Secret Intelligence (Chapter 10)

p. 165, illegals: There is evidence that the use of ‘illegals’ is increasing. This is a result of the large number of expulsions of intelligence officers with diplomatic cover (‘legals’) produced by the serious deterioration in relations between Russia and the NATO powers following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

p. 165, ‘typical diplomatic ranks’: It is worth recording the view on this of the highly regarded veteran BBC world affairs reporter, John Simpson, albeit one that appears in his 2021 novel Our Friends in Beijing (see Further reading below). Referring to Raj Harish, an important character in the book, he says that ‘He had one of those flimsy cover jobs at the British embassy [in Beijing]: deputy information officer, or third commerecial attaché, or something. If you want to see who’s in the British intelligence game, look at their titles. They’re always a couple of steps below the level you’d expect for their age and seniority.’ (p. 111)

p. 173 (Second to be noted …), secret service alliances and liaisons: Other plausible liaisons if not alliances are those between Russia and China and Russia and Iran claimed in 2023 by SVR chief Sergey Naryshkin, although it clearly suits the Kremlin to advertise – and possibly exaggerate – the strength of these relationships.

p. 174, intel officers as special envoys: See Ch. 15 updating page.

Further reading

Anadolu Agency [Turkey], ‘Intelligence ties with China at “unprecedented” level, says Russian spy chief’, 17 January 2023

Cater, Leonie, ‘Netherlands orders expulsion of Russian diplomats’, Politico, 18 February 2023

Cornwell, Tim (ed), A Private Spy: The Letters of John le Carré (Penguin Books, 2023), first pub. Viking 2022. Not of great value for this subject but still worth using via the Index, which turns up interesting tit-bits.

Dettmer, Jamie, ‘Russian spies rebound in Europe’, Politico, 4 April 2023

Duxbury, Charlie, ‘Russia’s diplomatic clash with Europe flares in Estonia: A mutual expelling of ambassadors is putting into question the value of European countries’ diplomatic links with the Kremlin’, Politico, 26 March, 2023

Guardian staff, ‘Moldova expels 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff, citing years of “hostile actions”’, 27 July 2023

Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament, ‘China’, HC1605, 13 July 2023

Riehle, Kevin, ‘The History and Continuing Relevance of Soviet Bloc Illegal Intelligence Operatives’, 5 January 2023, a blog post of the History and Public Policy Forum (Wilson Center)

Security Service, UK (MI5), ‘How Spies Operate’

Simpson, John, A Mad World, My Masters: Tales from a Traveller’s Life (Pan Books, 2001), Ch. 4 (‘Spies’), useful on the differences between journalists and intelligence officers by the highly respected BBC world affairs editor

– – – -, Our Friends in Beijing (John Murray, 2021), pb. ed. 2022

Walker, Shaun, ‘The ‘ordinary’ family at No 35: suspected Russian spies await trial in Slovenia’, The Guardian, 24 March 2023

Wintour, Patrick, ‘Spy games: expulsion of diplomats shines light on Russian espionage’, The Guardian, 15 April 2022