World Intelligence Agency. The most famous scouts in the world

Federal Intelligence Service of Germany, BND

The German Federal Intelligence Service is a German foreign intelligence service, created in 1955 on the basis of the so-called "General Gehlen's organization." In terms of the number of employees, it is the largest federal institution in Germany. The BND has about 7,000 employees, of which 2,000 are engaged in intelligence gathering abroad. The main tasks of the department are the collection and analysis of intelligence. information, as well as identifying and countering threats to the sovereignty and interests of the Federal Republic of Germany. The BND also devotes a large part of its resources to the fight against terrorism.

Directorate General for External Security, DGSE (France)

The Directorate General for External Security is the main body of French foreign intelligence, established on April 2, 1982. Its task is to ensure intelligence and national security, in particular by carrying out paramilitary and counterintelligence operations abroad. The main office is located in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. The staff of employees for 2011 totals 4,747 people. As with most other intelligence services, the details of its activities and organization are not made public.

In eighth place in the list of the best intelligence services in the world is the Ministry of State Security of the PRC, a special service whose main functions are counterintelligence, foreign and domestic intelligence, as well as the political security of the People's Republic of China. It was created on June 6, 1983. The headquarters is located in Beijing.

Australian Secret Intelligence Service, ASIS

The Australian Secret Intelligence Service, headquartered in Canberra, is responsible for intelligence gathering, counterintelligence, and liaising with foreign intelligence services. It was created on May 13, 1952. However, the Australian government officially confirmed its existence only in 1977. It is interesting that the first employees of ASIS were trained by employees of the British "MI-6".

Research and Analysis Division, RAW (India)

One of the best intelligence services in the world is the Research and Analysis Department - the foreign intelligence service of India. It was created in September 1968. Its main functions are foreign intelligence, the fight against terrorism, covert operations, obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, as well as ensuring the security of India's nuclear program.

Intelligence and Special Missions Department, Mossad (Israel)

Mossad is Israel's national intelligence service, an analogue of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It is considered one of the most efficient and professional intelligence services in the world. Its main tasks are the collection and analysis of intelligence. information, as well as the conduct of covert special operations outside the country. The organization was formed in March 1951. The main office is located in Tel Aviv on King Shaul Boulevard. The Mossad currently has an estimated 1,200 employees. The most famous successful operations of this department are: the search and abduction of a Nazi included in the rating of the most brutal rulers in the history of Adolf Eichmann, the abduction of nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu, the elimination of the causes of the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympics and many others.

Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, FSB

The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is the national security service of Russia, the successor to the KGB. Its main functions are counterintelligence, intelligence and border activities, the fight against terrorism, corruption and especially dangerous forms of crime, as well as information security. It was formed on April 3, 1995. The headquarters are located in the main building of the former KGB at Lubyanka, Moscow.

UK Secret Intelligence Service, MI-6

The British Secret Intelligence Service is the British foreign intelligence service headquartered in London. It was formed in 1909. However, its existence was officially recognized only in 1994. The main tasks of MI-6 are the fight against espionage (counterintelligence), as well as the collection, processing and analysis of political, economic, technical and scientific information that threatens the interests of Great Britain.

Central Intelligence Agency, CIA (USA)

The Central Intelligence Agency is an American secret agency whose main functions are to conduct covert operations, as well as collect and analyze information about foreign governments, organizations, companies and individuals. The special service was created in 1947. It is headquartered in Langley, Virginia, 13 kilometers from Washington.

Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence, ISI

The best intelligence agency in the world is the Pakistani Interdepartmental Intelligence Service, established in 1948. Known as the most influential, powerful and well-equipped intelligence agency in the Islamic world. Its headquarters consists of several buildings and is located in Islamabad. According to some experts, ISI is the largest intelligence agency in the world in terms of the number of employees. Although their total number has never been announced, it is estimated at around 10,000.

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And precisely because the collection of classified information is a very important activity, in many countries of the world secret agencies play a very important role. Failure to covert missions can lead to dire consequences (the 9/11 attack is one such example), while successful operations help the country avoid many tragedies.

We present to your attention the ten best, in our opinion, secret world agencies of our time. Please note that there are currently existing agencies listed here (sorry KGB fans).

Number 10 - KSRS (Canada)

The Canadian Secret Intelligence Service (CSIR) was formed in 1984 from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Like the CIA and MI6, the CSRC was formed as a civilian agency with no ties to the military or the police. Canadian secret agents worked both domestically and internationally.

They tried to monitor and prevent threats to Canada's security. The CSRC came under criticism after the tragedy of 1985, when Air India Flight 182, carrying 280 Canadian citizens, was shot down. CSRC officials said the black box data had been lost as a result of several strategic errors. Until now, no one has been held accountable for this incident.

Proud To Be Proud: From 1988 to 1994, CSRC agent Grant Bristow was infiltrated into the Canadian white supremacist movement and became the chief of security for the Heritage Front, the most prominent white supremacy organization in Canada. Bristow's activities led to several arrests and prevented several "acts of retaliation". His cover was revealed in 1994 by a Toronto-based journalist.

Number 9 - ASRA (Australia)

The Australian Secret Intelligence Agency (ACRA) was formed in 1952. His duties included the collection of classified information, counterintelligence, and especially, countering other intelligence services in the world.

More recently, the Australian government issued a contested lawsuit that allows ACRA to cooperate with other organizations (such as the CIA) in various paramilitary operations, but without having ACRA agents personally involved.

ACRA has been criticized on several occasions, including one incident in 1994 when it was accused of keeping the personal files of thousands of Australian citizens secret from everyone.

Proud To Be Proud: In 1983, during a training operation at the Sheraton Hotel, Melbourne, unwanted public scrutiny was drawn by a low profile agency. What began as a test of the organization's readiness to rescue a foreign secret service agent has evolved into "total liberation."
The agents participating in the training put pressure on the employees and guests of the hotel, and used physical force on the hotel manager, thereby fulfilling "their mission".

Number 8 - PIA (India)

India's Foreign Intelligence Agency - Research and Analysis Unit (RIA) was formed in 1968 as a result of the great lack of intelligence required during the wars with Pakistan and China.

Unlike most Western agencies, the PIA was formed as one of the subdivisions of the Indian federal cabinet and does not bear any responsibility to the Indian parliament. Most of the FIA's attention has recently been focused on India's neighbor Pakistan.

During the 1999 Kargil War in Kashmir, the PIA established links between Pakistani intelligence and terrorist groups, and infiltrated virtually every paramilitary unit in the Kashmir Valley.

What you can 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.
Undercover PIA infiltrated East Pakistan and conducted a series of covert operations, which helped defeat the Pakistani army.

Number 7 - MOSSAD (Israel)

Israel's Extremely Active Intelligence Agency (MOSSAD) is engaged in intelligence gathering, countering terrorism and various covert operations.

The director of the agency answers directly to the head of state - the prime minister. The MOSSAD is a civilian service with no military ranks, although most of them have served in the Israeli armed forces (this is mandatory).
The most famous unit of the MOSSAD is the "Special Operations Division" or "Metsada". Metsada is responsible for several assassinations, military operations, sabotage and psychological warfare.

What you can 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 Germany's Federal Intelligence and Counterintelligence Service (FSRK) 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 (wiretapping 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 monitoring of journalists, and they have used reporters as spies.

Things to Be Proud of: During the 2003 Iraq War, the German government refused to provide US President George W. Bush with military units to join the coalition. At the same time, two FSRK agents distinguished themselves by passing on copies of Saddam Hussein's plans for the defense of Baghdad a month before the invasion.

Number 5 - MCP (Pakistan)

Poor interaction between the Army, Navy and Air Force during the Indo-Pakistani War in 1947 led to the formation of the Inter-Service Intelligence Service (IIS) a year later. Since then, the agency's influence has grown steadily, thanks to the influence of Pakistani leaders.

Since September 11, the ITS has actively worked with the CIA to prevent terrorist attacks by both Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and local terrorists in Pakistan. The ITS is a deceptively active and powerful agency known for its way of waging "invisible" wars.

Things to Be Proud of: In 1980, the ITS thwarted an attempted conspiracy against Pakistani President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq during a national parade.

The conspirators, including 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 prior to the planned coup.

Number 4 - GDVB (France)

The General Directorate for External Security (GDVB) was formed relatively recently, in 1982, to replace the external 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 a low-profile agency, this did not stop them from bombing the GREENPEES fleet, which protested against France's nuclear tests. Thanks to the activities of New Zealand law enforcement agencies, the conspiracy was exposed. Two GDVB agents were arrested and found guilty of the death of a journalist who drowned in that incident.

What you can 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. It is by far the largest group of industrial espionage secret agents ever discovered in Europe or the United States.

Number 3 - GRU (Russia)

When we think of Russian intelligence, we usually think of the KGB. However, the KGB was disbanded by Boris Yeltsin in 1995, while the even older Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) continued its work 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 former agent, the GRU has set up a number of clandestine weapons depots in the United States that are accessible to Russian special agents.

What you can be proud of: The activities of the GRU are not very visible. But it is believed that it was involved in the assassination attempt on the former president of Chechnya, Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, who lived in Qatar until 2004 and was accused of collaborating with al-Qaeda. The assassination attempt was carried out in the capital of Qatar - Doha - a direct bomb hit the car in which the president was.

Number 2 - MI6 (UK)

The Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, was formed just before World War I to oversee the activities of the German imperial government. Since then MI6 has been involved in all the significant conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Even before the 9/11 terrorist attack, MI6 actively collaborated with its American counterparts and shared secret intelligence, and was also actively involved in covert operations. MI6, assisted by the CIA, was involved in the overthrow of several ruling world regimes, the most famous of which were the revolutions in Congo in 1961 and Iran in 1953.

Proud To Be Proud: Aside from the 007 stories, MI6's most successful operation in recent times has been the release of hostages in Lebanon in the 1980s. In particular, thanks to MI6 agents, a serious internal conflict arose within Lebanese parliamentary groups, which made it impossible to hold hostages any longer.

Number 1 - CIA (USA)

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was formed in 1947. The agency's activities include the following three main functions:
1) Obtaining and analyzing information about foreigners,
2) Propaganda and public relations,
3) Covert operations related to the security of the president.

During the Cold War, the CIA gained more leeway because the US government believed that such freedom was essential to successfully countering the KGB.
As a result, the CIA has been involved in many successful operations and failed attempts to eliminate unnecessary leaders from countries. The most famous of these were operations in Chile and Congo (successful) and Cuba (unsuccessful).

Proud To Be Proud: The Bay of Pigs Invasion is perhaps the most significant, but BLUEBIRD (films about Agent James Bourne with Mat Damon) is more shocking. From 1951 to 1953, the CIA conducted experiments related to the control of the human mind, in which they studied the process of creating a new human personality (or several) and replacing memory. To this end, electrodes were placed in the human brain, which made it possible to control his behavior with the help of remote transmitters, and electroshock treatment was used to erase the memory.

Shhh ... quiet. It's a secret

As you already understood, intelligence is not only an exact science. In it, dress up with successful operations, and failures happen. 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 the James Bond films.

Given the pace of Russia's revival, this list will soon be modified;).

If we say today what the hierarchy of world special services looks like, the five best intelligence services in the world, then this rating can be built as follows: in the first place is the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), today it is the world's leading intelligence, whose potential is backed by huge funding.

Today, the CIA is, first of all, a fairly large agent apparatus, each of the American embassies operating in any country in the world has a CIA station under the roof of the embassy, ​​which includes a sufficiently qualified apparatus of operational and technical personnel. In the CIA, one can also note the presence of a very large and solid information and analytical apparatus, because any information that goes into intelligence needs to be carefully checked and classified. And it is that the conclusions and proposals that can be implemented on the basis of one or another intelligence report form the basis of those certificates that are being prepared for the country's top leadership.

I would also like to note that the CIA director daily reports to the President of the United States of America in the morning, the so-called intelligence report, which notes everything that happens and has happened in the world over the past day from the point of view of US interests and making 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 orchestrated them. And to whom the leaders of these or those 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 of the Armed Forces. Of course, if we compare the capabilities that the KGB and the GRU had during the Soviet Union, they were larger and more global. Today, the range and purpose of the tasks facing our military and political intelligence are changing, but still, of course, we must watch out for all potential threats that may be born far from the Russian borders, but then get 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 early 2000s were not entirely successful for our intelligence, primarily for the SVR. This was due to the fact that in the central office of the SVR and in a number of Western stations that we had in the United States and Great Britain, there were obviously "moles" - that is how intelligence refers to people who, while being regular intelligence officers, worked for foreign intelligence services. We have lost a number of brilliant intelligence positions both in the central office of the CIA and, of course, in the apparatus of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - this is a body that deals with inside the United States, including counterintelligence, here we need to name our best agent, Robert Hansan, when he was exposed, put on trial and given life sentence. And naturally, his exposure is a betrayal in our own ranks. But the SVR was able to lick the wounds, overcome this unfavorable syndrome that we developed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. And there were massive facts of betrayal of our intelligence officers on the side of the Western special services. Today we can state that, just like the GRU, the SVR is quite effectively implementing the tasks set by the Kremlin, both in the field of intelligence penetration into the territory of a number of Western states, and in terms of the fight against international terrorism.

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Below is a list of the ten best intelligence agencies in the world. We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with the rating of the best special forces units in the world.

10 German Federal Intelligence Service, BND

The German Federal Intelligence Service is a German foreign intelligence service, created in 1955 on the basis of the so-called "General Gehlen's organization." In terms of the number of employees, it is the largest federal institution in Germany. The BND has about 7,000 employees, of which 2,000 are engaged in intelligence gathering abroad. The main tasks of the department are the collection and analysis of intelligence. information, as well as identifying and countering threats to the sovereignty and interests of the Federal Republic of Germany. The BND also devotes a large part of its resources to the fight against terrorism.

9 Directorate General for External Security, DGSE (France)

The Directorate General for External Security is the main body of French foreign intelligence, established on April 2, 1982. Its task is to ensure intelligence and national security, in particular by carrying out paramilitary and counterintelligence operations abroad. The main office is located in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. The staff of employees for 2011 totals 4,747 people. As with most other intelligence services, the details of its activities and organization are not made public.

8 Ministry of State Security of the PRC

In eighth place in the list of the best intelligence services in the world is the Ministry of State Security of the PRC, a special service whose main functions are counterintelligence, foreign and domestic intelligence, as well as the political security of the People's Republic of China. It was created on June 6, 1983. The headquarters is located in Beijing.

7 Australian Secret Intelligence Service, ASIS

The Australian Secret Intelligence Service, headquartered in Canberra, is responsible for intelligence gathering, counterintelligence, and liaising with foreign intelligence services. It was created on May 13, 1952. However, the Australian government officially confirmed its existence only in 1977. It is interesting that the first employees of ASIS were trained by employees of the British "MI-6".

6 Research and Analysis Division, RAW (India)

One of the best intelligence services in the world is the Research and Analysis Department - the foreign intelligence service of India. It was created in September 1968. Its main functions are foreign intelligence, the fight against terrorism, covert operations, obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, as well as ensuring the security of India's nuclear program.

5 Intelligence and Special Missions Department, Mossad (Israel)

Mossad is Israel's national intelligence service, an analogue of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It is considered one of the most efficient and professional intelligence services in the world. Its main tasks are the collection and analysis of intelligence. information, as well as the conduct of covert special operations outside the country. The organization was formed in March 1951. The main office is located in Tel Aviv on King Shaul Boulevard. The Mossad currently has an estimated 1,200 employees. The most famous successful operations of this department are: the search and abduction of a Nazi included in the rating of the most brutal rulers in the history of Adolf Eichmann, the abduction of nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu, the elimination of the causes of the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympics and many others.

4 Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, FSB

The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is the national security service of Russia, the successor to the KGB. Its main functions are counterintelligence, intelligence and border activities, the fight against terrorism, corruption and especially dangerous forms of crime, as well as information security. It was formed on April 3, 1995. The headquarters are located in the main building of the former KGB at Lubyanka, Moscow.

3 British Secret Intelligence Service, MI-6

The British Secret Intelligence Service is the British foreign intelligence service headquartered in London. It was formed in 1909. However, its existence was officially recognized only in 1994. The main tasks of MI-6 are the fight against espionage (counterintelligence), as well as the collection, processing and analysis of political, economic, technical and scientific information that threatens the interests of Great Britain.

2 Central Intelligence Agency, CIA (USA)

The Central Intelligence Agency is an American secret agency whose main functions are to conduct covert operations, as well as collect and analyze information about foreign governments, organizations, companies and individuals. The special service was created in 1947. It is headquartered in Langley, Virginia, 13 kilometers from Washington.

1 Pakistani Inter-Service Intelligence, ISI

The best intelligence agency in the world is the Pakistani Interdepartmental Intelligence Service, established in 1948. Known as the most influential, powerful and well-equipped intelligence agency in the Islamic world. Its headquarters consists of several buildings and is located in Islamabad. According to some experts, ISI is the largest intelligence agency in the world in terms of the number of employees. Although their total number has never been announced, it is estimated at around 10,000.