What is a mole in espionage jargon?
A mole is also called a penetration agent or deep cover agent. This type of spy is recruited before having access to secret intelligence and subsequently manages to get into the target organization.
Questions about Mole (espionage)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When was the term mole introduced to the public by John le Carré?
The term was introduced to the public by British spy novelist John le Carré in 1974. His novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy brought the word into general usage after he claimed Western services used the corresponding term sleeper agent instead.
Who were the Cambridge Five and when were they recruited by the KGB?
The Cambridge Five were five upper-class British men recruited by the KGB as communist students at Cambridge University in the 1930s. They later rose to high levels in various parts of the British government through long-term infiltration starting decades before access was gained.
How did James Angleton serve as director of counterintelligence for the CIA between 1954 and 1975?
James Angleton served as director of counterintelligence for the CIA between 1954 and 1975 while reportedly being obsessed with suspicions that Western governments were riddled with long-term communist agents. He accused numerous politicians including former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Canadian Prime Ministers Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, and former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson before he was removed in 1975.
Why do moles require high motivation during their lifetime career?
Because the spy career of a mole occupies most of a lifetime, those who become moles must be highly motivated. One common motivation is ideology through political convictions, such as fellow travellers who became disaffected with their own governments during their youth between the 1920s and 1940s.