The Intelligence Corps (British Army)

As part of our contextual research for Two Worlds, One War we have been focusing on how the communities in Afghanistan can help the forces in Afghanistan to help bring peace to the country and hopefully help alleviate the problems faced in the country. 

The regiment that deals with collecting the information the communities can provide is The Intelligence Corps.  It is responsible for gathering, analysing and disseminating military intelligence and also for counter-intelligence and security. 

The structure of the Intelligence Corps is continually adapting to meet operational requirements, and currently  comprises of a Military Intelligence Brigade which includes 3 regular and 2 reservist Multi -Function Battalions.

The Intelligence Corps also provides personnel to support a number of other units and establishments within Defence.

An Intelligence Corp speaking to a citizen.

Although one of the smallest Corps in the British Army there is much required of the Intelligence Corps who have a  significant number of personnel preparing for, serving in, or recently returned from operational deployment.The requirement for Operational Intelligence is a growth industry in which the Intelligence Corps are heavily involved.

Intelligence Corps Operators are provided an unique opportunity to cross train in:

• Material and Personnel Exploitation (MPE)
• Covert surveillance duties
• Debriefing and interrogation
• Foreign languages
• Imagery analysis
• Close operational intelligence support
• Strategic level assessment
• Counter intelligence duties
• Electronic warfare support
• Cyber threat analysis

The Intelligence Corps relate to our piece of work as we are basing our regiment on HUMINT specialists.  People are viewed the Army's most valuable assets. This includes Army personnel, prisoners of war and civilians. HUMINT specialists work in a systematic and controlled way to assimilate crucial pieces of intelligence from people such as refugees, prisoners of war, or the local people who live in the area where the Army is operating.HUMINT operators provide commanders with timely, accurate and often unique intelligence on an enemy's intentions, capabilities and way of working.

HUMNIT specialists are usually trained in languages for the area they are operating in for example in Afghanistan any member of the Intelligence Corps has the opportunity to train in Dari and Pashtu however they can be trained in other dialects and languages.

Intelligence Corps speaking to a Citizen

Community work is a key way to bring peace to Afghanistan as it can foil plots from the Taliban and other anti-government forces which can maim and kill. Most recently an EIGHT year old girl was  allegedly found wearing a suicide bomb vest, after her family who are members of the Taliban forced it on to her.

The allegations, first made in a statement from the Afghan interior ministry, did not mark any departure for the Taliban from past standards and behaviour.

• Two years ago insurgents tricked an eight year-old girl into carrying a bomb, disguised in a cloth bag, towards police and then detonated it remotely. She was the only person killed. 

• Last year they sent a teenage bomber to Nato headquarters in Kabul, who killed a group of other children.

• And overall UN figures show that the group are responsible for about three-quarters of civilian deaths and injuries in the increasingly violent conflict. 

 (http://www.theguardian.com/news/blog/2014/jan/07/child-bomb-plot-reporting-afghanistan)

 The Intelligence Corps are a central part of the British Army an informational leaflet is linked below if you are interested in their work. http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/INT_Corps_Brochure.pdf