MI6

• 1. Origins And Evolution

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  On the 1st of October 1909, the Secret Service Bureau opened its doors in London as a joint initiative between the Admiralty and the War Office. The bureau was created to monitor the maritime strength of the Imperial German Navy and control secret intelligence operations overseas. Within two years, the organization split into naval and army sections that specialized in foreign espionage and internal counter-espionage respectively. Captain Sir Mansfield George Smith-Cumming became the first director of the Foreign Section in 1914. He signed all correspondence with his initial C written in green ink, a tradition that continues today among subsequent directors. During the First World War, MI6 established its main European office in Rotterdam to coordinate espionage efforts against Germany and occupied Belgium. Most results came from military and commercial intelligence collected through networks in neutral countries, Russia, and occupied territories. The service struggled to establish a network inside Germany itself during the conflict. After the war, resources were significantly reduced but SIS established close operational relationships with the diplomatic service by August 1919. Cumming created a passport control department that provided diplomatic immunity for agents operating abroad. In 1923, Smith-Cumming died suddenly at his home on the 14th of June before he could retire. Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair took over leadership and reorganized the agency into multiple sections including economic intelligence and clandestine radio communications. By 1920, the organization began increasingly to be referred to as the Secret Intelligence Service, a title it has used continuously since then.

• 2. Cold War Penetration

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  In August 1945, Soviet intelligence officer Konstantin Volkov tried to defect to the UK offering names of all Soviet agents working inside British intelligence. Philby received the memo about Volkov's offer and alerted the Soviets so they could arrest him. This incident marked the beginning of extensive compromise within SIS operations against the USSR. Harold Adrian Russell Kim Philby worked in the post-war Counter-Espionage Section R5 while serving as a Soviet agent. George Blake was another officer involved in both Vienna and Berlin tunnel operations who had been turned as a Soviet agent during internment by Chinese forces during the Korean War. Blake returned from his internment to be treated as something of a hero by his contemporaries in the office. His security authorization was restored and in 1953 he was posted to the Vienna Station where original tunnels had been running for years. After compromising these to his Soviet controllers, he was subsequently assigned to the British team involved on Operation Gold, the Berlin tunnel which was consequently blown from the outset. In 1956, SIS Director John Sinclair had to resign after the botched affair surrounding the death of Lionel Crabb. Despite earlier Soviet penetration, SIS began to recover as a result of improved vetting and security measures. From 1958, SIS had three moles in the Polish UB, the most successful of which was codenamed NODDY. The CIA described information received from these Poles as some of the most valuable intelligence ever collected and rewarded SIS with twenty million dollars to expand their Polish operation. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, Colonel Oleg Penkovsky provided several thousand photographed documents including Red Army rocketry manuals that allowed US analysts to recognize deployment patterns of Soviet missiles.

• 3. Post-Cold War Restructuring

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  The end of the Cold War led to a reshuffle of existing priorities when the Soviet Bloc ceased to swallow the lion's share of operational requirements. Functional rather than geographical intelligence requirements came to the fore such as counter-proliferation via the agency's Production and Targeting Counter-Proliferation Section. This sphere of activity had been present since discovery of Pakistani physics students studying nuclear weapons related subjects in 1974. Counter-terrorism became another priority through two joint sections run in collaboration with the Security Service for Irish republicanism and international terrorism. In the mid-1990s these were consolidated into a new post of Controller Global and Functional. Then-C Sir Colin McColl embraced a new albeit limited policy of openness towards the press and public during this transition period. As part of this wider open government initiative developed from 1993 by the government of John Major, SIS operations were placed on statutory footing through the 1994 Intelligence Services Act. Although the Act provided procedures for authorizations and warrants, it essentially enshrined mechanisms that had been in place at least since 1953 for authorizations and 1985 under the Interception of Communications Act for warrants. During the mid-1990s the British intelligence community was subjected to comprehensive costing review by the government. As part of broader defense cutbacks SIS had its resources cut back twenty-five percent across the board while senior management was reduced by forty percent. The Requirements division formerly known as Circulating Sections of the 1921 Arrangement were deprived of any representation on the board of directors. At the same time Middle East and Africa controllerates were pared back and amalgamated according to findings of Lord Butler of Brockwell's Review of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

• 4. Controversial Operations

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  During the Global War on Terror, SIS accepted information from the CIA obtained through torture including the extraordinary rendition programme. Craig Murray a UK ambassador to Uzbekistan wrote several memos critical of the UK acceptance of this information before being sacked from his job. In early March 2011 during the Libyan Civil War a covert operation involving E Squadron went wrong when six members landed without prior agreement with rebel leadership. The team was detained by rebel forces and taken to a military base in Benghazi after locals became suspicious they were foreign mercenaries or spies. Negotiations between senior rebel leaders and British officials in London finally led to their release allowing them to board HMS Cumberland. In February 2013 Channel Four News reported evidence of SIS spying on opponents of the Gaddafi regime and handing information to the regime in Libya. Files looked at contained a memorandum of understanding dating from October 2002 detailing joint plans for intelligence exchange counter-terrorism and mutual cooperation. On one occasion in 1998 MI6 believed it might be able to obtain actionable intelligence which could help capture Osama bin Laden but decided it had to ask for ministerial approval before passing information given potential death penalty risks. This was approved by a minister provided the CIA gave assurances regarding humane treatment though not enough intelligence came through to make it worthwhile going ahead.

• 5. Recruitment And Training

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  SIS officers are often chosen based on merit and skill from universities and military academies throughout the United Kingdom. Chosen recruits must apply within the UK and be British citizens or have been residents of the UK for at least ten years. First all recruits must pass basic civil service entry exam before being introduced to panel of SIS officers during in-depth competency-based interview. If interviewee passes detailed background and security check is performed before job offer is made. Training for recruits takes place at Fort Monckton Portsmouth where candidates go through intense six-month programme known as Intelligence Officer's New Entry Course. IONEC recruits learn how to select and handle agents operate undercover identity use tradecraft skills such as dead drops surveillance and counter-surveillance techniques secret writing and code writing. These skills enable incoming agents to successfully use these techniques during complex missions and operations. After training programme ends recruits will be fully inaugurated as SIS officers. SIS recruits rely on United Kingdom Special Forces for special operations and basic training while operatives also receive training in firearm use including pistols and submachine guns although rare for agents to carry firearms in line of duty. Starting salary for an agent was thirty-one thousand eight hundred seven pounds a year increasing to thirty-four thousand three hundred eighty-five pounds second year with further increases thereafter.

• 6. Legal Framework And Oversight

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  The existence of SIS was not officially acknowledged until 1994 when Intelligence Services Act was introduced to Parliament placing organization on statutory footing for first time. This act provides legal basis for its operations and subjects agency to public oversight by Investigatory Powers Tribunal and Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament. The Chief of Secret Intelligence Service has twofold responsibility within SIS overseeing continuous gathering of intelligence from agents internally while operating as secret diplomat externally maintaining vital alliances supporting intelligence cooperation. Government sets necessary laws regulations and funding needed to keep SIS operating and conduct activities according to government's foreign policy. Prime Minister is ultimately responsible for intelligence and security with day-to-day ministerial responsibility with Foreign Secretary to whom SIS report directly. HM Treasury directed security and intelligence agencies to prepare financial statements for each financial year in accordance with Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000. Due to security concerns government does not publish these financial statements which are audited by Comptroller and Auditor General then shown to chair Public Accounts Committee in accordance with Intelligence Services Act 1994. Annual Parliamentary financial statements for 2021-2022 indicated combined British intelligence services spending was three point four four billion pounds with some one point zero nine billion dollars further allocated to staff pay and agents.