Money is at the heart of our upcoming defence review. But the brass hats, civil servants and politicians wrestling with spending dilemmas might usefully think about money in a different way: as a threat to our national security. You may make your fortune through thuggery but laundering it in the respectable world typically involves legitimate means. You can buy allies with charitable and political donations, while pricey lawyers inflict crippling legal costs on your foes. But when employed by outsiders, they are influence operations: defence jargon for non-military attacks on our national security.

Source: The Times September 13, 2020 23:03 UTC