of the rest of the world needs no elaboration. With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Snowden had blown the lid off the secrecy: “We hack everyone everywhere.” Data on phone calls from thousands of nationals of various countries and large companies were monitored by American intelligence agencies. Thus, right to privacy of American citizens as well as people in other countries was violated.
Washington did not deny the reports but shook with seething fury against the Snowden for spilling the beans. Whereas no action was taken against the British Guardian and The New York Times newspapers for reporting the contents of the surveillance programme codenamed PRISM, moves were made to prosecute Snowden on criminal charges for making public classified information. The former contractor to the Central Investigation Agency fled to Russia for refuge.
On democracy, the West has had a history of high hypocrisy. Either its variants were introduced to suit its immediate purposes or its interpretations were overstretched for political and economic expediency. Sections of the news media, lured and subdued by corporate power, need to shy away from being corrupted and subdued by commercial interests. For creative freedom suffers at the den of self-censorship that causes space shrinkage. In July 2013, Bolivian President Evo Morales’s aircraft, returning from Russia, was not allowed to land for refuelling in several European countries, including France, before Vienna airport allowed it but only to search for Snowden.
The Russian government, on learning that some INGOs were being surreptitiously funding the Secondary School student programmes in Russia, began ordering the closure of foreign foundations, including the National Endowment for Democracy and the Open Society Foundations that were prevented from funding Russian NGOs. Under an Alumni Engagement scheme, applicants to units of The American Councils for International Education can obtain funding to the tune of $50,000 each. Categorising the related organisations as foreign government agents, Moscow issued directives terminating the programmes in Russia.
In order to launch the propagandist attack targeting Eastern European bloc, US National Security Council, in 1950, set up a secret research group for Project Troy with the objective of disseminating the “truth” to the ordinary people. Another aspect such propaganda exercise covered the Voice of America and the Radio Free Europe whose primary purpose was to boost support for dissident groups in East European communist states whose rulers were directed by the now-defunct Soviet Union.
NGOs and civil society groups in many countries are infested with paid plants. That is why genuine NGOs, too, attract glances of suspicion. In the central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan, there is one NGO for every seven adults. Last year, the US Agency for International Development spent $25 million in that country. It was also the year that recorded the US floating a project aimed at youth leaders in the five Central Asian countries plus Afghanistan. Support schemes of $90,000 to $120,000 were earmarked for each recipient of the project award.

The ugly side
Engineering assassinations of foreign leaders upholding ideologically opposing views with powerful capitals and plots to topple “unfriendly” governments or inciting military coups. Like-minded among the sponsoring foreign governments activate local scholars and civil society leaders to rationalise such incidents and earn their pay.
Three years ago, The New York Times quoted American officials and former Venezuelan military commander in a report that the Donald Trump administration held secret talks with rebellious military officers from Venezuela to plan the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro. However, Maduro has survived the dubious scheme. It is more than democracy that is at stake. Venezuela refuses to kowtow to the West. The West’s soft dealing with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman puts the issue of uniform principle for all in the backburner for the sake of economic benefits and political loyalty in future crises. Salman and some senior Saudi officials are accused of committing crimes against humanity. The Reporters without Borders (RSF) has filed a criminal complaint against them in Germany.
The topic of cyber war comes up frequently as a major source of concern in the capitals of the big powers. In the closing fortnight of 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern over “the risk of a large-scale confrontation in the digital sphere”. He proposed a cyber-truce: “Russia and America should exchange guarantees of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, including electoral processes.”
Any buyers? Or waiting for the “opportune time” when other ammunitions get exhausted? Delayed response can cast avoidable disadvantages.

(Professor Kharel specialises in political communication.)