intelligence services of the world. Top ten secret agencies in the world
The special service is the most powerful organization for any people and country. There are countless agencies around the world that work to ensure the security of the state, and also act as a powerful and strong hold on the destabilization of the situation. The intelligence services are a really complex network, so it's impossible to trace and find out what they're really doing. Thus, it is very difficult to list the top ten intelligence services in the world.
10. Australian Security and Intelligence Service (ASIS - Australia)
The Australian Security and Intelligence Service is the official Australian government organization responsible for collecting intelligence from foreign countries.. It was established in 1952, the current leader is Nick Warner. Most interestingly, the service was a secret to the Australian government for over 20 years.
You can easily imagine the strength of an organization. The main interests of the service cover Asia and the Pacific region, agents are scattered around the world to collect and store records that protect the economy and politics of the country. The estimated budget for ASDB is $162 million.
9. Indian Intelligence Community (RAW - India)
The Intelligence Community of India is the ninth largest foreign intelligence organization in the ranking. It was formed in 1968 after two armed clashes. The first occurred in 1962 during the Sino-Indian War and in 1965 after the Indo-Pakistani War.
After two defeats, the Indians realized that they must have a strong external organization that would protect the interests of India beyond its borders, with the aim of foreseeing the military state at an early stage. Previously, the Intelligence Community of India was responsible for domestic and foreign affairs. It is worth noting that India is included in the ranking of 10 emerging economies.
8. General Directorate of External Security (DGSE - France)
The Directorate General of External Security of France takes an active part in the creation of intelligence operations, the protection of national security abroad. The service was formed in 1982 and its main task is to obtain records and collect intelligence information from various sources in order to help the country in a military-strategic situation. In the organisation DGSE employs more than 5,000 people under the leadership of Erar Corben de Mangu.
7. United States Intelligence Community (CIA - America)
The CIA is the largest advanced intelligence agency responsible for collecting data and information from other countries that could influence US policy.. The head of the CIA is John Brennan (previously this post was held by Leon Panetta), the service was formed in 1947. Its main task for this moment is the fight against terrorism.
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the goal is to capture the leaders of al-Qaeda and weaken the organization. The CIA and the US Army have completely failed the mission to combat terrorism, not a single leader of Al-Qaeda has been caught in 9 years of hard work. But they had little success in assassinating al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in May 2012 in Pakistan, where he was hiding. With a high budget and the most advanced technology, the CIA failed very much.
6. Federal Intelligence Service (BND - Germany)
BND – Germany's foreign intelligence service and official government security agency that operates as the German government's early warning system for corruption. To protect the interests of Germany, the organization monitors international communications and listens to conversations through online calls.
The service collects and analyzes data, evaluates information in order to prepare a report for officials. As a foreign intelligence agency, BND covers both military and civil services with more than 6,000 employees. Germany is in the top 12 countries that hate the US.
5. Ministry of State Security of the People's Republic of China (MSS - China)
The Ministry of State Security is the largest and most active Chinese intelligence agency. The organization is headquartered in Beijing and covers international and political affairs with a strict policy on foreign agents and spies. One of the main missions MS is to collect information from various countries.
It is said that many agents MS work in the USA, Canada and Australia, most of them worked as big businessmen, bankers, scientists and journalists. This really demonstrates the wide range of tasks of the great Chinese intelligence.
4. Office of Intelligence and Special Tasks (Mossad - Israel)
The Mossad is responsible for intelligence gathering for Israel. It is one of the most successful intelligence agencies in the world, taking an active part in covert operations and paramilitary activities. Acquisition of MIG-21 in 1967 and theft of plans" Mirage 5"is also the merit of this agency.
The Mossad is helping the US support Solidarity. The service was formed in 1949 and has approximately 1200 employees. Until 2011, the Mossad was headed by Meir Dagan, currently Tamir Pardo is in charge of the work.
3. Secret Intelligence Service (MI6 - UK)
British MI6 is also an effective intelligence service. A bit like the CIA in America. She has good technical equipment, MI6 can be considered the best intelligence in the world. They say that they can access any confidential information and documents in order to change any details for their own purposes. How successful is not yet known.
2. Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI - Pakistan)
A well-known intelligence service has a long successful track record ISI. The Inter-Services Intelligence was formed in 1948, only a year after Pakistan's independence, with the aim of strengthening the effectiveness of the young country. Success in achieving one's goal without leading to major interventions is unmatched, no one can compete with the excellence of the best intelligence in the world.
In history ISI there were absolutely no double agents, and this is one of the main reasons to consider her one of the best intelligence. It's one of the least funded intelligence agencies out of the ten, with 10,000 really good agents working around the world.
1. Federal Security Service (FSB - Russia)
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (formerly the KGB) is the main internal security organization in the country. All law enforcement agencies and institutions work on the orders of the FSB. The service is responsible for internal and external security Russian state. It is involved in counterintelligence, border security, counter-terrorism and surveillance. The organization fights organized crime and drug trafficking within the state.
And precisely because the collection of classified information is very important occupation, in many countries of the world secret agencies play very important role. Failed covert missions can lead to dire consequences (the 9/11 attack is one such example), while successful operations help a country avoid many tragedies.
We present to your attention the top ten, in our opinion, the world's secret agencies of our time. Please note that the currently existing agencies are listed here (sorry to the KGB fans).
Number 10 - KSRS (Canada)
The Canadian Secret Intelligence Service (CSIS) was formed in 1984 from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Like the CIA and MI6, the CRRC was established as a civilian agency with no ties to the military or police. Canadian secret agents worked both inside and outside the country.They tried to monitor and prevent threats to Canada's security. KSRS came under criticism after the tragedy in 1985, when Air India Flight 182 was shot down, carrying 280 Canadians. CRRC officials said that as a result of several strategic mistakes, black box data was lost. To date, no one has been held accountable for this incident.
What to be proud of: From 1988 to 1994, FARC agent Grant Bristow was infiltrated into the Canadian white supremacy movement and became chief of security for the Legacy Front, Canada's most prominent white supremacy organization. Bristow's activities led to several arrests and prevented several "acts of retaliation". His cover was blown in 1994 by a Toronto journalist.
Number 9 - ASRA (Australia)
The Australian Secret Intelligence Agency (ASRA) was formed in 1952. His duties included the collection of classified information, counterintelligence, and especially counteraction to other intelligence services of the world.More recently, the Australian government published a disputed lawsuit that allows the ASRA to cooperate with other organizations (like the CIA) in various paramilitary operations, but the ASRA agents must not personally take part in them.
The ACPA has been criticized on several occasions, including one incident in 1994 when it was accused of keeping the files of thousands of Australian citizens secret from everyone.
What to be proud of: In 1983, during a training operation at the Sheraton Hotel (Melbourne), unwanted public attention was attracted by the usual low-profile agency. What began as a test of the organization's readiness to rescue a foreign secret service agent has turned into a "total liberation".
The agents participating in the exercise put pressure on the employees and guests of the hotel, and used physical strength to the hotel manager, thus fulfilling "his mission".
Number 8 - PIA (India)
The Indian Foreign Intelligence Agency - Study and Analysis Unit (FIA) was formed in 1968 as a result of a severe lack of intelligence required during the wars with Pakistan and China.Unlike most Western agencies, PIA was formed as part of the federal cabinet of India and does not bear any responsibility to the Parliament of India. Much of PIA's recent attention has been focused on India's neighbor Pakistan.
During the Kargil War in Kashmir in 1999, the PIA established links between Pakistani intelligence and terrorist groups and also infiltrated virtually every paramilitary force in the Kashmir Valley.
Something to be proud of: PIA played a significant role in the formation of Bangladesh in 1971. The agency helped raise a wave of irritation with the ruling regime among the population of Bangladesh (then this country was part of Pakistan and was called East Pakistan), which led to the formation of the Bangladesh guerrilla army.
The PIA undercover infiltrated East Pakistan and carried out a series of covert operations that helped defeat the Pakistani army.
Number 7 - MOSSAD (Israel)
Israel's extremely active intelligence agency (MOSSAD) is involved in intelligence gathering, counter-terrorism and various covert operations.The director of the agency answers directly to the head of state - the prime minister. MOSSAD is civil service, its employees do not have any military ranks, although most of them served in the Israeli armed forces (this is mandatory).
The most famous unit of MOSSAD is the "Special Operations Division" or "Metsada". Metsada is responsible for several assassinations, military operations, sabotage and psychological warfare.
What to be proud of: In 1960, Mossad agents learned that Adolf Eichmann, a notorious Nazi criminal, lived in Argentina under the name Ricardo Klement. He was kidnapped from the country by a group of Mossad agents and transported to Israel, where he was convicted and executed.
Number 6 - FSRK (Germany)
The predecessor agency of the Federal Intelligence and Counterintelligence Service (FSRK) of Germany was formed before World War II and was intended to monitor the Soviet Union.Currently, the agency is a kind of "early warning system" of the German government about the emergence of potential threats to the country's security (phone tapping and electronic surveillance of the international communications service).
The annual budget of the FSRK is very large and exceeds 430 million euros. The FSRK has been embroiled in several recent internal scandals involving wiretapping and spying on journalists, and they have also used reporters as spies.
Something to be proud of: During the 2003 Iraq War, the German government refused US President George W. Bush to provide military units to participate in the coalition. At the same time, two FSRK agents distinguished themselves by handing over copies of Baghdad's defense plans, which were developed by Saddam Hussein, a month before the invasion.
Number 5 - MSR (Pakistan)
Poor communication between the army, navy and air force during the Indo-Pakistani War in 1947 led to the formation of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) a year later. Since that time, the influence of the agency has been constantly growing, thanks to the influence of Pakistani leaders.Since 9/11, the ITS has been actively cooperating with the CIA to prevent terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, as well as Pakistani native terrorists. The ITS is a deceptively active and powerful agency known for its way of waging "invisible" wars.
What to be proud of: In 1980, the ITS foiled an attempted plot against the President of Pakistan, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, during a national parade.
The conspirators, among whom were high-ranking military commanders, planned to carry out a bloody coup in the country and replace the existing rule with an extremist Islamic government. The ITS arrested the alleged conspirators and their supporters before the planned coup began.
Number 4 - GDVB (France)
The General Directorate of External Security (GDVB) was formed relatively recently, in 1982, to replace the foreign counterintelligence service SDECE. The directorate is responsible for collecting classified information and carrying out preventive measures to detect and locate the activities of agents from other countries of the world directed against the interests of France.Although the agency is low-profile, this did not stop them from bombing the Greenpeace fleet, which was protesting France's nuclear testing. Thanks to New Zealand law enforcement, the conspiracy was exposed. Two GDVB agents were arrested and found guilty of the death of a journalist who drowned in that incident.
Something to be proud of: The GDVB Agency quickly demonstrated what it is worth. In the 80s, a group of Soviet spies was exposed, collecting information about the technical developments of Western countries for the USSR. This is by far the largest group of industrial espionage secret agents ever uncovered in Europe or the US.
Number 3 - GRU (Russia)
When we think of Russian intelligence, the KGB usually comes to mind. However, the KGB was dissolved by Boris Yeltsin in 1995, while the even older Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) continued to operate despite the fall of the USSR. The GRU was formed in 1918 by Vladimir Lenin, and dealt with all matters of military intelligence.Since that time, the GRU has taken part in many significant anti-national uprisings in Eastern Europe. According to the words of the former agent, the GRU has created a number of secret weapons stores in the United States that are available to Russian special agents.
What to be proud of: The activities of the GRU are not very noticeable. But it is believed that it was involved in the assassination attempt on former Chechen President Zelimkhan Yandarbiev, who until 2004 lived in Qatar and was accused of collaborating with al-Qaeda. The attempt was made in the capital of Qatar - Doha - a direct hit of a bomb on the car in which the president was.
Number 2 - MI6 (UK)
The Secret Intelligence Service or MI6 was formed just before the First World War to monitor the activities of the German imperial government. Since then, MI6 has been involved in every significant conflict of the 20th and 21st centuries.Even before the 9/11 terrorist attack, MI6 was actively cooperating with its American counterparts and sharing classified intelligence, as well as taking an active part in covert operations. MI6, with the assistance of the CIA, took part in the overthrow of several ruling world regimes, the most famous of which were the revolutions in the Congo in 1961 and Iran in 1953.
Something to be proud of: Stories about 007 aside, MI6's most successful recent operation has been the hostage release in Lebanon in the 1980s. In particular, thanks to MI6 agents, a serious internal conflict arose within the Lebanese parliamentary groups, which did not allow any more hostages to be held.
Number 1 - CIA (USA)
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was formed in 1947. The activities of the agency include the following three main functions:1) Obtaining and analyzing information about foreigners,
2) Propaganda and public relations,
3) Covert operations concerning the security of the President.
During the Cold War, the CIA was given a lot of leeway because the US government believed that such leeway was necessary to successfully counter the KGB.
As a result, the CIA has been involved in many successful operations and failed attempts to eliminate unnecessary country leaders. The most famous among them were operations in Chile and the Congo (successful), as well as in Cuba (unsuccessfully).
Things to be proud of: The Bay of Pigs Invasion is perhaps the most significant, but the BLUEBIRD project (the James Bourne films featuring Matt Damon) is more shocking. From 1951 to 1953, the CIA conducted experiments related to human mind control, which investigated the process of creating a new human personality (or several) and replacing memory. To this end, electrodes were placed in a person's brain, which made it possible to control his behavior with the help of remote transmitters, and electroshock treatment was used to erase memory.
Shh...quiet. It's a secret
As you already understood, intelligence is not only the exact sciences. In it, dress up with successful operations, failures also occur. Intelligence gathering and covert operations are extremely risky, for which, in addition to sober calculation (often everything is based on guesswork), a lot of luck is needed.And failures, like the failed attempts to eliminate Fidel Castro in the 60s, only confirm the fact that operations do not always go as smoothly as in James Bond films.
Given the pace of Russia's revival, this list will soon be modified;).
In the modern world, taking into account the tense political situation, the role of special intelligence services has seriously increased. The "James Bonds" of the 21st century not only perform tasks familiar to intelligence officers, but also actively work in the information space. Today, most countries of the world have their own intelligence services, but only a few of them are really distinguished by a high professional level and colossal capabilities.
Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR)
The SVR is the successor to the former 1st Main Directorate (PGU) of the KGB of the USSR, which was responsible for foreign political intelligence. Very little is known about the activities of the SVR - it is perhaps the most secret Russian special service. But, judging by the reaction of the West, modern Russian intelligence officers work at a high level. Even during the Cold War, Washington did not accuse Moscow of influencing American elections.
Soldiers of the special unit of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia "Barrier" and Russian journalist Dmitry Kiselev in Syria
The Foreign Intelligence Service is also active in the Middle East, where it has to solve very important tasks in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen and other countries.
US Central Intelligence Agency
The CIA is the most popular intelligence agency in the world. What is not attributed American agents! Meanwhile, many CIA operations can indeed be called very successful, and these are not only the recruitment of agents and theft of secret information familiar to intelligence, but also such large-scale actions as “color revolutions” on post-Soviet space, in Arab countries. The Ukrainian Maidan is sometimes also called a CIA special operation. At the very least, there is no doubt that American foreign intelligence played a very important role in organizing the coup d'état in Kyiv and in the subsequent anti-Russian turn of Ukraine.
Mossad
Israeli intelligence is considered one of the most professional and tough intelligence agencies in the world. Its most famous actions are the liquidation of many leaders of the Arab radical organizations, Iranian nuclear scientists, identifying Nazi war criminals. It is known that now only about a thousand personnel are serving in the Mossad, but Israeli intelligence agents have entangled almost the entire world with a network of agents. And this brings results - for example, all the terrorists who captured and killed Israeli athletes during the Olympics in Munich in 1972 were eliminated by intelligence officers.
The Secret Intelligence Service of the British Foreign Office - MI6 - is one of the oldest modern intelligence services. It was created back in 1909 and went through the First and Second World Wars, numerous conflicts in the colonies, the Cold War between the West and the USSR.
MI6 British intelligence building in London
Now the whole world is literally crammed with British agents, which work in close contact with their American counterparts - the Anglo-Saxons remain allies in a secret war. Area of special attention of MI6 - Eastern Europe, former British colonies in Africa, the Middle East.
ISI Pakistan
The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence was created during the Cold War under the direct patronage of the US CIA. However, then the special service turned into a powerful independent structure, which today has the most numerous agents. In the sphere of interests are the Muslim countries of Central Asia and the Middle East, India, European countries. The Pakistani secret service acts harshly and aggressively, ruthlessly punishing the enemies of the Pakistani state and organizing all kinds of provocations against the countries - potential opponents. During the Soviet involvement in the war in Afghanistan, the ISI maintained close ties with the Mujahideen.
Ministry of State Security of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of State Security of the PRC is a large and cumbersome structure similar to the Soviet KGB, responsible for both foreign intelligence and counterintelligence and political security. The Ministry of State Security of the People's Republic of China includes operational departments that are in charge of foreign political intelligence, scientific, technical and economic intelligence, intelligence in disputed territories (Taiwan), intelligence from the territory of China itself, etc.
Given the large number of Chinese diasporas in the United States, Southeast Asia, and Europe, one can imagine the coverage of Chinese foreign intelligence.
Ministry of Information and National Security of Iran
In Iran, as in China, the functions of the special services are concentrated in a single structure responsible for intelligence, counterintelligence, and the fight against terrorism. Iranian agents are especially active in the nearby countries of the Middle East, especially in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan - that is, in those countries where impressive Shiite communities live and there are strategic interests of Tehran.
MIT - Turkish National Intelligence Organization
The Turkish intelligence agency combines the functions of foreign intelligence and internal secret political police. One of the main tasks of MIT is the fight against the enemies of the Turkish state, which include leftist and Kurdish organizations, some religious fundamentalist movements. In addition, MIT is actively working in countries with a significant proportion of the Turkic population and in neighboring states - Syria and Iraq. However, the special services also had well-known failures - for example, MIT was exposed in the supply of weapons to extremists in Syria.
BND - German Federal Intelligence Service
The appearance in post-war West Germany of its own foreign intelligence service (Bundesnachrichtendienst) was the result of the country's inclusion in the Cold War. An echo of Germany's defeat in World War II is a ban on organizing any subversive activities in other states.
Nevertheless, the BND is considered one of the most knowledgeable intelligence agencies, owning vast amounts of information.
DGSE - Directorate General of External Security of France
In France, foreign political intelligence is combined with military intelligence and together they are part of the Director General of External Security, subordinate to the French Ministry of Defense. Among the employees of French intelligence are both civilian personnel (civil servants) and officers and sergeants of the French armed forces. Among the most important areas are reconnaissance of the forces of a potential enemy in Europe, operations in the former French colonies, and the fight against terrorism.
If we are talking today about what the hierarchy of the world's special services looks like, the top five intelligence services in the world, then this rating can be built as follows: the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is in the first place, today it is the world's leading intelligence service, the potential of which is supported by huge funding.
Today, the CIA is primarily a fairly large intelligence apparatus, each of the American embassies operating in any country in the world, under the roof of the embassy, has a CIA residency, which includes a fairly qualified apparatus of operational and technical employees. In the CIA, one can also note the presence of a very large and solid information and analytical apparatus, because any information that enters intelligence needs to be carefully checked in the classification. And that the conclusions and proposals that can be implemented on the basis of this or that intelligence report form the basis of the certificates that are being prepared for the country's top leadership.
I would also like to note that the director of the CIA daily reports to the President of the United States of America in the morning, the so-called intelligence report, which notes everything that is happening and has happened in the world over the past day from the point of view of US interests and the adoption of certain decisions in order to influence certain processes. The CIA is still engaged in covert operations, we remember the color revolutions in the post-Soviet space and it is no secret who conducted them. And to whom the leaders of certain revolutions came for consultation. Naturally, the center and the brain are the American embassies in these countries.
In second place, you can safely put the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff armed forces. Of course, if we compare the capabilities that the KGB and the GRU had during the Soviet Union, then they were larger and more global. Today, the range and purpose of the tasks that our military and political intelligence is facing are changing, but still, of course, we must monitor all potential threats that may be born far from the Russian borders, but then receive some kind of materialization in the form of military or political threats. for our country.
Unfortunately, it should be noted that the second half of the nineties and the beginning of the 2000s were not entirely successful for our intelligence, primarily for the SVR. This was due to the fact that in the central apparatus of the Foreign Intelligence Service and in a number of Western residencies that we had in the USA and Great Britain, “moles” obviously acted - this is how people are called for intelligence who, at the same time, being regular intelligence officers, worked for foreign special services. We have lost a number of brilliant agent positions both in the central apparatus of the CIA and, of course, in the apparatus of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - this is the body that deals inside the United States, including counterintelligence, here you need to name our best agent Robert Hansan, when he was exposed, put on trial and given life imprisonment. And of course his exposure is a betrayal in our own ranks. But the SVR was able to lick its wounds and overcome this unfavorable syndrome that we had after the collapse of the Soviet Union. And there were massive facts of betrayal of our intelligence officers on the side of Western intelligence services. Today we can state that, like the GRU, the SVR quite effectively implements the tasks that the Kremlin sets for it, both in the field of undercover penetration into the territories of a number of Western states, and in terms of combating international terrorism.
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