The Bluffer's Briefing: Espionage
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Earliest account: Numbers, Ch 13. On instructions from the Lord, Moses sent agents 'to spy out the land of Canaan'.
Report of agents: 'They are stronger than we.'
Action taken: agents smitten with the plague before the Lord.
First book: The Ping-Fa (Art of War) by the Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu around 400BC.
Sun Tzu's five types of secret agent: agent in place, double agent, deception agent, expendable agent, penetration agent.
Whatever happened to MI1, MI2, MI3, and MI4?: Believed to be post codes in Middleton. Further information unavailable.
The Security Service: formerly MI5, answerable to the Home Secretary, director-general known as 'K'.
The Secret Intelligence Service: formerly MI6, answerable to the Foreign Secretary, director-general known as 'C'.
MI8: American cryptographic bureau in the Second World War.
MI9: British organisation for planning prison-camp escapes in the Second World War.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments