No.
Not really.
That would be surprising.
That Australia spied on the Indonesian President isn’t remotely surprising. It’s odd that people are reacting as though it is.
Australia has intelligence agencies. We have the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) and the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD, though they were formally known as the Defence Signal Directorate (DSD)).
Intelligence agencies collect intelligence or “spy”.
The Australian Signals Directorate even has a catch phrase under their title "Reveal Their Secrets - Protect Our Own”. Which is a fairly interesting catch phrase. ASIS doesn’t it just says “Australia’s overseas secret intelligence collection agency”.
The basic difference between them is the ASD is a Defence organisation and ASIS isn’t. Which would likely explain the slightly more aggressive "Reveal Their Secrets - Protect Our Own" summary of what they do.
Looking at the overviews of what they do provided on ASIS and ASD’s websites they explain what they do, in no really clear terms.
ASIS site says:
“ASIS's primary goal is to obtain and distribute secret intelligence about the capabilities, intentions and activities of individuals or organisations outside Australia, which may impact on Australia's interests and the well-being of its citizens.”
While ASD’s site throws a few more terms in there:
“The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) is an intelligence agency in the Australian Government Department of Defence, with its headquarters in Canberra.
Our mission, ‘Reveal their secrets, protect our own’, accurately summarises our role. ASD:
What they do should come as no surprise.
They’re intelligence agencies, they spy, they gather information.
They protect Australia’s interests.
That Australia has spied on Indonesia should be no surprise. If it’s revealed that we’ve spied on other countries in the Asia Pacific it shouldn’t be a surprise either.
However if it comes out that ASIS or ASD have been spying on Jean-Claude Juncker (Prime Minister of Luxembourg) or Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson (Prime Minister of Iceland) then I will be surprised.
Also, a little bit intrigued.
Not really.
That would be surprising.
That Australia spied on the Indonesian President isn’t remotely surprising. It’s odd that people are reacting as though it is.
Australia has intelligence agencies. We have the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) and the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD, though they were formally known as the Defence Signal Directorate (DSD)).
Intelligence agencies collect intelligence or “spy”.
The Australian Signals Directorate even has a catch phrase under their title "Reveal Their Secrets - Protect Our Own”. Which is a fairly interesting catch phrase. ASIS doesn’t it just says “Australia’s overseas secret intelligence collection agency”.
The basic difference between them is the ASD is a Defence organisation and ASIS isn’t. Which would likely explain the slightly more aggressive "Reveal Their Secrets - Protect Our Own" summary of what they do.
Looking at the overviews of what they do provided on ASIS and ASD’s websites they explain what they do, in no really clear terms.
ASIS site says:
“ASIS's primary goal is to obtain and distribute secret intelligence about the capabilities, intentions and activities of individuals or organisations outside Australia, which may impact on Australia's interests and the well-being of its citizens.”
While ASD’s site throws a few more terms in there:
“The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) is an intelligence agency in the Australian Government Department of Defence, with its headquarters in Canberra.
Our mission, ‘Reveal their secrets, protect our own’, accurately summarises our role. ASD:
- collects and analyses foreign signals intelligence, known as Sigint
- provides advice and assistance on information and communications security, known as InfoSec.”
What they do should come as no surprise.
They’re intelligence agencies, they spy, they gather information.
They protect Australia’s interests.
That Australia has spied on Indonesia should be no surprise. If it’s revealed that we’ve spied on other countries in the Asia Pacific it shouldn’t be a surprise either.
However if it comes out that ASIS or ASD have been spying on Jean-Claude Juncker (Prime Minister of Luxembourg) or Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson (Prime Minister of Iceland) then I will be surprised.
Also, a little bit intrigued.