Spy agencies’ paralysis lets terrorists slip net

Even allied nations are suspicious of one another, but only greater trust in the gathering of information will prevent terrorist attacks from becoming commonplace, says David Wise

IN the wake of the bombings last Tuesday at Brussels airport and a metro station, there were calls for greater co-ordination among the world’s intelligence agencies and for more information to be shared to detect terrorist plots.

That is an obvious, desirable goal, but it runs counter to the culture of spy agencies, which exist to steal the secrets of other countries and protect their own. Few outsiders can appreciate the depth of that instinct for secrecy.