Role and Functions
Key Objectives
- Early Warning: providing alerts on impending crises.
- Crisis Management: Helping to discern the intentions of potential opponents.
- Military Intelligence: Informing defense planning and military operations.
- Counter-Intelligence: Defending against the espionage efforts of other foreign agencies.
- Information Security: Protecting state secrets and sensitive data.
- Covert Operations: Influencing events in favor of national interests.
Major Intelligence Agencies by Country
Note: Many countries have separate agencies for internal security (domestic) and external intelligence (foreign).
India ๐ฎ๐ณ
South Asia
India utilizes a dual-agency structure to handle security threats.
Agencies:
- Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW): India's external intelligence agency. Responsible for foreign intelligence and counter-terrorism abroad.
- Intelligence Bureau (IB): India's internal intelligence agency. Focuses on domestic threats and internal security.
United States ๐บ๐ธ
North America
Agencies:
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA): Focuses on overseas intelligence gathering and covert operations.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): Primary federal law enforcement agency and domestic intelligence service.
United Kingdom ๐ฌ๐ง
Europe
Agencies:
- Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO): Responsible for intelligence assessment and development of the UK's intelligence community.
- Note for Exams: The UK also relies on MI6 (SIS) for foreign intelligence and MI5 for domestic security.
Russia ๐ท๐บ
Eurasia
Successors to the Soviet-era KGB.
Agencies:
- Federal Security Service (FSB): Main domestic security agency (Counter-intelligence, border security).
- Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR): Focuses on external intelligence gathering.
Israel ๐ฎ๐ฑ
Middle East
Agency:
- Mossad (The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations): Renowned globally for its covert operations, counter-terrorism, and intelligence collection abroad.
Pakistan ๐ต๐ฐ
South Asia
Agency:
- Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI): The premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing national security intelligence to the government.
China ๐จ๐ณ
East Asia
Agency:
- Ministry of State Security (MSS): The intelligence and security agency responsible for counter-intelligence, foreign intelligence, and political security.
Other Important Agencies
- France: Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE).
- Germany: Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and Military Counter-Intelligence Service (MAD).
- Japan: Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office (CIRO) / Naichล.
- Australia: Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).
- Canada: Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
- South Korea: National Intelligence Service (NIS).
- South Africa: State Security Agency (SSA).
- Iran: Ministry of Intelligence (VAJA).
- Egypt: Mukhabarat (General Intelligence Service).
- Iraq: General Security Directorate (GSD) / Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS).