The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6)^[1] is the United Kingdom's external intelligence agency. Under the direction of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), it works alongside the Security Service (MI5), Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS). Within the civil service community the service is colloquially referred to as 'Box 850' which comes from its old post office box number. ^[2][3][4] Image File history File links Sis1. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... William Melville (1850-1918), the head of Scotland Yards Special Branch and later the first chief of the British Secret Service. ... The agencies responsible for the government of the United Kingdom consist of a number of ministerial departments (usually headed by a Secretary of State) and non-ministerial departments headed by senior civil servants. ... This article is about the town of Vauxhall, for Vauxhall the vehicle manufacturer, see Vauxhall Motors. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... David Wright Miliband (born 15 July 1965) is a British politician who is the current Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs [1] and Member of Parliament for the constituency of South Shields, Tyne and Wear. ... The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ... Sir John McLeod Scarlett, KCMG, OBE (born August 18, 1948) is head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall, seen from St. ... During the First World War, British secret services were divided into numbered sections referred to as Military Intelligence, department number X: this was shortened to MIX. MI5 (officially the Security Service) and MI6 (officially the Secret Intelligence Service) are often still referred to using these names by members of the... An intelligence agency is a governmental organization that for the purposes of national security is devoted to the gathering of information (known in the context as intelligence) by means of espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public sources. ... The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) was founded in 1936 as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence. ... MI-5 redirects here. ... The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is a British intelligence agency responsible for providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance. ... The Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS) is an element of the United Kingdoms Ministry of Defence, responsible for collection and assessment of all-source intelligence. ...

Since 1995, the Secret Intelligence Service has had its headquarters at Vauxhall Cross on the South Bank of the Thames. Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the town of Vauxhall, for Vauxhall the vehicle manufacturer, see Vauxhall Motors. ...

History

Foundation

The Service is derived from the Secret Service Bureau, which was founded in 1909.^[1] It was a joint initiative of the Admiralty and the War Office to control secret intelligence operations in the UK and overseas, particularly concentrating on the activities of the Imperial German government. The Bureau was split into naval and army sections which, over time, specialised in foreign espionage and internal counter-espionage activities respectively. This specialisation was because the Admiralty wanted to know the maritime strength of the Imperial German Navy. This specialisation was formalised before 1914. When World War I started, the two sections underwent administrative changes so that the foreign section became the Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 6 (MI6), the name by which it is frequently known in popular culture today. Its first director was Captain Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming, who often dropped the "Smith" in routine communication. He typically signed correspondence with his initial "C" in green ink. This usage evolved as a code name, and has been adhered to by all subsequent directors of SIS when signing documents to retain anonymity. ^[1][5] William Melville (1850-1918), the head of Scotland Yards Special Branch and later the first chief of the British Secret Service. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Flag of the Lord High Admiral The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... Old War Office Building, seen from Whitehall, London - the former location of the War Office The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Directorate of Military Intelligence is a department within the British Ministry of Defence (or MoD for short). ... Captain Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming RN (April 1, 1859 - June 14, 1923) was the first director of what would become MI6. ... A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. ...

World War I

The service's performance during First World War was mixed, because it was unable to establish a network in Germany itself. The majority of its results came from military and commercial intelligence collected through networks in neutral countries, occupied territories, and Russia.^[6] “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Inter-War period

After the war, resources were significantly reduced. 'Circulating Sections' were introduced to give greater control on its objectives to its consumer departments, mainly the War Office and Admiralty.^{[citation needed]} The Circulating Sections established intelligence requirements for the operational 'Group' sections to fulfill and passed the intelligence back to the consumers. This relationship was termed the '1921 arrangement' and still provides the basis for the internal structure of the agency.^{[citation needed]} Old War Office Building, seen from Whitehall, London - the former location of the War Office The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence. ... Flag of the Lord High Admiral The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ...

During the 1920s SIS established a close operational relationship with the diplomatic service. It established the post of "Passport Control Officer" within embassies, based on a system developed during WWI by British Army Intelligence.^[7] This provided operatives with a degree of cover and diplomatic immunity but had become compromised by the 1930s. A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving State. ... Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments, which ensures that diplomats are given safe passage and are considered not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution under the host countrys laws (although they can be expelled). ...

The debate over the future structure of British Intelligence continued at length after the end of hostilities but Cumming managed to engineer the return of the Service to Foreign Office control. At this time the organisation was known in Whitehall by a variety of titles including the 'Foreign Intelligence Service', the 'Secret Service', 'MI1(c)', the 'Special Intelligence Service' and even 'C's organisation'. Around 1920, it began increasingly to be referred to as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), a title that it has continued to use to the present day and which was enshrined in statute in the Intelligence Services Act 1994.^[1] Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament. ...

In the immediate post-war years under Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming and throughout most of the 1920s, the SIS was focused on Communism- in particular, Russian Bolshevism. Examples include a thwarted operation to overthrow the Bolshevik government^[8] in 1918 by SIS agents Sidney George Reilly^[9] and Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart,^[10] as well as more orthodox espionage efforts within early Soviet Russia headed by Captain George Hill. The 1920s they were sexy referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... This article is about the form of society and political movement. ... Lieutenant Sidney George Reilly, MC (c. ... For other uses, see Bolshevik (disambiguation). ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Lieutenant Sidney George Reilly, MC (c. ... Sir Robert Hamilton Bruce Lockhart, (2 September 1887 - 27 February 1970), was a journalist, author, secret agent, British diplomat in Moscow and footballer. ...

Smith-Cumming died, in his office, in 1923 and was replaced as "C" by Admiral Sir Hugh 'Quex' Sinclair. While lacking the charisma of his predecessor, he had a clear vision for the future of the agency^{[citation needed]} which developed a range of new activities under his leadership.^{[citation needed]} Under Sinclair the following sections were created: Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair (1873-November 4, 1939), nicknamed Quex, was the Director of British Naval Intelligence during the First World War and helped to set up the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) before the Second World War. ...

• A central foreign counter-espionage Circulating Section, Section V, to liaise with the Security Service to collate counter-espionage reports from overseas stations.
• An economic intelligence section, Section VII, to deal with trade, industrial and contraband.
• A clandestine radio communications organisation, Section VIII, to communicate with operatives and agents overseas.
• Section N to exploit the contents of foreign diplomatic bags
• Section D to conduct political covert actions and paramilitary operations in time of war. Section D would come to be the foundation of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War.^[7] Whilst the service acquired several reliable sources within the Government and the German Admiralty, its information was less comprehensive than that provided by the diplomatic network of Robert Vansittart, the Permanent Undersecretary at the Foreign Office.^{[citation needed]}

Sinclair died in 1939, after an illness, and was replaced as "C" by Lt. Col. Stewart Menzies (Horse Guards), who had been with the service since the end of WWI. Counter-intelligence ... Paramilitary designates forces whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force, but which are not regarded as having the same status. ... The Special Operations Executive (SOE), sometimes referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars after Sherlock Holmess fictional group of spies, was a World War II organization initiated by Winston Churchill and Hugh Dalton in July 1940 as a mechanism for conducting warfare by means other than direct military engagement. ... Robert Gilbert Vansittart (1881 - 1957) was a signficant British diplomat. ... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. ... Sir Stewart Graham Menzies (January 30, 1890 - May 29, 1968) was the Chief of MI6, British Secret Intelligence Service, during and after the World War II. Stewart Graham Menzies was born in London into a wealthy family. ...

World War II

During the Second World War the human intelligence work of the service was overshadowed by several other initiatives: Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... HUMINT, a syllabic abbreviation of the words HUMan INTelligence, is a category of intelligence gathering disciplines that encompasses all gathering of intelligence by means of interpersonal contact. ...

• The cryptanalytic effort undertaken by the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), the bureau responsible for interception and decryption of foreign communications at Bletchley Park.
• The extensive "double-cross" system run by MI5 to feed misleading intelligence to the Germans
• Imagery intelligence activities conducted by the RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (Now JARIC, The National Imagery Exploitation Centre).

GC&CS was the source of ULTRA intelligence. ULTRA permitted Allied success in the Battle of the Atlantic. Close-up of the rotors in a Fialka cipher machine Cryptanalysis (from the Greek kryptós, hidden, and analýein, to loosen or to untie) is the study of methods for obtaining the meaning of encrypted information, without access to the secret information which is normally required to do so. ... The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) (previously named the Government Code and Cipher School (GC&CS)) is the main British intelligence service providing signals intelligence (SIGINT). ... During World War II, codebreakers at Bletchley Park decrypted and interpreted messages from a large number of Axis code and cipher systems, including the German Enigma machine. ... MI-5 redirects here. ... IMINT, short for IMagery INTelligence, is an intelligence gathering discipline which collects information via satellite and aerial photography. ... JARIC - The National Imagery Exploitation Centre JARIC Crest // History Following a series of successful covert air reconnaissance operations run by the United Kingdoms Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) prior to World War II, the Photographic Development Unit (PDU) was established on 19th January 1940. ... Ultra (sometimes capitalized ULTRA) was the name used by the British for intelligence resulting from decryption of German communications in World War II. The term eventually became the standard designation in both Britain and the United States for all intelligence from high-level cryptanalytic sources. ... Combatants Royal Navy Royal Canadian Navy United States Navy (1941–5) Kriegsmarine Regia Marina (1940–3) Commanders Sir Percy Noble Sir Max K. Horton Percy W. Nelles Leonard W. Murray Ernest J. King Erich Raeder Karl Dönitz Casualties 30,248 merchant sailors 3,500 merchant vessels 175 warships 28...

The most significant failure of the service during the war was known as the Venlo incident, named for the Dutch town where much of the operation took place. Agents of the German army secret service, the Abwehr, posed as high-ranking officers involved in a plot to depose Hitler. In a series of meetings between SIS agents and the 'conspirators', SS plans to abduct the SIS team were shelved due to the presence of Dutch police. When a meeting took place without police presence, two SIS agents were duly abducted by the SS. The Venlo Incident in 1939 was a Gestapo-engineered capture of two British SIS agents in the early months of World War II, on November 9, 1939. ... The Abwehr was a German intelligence organization from 1921 to 1944. ... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ... SS redirects here. ...

In the early stages of the war Section D was significantly expanded and given a distinct identity as the Special Operations Executive. SOE operations were overtly offensive in the occupied countries, which clashed with the more discreet approach of SIS, leading to a significant level of friction and increased risk to SIS operatives. The increased security in the occupied territories as a result of SOE activity, significantly reduced freedom of movement for SIS operatives and so curtailed operations. The Special Operations Executive (SOE), sometimes referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars after Sherlock Holmess fictional group of spies, was a World War II organization initiated by Winston Churchill and Hugh Dalton in July 1940 as a mechanism for conducting warfare by means other than direct military engagement. ...

Despite these difficulties the service nevertheless conducted substantial and successful operations in both occupied Europe and in the Middle East and Far East where it operated under the cover name 'Interservice Liaison Department' (ISLD).

Cold War

In 1946 SIS absorbed the "rump" remnant of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), dispersing the latter's personnel and equipment between its operational divisions or "controllerates" and new Directorates for Training and Development and for War Planning. The 1921 arrangement was streamlined with the geographical, operational units redesignated "Production Sections", sorted regionally under Controllers, all under a Director of Production. The Circulating Sections were renamed 'Requirements Sections' and placed under a Directorate of Requirements. Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Special Operations Executive (SOE), sometimes referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars after Sherlock Holmess fictional group of spies, was a World War II organization initiated by Winston Churchill and Hugh Dalton in July 1940 as a mechanism for conducting warfare by means other than direct military engagement. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...

SIS operations against the USSR were extensively compromised by the fact that the post-war Counter-Espionage Section, R5, was headed for two years by an agent working for the Soviet Union, Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby. Although Philby's damage was mitigated for several years by his transfer as Head of Station in Turkey, he later returned and was the SIS intelligence liaison officer at the Embassy in Washington D.C.. In this capacity he compromised a programme of joint U.S.-UK paramilitary operations in Enver Hoxha's Albania (although it has been shown that these operations were further compromised "on the ground" by poor security discipline amongst the Albanian émigrés recruited to undertake the operations). Philby was eased out of office and quietly retired in 1953 after the defection of his friends and fellow members of the "Cambridge spy ring" Donald Duart Maclean and Guy Burgess. Kim Philby Harold Adrian Russell Kim Philby or H.A.R. Philby (OBE: 1946-1965), (1 January 1912 – 11 May 1988) was a high-ranking member of British intelligence, a communist, and spy for the Soviet Unions NKVD and KGB. In 1963, Philby was revealed as a member of... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Émigré is a French term that shows how Martin B. loves stephanie. ... January 7 - President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. ... The Cambridge Five (also sometimes known as the Cambridge Four) was a ring of Soviet spies in the UK who passed information to the Soviet Union during World War II and into the early 1950s. ... Donald Duart Maclean Donald Duart Maclean (25 May 1913 – 6 March 1983) was a career British diplomat turned Soviet intelligence agent. ... Wanted poster of Burgess (right) with Donald_Duart_Maclean. ...

SIS suffered further embarrassment when it turned out that an officer involved in both the Vienna and Berlin tunnel operations had been turned as a Soviet agent during internment by the Chinese during the Korean War. This agent, George Blake, returned from his internment to be treated as something of a hero by his contemporaries in "the office". His security authorisation was restored, and in 1953 he was posted to the Vienna Station where the original Vienna tunnels had been running for years. After compromising these to his Soviet controllers, he was subsequently assigned to the British team involved on Operation Gold, the Berlin tunnel, and which was, consequently, blown from the outset. Blake was eventually identified, arrested and faced trial in court for espionage and was sent to prison—only to be liberated and extracted to the USSR in 1964. For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung Il-kwon Paik Sun-yup Douglas... George Blake (born Georg Behar, November 11, 1922) is a former British spy who was actually a double agent for the Soviets. ... January 7 - President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. ... Operation Gold (also known as Operation Stopwatch by the British) was a joint operation conducted by the American CIA and the British Secret Intelligence Service to tap into landline communication of the Soviet Army headquarters in Berlin using a tunnel into the Soviet-occupied zone. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ...

Despite these setbacks, SIS began to recover in the early 1960s as a result of improved vetting and security, and a series of successful penetrations, one of the Polish security establishment codenamed NODDY and the other the GRU Colonel Oleg Penkovsky. Penkovsky ran for two years as a considerable success, providing several thousand photographed documents, including Red Army rocketry manuals that allowed U.S. National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC) analysts to recognise the deployment pattern of Soviet SS4 MRBMs and SS5 IRBMs in Cuba in October 1962. SIS operations against the USSR continued to gain pace through the remainder of the Cold War, arguably peaking with the recruitment in the 1970s of Oleg Gordievsky whom SIS ran for the better part of a decade, then successfully exfiltrated from the USSR across the Finnish border in 1985. The real scale and impact of SIS activities during the second half of the Cold War remains unknown, however, because the bulk of their most successful targeting operations against Soviet officials were the result of "Third Country" operations recruiting Soviet sources travelling abroad in Asia and Africa. These included the defection to the SIS Tehran Station in 1982 of KGB officer Vladimir Kuzichkin, the son of a senior Politburo member and a member of the KGB's internal Second Chief Directorate who provided SIS and the British government with warning of the mobilisation of the KGB's Alpha Force during the 1991 August Coup which, briefly, toppled Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... For other uses, see GRU (disambiguation). ... Oleg Vladimirovich Penkovsky codenamed Agent Hero (born April 23, 1919, Vladikavkaz, died May 16, 1963, Soviet Union) was a colonel with Soviet military intelligence (GRU) in the late 1950s and early 1960s who passed important secrets to the West. ... For other organizations known as the Red Army, see Red Army (disambiguation). ... The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is an agency of the United States Government with the primary mission of collection, analysis, and distribution of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of national security. ... MRBM stands from Medium Range Ballistic Missiles such as the SS1. ... An intermediate-range ballistic missile, or IRBM, is a ballistic missile with a range of 2750-5500 km or 1719-3437 miles. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Oleg Antonovich Gordievsky (born 10 October 1938 in Moscow, Russia), was a Colonel of the KGB and KGB Resident-designate (rezidentura) and bureau chief in London, who defected to the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Tehran (disambiguation). ... This article is about the KGB of the Soviet Union. ... Vladimir Andreyevich Kuzichkin Владимир Андреевич Кузичкин (born 1947) was a Soviet KGB officer who defected to the Tehran Station of the British Secret Intelligence Service in 1982. ... Politburo is short for Political Bureau. ... During the Soviet Coup of 1991 (August 19-22, 1991), also known as the August Putsch or August Coup, a group of members of the Soviet government briefly deposed Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev and attempted to take control of the country. ... Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev[1] (Russian: , IPA: ; born 2 March 1931) is a Russian politician. ...

SIS activities allegedly included a range of covert political action successes, including the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadeq in Iran in 1953 (in collaboration with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency), the again collaborative toppling of Patrice Lumumba in the Congo in 1961, and the triggering of an internal conflict between Lebanese paramilitary groups in the second half of the 1980s that effectively distracted them from further hostage takings of Westerners in the region. Mohammed Mossadegh (Persian: محمد مصدق‎) (May 19, 1882 - March 4, 1967) was prime minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953. ... CIA redirects here. ... Patrice Émery Lumumba (2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was an African anti-colonial leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after he helped to win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ...

A number of "intelligence operatives" (spies) have left SIS. Usually they have either found new employment in the civilian world or defected to a friendly country. In the late 1990s, an SIS officer called Richard Tomlinson was dismissed and later wrote a story of his experiences that was published in Russia by a publisher with links to the successor of the KGB, known as the SVR. Spies may refer to: A person who engages in espionage Spies (Coldplay), a song by the rock group Coldplay. ... A defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. ... Richard Tomlinson (born 1963) is a New Zealand-born former British MI6 officer who was famously imprisoned in 1997 for breaking the 1989 Official Secrets Act[1] by attempting to publish a book detailing his career in the SIS.[] He was first approached by MI6 in 1984 after graduating from... Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki (Служба внешней разведки) (SVR) is Russian for Foreign Intelligence Service and is the name of Russias primary external intelligence agency. ...

End of Cold War to present

The end of the Cold War led to a reshuffle of existing priorities. The Soviet Bloc ceased to swallow the lion's share of operational priorities, although the stability and intentions of a weakened but still nuclear-capable Federal Russia constituted a significant concern. Instead, functional rather than geographical intelligence requirements came to the fore such as counter-proliferation (via the agency's Production and Targeting, Counter-Proliferation Section) which had been a sphere of activity since the discovery of Pakistani physics students studying nuclear-weapons related subjects in 1974; counter-terrorism (via two joint sections run in collaboration with the Security Service, one for Irish republicanism and one for international terrorism); counter-narcotics and serious crime (originally set up under the Western Hemisphere Controllerate in 1989); and a 'global issues' section looking at matters such as the environment and other public welfare issues. In the mid-1990s these were consolidated into a new post of Controller, Global and Functional. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent republic, whether as a unitary state, a federal state or as a confederal arrangement. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ...

During the transition, then-C Sir Colin McColl embraced a new, albeit limited, policy of openness towards the press and public, with 'public affairs' falling into the brief of Director, Counter-Intelligence and Security (renamed Director, Security and Public Affairs). McColl's policies were part and parcel with a wider 'open government initiative' developed from 1993 by the government of John Major. As part of this, SIS operations, and those of the national signals intelligence agency, GCHQ, were placed on a statutory footing through the 1994 Intelligence Services Act. Although the Act provided procedures for Authorisations and Warrants, this essentially enshrined mechanisms that had been in place at least since 1953 (for Authorisations) and 1985 (under the Interception of Communications Act, for warrants). Under this Act, since 1994, SIS and GCHQ activities have been subject to scrutiny by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee. Sir Colin McColl KCMG was Head of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1989 - 1994. ... For other persons named John Major, see John Major (disambiguation). ... The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) (previously named the Government Code and Cipher School (GC&CS)) is the main British intelligence service providing signals intelligence (SIGINT). ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist... The Intelligence and Security Committee is a unique committee, as it is not a committee of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

During the mid-1990s the British intelligence community was subjected to a comprehensive costing review by the Government. As part of broader defence cut-backs SIS had its resources cut back 25% across the board and senior management was reduced by 40%. As a consequence of these cuts, the Requirements division (formerly the Circulating Sections of the 1921 Arrangement) were deprived of any representation on the Board of Directors. At the same time, the Middle East and Africa Controllerates were pared back and amalgamated. According to the findings of Lord Butler of Brockwell's Review of Weapons of Mass Destruction, the reduction of operational capabilities in the Middle East and of the Requirements division's ability to challenge the quality of the information the Middle East Controllerate was providing weakened the Joint Intelligence Committee's estimates of Iraq's nonconventional weapons programmes. These weaknesses were major contributors to the UK's erroneous assessments of Iraq's 'weapons of mass destruction' prior to the 2003 invasion of that country. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks funding was increased. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly...

On May 6, 2004, it was announced that Sir Richard Dearlove was to be replaced as head of the SIS by John Scarlett, former chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee. Scarlett is an unusually high-profile appointment to the job, and gave evidence at the Hutton Inquiry. is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Richard Dearlove is a career intelligence officer and, until May 6, 2004, head of Britains Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). ... Sir John McLeod Scarlett, KCMG, OBE (born August 18, 1948) is head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). ... The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) was founded in 1936 as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence. ... The Hutton Inquiry was a British judicial inquiry chaired by Lord Hutton, appointed by the British government to investigate the death of a government weapons expert, Dr. David Kelly. ...

On November 15 2006, MI6 allowed an interview with current operations officers for the first time. The interview was on the Colin Murray show on BBC Radio 1. The two officers (one male and one female) had their voices disguised for security reasons. The officers compared their real experience with the fictional portrayal of MI6 in the James Bond films. While denying that there ever existed a "licence to kill" and reiterating that MI6 operated under British law, the officers confirmed that there is a 'Q'-like figure who is head of the technology department, and that their director is referred to as 'C'. The officers described the lifestyle as quite glamorous and very varied, with plenty of overseas travel and adventure, and described their role primarily as intelligence gatherers, developing relationships with potential sources. The interview is seen largely as a public relations and employment tactic, following the placement of advertising for applicants on the agency's website for the first time in April 2006. is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Colin Murray (born March 10, 1977) is a BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio Five Live DJ and television presenter from the Dundonald area of east Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... BBC Radio 1 (commonly referred to as just Radio 1) is a British national radio station operated by the BBC, specialising in popular music and speech and is aimed primarily at the 14-29[1] age group. ... Licence to kill has at least two known meanings, it can be defined as an official sanction by a government or government agency to a particular operative or employee to initiate the use of deadly force, presumably in furtherance of the governments aims or policies, or in carrying out... Q is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. ...

SIS headquarters

The SIS building at Vauxhall Cross, London, seen from Vauxhall Bridge

Main article: SIS Building

SIS headquarters, since 1995, is at 85, Vauxhall Cross, along the Albert Embankment in Vauxhall on the banks of the River Thames by Vauxhall Bridge, London. Previous headquarters have been Century House, 100 Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, 1966-95; and 54, Broadway, off Victoria Street, London SW1, 1924-66. (Although SIS operated from Broadway, it was actually based at St. James's Street). The Secret Intelligence Service building at Vauxhall Cross, London, seen from Vauxhall Bridge. ... The Secret Intelligence Service building at Vauxhall Cross, London, seen from Vauxhall Bridge. ... This article is about the town of Vauxhall, for Vauxhall the vehicle manufacturer, see Vauxhall Motors. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Vauxhall bridge looking downstream from the north bank. ... The SIS building at Vauxhall Cross, London, seen from Vauxhall Bridge The SIS building, seen from Millbank The opposite side of the building, seen from Vauxhall Cross The SIS Building, also commonly known as the MI6 Building, is the headquarters of the British Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6... The SIS building at Vauxhall Cross, London, seen from Vauxhall Bridge The SIS building, seen from Millbank The opposite side of the building, seen from Vauxhall Cross The SIS Building, also commonly known as the MI6 Building, is the headquarters of the British Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6... This article is about the town of Vauxhall, for Vauxhall the vehicle manufacturer, see Vauxhall Motors. ... The Albert Embankment is a stretch of the river bank on the south side of the River Thames in central London. ... Vauxhall is an inner city area of south London in the London Borough of Lambeth. ... This article is about the River Thames in southern England. ... Vauxhall bridge looking downstream from the north bank. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Lambeth is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... London SW1 is the London postal district covering the area of central London on the north bank of the River Thames, roughly between Hungerford Bridge and Chelsea Bridge. ...

Designed by Terry Farrell and built by John Laing^[11], the developer Regalian Properties PLC approached the Government in 1987 to see if they had any interest in the proposed building. At the same time MI5 was seeking alternative accommodation and co-location of the two services was studied. In the end this proposal was abandoned due to the lack of buildings of adequate size (existing or proposed) and the security considerations of providing a single target for attacks. In July 1988 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher approved the purchase of the new building for the SIS. At this stage the government proposed to pay for the building outright in order to maintain secrecy over the intended use of the site. It is important to note that at this time the existence of MI6 was not officially acknowledged. Vauxhall Cross building, better known as the home of MI6 The Peak Tower in Hong Kong Sir Terry Farrell (born 1939) is a leading English architect. ... John Laing plc is a British construction company headquartered in central London. ... Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (née Roberts; born 13 October 1925) served as British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 until 1990, being the first and only woman to hold either post. ...

The building design was reviewed to incorporate the necessary protection for Britain's foreign intelligence gathering agency. This includes overall increased security, extensive computer suites, technical areas, bomb blast protection, emergency back-up systems and protection against electronic eavesdropping. While the details and cost of construction have been released, about ten years after the original National Audit Office (NAO) report was written, some of the service's special requirements remain classified. The NAO report Thames House and Vauxhall Cross has certain details omitted, describing in detail the cost and problems of certain modifications but not what these are. Rob Humphrey's London: The Rough Guide suggests one of these omitted modifications is a tunnel beneath the Thames to Whitehall. The NAO put the final cost at £135.05m for site purchase and the basic building, or £152.6m including the service’s special requirements. The National Audit Office (NAO) is an independent Parliamentary body in the United Kingdom which is responsible for auditing central government departments, government agencies and non-departmental public bodies. ... Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament. ...

The setting of the SIS offices were featured in the James Bond films Goldfinger, the spy who loved me, dr.no, and Casino Royale. For the first time MI6 allowed filming of the building itself in The World is Not Enough for the pre-credits sequence, where a bomb hidden in a briefcase full of money is exploded inside the building. Originally, Her Majesty's Government objected, citing a security risk. However, then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said, "After all Bond has done for Britain, it was the least we could do for Bond." This article is about the spy series. ... Goldfinger is the seventh novel in Ian Flemings James Bond series. ... Casino Royale (2006) is the 21st film in the James Bond series and the first to star Daniel Craig as MI6 agent James Bond. ... The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (commonly referred to as Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ... Robert Finlayson Cook (28 February 1946 – 6 August 2005) was a politician in the British Labour Party. ...

On the evening of September 20, 2000, the building was attacked by a Russian-built Mark 22 anti-tank missile. Striking the eighth floor, the missile caused only superficial damage. The Anti-Terrorist branch of the Metropolitan Police attributed responsibility to Irish Republicans, specifically the Real IRA. ^[12] is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... An Anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) is a missile the primary purpose of which is to hit and destroy tanks. ... The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is the name currently used by the territorial police force which is responsible for Greater London other than the City of London (the responsibility of the City of London Police). ... The Real Irish Republican Army, otherwise known as the Real IRA (RIRA), is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation founded before the signing of the 1998 Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement by former members of the Provisional IRA who opposed the latters 1997 cease-fire and acquiescence in the Agreement in...

Directors of the SIS

• Captain Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming, KCMG CB Royal Navy 1909–1923
• Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair 1923–1939
• Major-General Sir Stewart Menzies, KCB KCMG DSO MC 1939–1952
• Major-General Sir John Sinclair, KCMG CB OBE 1953–1956
• Sir Richard White, KCMG KBE 1956–1968
• Sir John Rennie, KCMG 1968–1973
• Sir Maurice Oldfield 1973–1978
• Sir Dick Franks 1979–1982
• Sir Colin Figures, KCMG OBE 1982–1985
• Sir Christopher Curwen, KCMG 1985–1989
• Sir Colin McColl, KCMG 1989–1994
• Sir David Spedding, KCMG CVO OBE 1994–1999
• Sir Richard Dearlove, KCMG OBE 1999–2004
• Sir John Scarlett, KCMG OBE 2004–present

Captain Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming RN (April 1, 1859 - June 14, 1923) was the first director of what would become MI6. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) Ribbon of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on May 18, 1725. ... Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair (1873-November 4, 1939), nicknamed Quex, was the Director of British Naval Intelligence during the First World War and helped to set up the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) before the Second World War. ... Sir Stewart Graham Menzies (January 30, 1890 - May 29, 1968) was the Chief of MI6, British Secret Intelligence Service, during and after the World War II. Stewart Graham Menzies was born in London into a wealthy family. ... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) Ribbon of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on May 18, 1725. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... The Military Cross (MC) is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) Ribbon of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on May 18, 1725. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... Sir Dick Goldsmith White was director-general of MI5 1953-1956 and Head of the British Secret Intelligence Service from 1956 - 1968. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... Sir John Ogilvy Rennie (13 January 1914 - 30 September 1981), was the 6th C ie Director of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 1968-1973. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... Sir Maurice Oldfield (1915 - 1981) was a British espionage administrator. ... Sir Dick Franks was Head of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1979 - 1982. ... Sir Colin Figures was Head of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1982 – 1985. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... Sir Christopher Curwen was Head of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1985 – 1989. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... Sir Colin McColl KCMG was Head of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1989 - 1994. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... Sir David Spedding was Head of the Secret Intelligence Service from 1994 – 1999. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... Queen Victoria founded the Royal Victorian Order. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... Sir Richard Dearlove is a career intelligence officer and, until May 6, 2004, head of Britains Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... Sir John McLeod Scarlett, KCMG, OBE (born August 18, 1948) is head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander...

See also

• List of intelligence agencies
• Sidney Reilly, conman; swindler and murder suspect
• Horst Kopkow, SS Officer who worked for MI6 post World War II
• British Military Intelligence Systems in Northern Ireland
• Special Operations Executive
• MI numbers
• Craig Lincer, fictional character
• Alex Rider, fictional character
• James Bond, fictional character
• George Smiley, fictional character
• Bernard Samson, fictional character
• Queen and Country, American comic book about fictional MI6 operatives
• The Sandbaggers, fictional section
• Richard Tomlinson
• Tearjerker an American Dad episode which spoofs MI6

The following is a partial list of current intelligence agencies. ... Lieutenant Sidney George Reilly, MC (c. ... Horst Kopkow (November 29, 1910 in Ortelsburg, Poland - October 1996 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany) was a Nazi Germany SS major who worked for German Security police and, after the war, was hid by British intelligence so that they could use his knowledge in the Cold War. ... British Military Intelligence Systems in Northern Ireland is a term used to describe various HUMINT, ELINT, and SIGINT systems used by the RUC and British Army Intelligence in Northern Ireland during the latest round of the conflict there. ... The Special Operations Executive (SOE), sometimes referred to as the Baker Street Irregulars after Sherlock Holmess fictional group of spies, was a World War II organization initiated by Winston Churchill and Hugh Dalton in July 1940 as a mechanism for conducting warfare by means other than direct military engagement. ... During the First World War, British secret services were divided into numbered sections referred to as Military Intelligence, department number X: this was shortened to MIX. MI5 (officially the Security Service) and MI6 (officially the Secret Intelligence Service) are often still referred to using these names by members of the... Alexander Alex Rider is a fictional character. ... Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional character created by novelist Ian Fleming, and the protagonist of the James Bond series of novels and films. ... Book cover showing Sir Alec Guiness as George Smiley. ... Bernard Samson is the protagonist of three trilogies written by Len Deighton. ... Queen and Country is a comic book published by Oni Press and written by Greg Rucka with various artists illustrating. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Roy Marsden as Neil Burnside in The Sandbaggers The Sandbaggers is a British television drama series about men and women on the front lines of the Cold War. ... Richard Tomlinson (born 1963) is a New Zealand-born former British MI6 officer who was famously imprisoned in 1997 for breaking the 1989 Official Secrets Act[1] by attempting to publish a book detailing his career in the SIS.[] He was first approached by MI6 in 1984 after graduating from... Tearjerker is the ninth song in the album One Hot Minute by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. ... The Smiths, from left to right: Roger, Francine, Stan, Klaus, Hayley, and Steve. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the author. ... This article is about the spy series. ...

Bibliography

• Davies, Philip H.J. (2004). MI6 and the Machinery of Spying London: Frank Cass, ISBN 0-7146-8363-9 (h/b)
• Davies, Philip H.J. (2005) 'The Machinery of Spying Breaks Down' in Studies in Intelligence Summer 2005 Declassified Edition.
• Dorril, Stephen (2001) MI6: Fifty Years of Special Operations London: Fourth Estate, ISBN 1-85702-701-9
• Humphreys, Rob (1999) London: The Rough Guide, Rough Guides, ISBN 1-85828-404-X
• Judd, Alan: The quest for C : Sir Mansfield Cumming and the founding of the British Secret Service, London : HarperCollins 1999, ISBN 0-00-255901-3
• Richard Tomlinson, The Big Breach - From Top Secret to Maximum Security. Coauthor Nick Fielding, Mainstream Publishing (1 February 2001) ISBN 1-903813-01-8

is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

External links

• Secret Intelligence Service (official)
• UK Intelligence Community On Line
• Information about SIS from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website
• Entry for MI6 on the Federation of American Scientists' Intelligence Resource Program

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2007)

Coordinates: 51°29′13.9″N, 0°07′26.6″W The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall, seen from St. ... The Federation of American Scientists (FAS)[1] is a non-profit organization formed in 1945 by scientists from the Manhattan Project who felt that scientists, engineers and other innovators had an ethical obligation to bring their knowledge and experience to bear on critical national decisions. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

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