Best Intelligence Agencies In The World
Governing a nation is not at all an easy task. If we talk about security alone, it takes a lot for the governing council to maintain high standards at the security level. That is why every democratic country has its own intelligence agency to ensure safety and peace in the country.
These agencies work rigorously for the welfare of the nation and keep national and international threats at bay. In this comprehension, we will be discussing 10 of the most powerful intelligence agencies in the world who have set their bars high.
Top 10 Intelligence Agencies
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) (India)
Let us start this list with our very own RAW. Headquartered in the nation’s capital New Delhi, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was found in 1968. The fundamental objective of RAW is to monitor the movement and activities of the neighboring countries.
The dire need for RAW rose at the time of the Sino-Indian war of 1962, and the India-Pakistan war of 1965, which exposed gaps in intelligence gathering attempted by the Intelligence Bureau. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi pushed for having an Intelligence agency, and since then, RAW has been serving the nation.
Mossad (Israel)
Founded in 1949, Mossad is an Intelligence agency headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel. Mossad has been a part of one of the most daring undercover operations ever conducted in the world. The operation was named, ‘Wrath of God,’ and it got conducted to track down and kill the PLO activists responsible for hunting down 11 Israeli athletes after making them hostage at the Munich Olympic in 1972.
Military Intelligence, Section 6 (United Kingdom)
MI6 is among the oldest intelligence agencies in the world, headquartered in London, UK. The agency is placed third in the list of top 10 Intelligence agencies in the world. Formed in 1909, MI6 has ab yearly budget of about £2.6 billion. To date, MI6 works with top agencies like the CIA to help them take down enemies and other threats.
Central Intelligence Agency (USA)
One of the major reasons the United States dominating the world today is the CIA. Formed in 1947, the agency plays a pivotal role in making the USA a powerhouse today.
CIA once owned a dummy corporation named Air America, which operated as a civilian airline but was used for conducting military operations at the Indochina border and Laos.
Australian Secret Intelligence Service (Australia)
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service holds responsibility for undertaking counter-intelligence activities, foreign intelligence with other intelligence agencies overseas.
After its formation in 1952, for over 20 years, its existence was kept a secret. Not even the government was aware of it. But, ever since it came into the limelight, ASIS got inspected by the Royal commission thrice in the years 1974, 1983, and 1994 for its operations.
Directorate-General for External Security (France)
Operated under the direction of the French ministry of defense, DGES is the external intelligence agency of France. The agency works cohesively with the Central Directorate of Interior Intelligence. Many reports suggest that DGES is almost equivalent to the United Kingdom’s MI6 and the United States’ CIA.
BND, Bundesnachrichtendienst (Germany)
BND is the federal intelligence service of Germany that collects and evaluates information on areas like international terrorism, WMD proliferation and illegal transfer of technology, etc.
It was formed in 1956 and is subordinated to the Chancellor’s office. The headquarter is located in Pullach and Berlin, and the total budget of BND for 2017 was around € 832,860,000.
Ministry of State Security (China)
The originator of the deadly COVID-19 virus, China is the holder of the Ministry of State Security. MSS got formed in 1983 on the directions of Ling Yun, and the headquarter is located in Beijing, China.
The premier objective of the Ministry of State Security is to ensure the security of the state through effective measures against enemies, spies, and agents. The annual budget of this intelligence agency is about $3 billion to $4 billion.
Inter-Service-Intelligence (ISI) (Pakistan)
Pakistan is a country which has many enemies up their sleeves, and therefore, they need a proper and effective intelligence agency, and ISI is one such agency.
ISI has done some exceptional work over the years and is deservingly sitting right at the top of the table when it comes to the best intelligence services in the world. ISI got established in 1948, a year after the partition, and its headquarter is located in Islamabad Capital Territory.
Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (Russia)
FSD is the domestic security agency of Russia, which is responsible for the internal security of the country. It was formed 25 years back in 1995 and is located in Lubyanka Square, Russia. The primary objective of this security agency is to fight against organized crime, terrorism, and drug smuggling.
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Time to wrap up:
So here it is, the 10 most powerful intelligence agencies around the world who have been working day-in-day-out to secure the national bodies from the unwanted mess, terrorism, and intruders.