Iranian Minister Highlights Role of People in Intelligence Practices
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Intelligence Minister Seyed Mahmoud Alawi said his organization pays great attention to the role of people in the country’s security, noting that people can very well contribute to the sustainable security by interacting with the intelligence bodies.
Speaking on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of establishment of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry on Saturday, Alawi praised the idea of using “popular intelligence” to ensure sustainable security in the country.
“We believe the Intelligence Ministry is from the people and for the people,” he explained.
The minister further underlined that unlike the other countries, the Islamic Republic’s power structure is founded upon people.
He added that any factor that creates a rift between people and the government could imperil the national security.
Alawi went on to say that the concept of traditional intelligence will fade away in the future, stressing that the “era of post-intelligence” will begin, in which the “soft power” will assume great significance.
Soft power refers to the ability to attract and cooperate rather than coerce or to use force.
Joseph Nye, a Harvard professor, was the first who coined the term "soft power" to describe a nation's ability to wield influence through its culture, values and governance rather than by force.