World’s Best Intelligence Agencies: Know About CIA, RAW, Mossad (2024)

Top 10 Intelligence Agencies in the World

Every country in this world has their own Intelligence Agencies however amongst all of them only the Top 10 Intelligence Agencies in the World are popular. The candidates who have an affinity towards knowing the details of the same can check out the details of the intelligence agencies working around the world:

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), USA

Federal Security Service, USSR

Foreign intelligence service of the Russian Federation.
Motto: Counter-intelligence, operative-investigatory activities, guarding the State border of the USSR, guarding the leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the Soviet Government.
Headquarters of FSS: 24 Kuznetsky Most Street, Moscow, Russia.
Formerly known as KGB
Founding Year: 12th April 1995
Budget: Classified.
Current Director: Alexander Bortnikov

Central External Liaison Department, China

Known as “International External Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China”.
Motto: Conducting relations with and influencing foreign political parties, think tanks, and academics as well as finding ways to divide potential critics.
Headquarters of CELD: Beijing, China.
Formerly known as International Department
Founding Year: 1951
Budget: Classified.
Current Director: Song Tao

**Naikaku Jōhō Chōsash*tsu, Japan**

Also known as “Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office”.
Motto: Around 100 out of 170 CIRO agents are from other agencies/ministries with top positions occupied by career police officers. They guard Japanese National Interests.
Headquarters of Naikaku Jōhō Chōsash*tsu: Nagatacho, Tokyo, Japan.
Formerly known as: Cabinet Research Centre
Founding Year: 1986
Budget: Classified.
Current Executive: Shigeru Kitamura

Directorate-General for External Security, France

Also known as “Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure, DGSE”.
Motto: Providing intelligence and safeguarding French national security, notably by performing paramilitary and counterintelligence operations abroad.
Headquarters of Directorate-General for External Security: 141 Boulevard Mortier, Paris XX, France
Formerly known as External Documentation and Counter-Espionage Service.
Founding Year: April 2, 1982.
Budget: US$731,807,192.50
Current Executive Director: Bernard Emie

Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), UK

Mossad, Israel

Mossad is a Hebrew term that means “Institute”.
Also known as “Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations”.
Motto: intelligence collection, covert operations, and counterterrorism.
Headquarters of Mossad, Israel: Tel Aviv, Israël.
Formerly known as Central Institute for Coordination
Founding Year: December 13, 1949.
Budget: $2.73 billion.
Current Executive: Yossi Cohen

Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India

Hindi Translation: “Anusandhan aur Vishleshan Wing”.
Motto: Intelligence collection, covert operations, advice Indian politicians and do counterterrorism abroad.
Headquarters of RAW: CGO Complex, New Delhi.
Founding Year: September 21, 1968.
Budget: Classified.
Current Executive: Samant Goel, IPS
No records of failures or accomplishments –information highly classified.

Knowhow to join RAWhere.

National Intelligence Agency, South Africa

Currently, it is known as the Domestic Branch of the State Security Agency.
Motto: Gather, correlate, evaluate and analyze domestic intelligence and abroad information.
Headquarters of NIA: Musanda, Pretoria, South Africa.
Formerly known as National Intelligence Service.
Founding Year: January 1, 1994.
Budget: Classified.
Current Executive: Mahlodi Muofhe

Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan

Motto: Gather, correlate, evaluate and analyze domestic intelligence and abroad information, particularly in India.
Headquarters of: Aabpara, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Founding Year: January 1, 1948.
Budget: Classified.
Current Executive: Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed
Joint Counterintelligence Bureau – to fight RAW of India.
Joint Intelligence North – to look upon Jammu & Kashmir.
Most used techniques – human operations, media, diplomacy with other nations.

SAVAK, Iran

It was the secret police, domestic security and intelligence service in Iran during the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty.
It was established with the help of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the Israeli Mossad.
Headquarters of SAVAK: Tehran, Iran.
Founder: Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Founding Year: March 20, 1957.
Ceased operations on 24 February 1979
Superseding Agency: Prime Ministry Intelligence Office, Iran (formed after Iranian Revolution).

Iraqi National Intelligence Service, Iraq

It has been funded from secret funds set aside within the Iraq appropriation approved by the US Congress.
These secret funds, totalling $3 billion over three years, are said to be destined for covert CIA operations within Iraq (as well as, to a small extent, Afghanistan).
Headquarters of Iraqi National Intelligence Service: Baghdâd, Iraq.
Founder: Coalition Provisional Authority.
Founding Year: April 2004.
Agency Executive: Mustafa Al-Kadhimi

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