€57bn bill for US intelligence

THE US spends more than $80 billion (€57bn) a year on its intelligence services, figures released yesterday for the first time show. Around $27bn goes to military intelligence.

Steven Aftergood, a secrecy specialist at the Federation of American Scientists, said the official figures were “the most complete disclosure we have ever had”.

It is something the new director of national intelligence James Clapper had promised to push for.

His office said its share is $53.1bn, which covers the CIA and some of the other 16 intelligence agencies.