Top 10 intelligence agencies in the world

All countries use intelligence agencies to thwart away external threats and they are known to use all possible means to achieve their means including espionage, covert operations and a network of informers.

Over decades some of these intelligence agencies have built a reputation of being notoriously effective, aggressive and secretive reminiscent of James Bond Movies.

The stated ranking of Intelligence agencies around the world is based on various activities, failures, revealing of information regarding their intelligence agencies, etc. The ranking differs every year, stated below are the ranking of the top 10 intelligence agencies around the world.

10) CSIS- Cannada Security Intelligence Services, Cannada

CSIS is the intelligence agency of Canada that looks into the national security of the country. CSIS collects intelligence, runs covert operations, and advising the government on potential security threats.

The CSIS is also Canada’s representative in the Five Eyes, an intelligence alliance between the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. CSIS has a reputation for being too aggressive when it comes to running its activities in the name of national security making them 10th on this list.

9) DGSE – Directorate-General for External Security, Paris, France

One of the countries hit worst by COVID-19, DGSE headquarters is in France and has been ranked 10 cause of its rich history in playing a significant role during the Rwandan Civil War in the 1990s. The agency had the task of spreading false information, which led to the increased French involvement during the late stages of the war.

The DGSE also had a role during the Kosovo War between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo Liberation Army.

8) Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)

The ASIS was formed in 1952, though the public remained unaware of its existence until 1972. It was first mentioned in the Australian Parliament in the year 1975 and publically acknowledged only in the year 1977.

ASIS has successfully kept itself away from the various international crises, yet, it still maintains a strong intelligence agency marking it in the 9th position.

7) BND (  Bundesnachrichtendienst), Germany

It is the only overseas intelligence agency in the country and is responsible for gathering both military and civil intelligence. The agency gathers information on terrorism, nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, drug and illegal human trafficking, and illegal migration.

Its surveillance system is considered world-class. BND helped the country either by giving early warnings or by completely eliminating the danger.

6) Ministry of State Security (MSS),  China

MSS, China as an agency helps with updating China with worldly affairs and also works internally, so that, the popularity of the Communist party is maintained. MSS has played a major role in curbing any anti-communist or anti-government revolts.

MSS plays a central role in censoring the internet in China, cutting off the population from the outside world, and allowing the government to control what influences the Chinese people making it ranked number 6 on the list.

5) GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate), Russia

GRU was found by the Revolutionary Military Council and is Russia’s main intelligence agency. The GRU was a Soviet military intelligence organization and engaged only in foreign intelligence activities.

After the fall of the USSR, it was this agency that has helped Russia to once become a major threat to all the superpowers. It became more important after Boris Yeltsin the former president of Russia discontinued the KGB in the year 1996.

4) RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), India

RAW, a Common name in every Bollywood movie consisting of an agent. RAW regularly coordinates with other intelligence agencies and is presumed to has intelligence officers stationed all over the world. RAW regularly communicates with other well-known agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency and Mossad in regard to monitoring Pakistan’s and China’s nuclear programs.

The agency played a vital role in the creation of Bangladesh, in the year 1971. It also helped the government conduct nuke test with absolute secrecy. RAW also found out about Pakistan’s main nuclear weapons laboratory, Kahuta.

3) MI6 – Military Intelligence section 6, London, UK

From movies of James Bond, Agent 007, and Jonny English, MI6 had its fair share of publicity. The MI6 gathers and analyzes information from overseas. It focuses on information related to terrorism, nuclear weapons, drug trafficking, organized crime, and other activities that could threaten the UK’s interests and national security.

MI6 is one of the oldest intelligence agencies and has existed in various forms since the establishment of a secret service in 1569. Its major contribution was to help Britain in coordinating intelligence activities prior to the outbreak of World War I. Even today the agency works with top agencies like the CIA to helps them in their missions.

2) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), USA

Another famous name on the list is CIA, the agency that monitors overseas developments that might threaten the USA. CIA especially monitors developments relating to terrorism and nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. The agency handles counterintelligence and cyber warfare.

CIA also runs covert paramilitary operations. One of its major achievements is the assassination of Osama Bin Ladin making the CIA placed 2nd on this list.

1) Mossad, Tel Aviv, Israel

Mossad is the national intelligence agency of Israel, one of the top 10 countries with the most powerful nuclear weapons in the world. Mossad has been a part of some of the most daring undercover operations in the world. This special operation and foreign intelligence agency launched operation ‘Wrath of God‘ the assassination of 11 Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics by a terrorist group called Black September. Mossad decided to seek revenge and employed their agents and spies and killed all the suspected conspirators.

Mossad deals with foreign intelligence, collecting information on overseas developments that might threaten Israeli interests and security. The agency has its own counter-terrorism unit, the Kidon. Not much is known about the unit other than it is supposedly composed of elite assassins.

During their famous Entebbe Rescue, all the Mossad agents dressed up as Ugandan soldiers, and one agent was made to look like the president of Uganda. They freed all the Israelis and even destroyed many Ugandan jets making Mossad Number 1 on this list.

The modern intelligence agencies might not be anything like James Bond movies but they all are very effective in protecting their respective countries. We too are proud of RAW that monitors and neutralizes threats to our great nation.

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