Australian Security Intelligence Organization

This book traces the history of Australia's highly secret Intelligence Security Organisation. Established in the early days of the Cold War, like most intelligence organisations working under covert conditions, it exceeded the vague powers entrusted to it. It has been the subject of two Royal Commissions in Australia and in recent times several acts of Parliament have been passed in order to make it more accountable to Australia's government and its citizens. Origins of ASIO; the backgroung to establishing ASIO; embargoes, espionage and ASIO; the acceptance of ASIO in the USA; anti-Communism and ASIO; ASIO and the road to the Petrov affair; ASIO and the Petrov defection; ASIO and the Royal Commission on espionage; ASIO in the 1960s and 1970s; ASIO in the 1980s; ASIO and acountability.