France
Macron pushing French ambassador in Iran to head national security secretariat

The Agencies' Gazette
SGDSN audited, UK Foreign Office cuts, Italy inspired by Viginum, Myanmar mercenaries, Solomon Islands compromises

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

FranceSGDSN audit launched

United KingdomForeign Office plans drastic cuts

ItalyRome looks to France to fight foreign interference

EstoniaBook published on ex-legionnaires' adventures in Myanmar

China/AustraliaThe Solomon Islands reach middle ground in Pacific standoff

France
French defence ministry shelves planned 'space' unit

Its creation was intended to follow on from that of the ‘artificial intelligence, digital, cyber and quantum’ unit set up within the French minister of armed forces' military cabinet in 2023. According to Intelligence Online sources, the plan to launch a similar entity dedicated to ‘space’ was dropped over the summer by defence minister Sébastien Lecornu's cabinet.

The Agencies' Gazette
Sisse, Brookings Institution, Viginum, Chairman Mao revival

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

FranceNew SISSE director a man of many means

United States Brookings Institution hires Kamala Harris's former adviser

FranceDigital watchdog Viginum launches information manipulation academy

ChinaGuoanbu behind Chairman Mao revival

The Agencies' Gazette
CNRLT head staying put, New INR chief, Defence key in Meloni's Africa policy

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

FranceNational intelligence coordinator post not up for grabs

USFormer ambassador to Pakistan becomes acting head of diplomatic intelligence

ItalyDefence and intelligence services central in Meloni's Africa policy

The Agencies' Gazette
SGDSN summoned, Tracfin musical chairs, bipartisan support for OSINT, GUR in Syria, ex-French intel watchdog chief dies

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

FranceState adviser Claire Legras in running for SGDSN top seat

FranceShort round of musical chairs at Tracfin

United StatesRare bipartisan support for new OSINT subcommittee

SyriaGUR drone operators still helping Damascus

FranceFormer CNCTR head Serge Lasvignes has died

France
France's armed forces think-tank IRSEM in a muddle over new director

The selection of a new director for France's military think-tank the Institute for Strategic Research is turning into something of a farce after dragging on for almost a year. A China specialist had been chosen, but the armed forces minister would like to see his own candidate appointed.

France
France mulls US-style foreign agents register after similar UK effort

France's Secretary General of Defence and National Security wants to introduce stricter controls of "amateur" lobbyists working informally for foreign interests.

France
Paris seeks to grasp the fluid concept of lawfare

"Lawfare", defined as the instrumentalisation of the law by a state for strategic purposes, is currently the focus of France's SGDSN defence and national security secretariat, which is looking for ways to counter US and soon Chinese regulations imposed on French industry.

France
France sets up 'CIA' to strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation on crisis and threat anticipation

The Comité Interministériel d'Anticipation (CIA), a little known committee overseen by France's general defence and national security secretariat, the SGDSN, has been set up to coordinate inter-ministerial forward planning on security and defence matters. It should benefit French strategic planning - but also public spending.

Spotlight | France
Behind showcase Viginum, Colmi committee takes lead in French anti-fake news efforts

The French government is organising its intelligence services' push against foreign disinformation. The General secretariat for defense and national security laid in early August the roles military intelligence and domestic intelligence will play within the newly formed Operational committee against information manipulation (Colmi).