An
intelligence agency is a
governmental agency that is devoted to
information gathering (known in the
context as "
intelligence") for
purposes of
national security and
defense. Means of information
gathering may include
espionage,
communication interception,
cryptanalysis, cooperation with other
institutions, and evaluation of public sources. The assembly and
propagation of this information is known as
intelligence analysis.
Intelligence agencies can provide the following services for their
national governments.
- provide analysis in areas relevant to national security;
- give early warning of impending crises;
- serve national and international crisis management by helping to discern
the intentions of current or potential opponents;
- inform national defense planning
and military operations;
- protect secrets, both of their own sources and activities, and
those of other state agencies; and
- may act covertly to influence the outcome of events in favor of
national interests
Intelligence agencies are also involved in defensive activities
such as
counter-espionage or
counter-terrorism.
There is a distinction between "security intelligence" and "foreign
intelligence". Security intelligence pertains to national security
threats (e.g. terrorism, espionage). Foreign intelligence involves
information collection relating to the political, or economic
activities of foreign states.
Some agencies are accused of being involved in
assassination,
arms
sales,
coups d'état, and the
placement of misinformation (
propaganda)
as well as other covert operations, in order to support their own
or their governments' interests.
List of major intelligence agencies (by country)
Australia
Bangladesh
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
China
Chile
Colombia
Cuba
Denmark
Egypt
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Pakistan
Philippines
Poland
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
See also
Further reading
Books
- Encyclopedia of espionage, intelligence, and security,
hrg. von K. Lee Lerner und Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, 3 Bände, Detroit
[u.a.] : Gale [u.a.], 2004
- Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones, Cloak and Dollar: A History of
American Secret Intelligence, Yale University Press, 2002
- Richard C. S. Trahair, Encyclopedia of Cold War espionage,
spies, and secret operations, Westport, Conn. [u.a.] :
Greenwood Press, 2004
- Amy B. Zegart, Flawed by design : the evolution of the CIA,
JCS, and NSC, Stanford, Calif. : Stanford Univ. Press,
1999
Journals
- The Journal of Intelligence History
External links