Submitted by James Radcliffe
The remit of MI5 is internal security and intelligence gathering.
Traditionally this has meant they have concentrated on threats to
"National Security". What exactly constitutes a threat to national
security is something which has been the focus of constant
reinterpretation since the end of the cold war. Initially this lead to
an expansion of the role of MI5 to include counter terrorism. However
more recently, since the IRA cease-fire (not that the IRA is the only
terrorist threat to the UK, and not that the IRA cease-fire seems to be
holding), MI5 has been searching for a new role. Currently efforts include a proposed expansion
into intelligence gathering in areas traditionally managed by the Police
such as drug trafficking and other serious and organised crime. Their
moto is "Regnum Defende" (derived from the directive issued to the
Service in 1952 by the then Home Secretary David Maxwell Fyfe).
It has been pointed out that as MI5's role is threats to national
security (and more recently, serious organised crime), the organisation is more analogous
to that of a national Police / Investigative force in other countries.
For example:
Federal Bureau of Invesgitation (FBI): US national serious crime bureau
Russian FSB
Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS)
Dutch Binnenlandse Veiligheidsdienst (BVD)- Internal Security Service
MI5 is based in London, in Thames House, on Millbank. The offices aren't
new, and have been occupied by several other government departments
before they were allocated to MI5. They have however been extensively
refurbished to include a multi-gym and squash courts.
Around 2,000 people work for MI5. Information from The Telegraph
(11/1/96). In the Sunday Times (14/04/96), the figure is quoted as being
around 1,850 (having fallen recently from 2,150 at the end of the cold
war).
Money! The total budget of the Security Services in the UK (ie MI5, MI6
and GCHQ) is put at around #800 million (after recent Treasury cut-backs
of 10%), again the Sunday Times
(14/04/96).
How to apply for a job with MI5:
MI5 has published a glossy brochure aimed at graduate high flyers. Once
agents were recruited over a quiet sherry in an Oxbridge college
tutorial, these days things are more formal. The 12-page booklet
contains profiles of graduates who have recently joined the service, and
pictures of its plush headquarters on the banks of the Thames. The
booklet tells potential applicants that they would work against
terrorists, foreign spies orperating in Britain, or those seeking to
obtain weapons of mass destruction. In his introduction, Mr Lander says
he needs "intelligent, balanced, committed and trustworthy staff."
Graduate entrants can expect a starting salary ranging between
#14,900-#20,000. The booklet also emphasises the drawbacks; Working in
MI5 is about quiet satisfaction, you may celebrate success with your
colleagues, but not your friends. Those who work with the service are
advised not to tell anyone other than their spouse or parents.
Applicants are left in no doubt that secrecy is paramount: "If you are
interested in joining, it may be sensible to be circumspect about who
you tell. If you start being discreet now, it will make it easier for
you if you become a member of the service."
Reported in the Sunday Times 21/04/96.
It has been widely reported in the media that senior members of the
Police are unhappy about the proposed expansion of the role of MI5 to
include intelligence gathering on organised crime. However, despite some
concern over the controls it seems likely that the MI5 remit will be
expanded now the new Security Service Bill has received MP's backing.
UPDATE: An addition to the Bill was added, that states MI5 should be
involved only in a
supporting role to a Police investigation.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, Betty Boothroyd MP, revealed how
she was approached by both the KGB and MI5 to spy for them during the
cold war. She had informed
MI5 when she was approached by the KGB to spy for them, but MI5 seemed
more interested in recruiting her to spy on a group of left-wing Labour
MPs. The Sunday Times (18/02/96).
Make of this what you will... It's be alledged that MI5 have been
assisted in their intelligence
efforts by a clairvoyant, Chris Robinson. He is said to have supplied
the intelligence services with information about possible targets of IRA
bombs. When he dreams of dogs this is said to
symbolise the IRA. This follows a disclosure that the American
intelligence agencies have
empolyed psychics (or remote viewers) over an extended period. A senior
security official is
quoted as saying "The service does not make use of psychics or similar.
Any letters to the service's PO Box would normally receive an
acknowledgement. You can read between the lines, no doubt."
The article alledging this appeared in the Sunday Times 17/03/96. As I
said, make of it what you will... Two reports, one from MI5 and one
from Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (set up to oversee
MI5, MI6 and GCHQ), said that Russian espionage was a growing threat.
The MI5 report said "although the level of the threat is no longer the
same, spying continues." Both the SVR, the Russian civilian agency, and
the GRU military intelligence service, have renewed their efforts to
post intelligence officers to London. The MI5 report also gave details
about how the organisations resources are currently targeted: 39% at
Irish and domestic counter-terrorism; 33% at International terrorism;
25% towards counter-espionage; 3% at counter-subversion. The
parliamentary committee's first report also expressed concern about how
much damage might have been done to UK Intelligence interests by Aldrich
Ames, the CIA agent who betrayed American spies to the Russians. The
Telegraph 29/03/96.
MI5 is seeking new powers to tap conversations on digital mobile
phones. The new phones
have a "rolling" encryption code which can pose a serious challenge for
the sophisticated
computerised decoding techniques used by the intelligence agencies. The
conversations could however be easily intercepted if access was granted
to the encryption keys, which are only known by the telephone companies.
MI5 and the Anti-Terrorist Branch are urging the DTI to grant such
access. The plan is to license a "trusted third party", probably a
banking organisation, to hold the encryption keys, thus maintaining the
confidentiality of the information. The same safeguards which currently
apply to taping phones and opening mail would then apply if MI5 or the
Police required a key. A warrant would have to be obtained, and access
would only be given to the specific key, and thus the specific mobile
phone required.
Field Agent
Influence:
Available Training: Awarness, Investigation, Politics,
Savoir Faire, Surveillance
Available Skills: Computer Prgramming, Computer Use,
Diplomacy, Disguise, Drive, Escape, First Aid,
Lockpicking, Martial Arts, Photography, Shadow,
Stealth, Small Arms: Pistol, Video
Intelligence Analyst
Influence:
Available Training: Communication, Politics, Surviellance
Available Skills: Cartography, Computer programming,
Computer Use, Cryptology, Humanities, Video,
Research, Science, Photography, Humanities
Pulling Strings:
Old School Tie
- The majority of MI5 agents come from a public school and
oxford/cambridge education. The old school tie network is almost a kind
of secret society, members use the network for all sorts of things such
as securing high ranking jobs. MI5/6 agents can use their old school tie
for 2 purposes.
1. Information - The agent may find a member of the old school tie
network in any government organisation if she can pass a Df2 influence
test, Df1 for a buisness/corporation. The difficulty is increased by 1
for a non British organisation.
2. Securing favours- The agent can use the members of the network to
provide favours for himself at +2Df to the previous examples.
CIA Pulling Strings
- MI5 often share information with their american counterparts. The agent
may use any of the CIA pulling strings at +2Df.
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