Gideon's Spies

AFI Intelligence branch of Israel’s air force. Specializes in gathering signals intelligence and aerial reconnaissance. By the year 2001, the latter will be largely replaced by satellite, leaving AFI’s role to provide conventional air support intelligence.

BP Paramilitary-style border police in Israeli-occupied territories. Limited intelligence-gathering role.

NI Naval intelligence unit of all Israeli seaborne forces. Work includes monitoring Israel’s coasts and updating foreign naval resources.

GSS Also known as Shin Bet or SHABEK. Responsible for internal security and defense of Israeli installations abroad such as embassies, consulates, and important Israeli organizations.

RPPC Research and Political Planning Center advises prime minister of the day and his policymakers on longterm strategy.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CIA Conducts covert operations, provides intelligence analysis for the incumbent president. Forbidden by Executive Order from conducting assassinations.

DIA Coordinates all military intelligence for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

INR State Department’s small intelligence and research department (1999 staff approximately 500). Reports only to incumbent secretary of state.

NIO Based in Pentagon The National Imagery Office controls all U.S. satellite intelligence gathering. Constantly “tasked” by the CIA and DIA.

NRO Pentagon-based. Works closely with NIO and has specific responsibility for all satellite hardware and deployment.

NSA Operates from Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. Over the years its “spy in the sky” image has given the National Security Agency a glamour once only the prerogative of the CIA. Specializes in signals intelligence, cryptography. Works closely with NIO on satellite intelligence gathering.

UNITED KINGDOM

GCHQ Its 7,000 (approx. 1999) staff act as Britain’s “invisible eye in outer space.” Formally known as Government Communications Headquarters, it monitors and decodes radio, telex, fax, and e-mail traffic in and out of the United Kingdom. Regularly “tasked” by Britain’s two main intelligence services.

MI6 Also known as the Secret Intelligence Service. Staff of under 2,000 (1999) plan, carry out, and analyze worldwide clandestine operations and intelligence gathering.

MI5 2,000 staff (1999). Britain’s prime internal counterespionage service. Specializes in monitoring all designated subversives in the country and conducts surveillance on a large number of foreign diplomats and embassies, including, those of Israel.

RUSSIA

GRU Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravlenie provides Kremlin with military intelligence. Staffed with the best of the former Soviet Union’s intelligence services. Equipped with satellite surveillance.

FCS Renamed the Federal Counter-intelligence Service, it is really the old KGB updated. Staff of 142,000 (1999). Focuses on border movement control, internal counter-intelligence, surveillance of all foreign diplomats, many journalists, and business people. Has a powerful secret police division with units in every major city in Russia.

SVR Sluzhba Vneshnie Razvedaki runs worldwide, multilayered intelligence-gathering operation. Specialist units gather political, industrial, and commercial intelligence. Conducts covert operations, including assassinations.

CHINA

ILD Harmless-sounding International Liaison Department, the organization engages in a wide range of covert activities. Prime target is the United States.

MID Military Intelligence Department reports to the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army. Brief includes updating all foreign military capabilities (especially the United States) and conducting satellite reconnaissance. Staff are attached to every PRC embassy and consulate.

MSS Founded in 1983, the Ministry of State Security is responsible for all counter-espionage within China. Has a fearsome reputation.

STD Based in Ministry of Defense, the large Science and Technology Department has two prime functions: to collate all signals traffic from the Chinese navy and overseas embassies; to target primarily U.S. firms working at the cutting edge of military and civilian technology.

NCNA Nominally a news agency reporting on Chinese affairs. Has long been a cover for all other Chinese intelligence agencies engaged in clandestine activities.

FRANCE

DAS Miniscule (staff of under 50 in 1999). Focuses on assessing long-term defense planning work by other nations.

DPSD Direction du Production et de la Sécurité de la Défense. Responsible for gathering military intelligence abroad.

DRM At the coal-face of French satellite intelligence program. Divided into five sub-directorates. Reports directly to prime minister of the day.