Espionage+-+michelle

= Espionage =

Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it is known that the information is in unauthorized hands. Espionage is usually part of an institutional effort by a government or corporation, and the term is most readily associated with state spying on potential or actual enemies, primarily for military purposes. Spying involving corporations is known as industrial espionage. Government surveillance of civil society groups, social movements, and individuals involved in political activism, such as **COINTELPRO** conducted by the FBI is not covered by the present article. See clandestine HUMINT for the basic concepts of such information collection, and subordinate articles such as clandestine HUMINT operational techniques and clandestine HUMIT asset recruiting for discussions of the "tradecraft" used to collect this information.

== Targets of espionage == Espionage agents are usually trained experts in a specific targeted field. This allows them to differentiate mundane information from a target which has intrinsic value to own organisational development. Correct identification of the target at its execution is the sole purpose of the espionage operation. The broad areas of espionage targeting expertise are: Agents are usually found among bureaucrats that administer these resources in own countries Agents often recruited from field journalistic crews, exchange postgraduate students and sociology researchers Agents recruited from science and technology academia, commercial enterprises, and more rarely from military technologists Agents are trained by special military espionage education facilities, and posted to area of operation with covert identities to prevent prosecution
 * **Natural resource** strategic production identification and assessment (food, energy, materials)
 *  **Popular Sentiment** towards domestic and foreign policies (popular, middle class, elites)
 * Strategic economic strengths (production, research, manufacture, infrastructure)
 * **Military capability** intelligence (offensive, defensive, manoeuvre, naval, air, space)

== Agents in Espionage == "An **Agent** is someone that has been authorized to function on behalf of another."[|[7]] A "covert human intelligence source."


 * **Double Agent,** "is a person who engages in clandestine activity for two intelligence or security services (or more in joint operations), who provides information about one or about each to the other, and who wittingly withholds significant information from one on the instructions of the other or is unwittingly manipulated by one so that significant facts are withheld from the adversary. Peddlers, fabricators, and others who work for themselves rather than a service are not double agents because they are not agents. The fact that doubles have an agent relationship with both sides distinguishes them from penetrations, who normally are placed with the target service in a staff or officer capacity."
 * **Re-doubled Agent -** an agent who gets caught as a double agent and is forced to mislead the foreign intelligence service.
 * Unwitting double agent, an agent who offers or is forced to recruit as a double or re-doubled agent and in the process is recruited by either a third party intelligence service or his own government without the knowledge of the intended target intelligence service or the agent. This can be useful in capturing important information from an agent that is attempting to seek allegiance with another country. The **double agent** usually has knowledge of both intelligence services and can identify operational techniques of both, thus making third party recruitment difficult or impossible. The knowledge of operational techniques can also effect the relationship between the Operations Officer (or case officer) and the **agent** if the case is transferred by an Operational Targeting Officer to a new Operations Officer, leaving the new officer vulnerable to attack. This type of transfer //may// occur when an officer has completed his term of service or when his //cover// is blown.
 * **Triple Agent**, can agent that is working for three intelligence services.

There are several types of **agent** in use today.

As mentioned, **The double Agent.** These agents always require special handling as they can become re-doubled if caught. Special handling may include debriefing with an Operations Officer whose cover has already been //blown// and verifying intelligence reports immediately in order to establish trust.
 * **Intelligence agent:** Provides access to sensitive information through the use of special privileges. If used in //corporate intelligence//gathering, this may include gathering information of a corporate business venture, stock portfolio, or the creation of a new menu item at a restaurant. In //economic intelligence//, "Economic Analysts may use their specialized skills to analyze and interpret economic trends and developments, assess and track foreign financial activities, and develop new econometric and modeling methodologies." This may also include information of trade or tariff.
 * <span style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding: 0px;">**Access agent**: Provides access to other potential agents by providing profiling information that can help lead to recruitment into an intelligence service.
 * <span style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding: 0px;">**Agent of influence:** Someone who may provide political influence in an area of interest or may even provide publications needed to further an intelligence service agenda. I.e. The use of the media to print a story to mislead a foreign service into action, exposing their operations while under surveillance.
 * <span style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding: 0px;">**Agent provocateur** -This type of agent will instigate trouble or may provide information to gather as many people as possible into one location for an arrest.
 * <span style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding: 0px;">Facilities agent: A facilities agent may provide access to buildings such as garages or offices used for staging operations, resupply, etc.
 * <span style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding: 0px;">**Principle agent:** This agent functions as a handler for an established network of agents usually **Blue Chip**.
 * <span style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding: 0px;">**Confusion agent:** May provide misleading information to an enemy intelligence service or attempt to discredit the operations of the //target//in an operation.
 * <span style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding: 0px;">**Sleeper agent**: A sleeper agent is a person who is recruited to an intelligence service to //wake up// and perform a specific set of tasks or functions while living under cover in an area of interest. This type of agent is not the same as a //deep cover operative// who is continually in contact with their case officer in order to file intelligence reports. A sleeper agent will not be in contact with anyone until //activated//.
 * <span style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding: 0px;">**Illegal agent**: This is a person who is living in another country under false credentials that does not report to a local station. A non official cover operative is a type of cover used by an intelligence operative and can be dubbed an "Illegal" when working in another country without diplomatic protection.