Brussels attacks: Intelligence agencies must end their mistrust of each other

In the wake of the horrific attack at the Brussels airport and a metro station, there were immediate calls for more information sharing and greater co-ordination among the world’s intelligence agencies to detect terrorist plots before they can be executed, writes David Wise

It is an obvious and desirable goal. The only problem is that it runs counter to the deep-rooted culture of the spy agencies. Intelligence agencies exist to steal secrets of other countries and protect their own. Few outsiders can appreciate how deep that instinct for secrecy runs.

Despite the increased information-sharing in the wake of the Paris attacks, in which killers based in Belgium murdered 130 people in November, many intelligence agencies regard the Belgian service as dysfunctional and incompetent.