Spy Hunters in a High-Trust Society : A Study of Secrecy, Suspicion, and Cooperation in Swedish Counterintelligence in the 1980s
Ingesson, Tony LU
(2024)
- Abstract
- During the 1980s, Sweden faced a substantial intelligence threat from Soviet and Warsaw Pact attempts at collection and infiltration. Despite this, Swedish counterintelligence managed to launch several effective responses, including early detection of recruitment attempts and expulsion of a number of hostile intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover. One part of this was the willing cooperation of the public in counterintelligence efforts. This cooperation is arguably a result of a high trust in the Security Service. In addition, somewhat paradoxically, considering the Swedish tradition of openness, Sweden has a very strict culture, legislation, and tradition regarding national security secrets. An even more paradoxical aspect... (More)
- During the 1980s, Sweden faced a substantial intelligence threat from Soviet and Warsaw Pact attempts at collection and infiltration. Despite this, Swedish counterintelligence managed to launch several effective responses, including early detection of recruitment attempts and expulsion of a number of hostile intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover. One part of this was the willing cooperation of the public in counterintelligence efforts. This cooperation is arguably a result of a high trust in the Security Service. In addition, somewhat paradoxically, considering the Swedish tradition of openness, Sweden has a very strict culture, legislation, and tradition regarding national security secrets. An even more paradoxical aspect of Swedish counterintelligence in the 1980s was the willingness to suspect even high-ranking counterintelligence staff of having been recruited to spy for a foreign power. This stands in stark contrast to the reluctance of American intelligence organizations to suspect their own in the same time period. This chapter explores the connection between national culture and organizational culture in counterintelligence in Sweden in the 1980s, to untangle these seemingly paradoxical observations, drawing on data on interpersonal and institutional trust in the United States and Sweden in the 1980s. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/fdaffc8d-0ebc-4006-9b80-6ce2db8b1066
- author
- Ingesson, Tony
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-09-12
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- counterintelligence, interpersonal trust, secrecy, intelligence, cold war
- host publication
- Intelligence Practices in High-Trust Societies : Scandinavian Exceptionalism? - Scandinavian Exceptionalism?
- editor
- Vrist Rønn, Kira ; Diderichsen, Adam ; Hartmann, Mia and Hartvigsen, Melanie
- publisher
- Routledge
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85210661068
- ISBN
- 9781032617039
- DOI
- 10.4324/9781032616377-7
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- fdaffc8d-0ebc-4006-9b80-6ce2db8b1066
- date added to LUP
- 2024-07-01 15:41:56
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 14:42:36
@inbook{fdaffc8d-0ebc-4006-9b80-6ce2db8b1066,
abstract = {{During the 1980s, Sweden faced a substantial intelligence threat from Soviet and Warsaw Pact attempts at collection and infiltration. Despite this, Swedish counterintelligence managed to launch several effective responses, including early detection of recruitment attempts and expulsion of a number of hostile intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover. One part of this was the willing cooperation of the public in counterintelligence efforts. This cooperation is arguably a result of a high trust in the Security Service. In addition, somewhat paradoxically, considering the Swedish tradition of openness, Sweden has a very strict culture, legislation, and tradition regarding national security secrets. An even more paradoxical aspect of Swedish counterintelligence in the 1980s was the willingness to suspect even high-ranking counterintelligence staff of having been recruited to spy for a foreign power. This stands in stark contrast to the reluctance of American intelligence organizations to suspect their own in the same time period. This chapter explores the connection between national culture and organizational culture in counterintelligence in Sweden in the 1980s, to untangle these seemingly paradoxical observations, drawing on data on interpersonal and institutional trust in the United States and Sweden in the 1980s.}},
author = {{Ingesson, Tony}},
booktitle = {{Intelligence Practices in High-Trust Societies : Scandinavian Exceptionalism?}},
editor = {{Vrist Rønn, Kira and Diderichsen, Adam and Hartmann, Mia and Hartvigsen, Melanie}},
isbn = {{9781032617039}},
keywords = {{counterintelligence; interpersonal trust; secrecy; intelligence; cold war}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
title = {{Spy Hunters in a High-Trust Society : A Study of Secrecy, Suspicion, and Cooperation in Swedish Counterintelligence in the 1980s}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781032616377-7}},
doi = {{10.4324/9781032616377-7}},
year = {{2024}},
}