American Signal Intelligence in Northwest Africa and Western Europe

Chapter 11. Aspects of Collaboration in Special Intelligence

Beginnings

Anglo-American collaboration in special intelligence came somewhat later than that in other forms of SIGINT. All collaboration in intelligence was based, one must remember, on mutual advantage rather than on altruism. As it progressed, confidence grew, but neither country released anything to the other unless the action would benefit itself either directly or indirectly by the uses to which the other would put the assistance. When the likelihood of war applied primarily to the Japanese Empire, U.S.-British exchanges of information on Japan in the cryptologic field went further than in other areas. Benefits had always to be balanced against risks, and while the U.S. remained ...