Defence Q&A What is the worlds best intelligence agency ?

[Tonyukuk]

What is the worlds best intelligence agency ?

This is more of a fun question than a serious one. Obviously it would be difficult to say who's the best, but I guess if we are going off funding it would be the CIA. Due to the secrecy involved with intelligence agencies, it would be difficult to know who is the best. This is similar to asking which special forces are the best, we simply don't know. That said, if we are going off track record, and achievements relative to their funding/size who would be the considered among the best?

 

[Ryder]

What is the worlds best intelligence agency ?

This is more of a fun question than a serious one. Obviously it would be difficult to say who's the best, but I guess if we are going off funding it would be the CIA. Due to the secrecy involved with intelligence agencies, it would be difficult to know who is the best. This is similar to asking which special forces are the best, we simply don't know. That said, if we are going off track record, and achievements relative to their funding/size who would be the considered among the best?

You are going to get lots of different answers.

Im gonna go with MAC V SOG.

 

[Sami1234]

You are going to get lots of different answers.

Im gonna go with MAC V SOG.

But why tho!!!

 

[Huelague]

CIA.

 

[Sami1234]

For me the CIA and MI6, but i don't know much about the Chinese agencies.

 

[Ryder]

But why tho!!!

They did special forces but also intelligence in the jungles of vietnam.

Not a easy feat.

 

[Tonyukuk]

For me the CIA and MI6, but i don't know much about the Chinese agencies.

I always think of CIA, MI6 and Mossad as the big three. I feel like the KGB would fit into the top three back in its day. But currently I think Russia has a big problem with the competency of its security forces.

 

[Tonyukuk]

You are going to get lots of different answers.

Im gonna go with MAC V SOG.

Interesting, I never could have guessed your answer.

 

[Knowledgeseeker]

Interesting, I never could have guessed your answer.

Intelligence service outside its borders or internal?

 

[Tonyukuk]

Intelligence service outside its borders or internal?

Either one

 

[Knowledgeseeker]

Either one

It is complicated to answer to your question and its many factors that we have to consider such as budget, and geography. I will say that the CIA is definitely top 1 in the world due to its significant funding and technical expertise from NSA. I will mention a few other intelligence services that I think are doing a pretty good job in different parts of the world. In Europe, the best intelligence service would be in my opinion the MI16 ( Uk), followed by DGSE ( France). In Africa and Mena region, I would put Mossad ( Israel), and DST ( Morocco). I don't know a lot about Asia but from what I'm aware I would put MSS ( china), ISI ( Pakistan), and MIT (Turkey).

 

[Nilgiri]

ISI ( Pakistan)

Involved deeply in losing half the country and accomplishing the largest surrender of own forces since WW2 in the world.

Very high quality stuff indeed.

 

[Knowledgeseeker]

Involved deeply in losing half the country and accomplishing the largest surrender of own forces since WW2 in the world.

Very high quality stuff indeed.

I just shared the intelligence services that im aware of. I heard alot about the role of ISI in its nuclear program, and Afghanistan war since 70-80s. Perhaps you could share what your view is, and mention a few intelligence agencies around the world?

 

[Nilgiri]

I just shared the intelligence services that im aware of. I heard alot about the role of ISI in its nuclear program, and Afghanistan war since 70-80s. Perhaps you could share what your view is, and mention a few intelligence agencies around the world?

Well by raw capacity on offer (and thus largest buffer to develop and hone expertise and experience), its hard to compete with countries that had the largest head start due to significant economic, "soft power" and even colonial prevalance through the 20th century (since we are now in successive 21st one and not in some vacuum away from 20th).

That is why CIA and essentially its allied agencies like MI-6, Mossad etc rule the roost by default.....given just sheer amount of infiltrations done in period when say Asia and developing world were still extremely poor and only slowly coming out of colonisation/domination.

These are still cheques they continue to cash in intel feed (and internal action/dissonance/steering) across the spectrum (including at very high level of politics in developing world).

NKVD (and then KGB) was really only serious opposition (and at times outdid Western ones) in this arena given large scope of western intelligentsia somewhat always naturally being pro-socialist and pro-communist etc....and the Soviets "total war" and world revolutionary objective orienting their resources towards this in somewhat disproportionate way compared to their lagging economic wherewithall.

Only slowly this century will other capacities emerge as economic sinews strengthen there relative to West....to essentially do the same in reverse in sizeable way over time and catch up in more meaningful way at the world level scale. Till then they all have only limited power projection.