Top 10 Intelligence Agencies in the World
You may not know about these secretive agencies, but there's a good chance they know about you. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most effective iconic, or infamous secret intelligence agencies around the globe.
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00:00 Many of my former comrades are either dead or in prison.
00:02 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most effective, iconic,
00:07 or infamous, secret intelligence agencies around the globe.
00:10 We'll examine their histories and evaluate their impact on national or international events,
00:14 whether positively or very, very negatively.
00:16 Authorities use artificial intelligence that can alert them if someone in a video is walking too fast
00:22 or parked in the wrong spot.
00:23 Number 10. National Intelligence Service, NIS, South Korea
00:28 Some legal experts say the spy agency should not be in charge of both the procedure and management.
00:34 Formed in 1961 as the Korean Central Intelligence Agency,
00:37 the intelligence agency has found itself being reformed several times due to abuse of power.
00:42 In 1979, after a load of kidnappings, the group's director, Kim Jae-gyu,
00:46 assassinated President Park Chung-hee.
00:48 In 1999, the group was officially renamed the National Intelligence Service.
00:53 The NIS has three directorates. Two of them are standard, with national and international affairs.
00:57 The last is specifically for North Korea, with collecting information and preventing possible
01:01 attacks. While the NIS has had its power reined in, this didn't stop the organization from
01:06 manipulating the election results in 2012 to secure the term for Park Geun-hye.
01:10 Further reforms in 2020 prevented this scenario from happening again.
01:14 Last month, Park issued a public apology.
01:16 Number 9. Federal Intelligence Service, BND, Germany
01:26 But the BND is full of praise for its transparent new headquarters in the heart of Berlin.
01:31 Also known as the Bundesnachrichtendienst, the BND was formed in the ashes of the GELAND
01:36 organization in 1956 in West Germany in association with the CIA. The BND was used
01:41 extensively during the Cold War to help the US with information gathering around the Eastern
01:45 Bloc. Similarly to the US's Operation Paperclip, the group also hired former Nazis in the early
01:51 days. Today, the BND protects German interests from foreign threats by specializing in surveillance
01:55 and wiretapping for military and civilian targets. In recent years, the BND seemed to be an easy
02:09 target for Russian espionage, who conducted missions in Germany and stole information from
02:13 the organization. However, the group has been cracking down on this by arresting various moles
02:17 for treason. Number 8. Directorate General for External Security, DGSE, France
02:23 The French intelligence realized that something was going on, and this man was very important.
02:27 He was the head of the French Intelligence Bureau in Beijing.
02:32 Under the direction of the French Ministry of Armed Forces, the Directorate General for External
02:36 Security is the foreign intelligence branch of the security services, while the General
02:40 Directorate for Internal Security deals with domestic issues. Formed in 1982, the DGSE took
02:46 over for the SDECE, which was heavily criticized for its role in the disappearance of Moroccan
02:50 politician Mehdi Ben Barka in 1965. On top of surveillance, the DGSE has also conducted
02:56 missions abroad. In the 1990s, an operative known as Omar Nasiri infiltrated extremist training
03:01 camps in Afghanistan to collect information. In 2020, it was found that the DGSE had been
03:06 targeted by China as the country made deals with retired agents who were later arrested.
03:17 Number 7. Australian Secret Intelligence Service, ASIS, Australia
03:20 In 1952, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service was formed to collect intelligence
03:34 from sources abroad, while the Australian Security Intelligence Organization focuses
03:38 on domestic issues. Amazingly, ASIS' existence was a secret until 1972, when an expose by a
03:44 newspaper alerted the public. In recent years, the group has been heavily praised by the intelligence
03:48 world. One area of success is the anti-people smuggling operations it has arranged in several
04:02 countries. However, not everything has been good. ASIS was found to have been covertly
04:06 aiding the US in overthrowing the democratically elected Chile socialist government in 1973,
04:11 allowing Augusto Pinochet to become a dictator.
04:14 Number 6. Federal Security Service, FSB, Russia
04:26 After the Soviet Union's infamous KGB came Russia's short-lived FSK. Until it was reorganized
04:36 into the ominous Federal Security Service in 1995, the FSB focuses on counterintelligence,
04:41 security, and surveillance. In 1998, Vladimir Putin was director of the FSB. When he became
04:46 president, he began reforming the group, giving himself more power over them. The FSB conducts
04:50 assassinations and cyber espionage programs, working to undermine democracy around the world.
04:56 One former officer and critic, Alexander Litvinenko, was eventually fatally poisoned
05:00 in exile in England, which most assume was perpetrated by the FSB.
05:05 I brought photos, audio, and video recordings, which confirms that the majority of the Russian
05:09 army is against some of the policies of the current leaders.
05:12 Number 5. Ministry of State Security, MSS, China
05:15 China's Ministry of State Security was formed in 1983 and focuses on intelligence,
05:27 secret police, and security domestically, as well as foreign intelligence gathering.
05:31 The MSS often uses other governmental agencies to conduct operations.
05:35 In Xinjiang, China's experiment with surveillance isn't just about fighting terrorism.
05:40 It's also about Xi Jinping's ambitions.
05:43 One of their biggest initiatives is cyber espionage and sabotage. The MSS heavily
05:47 monitors their own citizens, and they've also been linked to operations in other countries.
05:51 In recent years, the ultra-secretive MSS began to make its public persona more prominent
05:56 by creating social media accounts, promotional videos, and even a comic book.
06:00 The US-China relationship in many ways is significantly more complex
06:05 than the US-Soviet or US-Russian relationship.
06:08 Number 4. Research and Analysis Wing, RAW, India
06:12 In 1962, the Sino-Indian War took place, and the Indian military slammed the foreign
06:17 intelligence provided by their intelligence bureau. In 1968, this led to the creation
06:22 of the Research and Analysis Wing. However, due to RAW only answering to the Prime Minister,
06:26 there were fears the group could overstep and become like the KGB.
06:29 One of RAW's main foreign targets has been Pakistan.
06:32 The group has undertaken many covert missions in this regard.
06:35 After the 2008 Mumbai attacks, RAW reportedly began stepping up its role in international
06:40 espionage. In 2023, Hardeep Singh Najjar, a Canadian Sikh separatist leader, was assassinated
06:45 in Canada. And there are serious and credible allegations from Canada and the US that RAW
06:50 was responsible.
06:51 Over a period of time, there has been a greater public support
06:56 for use of force against terrorists, or what India calls
06:59 Number 3. Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, United Kingdom
07:02 Made famous by the character of James Bond, the Secret Intelligence Service has existed
07:14 since 1909. During World War II, the name Military Intelligence Section 6 was used,
07:19 earthing the MI6 moniker it's known today.
07:21 My career energized me, so I found it sobering to see the threats that were arrayed against
07:28 us, but I find it absolutely inspirational to see the work that goes on to deal with
07:32 them.
07:32 The UK group specializes in foreign covert operations and intelligence gathering, which
07:37 was vital during the World Wars. But the organization has been embarrassed from within.
07:40 Several MI6 agents, known as the Cambridge Five, were found to be spies for the Soviet
07:45 Union. The Security Service, also known as MI5, is the branch that tackles intelligence
07:49 within the UK borders.
07:50 The MI5 team called in a special forces unit. Two Range Rovers slammed into the suspect's
07:56 car.
07:57 Number 2. Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, Mossad, Israel
08:01 Formed in 1949, Israel's Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations,
08:13 better known as Mossad, focuses on intelligence gathering and covert operations. With the
08:17 director only answering to the Prime Minister, Mossad has high status and prominence in Israel.
08:22 Famously, Mossad was involved in finding and capturing Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960,
08:33 a leading figure in Germany's atrocities in World War II. The Mossad also organized
08:37 assassinations around the world as revenge for the terrorist attacks at the 1972 Summer
08:42 Olympics in Munich, as dramatized in Steven Spielberg's Munich.
08:46 When he gets into bed, I give the signal by switching off the light.
08:49 And if the bomb's too powerful and you're in the next room?
08:53 Well, that won't happen.
08:55 The situation in the Middle East in 2024 means the Mossad is never far from the headlines.
09:00 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:04 Canadian Security Intelligence Service, CSIS, Canada
09:07 Formed in 1984, the CSIS gathers international information and conducts covert operations.
09:14 An investigation can be complex.
09:15 Information may not be readily apparent.
09:22 National Security Agency, NSA, USA
09:25 Created in 1952, the NSA specializes in global and domestic monitoring of information.
09:30 Hostile foreign nations try to gather information about official U.S. plans,
09:35 policies, and capabilities by exploiting our communications,
09:40 information systems, and networks around the clock.
09:44 General Intelligence Presidency, G.I.P., Saudi Arabia
09:48 Established in 1955, the G.I.P. operates both domestically and internationally.
09:53 There was this growth of extremist opinion in Saudi Arabia.
09:57 So, yes, definitely.
10:00 And we ruled the day afterwards when we became even more of the targets of these people inside
10:06 the kingdom.
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10:20 #1. Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, USA
10:26 For now, just keep an eye on everyone, see what they do.
10:29 Yes, sir.
10:30 And we'll interface with the FBI on this dead body.
10:34 No, no, God no.
10:35 We don't want those idiots bumbling around in this.
10:37 After the Office of Strategic Services was dissolved after World War II,
10:40 the U.S. wanted a group that specialized in foreign intelligence gathering and covert
10:44 operations as tensions with the USSR grew.
10:47 So, in 1947, the CIA was formed.
10:49 With the FBI domestically focused, the CIA quickly began conducting missions abroad.
10:54 The group has been linked to coups in many countries, including Iran and Chile.
10:58 We collect and analyze foreign intelligence, conduct covert action,
11:02 and develop innovative technology.
11:04 The CIA famously tried to involve themselves with Cuba with the failed Bay of Pigs invasion
11:08 and numerous attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro.
11:11 The CIA was also behind the controversial and illegal Project MKUltra,
11:15 a human experimentation program designed to research interrogation tactics.
11:20 Not being able to share often some of your successes with the people you most love and respect,
11:24 that's a sacrifice.
11:26 Which intelligence agency do you think is the most powerful?
11:29 Let us know in the comments.
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