politics
The Bond effect? How MI6 fascinates spy watchers around the world
Britain’s spooks take quiet satisfaction from survey ranking Secret Intelligence Service Europe’s top espionage agency
TL;DR
- L'Express magazine conducted a poll of 60 current and former spies, along with the CIA and Mossad, to rank foreign intelligence agencies.
- MI6 was ranked first with 251 points, ahead of the French DGSE with 169 points.
- MI6's success is attributed to its long-term recruitment and management of human intelligence sources, a focus on "the long game."
- The agency's reputation is also built on historical successes, such as recruiting Oleg Gordievsky during the Cold War.
- MI6 faced criticism for its role leading up to the 2003 Iraq War but is seen as having rehabilitated its image, notably with its accurate intelligence on the 2022 Ukraine invasion.
- The agency's strong relationship with the CIA and its inclusion in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing arrangement are significant factors.