*Ø* Blogmanac | PM urged to act on 'intelligence failures'

"A senior Army intelligence analyst has written to the [Australian] Prime Minister calling for a royal commission into Australia's intelligence services, claiming there has been systemic failures and a culture of cover up.

"Lieutenant Colonel Lance Collins ran Australia's intelligence operations in East Timor and is currently based at Victoria Barracks in Sydney.

"This week The Bulletin magazine is publishing a letter from Lt Colonel Collins urging Prime Minister John Howard to appoint an impartial, open and wide-ranging royal commission into Australia's intelligence services.

"Lt Colonel Collins lists a series of what he describes as intelligence failures over the last eight years, including Iraq's weapon's of mass destruction, delay in the Willie Brigitte case, and warning of the Bali bombing.

"He insists there has been a failure of insititutional controls over the nation's intelligence system and he fears the will to reform does not exist, only the will to cover-up ..."
Source: ABC Oz

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