Tag: Intelligence

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Forget John le Carré’s novels — they’re unrealistic, says former spy chief

Colin Henderson

David Omand, the former head of GCHQ, told the Cheltenham Literature Festival that the author’s works were entertainment and should be read ‘for pleasure’ John le Carré worked for MI5 and MI6ANDREW FOX/MIRRORPIX/GETTY IMAGES David Sanderson, Arts Correspondent Wednesday October 14 2026, 1.00pm BST, The Times Listen • 4:40 minShareSave John le Carré’s fiction should be forgotten about as it gives an unrealistic portrait of the intelligence services, the former head of GCHQ has said. David Omand said that the authors Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene gave realistic depictions of the intelligence community, adding that many others including le Carré were just entertainment. Omand, … Continue reading Forget John le Carré’s novels — they’re unrealistic, says former spy chief

AI

Distracted and Divided, Russian Security Service Misses Threats

Colin Henderson

The Ukrainian offensive over the border caught Moscow’s intelligence agencies by surprise, experts say. It wasn’t the first time that has happened during the war. Sept. 6, 2024 On the day Ukraine launched its daring incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, the Federal Security Service, the Russian agency most responsible for protecting the border, played down the seriousness of the operation. Calling it “an armed provocation,” the agency said its forces were working to push the Ukrainians back. That was nearly a month ago. Since then, Ukrainian forces have occupied a small but significant patch of Russian territory and killed or captured hundreds of Russian … Continue reading Distracted and Divided, Russian Security Service Misses Threats

Security

The US National Intelligence Council, part 1:

Colin Henderson

The US National Intelligence Council, part 1: the discreet forum in charge of strategic analysis The NIC is little known, even within the US intelligence community, but is responsible for producing the most authoritative analyses in Washington. The forum brings together experts from all the US agencies and can adapt to political decision-makers’ needs. Continue reading The US National Intelligence Council, part 1: