DSM Conference – Carol Flynn: Russia can get involved in cyber-war, which is very dangerous
Teodora MarinescuIn today’s world, Russia cannot compete with us in a traditional war, but it can get involved in the cyber war, which is very dangerous, stated Tuesday, at the Defence and Security Monitor Conference, Carol Rollie Flynn, CIA expert in counter terrorism.
“The Russians are concerned not with our actions, but with what is happening inside of it. Take for example Moscow’s actions that took place years ago. They have started to act against the media and the civil society. They thought the big danger is there, in that environment.”
“What is going to happen with the democratic regimes? These are opened, are promoting transparency, and in nowadays Russia this transparency is prohibited. Romania, given its strategic position, is on the front line. You are positioned at the Black Sea, close to Russia’s borders, that it why you are an important country.”
“On 11th of September 2001, we were not able to connect the information we had, it was a mistake inside the Government and the relations with our partners. In the US, after the war, in 1947, it was created the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Here are collected all the foreign policy information. After World War II, the Soviet Union got extended towards East of Europe. Here, they have founded NATO; this organization would not had existed if strong partnerships were not created, and these are strong intelligence partnerships. We are not talking about the territorial level, but the intelligence one. We really need our partners.”
Carol Rollie Flynn, a Senior Fellow in the Program on National Security at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, is the founder and managing principal of Singa Consulting, a professional services firm. A 30-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Ms. Flynn held senior executive positions including Director of CIA’s Leadership Academy, Director of the Office of Foreign Intelligence Relationships, Associate Deputy Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Executive Director of the CIA Counterterrorism Center, and Chief of Station in major posts in Southeast Asia and Latin America. She has extensive experience in overseas intelligence operations, security, and counterintelligence. Ms. Flynn is also an adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service/Security Studies Program where she has co-directed the National Security Critical Issue Task Force (NSCITF), which has conducted research on Lone Wolf Terrorism, Countering Violent Extremism, and Insider Threat.
