The Secret History of the Five Eyes: The untold story of the shadowy international spy network, through its targets, traitors and spies

by Richard Kerbaj

'Puts Richard Kerbaj in the front rank of modern authors on espionage. It is, by turns, gripping and shocking and sheds completely new light on the most important intelligence alliance in the world' -- Tim Shipman, author of All Out War

The Secret History of The Five The untold story of the international spy network, is a riveting and exclusive narrative of the most powerful and least understood intelligence alliance, which has been steeped in secrecy since its formation in 1956.

Richard Kerbaj, an award-winning investigative journalist and filmmaker, bypasses the usual censorship channels to tell the definitive account of authoritative but unauthorised stories of the Western world's most powerful but least known intelligence alliance made up of the US, Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. As Kerbaj shows, spy stories are never better than when they are true - and these span from 1930s Nazi spy rings to the most recent developments in Ukraine and China.

Through personal interviews with world leaders - including British Prime Ministers Theresa May and David Cameron - and more than 100 intelligence officials, this book explores the complex personalities who helped shape the Five Eyes. They include a Scotland Yard detective who became a spymaster and inspired the first exchanges between MI5 and the FBI. An American home economics teacher who helped create one of the most effective programmes to counter Soviet espionage. The CIA's lone officer in Budapest during the Hungarian Revolution. GCHQ's chief during the Edward Snowden intelligence leak. And the Australian politician turned diplomat whose tip-off to the FBI instigated the inquiry into Russia's meddling in the US presidential contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Richard Kerbaj is able to draw from deep inside the secret corridors of power and his unparalleled access spans all 5 countries. Some of the people he has interviewed include former GCHQ director Sir Iain Lobban, CIA director General David Petraeus, MI5 director-general Eliza Manningham-Buller, NSA director Admiral Mike Rogers, British National Security Advisor Kim Darroch, ASIO chief Mike Burgess, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's chief Richard Fadden, and Ciaran Martin, the official who oversaw Britain's assessments on whether the Chinese telecoms firm, Huawei, should have had a role in the creation of the UK's 5G network.

This page-turning book will lift the lid on spy stories from across the English-speaking world, question the future of the alliance, and our place within it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Espionage, American History, Audiobook, Technology

542 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[Geevee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Kerbaj's book is neither a technical or formal history of the Five Eyes, and although I'm not convinced the publisher's title of "The Secret History" is really quite accurate given all the examples and background are public knowledge, it is still a very engaging and informative read.

The book commences in the days prior to WWII, and uses examples and characters from intelligence/spying and world events to discuss the work done, principally at this stage, by the US and UK to combat National Socialism and Fascism. The key name here is a lady Jessie Jordan, and the escapades in spying for Germany, and how MI5 and others discovered the network that covered the UK and US. There is also the story of the British Intelligence service - notably the Canadian William Stephenson - who helped "Wild" Bill Donovan create the OSS [Office of Strategic Services] during WWII and thus evolved into the CIA. There is coverage of Bletchley Park, Enigma (and the Polish contribution) and much more on how the UK and US became the close SIGINT [Signals Intelligence] partners they are and remain.

From here, Kerbaj deftly covers the end of WWII and the Cold War and battles with Soviet communism and its espionage tactics and strategy. Canada, New Zealand and Australia all begin to use their skills, expertise and tradecraft developed in WWII and the Five Eyes are formed.

There are some very interesting pages on The Suez Crisis and the Russian subjugation of Budapest for example, and how these challenged and affected Five Eyes members both together and against the common enemy of the USSR. Chapters on "dissent" between members follow as does "Baiting the Soviets", notably in 1980s Afghanistan and with counter-agent operations. There is good coverage on the Five Eyes exposures to insider threat, double agents and of course the damage that leaks and moles had; not just on the intelligence operations conducted by the US, UK, Australia, Canada and NZ but also how they dealt with these together. There is also some interesting insight into US/NZ relations in the 70s-90s owing to the fallout form the NZ decision to ban nuclear powered or armed US Navy assets from entering NZ waters of ports.

Following this, the book reaches its mid-stage and 9/11 looms large. There is the factors of how the agencies "missed" Bin-Laden and the Al-Qaeda plans, but also the work done since 2001 to gather data, operate in hostile environments, and how the partners shared capabilities, work-load and information to neutralise AQ and ISIS, especially as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia all aggressively entered or came back into the threat landscape. Edward Snowden, Katherine Gun and others also appear as their exposure of intelligence and behaviours has shaped Five Eyes' response and approaches.

The final section brings us up to date and the Ruzzian invasion of Ukraine; although this latter is not covered in any detail. The impact of Trump on world politics and indeed his own intelligence agencies gets coverage, as does his attitude to Putin. The Australian story plays a large(r) part in this section as their capabilities and domestic landscape are discussed alongside their geographic position and relationship with China. There is a very good postscript on AUKUS (the Australian, UK and US nuclear submarine, intelligence, technology and advanced cyber and quantum computing deal) and how the Australian PM Scott Morrison brought this to bear.

As I said at the outset of this review, the history isn't really secret and if you have a passing interest or a deeper one, you likely will be familiar with the characters and events who cross the pages. However, what Kerbaj does very well for the most recent 30-40 years of the 70 odd years of the Five Eyes existence is to interview key intelligence chiefs, operators and senior politicians. One example is the AUKUS postscript as the interviews and insight by Scott Morrison on what, why how and who gives real pace and detail into this landmark agreement.

Having played a very, very peripheral part in two events mentioned in the book, I was fascinated to read about some conversations and outcomes and what these led to. Overall, The Secret History of the Five Eyes is a very enjoyable account of this international Signals Intelligence [and sometime Human Intelligence] network and partnership.

I would recommend for people who enjoy good researched writing that weaves world events and intelligence operations that make the news at the time or later. It is also very suitable for people who enjoy WWII or Cold War spy stories or Signal Intelligence operations from WWII to today.
It may be less useful to those who have read detailed official histories on WWII, Cold War and later 20C intelligence and spying operations but then again, the interviews with political leaders and key security service people may bring something new to you , too.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Richard Kerbaj, and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

While I do not consider myself an intelligence or espionage expert, I could not help but want to learn a little more with this book by Richard Kerbaj. In the tome, Kerbaj explores the five intelligence agencies of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as how well they work together. The evolution of intelligence and its sharing over the years has been exponentially increased with the onset of the Secind World War, as Kerbaj effectively argues throughout. During various periods discussed in the book, the author effectively shows how each of the five agencies work independently and together, as well as their numerous clashes over the last eight decades. This book is written so that the layperson can digest its contents, but is equally detailed for aficionados to enjoy. Richard Kerbaj reveals his detailed research and analysis in this well-paced book!

Richard Kerbaj does a stellar job explaining the role of The Five Eyes from the outset of the book. The spy network sharing intelligence between the respective agencies of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand has been quite effective and veiled in secrecy since its creation around 1956. While not legally binding, The Five Eyes has worked well to collaborate on high-tensions situations that have benefitted some of all of its members to better handle geo-political threats over the last many years. Kerbaj effectively argues this throughout the tome, using multiple examples to further the arguments for the curious reader.

One could easily argue that the five players are not always on equal footing. The British and American agencies loom over their three cousins, though Kerbaj does not dismiss the importance of the New Zealanders, Australians, or Canadians. Rather, they are all cogs in a larger wheel, one that move effectively in union, which has been shown repeatedly. However, each of the five has had its share of blunders and been forced to justify decisions on the world scene, as well as to one another. This cohesive nature and refusal to vilify each other helps strengthen The Five Eyes on an ongoing basis.

There is no doubt that there have been clashes and high-level disagreements over the years, sometimes related to the politics of the countries’ respective governments, but there is an overarching sentiment that intelligence sharing has been used to unite The Five Eyes to ensure a solid and united front against many of the threats that have been brought to the intelligence community. Kerbaj offers some ideas as to how the five could have worked better together, but also exemplifies the powerful decision-making processes used to create a safety net to keep the West safe and the joint efforts to target some key countries who have vowed to dismantle safety and security on an international scale, namely the autocratic regimes of Russia and China, as well as some of their minor fellow players.

Richard Kerbaj delivers a well-paced book that is full of nuggets for the curious reader. He presents key arguments to support the creation and sustaining of The Five Eyes, as well as postulating its future on the world scene. Kerbaj uses great interviews and numerous documents to support many of his sentiments, providing the reader with hard evidence rather than speculation. This helps substantiate the numerous forward-thinking views presented within the tome and adds depth to an already well-developed book. While I am no intelligence expert or aficionado, I thoroughly enjoyed all I learned and the way in which Richard Kerbaj presented his findings. This is certainly a book well worth my time and effort and I am better for reading it!

Kudos, Mr. Kerbaj, for opening my eyes about many intelligence subjects I had never pondered.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Umbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can understand why you may not find this book super valuable if you are already very knowledgeable on the history of the Five Eyes but I think it pretty much gives you what it says on the tin which is a look through the past 80ish years - I certainly found it super helpful and informative! Also having a read of other interviews I don’t think that this book is as biased as people have read into it? It certainly takes an emotive/narrative approach to story telling at times which can be dramatic but I thought it was pretty balanced in the end. Ultimately some things are worth critiquing and I don’t think they were overblown and he definitely gives credit where credit it due (at the end of it I’m fully on board with the Five Eyes world order).

Final comment is this has renewed my distain for the French. Good read.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave 5 stars to Richard Kerbaj’s book because for his first book on such a complex subject he kept my attention. I also like his journalistic pedigree as an investigative journalist and foreign correspondent. Good investigative journalism is too thin on the ground, and more unbiased reporting is needed in my opinion.

The Five eyes are the countries of USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand where a need for greater intelligence gathering was needed covering different parts of the world.
The book is broken up into four parts which trace the world events from the early spy infiltrations in the 1930s to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 1922.

Kerbaj doesn’t brush stroke away human flaws in any of the personalities he portrays. He has used his skills to reveal dramatic interactions between personalities and five eyes nations. The book is full of details of spy uncovering, treachery and how advanced technology necessitated different approaches to unmasking spy rings.

The revelation that the USA was implicitly behind the renditioning of suspected targets post 9/11 didn’t shock me as I had known about it from ordinary media. What shocked me was how suspicion could fall on an innocent family man in Canada, have him whisked away to jailers in Syria who tortured him into confessing to anything and everything. “Under duress, Arar had admitted to anything his jailers accused of.”
Eventually Arar was returned to his family and compensated.

The war on Iraq which killed many civilians was based on misinformation about the existence of biological weapons in Saddam Husseins regime. A case of political will getting in the way of intelligence.

Edward Snowden revealed data breaches into the lives of millions of Americans. He believed the right to privacy had been betrayed by government agencies. America labelled him a traitor so Snowden fled to Moscow. ‘In the long term, the Snowden revelations have resulted not in the rolling back of surveillance powers but in laws providing for improved transparency and oversight- an essential basis for public trust.’

Kerbaj writes in a very readable engaging way. He concentrates on the individuals heading up the Five Eyes nations. He teases out their wins and their failures. In a multi decade long forum for cooperation, there could have been many instances where a nation turned on another. Yet the organisation has succeeded by a realisation that ‘there by the grace of God go I.’ The closest falling out nearly happened when Britain wanted to go with Huawei alone out of the five eye nations. The situation was resolved when Trump applied sanctions on American made components that the Chinese needed. How interesting!

Kerbaj has covered so much in his book. I think he has trod a good line to tell the history of the five eyes as it is. Not all can be told of course, and he admits that. Some things remain covered.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there is plenty of detail here from original interviews - and for Australians, Malcolm Turnbull's ongoing acerbic fury at everyone who annoyed him is predictably hilarious - there is surprisingly little new here about the history of the US, UK, Australia, NZ and Canada partnership. The areas I learned the most were from the most recent sections, in which I had been less caught up. There is certainly no spy secrets here, but the detail about how the network has responded to a post-Snowdon world were fascinating.
Fundamentally, though, I was frustrated by the absence of any broader perspective. While I understand the 'game' of espionage can make for a good story, it feels essential to consider the impact that systematically undermining global governments and movements has on global stability and, hence, all of our lives. Kerbaj is scathing about the human rights violations that the network perpetrated early this millennium but does not consider how cold war espionage laid the basis for the growth of Salafism or destroyed African liberation movements. In short, there is no sense of how espionage intersects with policy and the military, making it a bit hollow.

[Margot · Rating 2 out of 5]

The rating is for the audio book. It is interesting but as non fiction the writer quotes many people and that is ok. What I found extraordinary frustrating is the reader stating quote before and close quote after every single one. That is a lot. I think we can figure out what the quote is.

[Mohammed omran · Rating 2 out of 5]

في أحد أيام ربيع عام 1946، ألقى الزعيم البريطاني ونستون تشرشل خطبة بقيت طويلاً في التاريخ، وربما لم يزل لها حضور فيه. وحسبنا تدليلاً على الأهمية الاستثنائية لهذه الخطبة القول إنها الخطبة التي خرج من رحمها تعبير "الستار الحديدي" ليصبح اصطلاحاً رائجاً منذ ذلك الحين ودالاً على عصر كامل ربما لم نزل نعيش آثاره أو امتداده أو انبعاثه من جديد، لكن تشرشل فضلاً عن ذلك صاغ في تلك الخطبة نفسها تعبيراً آخر كان له نصيبه الكبير من الرواج، وإن لم يبلغ مبلغ الستار الحديدي، وذلك هو "العلاقة الخاصة".

قبل أسابيع قليلة من هذه الخطبة كان الزعيم السوفياتي جوزيف ستالين ألقى بدوره خطبة قال فيها إن الحرب بين الشرق والغرب أمر محتوم لا مهرب منه، وإثر خطبته تلك وبسبب نشاط الاتحاد السوفياتي من أجل الهيمنة على دول أوروبا الشرقية، كان جورج كينان السفير الأميركي لدى موسكو بعث ما اشتهر بـ"البرقية الطويلة" محذراً من استمرار الاتحاد السوفياتي في نشر العداوة تجاه الغرب.

هكذا جاءت خطبة تشيرشل لتعلن إقامة "ستار حديدي" عبر القارة من دون الانتشار السوفياتي، ولتعلن تأسيس "علاقة خاصة"، أي تحالف دائم بين الولايات المتحدة والمملكة المتحدة. وبتلك الخطبة أعلن رسمياً الوضع السياسي القاتم الاستقطابي الذي سيعيشه العالم طوال عقود تالية.

ولكن في يوم تلك الخطبة نفسه، وقع حدث تاريخي آخر، مساهماً بطريقته في تشكيل تاريخ العالم المقبل، ففي ذلك اليوم وقعت معاهدة سرية بين المملكة المتحدة والولايات المتحدة، أو اتفاق رسمي لتبادل المعلومات الاستخباراتية بهدف مكافحة الخطر السوفياتي. ولاحقاً، ستنضم كندا وأستراليا ونيوزيلاندا إلى تلك المعاهدة أو الاتفاق الذي سيعرف بـ"العيون الخمس"، ولن يكشف النقاب عنها علناً إلا بحلول عام 2010.

يكتب ستيفن بلومفيلد ("الغارديان" في 2 أكتوبر / تشرين الأول 2022) أن اتفاق "العيون الخمس" هو الذي "سمح للمملكة المتحدة - شأن عضويتها الدائمة في مجلس الأمن التابع للأمم المتحدة ودورها القيادي في الناتو - أن تشعر بعد البريكست بأنها لم تزل تحتل مقعداً حول طاولة الكبار"، فإلى هذا الحد تبلغ أهمية هذا الاتفاق، إلى حد مساواتها بالعضوية الدائمة في مجلس إدارة العالم المعروف بمجلس الأمن، أو بعضوية التجمع العسكري الأكثر خطورة فيه.

هذا الاتفاق أو المعاهدة هو محور اهتمام كتاب صادر حديثاً بعنوان "التاريخ السري للعيون الخمس: القصة المسكوت عنها لشبكة الجاسوسية الدولية" للكاتب الصحافي البريطاني ريتشارد كرباج، المراسل الأمني السابق لصحيفة "صنداي تايمز"، وصانع الأفلام الوثائقية الذي استطاع أن يقنع كثيراً ممن لهم علاقة وثيقة بالعيون الخمس أن يتحدثوا إليه، فضلاً عن تعمقه في دراسة الأراشيف الوطنية في البلاد الخمسة جميعاً ليلملم النتف المتفرقة لهذا التاريخ المجهول، كاشفاً النقاب عن حكاية تحالف شابه -على حد وصف ستيفن بلومفيلد - "انعدام الثقة، والأخطاء، وسوء التقدير، تحالف اعتبر نفسه مسؤولاً عن حفظ الأمن في بلاده، لكن أمره لم يقتصر على فشله في تحقيق هذا المسعى في بعض الأحيان، بل تجاوز ذلك إلى الإسهام في اضطرابات عالمية".

كشف الجواسيس

لقد توحدت البلاد الخمسة، حتى نهاية الحرب الباردة، في مساعيها إلى هزيمة الاتحاد السوفياتي، فكان جزء من تلك المساعي يتمثل في كشف الجواسيس السوفيات أو مساعدة دبلوماسيين سوفيات على الانشقاق عن نظامهم الحاكم، وذلك هو الجانب الذي كانت تكشف عنه أجهزة استخبارات البلاد الخمسة في تحالف العيون الخمس عن طيب خاطر، لكن هذه الأجهزة لعبت في الوقت نفسه دوراً أشد قتامة لم تكن تحرص أن تلقي عليه ضوءاً، بل ربما العكس.

أكد جيريمي باون في استعراضه للكتاب (نيوستيتسمان في 14 سبتمبر / أيلول 2022) أن تحالف العيون الخمس تأسس في مواجهة الاتحاد السوفياتي وأوروبا الشرقية المتاخمة له، وأن كرباج "قدم في كتابه وصفاً تفصيلياً مبهراً لذلك التحالف اللافت" مستعرضاً جانباً من العمليات التي نفذتها أجهزة الاستخبارات في تلك العقود المتوترة لتسديد ضربات إلى الدب الروسي. ويبرز الكاتب في هذا الصدد أن أجهزة استخبارات البلاد الأقل قوة في ذلك التحالف قد لعبت هي أيضاً دوراً مهماً، فيضرب لذلك مثلاً بالاستخبارات الأسترالية، إذ رتبت لمساعدة دبلوماسي روسي بارز في الانشقاق عن الاتحاد السوفياتي مستغلة ولعه بمطاردة النساء، مبرمة معه صفقة تضمنت حتى تحقيق طلباته بإخراج أدواته التي يستعملها في صيد السمك وبندقيته وكلبه من داخل الاتحاد السوفياتي.

وفي المقابل، يعرض الكتاب ردود السوفيات على تلك الضربات، ومن ذلك اغتيال وولتر كريفيتسكي، وهو ضابط استخبارات سوفياتي منشق، إذ عثر عليه مصاباً برصاصة في رأسه داخل فندق في واشنطن وبجواره "ثلاث رسائل انتحار".

ولكننا لا نبقى طويلاً مع مثل هذه الحلقات المثيرة التي تبدو مستلة من عوالم روايات جون لو كاريه أو أفلام جيمس بوند في عهدها الأول، إذ سرعان ما ينتقل الكتاب إلى الجانب الأشد قتامة الذي أشار إليه بلومفيلد في مقالته.

يضرب بلومفيلد مثالاً بالشرق الأوسط للدور الكريه الذي يحلو لأجهزة الاستخبارات عموماً - لا أجهزة البلاد الموقعة على العيون الخمس وحدها - أن تخفيه وراء صورتها كحامية للأمن والاستقرار وواقية من الهجمات لا منفذة لها. فـ"على مدار 70 سنة، كان جهازا الاستخبارات البريطاني والأميركي مسؤولين عن سلسلة من الخطوات العدوانية التي زعزعت الاستقرار في الشرق الأوسط، وأسهمت في كثير من المشكلات الجيوسياسية التي لم تزل قائمة حتى يومنا هذا".

ويدلل بلومفيلد على ذلك بـ"آلن دولس رئيس الاستخبارات المركزية الأميركية، الذي رتب في أواخر خمسينيات القرن الماضي، من أجل إطاحة سلسلة من الحكومات المنتخبة ديمقراطياً من إيران إلى غواتيمالا. وأشرف في سوريا على سلسلة مؤامرات للإطاحة بحكومة لاقترافها جرم رفض الانضمام لتحالف عسكري ذي قيادة غربية". ويذكر كرباج بأن جهازي الاستخبارات الأميركي والبريطاني عملا معاً، في مطلع ثمانينيات القرن العشرين، على تمويل ودعم وتسليح المجاهدين في أفغانستان للمساعدة في هزيمة الاتحاد السوفياتي. فكان من "أكبر من تلقوا التمويل والسلاح" من الاستخبارات المركزية الأميركية بحسب ما يشير كرباج هو زعيم شبكة حقاني، وهي الجماعة التي تعدها الاستخبارات البريطانية الآن شبكة إرهابية ويرد قادتها في قائمة المطلوبين الأكثر خطورة لدى الولايات المتحدة".

غير أن الإثارة الحقيقية في كتاب كرباج تأتي - في تقدير جيريمي باون - مع تناوله للحرب الأميركية على الإرهاب، ابتداء من الحمى التي أعقبت هجمات الـ11 من سبتمبر والإخفاقات الاستخباراتية المزرية التي وسمت غزو العراق بعد مرور أقل من سنتين على ذلك. يقول باون إن "العيون الخمس فقدت مبرر وجودها مع انهيار الاتحاد السوفياتي، ثم جاءت أحداث 11/9 فأوضحت أن عدواً جديداً قد ظهر".

والحق أنه ربما يكون لأجهزة الاستخبارات الغربية الكبرى يد في كل مشكلة في الشرق الأوسط، فقد تكثر الأدلة على هذا التورط أو تقل بحسب كل مشكلة أو كارثة بالأحرى، لكن حرب العراق تحديداً تبرز بين هذه "المشكلات" جميعاً بوصفها في الأساس طبخة استخباراتية عرضت على العالم كله.

لا ريب أن بعضاً منا على الأقل لا يزالون يتذكرون جلسة لمجلس الأمن الدولي عقدت بدعوة من الولايات المتحدة الأميركية لمحاولة استصدار قرار منه أو ترخيص بشن حرب على العراق. تلك جلسة عرضت على الهواء، فشاهدها العالم كله في وقت انعقادها. وفيها عرض وزير الخارجية الأميركي الأسبق كولين باول على الحاضرين - ومنهم محمد البرادعي مدير وكالة الدولية للطاقة الذرية آنذاك وكبير مفتشي الوكالة هانز بليكس ضمن آخرين - من الوثائق ما لم تدعمه قط تقارير مفتشي الوكالة في شأن العراق.

استهل باول كلمته (التي نشرت الغارديان نصها بتاريخ 5 مارس/ آذار 2003) بقوله "إنه ليوم مهم لنا جميعاً، إذ نراجع الموقف الخاص بالعراق والتزاماته بنزع السلاح بموجب قرار مجلس الأمن رقم 1441"، ومضى فقال "إن المواد التي سأطرحها عليكم اليوم تأتي من مصادر متنوعة. بعضها مصادر أميركية، وبعضها من بلاد أخرى"، لكن ذلك المشهد الرسمي الذي تابعه الملايين في حينه كان محض قمة ظاهرة لجبل جليد هائل الضخامة يشعر الجميع بوجوده ولا يكاد يراه أحد.

اقرأ المزيد

لماذا تكشف الاستخبارات الأميركية والوكالات الفيدرالية عن أسرارها كل عام؟

أميركا طلبت من الاستخبارات البريطانية منع نشر تسريبات سنودن

"ملطخة بالدماء وفخورة"... إليكم قصة "ملكة التعذيب" في الاستخبارات الأميركية

بوتين يكشف وجود ضباط الاستخبارات الأميركية كموظفين في الحكومة الروسية
يكتب ستيفن بلومفيلد أن حرب العراق "قامت على أساس معلومات استخباراتية مفترضة، هي على وجه التحديد أن صدام حسين كان يمتلك أسلحة دمار شامل، وأنه كان مستعداً لاستعمالها، وأنه كان عازماً على اقتسامها مع جماعات إرهابية من قبيل القاعدة. ولم يكن أي من تلك النظريات صحيحاً. وقد يكون جورج دبليو بوش ورئيس الوزراء البريطاني – آنذاك - توني بلير، هما اللذان روجا لتلك الحرب، لكن المادة التي استعملاها في الترويج كانت من ابتداع العيون الخمس".

وعلى رغم أن البرادعي وبليكس أكدا في تلك الجلسة عدم العثور على ما يدين العراق في فرية امتلاك أسلحة دمار شامل، فقد ذهب تكذيبهما أدراج الرياح، مثلما ذهبت أدراج الرياح أصوات ملايين المتظاهرين الذين خرجوا في حواضر العالم كله يدينون الحرب التي أصرت الولايات المتحدة على خوضها ومن ورائها بريطانيا، مدعومين بأدلة العيون الخمس المتهافتة.

يؤكد كرباج أن جواسيس بريطانيا في العراق - وكان بعضهم يحتل مناصب سياسية رفيعة هناك - أكدوا للاستخبارات الأميركية عدم امتلاك صدام حسين ترسانات من أسلحة الدمار الشامل "الكيماوية أو البيولوجية أو النووية"، لكن هذه المعلومات كانت تزاح جانباً ولا تصل إلى التقارير التي تعرض على الرأي العام أو الجهات الممثلة له، فقد كان ثمة إصرار على خوض حرب العراق، وعلى التخلص من صدام حسين ونظامه الحاكم كله، ولعل ذلك كان مفيداً في ذاته، لكن أية فائدة تتضاءل - بحسب ما يرى جيريمي باون - أمام ما نجم عن هذا الغزو، من "كارثة للوضع الجيوستراتيجي للأميركيين والبريطانيين وحلفائهم الغربيين. ففضلاً عن الخسائر الهائلة في الأرواح والخراب، غيرت الولايات المتحدة توازن القوى في منطقة الشرق الأوسط لصالح عدوتها، أي جمهورية إيران الإسلامية التي كان صدام حسين يناصبها عداء مريراً. كما أن الغزو أحال العراق إلى ملعب للمتطرفين الجهاديين. ولم يزل الدخان ينبعث إلى الآن من النيران التي أضرمت هناك قبل عقدين". غير أن كرباج يبدي تعاطفاً واضحاً مع أجهزة الاستخبارات، فيميل طيلة الوقت إلى توجيه سهام اللوم في كل تلك الإخفاقات والنتائج الكارثية إلى بوش وبلير منفردين تقريباً.

انتهاكات فاضحة

لم يقتصر الأمر على تلك الكوارث الناجمة ربما عن سوء تقدير فاضح�� فستيفن بلومفيلد لا يهمل أن "تلك الأجهزة الاستخباراتية كانت مسؤولة أيضاً عن بعض انتهاكات حقوق الإنسان الفاضحة التي ارتكبتها قوى غربية. ولأن التعذيب كان غير قانوني، فقد دأبت هذه الأجهزة على اختطاف الإرهابيين المشتبه فيهم، ونقلهم إلى بلاد ذات قواعد أقل صرامة، سامحة بتعذيبهم، بل ومدونة قوائم أسئلة لتطرح عليهم فور تطويعهم. وكانت تلك العملية تتم بقيادة أميركية، وخضع لها بعض من يحملون الجنسيات الكندية والبريطانية والأسترالية، لكن جميع أعضاء العيون الخمس كانوا على علم بأن ذلك يجري"، وسيظل ذلك البرنامج الذي عرف بـ"التسليم الاستثنائي" بدلاً من أن يسمى بساطة "الخطف والتعذيب" يلوث تاريخ العيون الخمس حتى النهاية، بحسب ما يكتب كرباج.

ولم يزل انعدام الثقة الذي وسم التحالف منذ بدايته حاضراً إلى اليوم، ولعل ذلك جزءاً بدهياً من طبيعة تكوين أجهزة الاستخبارات نفسها، ولا ينبغي أن يعد نقيصة فيها. غير أن كرباج يسرد بعضاً من الوقائع التي تدل على غياب الثقة أو التعاون في بعض الأحيان بين أجهزة استخبارات البلاد الخمس في اتفاق العيون الخمس. ومن ذلك أنه حدث أن اعتقل في غوانتانامو 17 بريطانياً، ومر عامان قبل أن توافق الولايات المتحدة على إطلاق سراح خمسة منهم. ويكشف كرباج أن الولايات المتحدة حثت بيتر كلارك - الرئيس السابق لقيادة مكافحة الإرهاب في سكوتلاند يارد - على سجنهم فور رجوعهم، فرفض كلارك ذلك على الفور، وقال لكرباج "إن المواد المقدمة لم توفر لنا ما كان يمكن أن يلقى قبولاً لدى المحكمة".



ولكن لعل أسوأ الأمثلة على غياب التعاون والثقة هو مثال شاميما بيغوم، التي تمثل حكايتها بعض تداعيات الفشل الاستخباراتي الذريع الذي بدأ مع غزو العراق. فبيغوم ليست أكثر من حلقة في قصة محزنة لما عرف في الصحافة الغربية بالعرائس الجهاديات اللاتي كان يبدأ تجنيدهن في بريطانيا، ثم يسافرن إلى سوريا ليعرضن أنفسهن زوجات لأعضاء تنظيم "داعش". ويكشف كرباج بعض الأسرار المحيطة برحلة من المملكة المتحدة عبوراً بتركيا ووصولاً إلى سوريا، لثلاث تلميذات لندنيات هن شاميما بيغوم، وأميرة عباس، وكاديزا سلطانة.

كانت شاميما بيغوم في الـ15 من العمر حينما غادرت لندن في عام 2015 للانضمام إلى "داعش". فوجهت الصحافة البريطانية اللوم الحاد للدولة البريطانية - ولأجهزة الأمن بطبيعة الحال - لفشلها في منع سفر أولئك الصغيرات من الأساس. ولعل اللوم كان ليزداد حدة إذا انكشف في ذلك الحين جانب من قصة أولئك البنات يؤكد غياب التعاون الحقيقي بين أجهزة استخبارات العيون الخمس، إذ يكشف كرباج في كتابه أنه تم تهريب بيغوم - التي جردت الآن من جنسيتها البريطانية - وصاحبتيها إلى سوريا، من خلال عميل للاستخبارات الكندية، وهي معلومة حجبها الكنديون - في البداية على الأقل - عن حليفهم المفترض، ثم قررت الحكومتان الكندية والبريطانية إبقاءها طي الكتمان.

قصة فشل

لعل أجهزة الاستخبارات تحافظ فعلاً على أمن شعوبها، بحسب ما تعلن عن نفسها لهم، لكن القصص التي يكشف عنها كرباج تكشف لشعوب هذه البلاد عن حقيقة مختلفة. فابتداء من عام 2001، لم تكن قصة هذه الأجهزة سوى قصة فشل، قصة تحذيرات كان يمكن في حال توجيهها أن تجنبنا جرائم، وقصة معلومات استخباراتية مضللة من أجل شن حرب، وقصة استعمال هذه الأجهزة لقدراتها الكبيرة في إرهاب مواطنيها، فضلاً عن الشرق الأوسط الذي يمكن أن نختار أية مشكلة، مما وقع فيه ليتبين لنا إما أن هذه الأجهزة الكبرى فشلت في توقعها، أو أنها كانت ضالعة فيها.

ومع ذلك، يخلص كرباج إلى نتيجة مختلفة. فبعد 15 فصلاً من عرضه للكوارث وكشفه عن الجرائم، ينتهي باستعراض 14 من الكبار في عالم الجاسوسية موضحاً من خلالهم سر أهمية العيون الخمس، فضلاً عن أنه لا يكاد ينقل في الكتاب اعتراضاً أو نقداً أو رفضاً ولا يقدم رؤية بديلة، فيخسر في التحليل ما يكسبه في جمع المعلومات بحسب ما يرى بلومفيلد. والحق أن كرباج يرى أن العيون الخمس لم تزل شديدة الأهمية في عالم مليء بالمفاجآت، فـ"قد عمق غزو روسيا لأوكرانيا في فبراير (شباط) الماضي ذلك الإحساس، إذ كان بداية النهاية للعالم الذي نشأ في أعقاب نهاية الحرب الباردة، وانعطافة مفاجئة إلى حقبة جديدة أكثر خطورة".

دعماً لكرباج في ما يذهب إليه من أهمية استمرار العيون الخمس، يستشهد جيريمي باون بواقعة إعلان القيادة الأميركية معلومات استخباراتية - مما درجت أجهزة الاستخبارات على عدم إعلانه - حول نوايا فلاديمير بوتين في شأن أوكرانيا، وذلك في فترة ما قبل الغزو. لقد كانت غاية ذلك الإعلان هي ردع بوتين عن تنفيذ نواياه، وعلى رغم الفشل في تحقيق تلك الغاية، فإن "دقة المعلومات المعلنة أظهرت أن العيون الخمس لها وجود في روسيا، وأنها تستعمل التكنولوجيا المتقدمة في التنصت" بل ويلمح جيريمي باون إلى أن العيون الخمس ربما تكون زرعت عملاء وجواسيس بأعلى مستويات الحكم في روسيا.

والخلاصة أن كرباج بعد أكثر من 500 صفحة من الفضائح، يخلص إلى أن "تحالف العيون الخمس" لم يستنفد أغراضه بسقوط الاتحاد السوفياتي قبل عقود، ولم يثبت فشله بما تسبب فيه للعالم من ويلات ابتداء من مطلع هذا القرن، بل إن التحالف "يبقى ذا قيمة حيوية لمساعي التنبؤ بالأخطار المستقبلية ومكافحتها"، فيا لها من نتيجة يسهل تجاهلها، بقدر ما يصعب تماماً تجاهل مقدماتها الممتازة.
copied AHmed Shafei

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting history of the intelligence services of the Five Eyes countries, showing how the alliance developed almost by accident through individual agreements and relationships rather than through formal means.

While there was a good amount of information about the agencies’ development and their highs and lows, I didn’t feel that this book was really a ‘secret’ history, because everything was already in the public domain or came from interviews with national leaders. The book also could have done with a proofread, with a surprising number of missing words for a paperback edition.

Overall a good narrative on the development of intelligence operations and sharing within the Anglosphere, but it didn’t feel to be breaking new ground.

[Benjamin Feasmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and researched and uses the main western events of the 20th and 21st century to illustrate its history. There are some excellent points but at times felt something was missing.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative history of the intelligence partnerships between America, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Most of the book's revelations, however, deal with American and British intelligence; the other services involved aren’t actually covered in much detail.

Kerbaj does a good job showing some of the intrigue and infighting among these member states; usually accounts of this partnership focus on SIGINT successes. The book doesn’t have much analysis, though. Kerbaj does cover controversial operations these agencies have cooperated on, such as drone strikes and renditions, but the book ends with arguments in favor of this alliance’s utility. Mostly this consists of quotes from Western political and intelligence officials; Kerbaj doesn’t include more critical perspectives. The conclusion itself is also a bit weak. The book also covers some Western intelligence operations run independently by these agencies, even when they didn’t involve the other allies. The level of detail can be pretty dense (Some of Kerbaj’s paragraphs are almost a page long) Still, there’s some surprising omissions, like the U-2 program or the Berlin tunnel operation.

It’s a bit unfocused as well. The book’s later sections cover, in some detail, Donald Trump and his conflicts with US intelligence agencies, as well as Hillary Clinton’s e-mails, the Steele Dossier, Russian operations regarding the 2016 election, and the controversy around wiretapping. This stuff all seems a bit out of place in a supposed history of the Five Eyes. The book’s postscript includes Kebaj’s commentary and criticism of such subjects as an Australian submarine construction contract with France. I don’t know what that has to do with the Five Eyes. The book also includes a rather detailed account of the story of “Jihadi John.”

There’s a few minor errors, some of them quite puzzling if you’ve read up enough on the history of Cold War intelligence. They also seem like puzzling errors for a journalist who specializes in national security issues. He writes that Franklin Roosevelt ran for governor of New York in 1932. He writes that Bill Donovan was a decorated “pilot” in World War I, even though he was an infantry officer in that conflict. Guy Liddell is called a “Scotland Yard detective.” At one point Kerbaj writes that Walter Krivitsky defected to the US, but doesn’t mention that he first defected to the French. Kerbaj also writes that Krivitsky defected to the US in World War II, even though he defected in 1937 to the French, then moved to the US a year later. He also refers to the US “intercepting” Soviet messages via the VENONA project, even though Western Union had provided these to the government. He also mentions Guy Burgess recruiting Kim Philby, even though it was Arnold Deutsch who did this (I’m not sure why the story of the Cambridge Five is even included in this book) He writes that John Cairncross was revealed as a Soviet spy in 1979 (does he mean Anthony Blunt?) He claims that Klaus Fuchs reported his intel to the NKVD’s Ursuela Beurton in London, even though she was from the GRU and didn’t deal with Fuchs. Kerbaj writes that the US used “fighter jets” at the Bay of Pigs. Oleg Penkovsky is described as a “defector,” which he wasn’t, and, bizarrely, Kerbaj writes that his intelligence “provoked the Cuban missile crisis” (huh?) Oleg Gordievsky and Sergey Skripal are called “double agents” for some reason. He writes that “Although [ Harold] Wilson had not sent British troops to Vietnam, he had authorized the secret deployment of Special Forces soldiers.” (to Vietnam?) He writes that the 1979 coup in Grenada was “Soviet-backed.” He writes of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at a time when this body didn’t exist. When covering Ghost Stories (the FBI’s arrest of those eleven Russian spies in America in 2010), Kerbaj refers to it as a “joint operation by the Five Eyes agencies” (it was?) The book also has a few typos.

When describing the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Kerbaj writes that the Soviets fell into “a trap that [Zbigniew] Brzezinski had masterminded.” He notes that US support for the Afghan mujahideen preceded the invasion and that Brzezinski thought it might bait Moscow into a quagmire. In later interviews, Brzezinski did imply that he slyly lured the Soviets into a trap in Afghanistan. In contemporary memos, however, Brzezinski expressed his worries that the Soviets would prevail in Afghanistan. The invasion did, after all, impose significant political and security risks to the Carter administration.

Kerbaj briefly talks about Osama bin Laden, saying he was attracted to returning to Afghanistan in 1992 when the mujahideen toppled Najibullah’s regime. He then writes that bin Laden left Saudi Arabia for Sudan to begin plotting terrorist attacks, and claims that bin Laden “coordinated” the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. After this, Kerbaj writes, he returned to Afghanistan. This timeline is a bit jumbled; bin Laden left Saudi Arabia for Sudan in 1991, when the Saudi government kicked him out for protesting the US military presence. He then went to Afghanistan in 1996, when the US pressured the Sudanese to expel him. Kerbaj also attributes the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing to al-Qaeda and the Haqqani network, even though Iran and Hezbollah are thought to be the main suspects.

There’s some errors in terminology that, again, are strange for a journalist who regularly writes about these things. FBI agents are called “officers.” He writes of a codebreaker “penetrating” a KGB cable when he means “decrypted.” Michael Hayden is called the NSA’s “director-general.” He writes that SBS soldiers are drawn from the “Royal Military Commandos” (Marine?) He repeatedly refers to CIA “bureau chiefs” when he means station chief. He constantly refers to ISIS as “Isis.” He writes that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was located by a “CIA-led counter-surveillance operation” (surely he means “surveillance”) The NSC is called the “National Security Committee.”

Also, at one point, when describing Fritz Kolbe, Kerbaj writes that British intelligence turned down Kolbe’s offer to spy for them because they believed him to be a double agent. The service's real concern was that, if the Germans caught Kolbe, they would take the precaution of changing their cipher systems. SIS's Claude Dansey thought contact with Kolbe was unnecessary and wouldn’t turn up anything they weren’t getting from ULTRA. However,Allen Dulles misinterpreted SIS’s position because he wasn’t in on the ULTRA secret.

Kerbaj also briefly mentions Operation Ajax in Iran, writing that the CIA and MI6 toppled the “democratically elected government” and mobilized protestors that deposed Mossadegh and put the Shah in power. I get that this book doesn’t have the space to cover this story in detail, but the real story of the 1953 coup is a bit more complicated. Mossadegh was not “democratically elected,” he was chosen by the shah, and only the shah had that power. Parliament then consented, and the shah appointed him. He would dismiss Mossadegh twice, meaning Mossadegh was, at the time of the coup, holding on to power illegally. Mossadegh himself would try to purge his critics by dissolving Parliament, and before the coup even began, the Iranian army was plotting against him, and the coup plotters didn’t need CIA help to win allies. The CIA’s coup plan ended up failing, and Mossadegh stepped down after violent demonstrations, and a second coup attempt that was largely an Iranian initiative. Iranian clerics would play an important role in Mossadegh’s overthrow. It was only afterwards, it seems, that Mossadegh’s image became that of a heroic fighter for democracy and a victim of foreign meddling. Many assume that these demonstrators (despite their sheer size) were all CIA puppets, and I guess Kerbaj concurs. I get that his book has a different focus, but mythologized and complicated historical episodes like this deserve a more thorough and critical look.

A well-written and insightful work, though it could have been researched better.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

On one hand, Five Eyes (FEs) is a band of brothers drawn together by common values and languages to defeat Islamic terrorism. On the other hand, it is a marriage of convenience as each member monitors a part of the world (creating some kind of internal reliance on each member) riddled with distrust and a massive imbalance of power towards the US. The starting point for this analogy and FEs comes from Scotland Yard facilitating exchanges between the FBI and MI5 at a time when MI5 was severely underfunded in the early 1930s.

Winston Churchill unknowingly continued the practice of cross boarder intelligence through his intelligence advisor Admiral Hall, who had contacts in Germany who said the balance sheets of manufacturing companies had devoted massive expenditure to weapons investment, helping convince Churchill of Hitler’s true intentions. This explains why Roosevelt was exchanging intelligence with Churchill about Hitler while he was living in Carlisle Mansions in 1939. Roosevelt would later agree to the FBI forming a secret backchannel with MI6.

A security relationship between MI6 and FBI was formalised after in late 1940, with Bletchley Park’s capabilities being leveraged extensively by the British, leading one US negotiator to say that the UK’s work on Germany’s enigma could save the US two years in research. The first years of the intelligence sharing relationship were not all smooth, with Arlington Hall in the US (home to its signals agency) sometimes not even sharing intelligence with Roosevelt about its technology development, and sometimes feeling resentful that Bletchley Park withheld information about its Enigma Programme. There was also a suspicion that Churchill withheld UK intelligence about Japan’s intentions to bomb Pearl Harbour. Alan Turing was eventually dispatched (US Boarder Security rejected him at first) to smooth relations.

The US and UK intelligence relationship was formalised at the end of WW2 to the name of UKUSA. Australia, CAN and NZ were also included on the brief nine-page document not least to broaden the Five Eye’s geographical reach, which provided no governance and was really a non-binding memorandum that built upon the feats of the WW2 code breakers.

After the Cold War, the next major intelligence challenge was Al-Qaeda and attempting to predict terrorist attacks. The UK shared intelligence with the US in 1998 that Al-Qaeda that was planning to hijack planes, but given that it was so speculative the US understandably did not act. The day after 9/11 happened, UK intelligence officials were dispatched to the US, one of whom noted that “emotionally compromised people never make good decisions”. Innocent Iraqis (sometimes subjected to torture) and dubious sources were detained to try and prove the proposition that Iraq supported 9/11 including operation Curveball where a drunk “chemical engineer” claimed that Iraq was building weapons of mass destruction. Intelligence operatives sucked up to politicians to further their career, including John Scarlett who was behind the dodgy dossier and was eventually promoted to run MI6. In short, Blair recognised that it was in the UK’s strategic interests to support the US with Iraq to strengthen the intelligence and security relationship and would find whatever intelligence possible to support that position. MI6 suffered reputational damage as a result of its incorrect intelligence, as did intelligence agencies from around the world in countries involved in Iraq.

After Iraq, the next security challenge was defeating rouge terrorists, in particular those from ISIS. “Jihadi John” quickly became the N1 target after beheading numerous westerners. MI6 through drones and sophisticated phone bugging led successful efforts to assassinate him and, in the process, rehabilitate their public image.

This achievement however was quickly forgotten after the release of the Edward Snowden files which showed mass surveillance capabilities were provided to western intelligence agencies. It is important to note however that despite US and UK intelligence agencies in particular having the potential to access millions of messages, that did not automatically mean that they were. Sources included Microsoft, Google and Verizon all of whom agreed when needed to provide US intelligence agencies with information through the Prism programme. This served as a reminder that economic power does often equate to national security. It also revealed that the UK had spied on world leaders at the UK G20 summit in 2009. Edward Snowden’s leaking of 1.5m documents despite only being a contractor was incredibly embarrassing for the US and compromised temporarily the intelligence sharing between Five Eyes, but when the other Five Eyes members tried to confront the US about how this has happened (in particular the UK), the UK was a lone voice because the US has always been the dominant power in the relationship. The leaks also revealed that the US provided the UK nearly £0.5bn to upgrade intelligence infrastructure in its global locations (such as Oman) which made up a significant proportion of the £3bn of UK spend on intelligence, compared to the £82bn from the US. To demonstrate the incredible imbalance in the Five Eyes between the UK and US Sir Ian Lobban (Head of GCHQ) tells the story of a US intelligence official who on a visit to GCHQ to reassure the UK that improvements had been made to their security at the end of the meeting took his US passport out of his pocket and said “you do not have one of these. People at the CIA do”.

More recently, intelligence agencies have struggled with threats from within in particular the US and the James Comey investigation into why Hilary Clinton had deleted 33,000 non-work emails from her work email, and then the FBI in turn investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US election. Comey was famously sacked and Robert Muller then conducted his own investigation which led him to weakly conclude that “if we had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime we would have said so”. Huawei was another example of this internal challenge with the US asking all Five Eye members (and other allies) to ditch Huawei equipment purely for political rather than technical reasons.

The book ends with an account from Scott Morrison about how he deceived Macron about the AUKUS deal by saying he had concerns and other options were being considered, but not an actual abandonment of the deal. Macron was aware of long running Australian concerns due to the delays the French Navy were experiencing, and the night when Scott Morrison won the election, Macron sent him a charming message. As Morrison in my view rightly says, when a relationship is predicated on transactions being completed by either side, you have to question the depth of the relationship. The best international relationships, like personal ones, survive arguments due to underlying cultural, political alignment (the UK refusing to join the US in Vietnam or the US (mainly Kissinger who probably had a bias against Europe) becoming incensed that the UK joined the European Economic Area in what they viewed as a snub to the Special Relationship)). The AUKUS deal has however thrown up questions of whether the Five Eyes alliance is two tiered between the US (1), UK (2) AUS (3), and CAN (4) and NZ (5), both of whom are the more junior partners (both of whom were offended they were only told by Morrison on the day of announcement). The future is Five Eyes is likely to remain the same for the past 70 years; dominated by the US, with only five members (because adding another member creates two additional source risks) as these five members help cover every continent.

[*ੈ✩‧₊˚Sassy Little Hippy˚₊‧✩ ੈ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.1 ⭐️ 🎧
For history lovers and conspiracy realists that want to dig a little deeper into the behind the scenes of the 5 Eyes, a secret intelligence alliance, and its impacts on citizens. I was drawn to this due to having an interest in the big 5, 9 and 14 eyes 👀.

I absolutely loved the cover design, that caught my attention right away.

While this is focused more on stories of (jaw-dropping) espionage over the last 8 decades, I think I would personally be more of a fan if told in an engaging podcast style - summarizing the stories as more of a discussion versus the way these stories are told. It gets a bit dry and mundane for me, as this is more of an education style than entertaining.

This audio has been refreshed from a previous release. There were complaints about too many quotes in the previous version, and I believe this version corrects that. But as an American, I need more dynamic and inflection in such a long audio book to hold my attention. I just don’t think this is a great audio book content or delivery style.

All-in-all, I appreciated the level of detail and effort the author put into this. This was no easy undertaking. The content was interesting and geared towards educators and historians that are looking for facts and timelines without an entertainment factor.

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Richard Kerbaj for providing me with a complimentary ARC to review!

[Stephen Curran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but maybe not technical enough for some people i.e. me

[Tim Pendry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kerbaj's history of the Five Eyes sigint system is useful in reminding us how technology is not necessarily liberatory. It can be an agent of surveillance and control. The story starts not in 1956 when it was created but with responses to earlier Nazi and more concerning Soviet Cold War spy operations.

The underlying tale is one of the de facto merging of US and British post-imperial intelligence technologies to counter the 'threat' of Sovietism and other forms of Communism. The three other Five Eyes were the 'white commonwealth' countries of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

De facto but not de jure. Periodically there would be tensions and disputes when co-operation had to be smoothed over because of some (usually humint) blunder by one party or the other or because foreign policies were not exactly aligned. America was never not the dominant partner.

In general, however, the two systems were fully aligned and became an asset in the creation of the Anglo-Saxon ideal of the liberal West. As British power declined, Australia became more important but the total system was directed largely by US needs and desires.

This is not to say that the Five Eyes became a wholly owned Washington subsidiary but only that the British had to invest heavily in their own capacity and machinery in order to be useful to America and to deter it from thinking that it alone could displace the other Four Eyes.

Although not majored on in this book, the intelligence system was part of a greater whole of junior British dependency where its status as an asset was linked to US commitment to NATO, the maintenance of an allegedly 'independent' nuclear capacity and 'global influence'.

Of course, this is a structure up for grabs with the latest Presidency but all the indications are that the British have found themselves so trapped in a semi-abusive relationship that they cannot escape. Security is now about to be wrapped up in the economics of trade tariffs and in culture wars.

As to the book, it is written by a journalist and not a scholar with all the advantages and disadvantages of this. It is readable and reasonably well structured as a narrative but it is also rather vulnerable to seduction by sources who apparently allowed Kerbaj access to 'secrets'.

The critical faculty - though not absent - starts to melt away the nearer we get to our own time to the point that, by the end, we are sensing an official version of history subtly replacing a more critical and historical one. This is inevitable - you do not get access without a little bit of wolf becoming dog.

Nevertheless, so long as you retain your critical faculty as a consumer, it is a good read with intelligently presented anecdotes and a broadly coherent narrative that takes us through one very important element in Western security policy, its apparat and the negotiations that sustain it.

Finally, I should add that Canada, Australia and New Zealand are not forgotten. Each in its own way plays a significant if temporary role in a narrative otherwise dominated by the Anglo-American relationship. They are lesser but not insignificant players in the game.

[Calum Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Secret History of the Five Eyes" delves into the enigmatic realm of international espionage, offering a window into the world's most secretive intelligence alliance. This book, steeped in history and mystery, charts the evolution of the Five Eyes network from its inception in the aftermath of World War II to its present-day operations. Through a blend of chronology and revelation, it strives to illuminate the corners of a partnership that has shaped global intelligence dynamics.

Overview:
Utilising firsthand interviews with a gamut of influential figures, including erstwhile Prime Ministers and intelligence operatives, the narrative brims with authenticity. These perspectives provide a rare insider view into the clandestine operations and strategic collaborations that have long been shielded from public scrutiny.

Highlights:
- The book's informative essence is undeniable, offering a solid foundation in understanding the intricacies of the Five Eyes partnership. It adeptly contextualises the alliance within the broader political and historical landscape, providing readers with a comprehensive overview of its development and operational ethos.
- The chronological format is a particular strength, presenting a clear and coherent timeline that guides readers through the complex history of this intelligence alliance. This methodical approach aids in demystifying the evolution and operational nuances of the Five Eyes.

Shortcomings:
- Despite its depth, the narrative predominantly focuses on the USA and UK, marginally addressing Canada and Australia's roles and nearly omitting New Zealand's contribution. This imbalance skews the portrayal of the Five Eyes as a more insular Anglo-American operation rather than a truly collaborative international endeavour.
- The recounting of the Five Eyes' successes stops short of delving into the operational details. This superficial treatment of their achievements may leave readers seeking a more granular understanding of the intelligence victories and the specific strategies employed.

Final Thoughts
While "The Secret History of the Five Eyes" is a treasure trove of information and provides a robust overview of the alliance, its lack of depth in certain areas is notable. The book's focus on the Anglo-American axis and the cursory treatment of operational successes detract from its potential to be a definitive account of the Five Eyes network.

Awarding this book a 3 out of 5 stars reflects its position as an informative yet imperfect exploration of one of the most fascinating aspects of modern history. It succeeds in shedding light on the shadowy world of international espionage but falls short of offering the comprehensive and balanced insight that aficionados of spy lore might crave. For those new to the subject, it serves as a valuable primer, yet for the seasoned spy enthusiast, it might leave a thirst for the finer details of espionage craft and international collaboration unquenched.

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Kerbaj’s “The Secret History of the Five Eyes” reads like an official history smuggled out of a secure archive and rewritten as a political thriller. It is both a sweeping chronicle of power and a surprisingly intimate study of the people who inhabit the shadows. Kerbaj traces the evolution of the Five Eyes alliance—US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—from its improvised beginnings in wartime code‑sharing to its present role as the world’s most consequential intelligence club. Rather than offer a dry institutional history, he structures the book around operations and crises, using episodes from the Second World War through the Cold War and the War on Terror to show how this informal pact hardened into a central pillar of Western statecraft. The book is at its most fascinating when it opens doors usually closed to the public, drawing on extensive interviews with former spies, senior officials, and political leaders. These first‑person accounts expose the mix of trust, rivalry, ego, and loyalty that underpins intelligence cooperation, revealing an alliance built as much on personal relationships as on formal agreements. Kerbaj refuses to romanticize the Five Eyes, detailing both its triumphs against terrorism and hostile states and its failures, blind spots, and petty turf wars. Chapters on controversies like the Snowden revelations and botched strategies in past conflicts probe the moral ambiguity of mass surveillance and clandestine power without lapsing into polemic. His prose is brisk and accessible, compressing complex technical systems and bureaucratic structures into crisp, scene‑driven storytelling that should engage general readers and specialists alike. Some critics note factual slips and a reliance on already public material, arguing that the “secret” history occasionally feels less revelatory than advertised, but even they acknowledge the breadth of synthesis and the vividness of the reporting. For anyone curious about how an invisible alliance shapes wars, diplomacy, and domestic politics, this book offers an engrossing, often unsettling guided tour. It may not blow the lid off every mystery, but it illuminates a world that usually prefers to remain just out of sight—and makes clear why what happens there matters to everyone else.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘The bedrock of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance was gradually formed by British and American officials without them realising it.’

If you have ever wondered about the background to the formation of the Five Eyes (FVEY) intelligence alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America) then you may wish to read this book. The origins of the FVEY alliance can be traced to informal secret meetings during World War II between British and American codebreakers before the USA formally entered the war.

Mr Kerbaj, a journalist, includes several true spy stories going back to Nazi spy rings in the 1930s. While I was aware of some of these stories, others were new to me. And yes, some spies were more competent than others. However, my real interest in reading this book was in following the political machinations in intelligence-sharing since the 1950s and learning more about what has happened since the September 11 attacks in 2001. Clearly, not all members of FVEY are considered equal when it comes to information sharing.

In writing this book, I read that Mr Kerbaj had interviews with more than one hundred intelligence officials as well as interviews with some world leaders (British Prime Ministers Theresa May and David Cameron are named).

While I share Mr Kerbaj’s outrage about the human rights violations that have occurred in pursuing the ‘War against Terrorism’, I am also concerned about the impact of espionage on regimes different from the version of democracy the FVEY countries subscribe to.

‘The game of spying is not a level playing field.’

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Peter Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work is superbly structured, articulated and researched, as one would hopefully expect from a journalist of the authors standing and professionalism. (There is one part that could do with a good editorial review, but it does not diminish the work as a whole)

If you are picking up this work, I would take it as highly likely that you know at least something of the 5 eyes, and likewise unless you have a direct association with a member, then you are very likely to come away from this work knowing a deal more than you did. Based on extremely well researched historical records or on direct discussions the author has had with multiple recent state leaders/prime ministers and those from within the functioning of the 5 eyes, this is a superbly informed work.

It is in the main also presented as a referenced accounting of that information, with to this readers eye, a slight author bias towards the actions and consistent behavioral of one of the members that is not always positive.

Spanning the lifetime of the alliance up to its publishing date of 2022, this comprehensive work is both an engaging in informative work that will likely be both educational and engrossing to the reader.

[skip thurnauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secret History of the Five Eyes recounts the history of the special relationship among five security services - the U.S, U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The story really begins with the informal cooperation between the U.S. and U.K. during WW II. I found the stories about information sharing quite interesting, but several times I got a bit lost in the weeds of global spy intrigue. “There is no other spy network with the same round-the-clock geographical reach and capabilities as the Five Eyes, where intelligence, analysis, technology, tradecraft and even personnel are shared between like-minded organizations in the interest of a common purpose.” The targets have changed with China now emerging as the major threat and so have the technologies with cyber security and quantum computing emerging as new weapons of spycraft. “Countries such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea have shown a complete disregard for international law, let alone human rights and civil liberties…” Where is the honorable James Bond these days? A good read for those into the business of spying, but maybe a bit much for those not so inclined.

[Humera Karim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Kerbaj's Five Eyes is a ‘must read’ book with a captivating writing style. It describes the formation and workings of the largest intelligence alliance, insight into the global events surrounding the formation and development of the alliance.
One of the most compelling aspects of the book is its portrayal of human unpredictability. It illustrates how individuals can undergo profound changes, shifting to completely opposing viewpoints and actions. Moreover, the struggle of Intelligent Agencies and their vulnerabilities as well.
The Intelligent Agencies are capable of influencing the mass public opinions. However, it is unfortunate that despite their capabilities, these agencies don’t play any role to promote the collective benefit of all humanity. Their efforts seldom contribute to bringing people closer together. It raises concerns about whether the world will ever reach a state of sanity, where humans can coexist as sophisticated beings, instead of behaving like a pack of beasts ready to attack one another.

[Tahlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret History of Five Eyes delves into the covert world of intelligence alliances, unveiling the intricate web of surveillance and espionage woven by the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Richard Kerbaj, a former security correspondent, skillfully navigates through classified archives, providing a captivating narrative that explores the origins, operations, and controversies surrounding the Five Eyes alliance. This meticulously researched book offers a thought-provoking perspective on the delicate balance between national security and individual privacy in an interconnected global landscape. A must-read for those intrigued by the clandestine realms of international intelligence.

[Gwilym Hughes · Rating 1 out of 5]

The subject is the sort of stuff that interests me but the book is shockingly badly edited:
A reference to a "Principle Passport Control Officer".
"Donovan made an unsuccessful run against Roosevelt for New York governor in 1932" - FDR was running for President in 1932, Donovan's opponent was Herbert Lehman.
A reference to Roosevelt's "third-renomination" in 1940, it was his second re-nomination.
"... the provision of American weapons would ultimately end up in German hands" - presumably it's meant to be "weapons that would".
A reference to "ultra-wave radio technology" - I think it's meant to be ultra-short wave.

And this is in the first thirty five pages.

[Pelayo Irving · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating historical-educational read that will bring you through the 80 years of history of the Five Eyes alliance. It is divided into four parts: the Origins, the Cold War, the war on Terror, and the more contemporary ‘Unconventional Battlefields’. This book provides knowledge on the successes and challenges that the Fives Eyes has gone through over these periods. From surprising anecdotal stories, to great historical analysis, this book is definitely a must read if you are interested in knowing more about the alliance and its future.

[Gabriel Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but …

This is an interesting, yet curiously incomplete book. We learn much about US and UK intelligence, little about Canadian, even less about Australian and practically nothing about New Zealand. On the other hand, the author does acknowledge this. And at the end of the day, the book rightly ends by noting that “the alliance remains vital in attempting to foresee and combat future threats.”

[Matt Heavner · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good addition to the "history of spying" section of your library and a good read. This was less a history and details of the five eyes and more a collection of historical (important) moments in spying starting with WW2 to the present and expanding the normal single country perspective to include the five eyes. There were several examples of "how this episode catalyzed, threatened, or impacted the five eyes partnership" but it wasn't a holistic history of the five eyes.

[Alice Bloomfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars ⭐️⭐️✨

Very high level glance at a long history. Compressing 100 years of history across 5 countries into 300 pages (excl notes, sources, etc) is a big ask. This would be much better if it was more detail and shorter busts of time, similar to the history of ASIO books. It is easy to read and follow along which is nice.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Understandably not very cohesive for a topic that's far too big for one book. Each chapter could be expanded to a book in its own right and I probably would have rated them highly, but all together there is not enough detail and not enough connection between chapters making the book difficult to follow.

[Michael Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret History of the Five Eyes was a well written and engaging read, with the author providing a very interesting insight into the world of espionage, and the history relating to that sphere between the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but pulled his punches. And had this strange but common blind spot were he would continually explain previous examples of the US lying, cheating and breaking the rules yet take them at face value on the present.

[Roly Crawshaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Content was fairly engaging but I listened to the audio version and had to quit due to the relentless “quote” “unquotes” the narrator uses. It becomes quite tedious and the book would be much improved if it didn’t have them.