The British intelligence community in Singapore, 1946-1959 : local security, regional co-ordination and the Cold War in the Far East
Singapore was the stronghold of British intelligence in the Far East during the Cold War. The small city-colony played host to a diverse range of British intelligence organisations including regional outposts of MI5 and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), specialist technical intelligence centres, open source reporting centres and the police Special Branch. These intelligence outfits operated across three levels: the local, the regional and the national. This thesis investigates the British intelligence milieu in Singapore, focusing upon its organisation and status; its working culture and operations; and its impact or influence. In so doing, the thesis interrogates to what extent we can speak of a definable British intelligence 'community' in Singapore during the early Cold War. It concludes that there were instead two distinct communities: a local intelligence community, and a regional-national one. Nevertheless, there were two core similarities. Security intelligence was at the forefront of both communities as the most appropriate response to the nature of the Cold War both within Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. Secondly, both intelligence communities played a significant role not just in shaping
Shaw, Alexander Nicholas
The British intelligence community in Singapore, 1946-1959 : local security, regional co-ordination and the Cold War in the Far East. Singapore was the stronghold of British intelligence in the Far East during the Cold War. The small city-colony played host to a diverse range of British intelligence organisations including regional outposts of MI5 and the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), specialist technical intelligence centres, open source reporting centres and the police Special Branch. These intelligence outfits operated across three levels: the local, the regional and the national. This thesis investigates the British intelligence milieu in Singapore, focusing upon its organisation and status; its working culture and operations; and its impact or influence. In so doing, the thesis interrogates to what extent we can speak of a definable British intelligence 'community' in Singapore during the early Cold War. It concludes that there were instead two distinct communities: a local intelligence community, and a regional-national one. Nevertheless, there were two core similarities. Security intelligence was at the forefront of both communities as the most appropriate response to the nature of the Cold War both within Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. Secondly, both intelligence communities played a significant role not just in shaping
british_intelligence community singapore local security regional co_ordination cold war far_east singapore stronghold british_intelligence far east cold_war small city colony play host diverse_range british_intelligence organisation include regional outpost secret intelligence service specialist technical intelligence centre open_source reporting centre police special branch intelligence operate across_three level local_regional national investigates british_intelligence milieu singapore focus_upon organisation status working culture operation impact influence interrogate extent speak definable british_intelligence community singapore early_cold_war concludes instead two_distinct community local intelligence community regional_national nevertheless core similarity security intelligence forefront community appropriate response nature cold_war within singapore southeast_asian region secondly intelligence community play_significant role_shape