AGENT KNOWLEDGE XI

“00” AGENT KNOWLEDGE XI

James Bond understands the basics of espionage.

Espionage is the practice of obtaining information about an organization or a society that is considered secret or confidential (spying) without the permission of the holder of the information. What differentiates espionage from other forms of 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.

A spy is an agent employed to obtain such secrets. The term intelligence officer is also used to describe someone who specializes in the gathering, fusion and analysis of information and intelligence in order to provide advice to their government or another organization.

The objectives of intelligence work are many. There is no single job for operatives: each has a particular position within an organization. At the high end, it may be to penetrate and infiltrate a target organization: either with one's own personnel, or to gain an "agent in place". If the job is to handle an agent in place, a Case Officer may be required to oversee the agent.

Sometimes the oversight is done indirectly, through lower level "handlers", "controllers", and contacts. The CIA customarily uses "agents of influence”: secondary sources connected with a target, like the maid to an ambassador who digs through the trash. This recognizes its weakness at the direct approach of recruitment. Such agents may be easier to find, but do not substitute for having the actual target in your employ.

An "agent" by definition acts on behalf of another, the "another", in this case, being an organization or government. Agents can be either witting or unwitting, willing or unwilling. Agents are typically under the direction of an agent handler or controller.

A potential recruit is often identified by skimming of trade journals and professional proceedings for subject experts names and affiliations, vulnerable political and technical delegation members, trade conferences attendees, and foreign travelers whose activities make them potential subjects for coercion or inducement. The assessment of a potential agent includes verification of their credentials and bona fides or true identities. An approach is either done 'cold,' where the recruiter has no prior contact with the target, or 'warm,' in which the handler and the target are prior acquaintances. Recruitment of an agent can take many months or even years to accomplish, and is risky. In the CIA, this agent is controlled by a Case Officer. The relationship between Case Officer and agent might be compared to psychiatrist and patient. A person willing to become involved in espionage, and the betrayal of his country, is often someone with emotional problems, or subject to the stress of the work. The Case Officer is mentor and must exhibit characteristics such as professionalism in the operational field, a cool head, and control of the emotions.

After a source (agent) has been exploited, he is in practice often no longer handled well. Promises are made but broken. Case officers may privately lack respect for an agent who is risking his life. Every agent runs the risk of being exposed by penetration of his employers, for example by a defection from within his handler's organization.

An agent in place refers to a subject known within a society, known to his friends, who may even have a position inside a government, and is willing to cooperate or assist. Case handling in these instances require much more caution, security, and training. It is extremely dangerous for both the Case officer and agent to publicly meet and have face to face contact, though initially this may be necessary to establish bona fides and some training regarding contacts. Usually the agent in place is then handed off to an innocuous cutout, or series of cutouts, who act as go-betweens and courier, delivering instructions and retrieving material.

The objective of counter-intelligence is to identify hostile intelligence operatives. Once identification has been made, the operative is not necessarily arrested immediately. A decision must be made, and hostile operatives can be left alone for a period of time so as not to reveal the existence of counter-intelligence operations.

Nonetheless, an identified operative must be cut off from access to further secure information, without letting them know their cover is blown. They also might then be given disinformation, either directly or indirectly. An assessment must be made as to the extent of the damage caused by that operative. Eventually, the operative and his handlers will realize their operation has been compromised if useless disinformation is being passed, but this creates time for the difficult process of "walking the dog backwards" to determine what has been compromised within the target organization. That is the point at which an arrest is usually made. Sometimes the process of feeding disinformation can be useful, and a hostile operative may be left in place for years.

Occasionally attempts are made to "turn" a mole; that is, gain his cooperation without exposing to his controllers that his cover has been blown. Turning a mole can make him an unwilling agent of either side, either to continue the feed of disinformation, or being coerced at threat of imprisonment to betray his compatriot organization.

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