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Espionage
*** Shopping-Tip: Espionage
{{redirect4|Spy|Secret agent}}
{{cleanup-date|February 2006}}
'''Espionage''' is the practice of obtaining
information about an organization or a society that is considered
secrecy secret or confidential ('''spying''') without the permission of the holder of the information. What differentiates espionage from other forms of
Intelligence (information gathering) intelligence work is that espionage involves obtaining the information by accessing the place where the information is stored or accessing the people who know the information and will divulge it through some kind of subterfuge.
Espionage is usually thought of as part of an institutional effort (i.e., governmental or corporate espionage). The term espionage is most readily associated with
state spying on potential or actual enemies, primarily for military purposes, but this has been extended to spying involving
corporations, known specifically as
industrial espionage. Many
nations routinely spy on both their enemies, and allies, although they maintain a policy of not making comment on this. ''
Black's Law Dictionary'' (
1990) defines espionage as: "...gathering, transmitting, or losing...information related to the
national defense."
A '''spy''' is an agent employed to obtain such secrets. The term '''intelligence officer''' is also used to describe a member of the
armed forces,
police officer or civilian
intelligence agency who specialises in the gathering, fusion and
analysis of
information and intelligence in order to provide advice to their
government or another organisation.
spymaster is a term often used in literature for the
superior of a
spy ring.
Incidents of espionage are well documented throughout history. The writings of
Sun-Tzu contain information on deception and
subversion (political) subversion. The
Ancient Egypt ancient Egyptians had a thoroughly developed system for the acquisition of intelligence, and the
Hebrews used spies as well. More recently, they played a significant part in
Elizabethan England (see
Francis Walsingham).
Feudal Japan often used
ninja to gather intelligence. Many modern espionage methods were already then well established.[http://www.henrywotton.org.uk/]
The
Cold War involved intense
Cold War espionage espionage activity between the
United States United States of America and its allies and the
Soviet Union and the
People's Republic of China and their allies, particularly related to
nuclear weapon nuclear weapons secrets. Recently, espionage agencies have targeted the
illegal drug trade and those considered to be
terrorism terrorists.
For three decades the United States has cultivated its best and brightest to pre-eminence in what is now known as the field of communication and control. As technology has advanced, the means and methods of espionage have advanced from Nixon era wire tapping, through Reagan era programs like echelon and carnivore, to surveillance of all electronic transmissions including cell phone logs, voice mail, email, packet sniffing, trace routing and wireless transmissions.
However, the
Soviet Union has been said to have had fielded the largest and most advanced spy networks during its time, infiltrating some of the most secure places on the planet which has caused many scandals.
Since January of 2000, a long list of agencies have been data mining the world's stock exchanges; this program was formalized on October 26, 2001 in the form of the Patriot Act. This helps track the financing of people who might be laundering money from drug transactions. For a variety of reasons, including changes in technology, it has been necessary to do this without warrants and it is argued that the necessity makes it legal.
In order to gather political and economic information that might be of advantage to the United States, foreign communications are routinely subject to surveillance. In 2002, new programs of satellite surveillance and unmanned low level drones armed with missiles made it possible not only to perform surveillance in real time, but to respond with force that can instantly annihilate any suspected threat anywhere in the world.
Legality of espionage
Espionage, when performed by a citizen of the target state, is generally considered to be a form of
treason. In many countries espionage is a crime punishable by death or life imprisonment. For example, espionage is still a capital crime in the
United States USA; however, the death penalty is rarely used in espionage cases in the U.S. ''See''
Espionage Act.
A person who owed allegiance to the British Crown who spied for a foreign country would face a maximum life sentence for
treason if it could be proved they were aiding Britain's enemies. In fact a foreign spy may also be prosecuted for treason because temporary allegiance to the Crown is owed by everyone voluntarily in Britain except lawful enemy
combatants.
Also in the UK, spying for proscribed
terrorism terrorist organisations violates the
Terrorism Act 2000. During the
World War II Second World War German spies in Britain were executed for
treachery, a special offense covering any aid given to the enemy, including by foreign nationals.
Noteworthy incidents in the history of espionage
*
Daniel Defoe spies for
Kingdom of England England in
Edinburgh, assisting in the bribery scandal which led to the
Treaty of Union 1707
*
Benedict Arnold's
West Point, New York West Point betrayal conspiracy
* Patriot
Kelsie DeNooy leaks British invasion plan to General Washington
*
1870s — infiltration of U.S. labor unions by
Pinkerton National Detective Agency
*
1940s —
Double Cross System British capture of German spy network in Britain in WWII
*
1940s —
Stalin rejects
Richard Sorges precise data on
Operation Barbarossa
*
1940s — transfer of U.S.
nuclear weapons secrets in the
Rosenberg Case
*
1940s–
1950s —
Cambridge Five Soviet spy ring in U.K. during and after WWII
*
1961 — failure of the
Bay of Pigs Invasion
*
1968–
1985 —
Walker spy ring sold U.S.
KL-7 codes to Soviets
*
1970s–
1990s — alleged
China Chinese theft of American
nuclear weapons designs (See
Cox report Cox Report)
*
2005 —
Leandro Aragoncillo indicted as part of what the
Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI refers to as the first case in history of espionage from within the
White House
Spies in various conflicts
*
American Civil War spies American Civil War
*
:Category:World War I espionage World War I
*
:Category:World War II espionage World War II
*
Cold War espionage Cold War
Espionage organizations
:''Main article:
List of intelligence agencies''.
*
Argentina:
SecretarÃa de Inteligencia SIDE,
Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia Criminal DNIC,
Dirección Nacional de Inteligencia Estratégica Militar DNIEM,
Jefatura de Inteligencia del Estado Mayor Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas J-2,
Servicio de Inteligencia del Ejército (Argentina) SIE,
Servicio de Inteligencia Naval (Argentina) SIN,
Servicio de Inteligencia de la Fuerza Aérea (Argentina) SIFA,
Inteligencia de la PolicÃa Federal Argentina SIPF,
Inteligencia de la GendarmerÃa Nacional Argentina SIGN,
Inteligencia de la Prefectura Naval Argentina SIPN,
Inteligencia de la PolicÃa de Seguridad Aeroportuaria SIPSA
*
Australia:
Defence Signals Directorate DSD,
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation ASIO,
Australian Secret Intelligence Service ASIS,
Office of National Assessments ONA,
Defence Intelligence Organisation DIO
*
Canada:
Canadian Security Intelligence Service CSIS,
Communications Security Establishment CSE
*
Cuba:
General Intelligence Directorate DGI, Military intelligence, others [CI]
*
France:
Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure DGSE,
Renseignements Généraux RG,
Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire DST
*
Germany:
Bundesnachrichtendienst BND
*
India:
Research and Analysis Wing RAW,
Intelligence Bureau IB,
Joint Intelligence committee JIC,
Defense Intelligence India DIA
*
Israel:
Mossad
*
Italy:
SISMI,
SISDE
*
Mexico:
CISEN
*
Pakistan:
Inter-Services Intelligence ISI
*
Netherlands:
AIVD
*
New Zealand:
New Zealand Security Intelligence Service NZSIS GCSB
*
South Africa:
National Intelligence Agency NIA,
South African Secret Service SASS,
South African National Defence Force Intelligence Division SANDF-ID
*
Soviet Union:
Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia) SVR, (formerly
KGB external reconnaissance and predecessor names); Soviet Military Intelligence
GRU
*
United Kingdom UK:
MI5,
MI6,
GCHQ,
Special Branch
*
United States USA:
Central Intelligence Agency CIA,
Defense Intelligence Agency DIA,
National Security Agency NSA,
National Reconnaissance Office NRO
:See also
Intelligence agency and
Special Operations Executive
Espionage technology and techniques
:''Main article
list of intelligence gathering disciplines.''
*
ECHELON
*
Agent Handling
*
Black Bag Operations
*
Concealment device
*
Cryptography
*
Cut-out
*
Dead drop
*
Eavesdropping
*
False flag operations
*
Honey trap
*
Interrogation
*
Nonofficial cover - NOC
*
One Way Voice Link
*
Steganography
*
Surveillance
*
TEMPEST — Protection devices for communication equipment.
Spy fiction
:''Main article:
Spy fiction''
Since not much is publicly known about real-life secret agents, the popular conception of the secret agent has been formed largely by 20th and 21st century
literature and
film cinema. Similar to the character of the
Private investigator private eye, the secret agent is usually a loner, sometimes amoral, an
existential hero operating outside the everyday constraints of society.
James Bond, the protagonist of
Ian Fleming's novels who went on to spawn an extremely successful
film franchise, is probably the most famous
fictional secret agent of all. Another is the boy spy
Alex Rider, created by
Anthony Horowitz; Rider is said to be useful due to his youth.
Spy Fiction has also become prevalent in video gaming, where the "wetworks" aspect of espionage is highlighted. Game situations typically involve agents sent into enemy territory for purposes of subversion. These depictions are more action-oriented than would be typical in most cases of espionage, and they tend to focus on infiltration rather than information-gathering. Some examples are
Metal Gear and
Splinter Cell.
Further reading
Surveys
* Andrew, Christopher. ''For the President's Eyes Only: Secret Intelligence and the American Presidency from Washington to Bush'' (1996)
* Black, Ian. ''Israel's Secret Wars: A History of Israel's Intelligence Services'' (1992)
-
Bungert, Heike et al eds. ''Secret Intelligence in the Twentieth Century'' (2003) essays by scholars
* Friedman, George. ''America's Secret War: Inside the Hidden Worldwide Struggle Between the United States and Its Enemies'' (2005), since 9-11
* Kahn, David ''The Codebreakers: The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet'' (1996), 1200 pages
* Knightley, Philip. ''The Second Oldest Profession: Spies and Spying in the Twentieth Century'' (1986)
* Lerner, K. Lee and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, eds. ''Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence and Security'' (2003), 1100 pages. 850 articles, strongest on technology
* O'Toole, George. ''Honorable Treachery: A History of U.S. Intelligence, Espionage, Covert Action from the American Revolution to the CIA'' (1991)
* Owen, David. ''Hidden Secrets: A Complete History of Espionage and the Technology Used to Support It'' (2002), popular
-
Richelson, Jeffery T. ''A Century of Spies: Intelligence in the Twentieth Century'' (1997)
* Richelson, Jeffery T. ''The U.S. Intelligence Community'' (4th ed. 1999)
* Smith Jr., W. Thomas. ''Encyclopedia of the Central Intelligence Agency'' (2003), popular
* West, Nigel. ''MI6: British Secret Intelligence Service Operations 1909-1945'' (1983)
* West, Nigel. ''Secret War: The Story of SOE, Britain's Wartime Sabotage Organization'' (1992)
* Wohlstetter, Roberta. ''Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision'' (1962)
World War I
*Beesly, Patrick. ''Room 40''. (1982). Covers the breaking of German codes by RN intelligence, including the Turkish bribe, Zimmermann telegram, and failure at Jutland.
*Kahn, David. ''The Codebreakers''. (1996). Covers the breaking of Russian codes and the victory at Tannenberg.
* May, Ernest (ed.) ''Knowing One's Enemies: Intelligence Assessment before the Two World Wars'' (1984)
* Tuchman, Barbara W. ''The Zimmermann Telegram'' (1966)
World War II: 1931-1945
* Babington-Smith, Constance. ''Air Spy: The Story of Photo Intelligence in World War II'' (1957)
* Hinsley, F. H. and Alan Stripp. ''Codebreakers: The Inside Story of Bletchley Park'' (2001)
* Hinsley, F. H. ''British Intelligence in the Second World War'' (1996) abridged version of multivolume official history.
* Hohne, Heinz. ''Canaris: Hitler's Master Spy'' (1979)
* Jones, R. V. ''The Wizard War: British Scientific Intelligence 1939-1945'' (1978)
* Kahn, David. ''The Codebreakers''. (1996).
* Kahn, David. ''Hitler's Spies: German Military Intelligence in World War II'' (1978)
* Kahn, David. ''Seizing the Enigma: The Race to Break the German U-Boat Codes, 1939-1943'' (1991)
* Lewin, Ronald. ''The American Magic: Codes, Ciphers and the Defeat of Japan'' (1982)
* May, Ernest (ed.) ''Knowing One's Enemies: Intelligence Assessment before the Two World Wars'' (1984)
* Persico, Joseph. ''Roosevelt's Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage'' (2001)
* Persico, Joseph. ''Casey: The Lives and Secrets of William J. Casey-From the OSS to the CIA'' (1991)
* Smith, Richard Harris. ''OSS: The Secret History of America's First Central Intelligence Agency'' (2005)
* Stanley, Roy M. ''World War II Photo Intelligence'' (1981)
* Wark, Wesley. ''The Ultimate Enemy: British Intelligence and Nazi Germany, 1933-1939'' (1985)
* Wark, Wesley K."Cryptographic Innocence: The Origins of Signals Intelligence in Canada in the Second World War", ''Journal of Contemporary History'' 22 (1987)
Cold War Era: 1945-1991
* Aldrich, Richard J. ''The Hidden Hand: Britain, America and Cold War Secret Intelligence'' (2002).
* Ambrose, Stephen E. ''Ike's Spies: Eisenhower and the Intelligence Establishment'' (1981).
-
Andrew, Christopher and Vasili Mitrokhin. ''The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB'' (1999)
* Andrew, Christopher, and Oleg Gordievsky. ''KGB: The Inside Story of Its Foreign Operations from Lenin to Gorbachev'' (1990).
* Aronoff, Myron J. ''The Spy Novels of John Le Carré: Balancing Ethics and Politics'' (1999).
* Bissell, Richard. ''Reflections of a Cold Warrior: From Yalta to the Bay of Pigs'' (1996)
* Bogle, Lori, ed. ''Cold War Espionage and Spying'' (2001), essays by
* Dorril, Stephen. ''MI6: Inside the Covert World of Her Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service'' (2000).
* Dziak, John J. ''Chekisty: A History of the KGB'' (1988)
* Gates, Robert M. ''From The Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story Of Five Presidents And How They Won The Cold War'' (1997)
* Haynes, John Earl, and Harvey Klehr. ''Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America'' (1999).
* Helms, Richard. ''A Look over My Shoulder: A Life in the Central Intelligence Agency'' (2003)
-
Koehler, John O. ''Stasi: The Untold Story of the East German Secret Police'' (1999)
* Mitrokhin. Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin. ''The Mitrokhin Archive'' (1999). vol 1, on KGB
* Murphy, David E., Sergei A. Kondrashev, and George Bailey. ''Battleground Berlin: CIA vs. KGB in the Cold War'' (1997).
* Persico, Joseph. ''Casey: The Lives and Secrets of William J. Casey-From the OSS to the CIA'' (1991)
* Prados, John. ''Presidents' Secret Wars: CIA and Pentagon Covert Operations Since World War II'' (1996)
-
Rositzke, Harry. ''The CIA's Secret Operations: Espionage, Counterespionage, and Covert Action'' (1988)
* Srodes, James. ''Allen Dulles'' (2000), CIA head to 1961
-
Trahair, Richard C. S. ''Encyclopedia of Cold War Espionage, Spies and Secret Operations'' (2004), by an Australian scholar; contains excellent historiographical introduction
* Weinstein, Allen, and Alexander Vassiliev. ''The Haunted Wood: Soviet Espionage in America—The Stalin Era'' (1999).
Pop culture
Common espionage in today's world has been dubbed snitching(other variations included ratting and tattle-tale). What separates it from other forms of espionage is that it involves a traitor or victim rather than a spy. Snitching received a
bad reputation as it goes against the
golden rule. Also the informers are often used as the
scapegoat for a person or groups mistakes and failures. The video
Stop Snitchin' was created to show that people who informed authorities on crimes should (or would) be murdered. This resulted in major controversity.
See also
*
Classified information
*
Numbers station
*
List of cryptographers
*
List of alleged secret agents
*
Military intelligence
*
Motives for spying
*
Security clearance
*
Treason
External links
-
Spy Forum and Spying Discussions
Category:Espionage *
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