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Double agent
Type of special intelligence service
Type of special intelligence service
In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country whose official purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organization for the target organization.
Double agentry may be practiced by spies of the target organization who infiltrate the primary, controlling organization or may result from the turning (switching sides) of previously loyal agents of the controlling organization by the target. The threat of execution is the most common method of turning a captured agent (working for an intelligence service) into a double agent (working for a foreign intelligence service) or a double agent into a re-doubled agent. The double agent is unlike a defector, who is not considered an agent, as agents are posted to function for an intelligence service and defectors are not, although some consider that defectors have been agents de facto until they have defected.
Double agents are often used to transmit disinformation or to identify other agents as part of counter-espionage operations. They are often very trusted by the controlling organization since the target organization will give them true but useless, or even counterproductive, information to pass along.
Double agents
| Context | Agent / Code name | Nationality | Loyal to | Spying on | Comments | References | Samuel Morland | Richard Willis | Mata Hari | Mathilde Carré "La Chatte" | Roman Czerniawski "Brutus" | Eddie Chapman "ZigZag" | Walter Dicketts "Celery" | Roger Grosjean "Fido" | Christiaan Lindemans "King Kong" | Arthur Owens "Snow" | Johann-Nielsen Jebsen "Jonny" "Artist" | Ivan Popov "LaLa" "Aesculap" "Dreadnought" "Hans" | Dušan Popov "Duško" "Tricycle" "Ivan" | John Herbert Neal Moe "Mutt and Jeff" | Tor Glad "Mutt and Jeff" | Juan Pujol García "Garbo" | Johann Wenzel | William Sebold "Tramp" | Larissa Swirski "Queen of Hearts" | Aldrich Ames | John Cairncross "Liszt" | Anthony Blunt "Johnson" | Guy Burgess "Hicks" | Donald Maclean "Homer" | Kim Philby "Stanley" | George Blake | Oleg Gordievsky "Sunbeam" "Nocton" "Pimlico" "Ovation" | Sjam Kamaruzaman | Matei Pavel Haiducu | Dmitri Polyakov | Robert Hanssen | Oleg Penkovskiy "Hero" | Stig Bergling | Mikel Lejarza "El Lobo" | Denis Donaldson | "Kevin Fulton" | Freddie Scappaticci "Stakeknife" | Robert Nairac | Matt Calloway | Philip Conjwayo | Geoffrey Price | Michael Smith | Kevin Woods | Aimen Dean | "April Fool" | Iyman Faris | ||||||
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| Wars of the Three Kingdoms | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1639 – 1651 | England English | England Restoration | Commonwealth of England Commonwealth of England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| England English | Commonwealth of England Commonwealth of England | England Restoration | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World War I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1914 – 1918 | Netherlands Dutch | German Empire German Empire | France French Third Republic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World War II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1939 – 1945 | France French | United Kingdom Double-Cross System | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Poland Polish | United Kingdom Double-Cross System | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| England English | United Kingdom Double-Cross System | Infiltrated the German Abwehr during World War II whilst feeding intelligence to MI5. He was so trusted by the Germans that he is reportedly the only British citizen to have ever been awarded the Iron Cross. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| England English | United Kingdom Double-Cross System (1940-1943) | Ex-RNAS officer sent to Lisbon and Germany to infiltrate the Abwehr, report on invasion plans for Britain, and establish the bona fides of Snow (subsequently imprisoned until the end of war). Subjected to an intensive five-day interrogation in Hamburg and survived. Later sent back to Lisbon to persuade Abwehr officer, George Sessler, to defect and worked undercover in Brazil. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| France French | United Kingdom Double-Cross System | French Air Force pilot who worked for the British | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands Dutch | Nazi Germany Abwehr (1944) | Netherlands United Kingdom SOE (1940-1944) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dutch resistance (1941-1944) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wales Welsh | United Kingdom Double-Cross System | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Empire German | Nazi Germany Abwehr (1939-1941) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom MI6 (1941-1945) | Nazi Germany Abwehr (1941-1945) | Anti-Nazi German intelligence officer and British double agent. Jebsen recruited Dušan Popov. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kingdom of Yugoslavia Serbian | Kingdom of Yugoslavia VOA (1939-1945) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nazi Germany Abwehr (1940-1944) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom MI6 (1941-1945) | Nazi Germany Abwehr (1941-1945) | Worked for the Yugoslavian agency VOA, as well as the British MI6 and the German Abwehr. Held the rank of Obersturmbannführer in the Gestapo. Brother of Dušan Popov. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kingdom of Yugoslavia Serbian | Kingdom of Yugoslavia VOA (1939-1945) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nazi Germany Abwehr (1940-1941) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom MI6 (1940-1945) | Nazi Germany Abwehr (1941-1945) | Worked for the Yugoslavian agency VOA, as well as the British MI6 and the German Abwehr. Held the rank of colonel in the British Army. Brother of Ivan Popov. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norway Norwegian | United Kingdom Double-Cross System | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norway Norwegian | United Kingdom Double-Cross System | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spain Spanish | United Kingdom Double-Cross System | British double agent in German spy service; awarded both an MBE and an Iron Cross | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Empire German | Member of Red Orchestra spy ring who, after being unmasked by the Gestapo in 1942, fed false information to the Soviet Union from August until his escape in November. Later joined the Belgian Resistance. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| German Empire German | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States U.S. citizen | United States FBI (1939) | Nazi Germany Abwehr (1939) | Coerced by the Abwehr into becoming a spy, exposed the Duquesne Spy Ring to the FBI. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| {{flagicon | Russian Empire | Russian]] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spain Spanish | Nazi Germany Abwehr | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom MI6 (1943-1945) | Nazi Germany Nazi Germany | Recruited by the Nazis in Ceuta; changed alliances after learning about the concentration camps. Role in preventing the Nazis from taking Gibraltar. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cold War | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1947 – 1991 | United States American | Soviet Union KGB | United States CIA (1957-1994) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scotland Scottish | Soviet Union MGB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soviet Union Cambridge Five | UK MI5 (1941-1944) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK GC&CS (1942-1943) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK MI6 (1944-1945) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| England English | Soviet Union NKVD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soviet Union Cambridge Five | UK MI5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| England English | Soviet Union MGB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soviet Union Cambridge Five | UK MI5 (1939-1941) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Foreign Office (1944-1956) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| England English | Soviet Union MGB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soviet Union Cambridge Five | UK MI5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK MI6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| England English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| British Raj Born in India | Soviet Union MGB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soviet Union Cambridge Five | UK MI6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands Dutch | Soviet Union KGB | UK MI6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russian SFSR Russian | UK MI6 (1968-2008) | Soviet Union KGB (1963-1985) | Abducted in Moscow in 1985; escaped to the United Kingdom two months later. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indonesia Indonesia | Indonesia Indonesia Communist Party | Indonesia Indonesian Army | Head of the Indonesian Communist Party Special Bureau which was tasked to gathering information and intelligence and was the mastermind of 30th September Movement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Romania Romanian | France DST (1981) | Romania DIE (1975-1982) | Defected to France in 1981. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ukrainian SSR Ukrainian | United States FBI | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States CIA | Russian SFSR GRU | Executed in 1988. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States American | Russian SFSR GRU | United States FBI | Worked for the FBI and sold information to the Soviet Union as a mole. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russian Empire Russian | United States CIA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom MI6 | Russian SFSR GRU | A colonel with GRU informed the U.K. and the U.S. about the Soviet emplacement of missiles in Cuba; executed by the Soviets in 1963. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sweden Swedish | Russian SFSR GRU | Sweden SÄPO | Among other things, handed over the entire Swedish "FO-code", a top secret list of Sweden's defence establishments, coastal artillery fortifications and mobilization stores. Convicted in 1979 and sentenced to life imprisonment for treason. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basque conflict | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1959 – 2011 | Basque Country Basque | Spain CESID | Basque Country ETA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland conflict | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968 – 1998 | Northern Ireland Northern Irish | UK MI5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland PSNI | Ireland Provisional IRA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ireland Sinn Féin | Assassinated at his cottage in County Donegal after being exposed by a Northern Ireland newspaper, The Derry Journal. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Ireland Northern Irish | UK Royal Irish Rangers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Int Corps | Ireland Provisional IRA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ireland Irish | UK FRU | Ireland Provisional IRA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ireland ISU | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| England English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mauritius born in Mauritius | UK British Army | Ireland Provisional IRA | Murdered by the Provisional IRA in County Louth in 1977. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South African espionage in Zimbabwe and the Gukurahundi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980 – 1987 | Zimbabwe Zimbabwean | South Africa NIS | Zimbabwe CIO | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1989/10/22/apartheids-spies/78cac89e-ec8b-4c3e-87a7-8afc1c778c81 | title=Apartheid's Spies | last=Berkeley | first=Bill | date=1989-10-22 | newspaper=The Washington Post | access-date=2018-10-18}} | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zimbabwe Zimbabwean | South Africa NIS | Zimbabwe CIO | url=https://www.southerneye.co.zw/2014/02/21/philip-conjwayo-dies/ | title=Philip Conjwayo dies | last=Dube | first=Benson | date=2014-02-21 | work=Southern Eye | access-date=2018-10-22}} | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zimbabwe Zimbabwean | South Africa NIS | Zimbabwe CIO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zimbabwe Zimbabwean | South Africa NIS | Zimbabwe CIO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zimbabwe Zimbabwean | South Africa NIS | Zimbabwe CIO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Global War on Terrorism | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 – | United Kingdom United Kingdom (born Bahraini) | United Kingdom Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) | Flag_of_al-Qaeda.svg al-Qaeda | Dean's cover was reportedly blown by Ron Suskind who, using CIA sources who had received intelligence under the Five Eyes UKUSA Agreement, disclosed his identity with details that could only be sourced to Dean in an excerpt of The One Percent Doctrine for Time. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States American | United States United States | Iraq Iraq | Allegedly, an American officer who provided false information to Saddam Hussein | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States U.S. citizen | Flag_of_al-Qaeda.svg al-Qaeda | United States FBI |
Re-doubled agent
A re-doubled agent is an agent who gets caught as a double agent and is forced to mislead the foreign intelligence service. F.M. Begoum describes the re-doubled agent as "one whose duplicity in doubling for another service has been detected by his original sponsor and who has been persuaded to reverse his affections again".
- Vitaly Yurchenko
Triple agent
A triple agent is a spy who pretends to be a double agent for one side while they are truthfully a double agent for the other side. Unlike a re-doubled agent, who changes allegiance due to being compromised, a triple agent usually has always been loyal to their original side. It may also refer to a spy who works for three opposing sides, such that each side thinks the spy works for them alone.
Notable triple agents include:
- Phạm Văn Đắc or Hoang A Nhac (Lai Teck)
- Michael Goleniewski
- Abdul Razak Hussein
- Ibrahim Ismail
- Humam Khalil
- Katrina Leung
- Yoong Siew Wah
Events in which double agents played an important role
- Babington Plot
- Battle of Lexington
- Battle of Normandy
- Camp Chapman attack
- Cold War
- Duquesne Spy Ring
- Gukurahundi
- Stormontgate
- Vietnam War
- War on terrorism
- Yom Kippur War
References
References
- "Definition of DOUBLE AGENT". merriam-webster.com.
- (November 2017). "Double Agent Celery". Pen & Sword Books.
- (2011). "Operation Garbo: The Personal Story of the Most Successful Spy of World War II". Biteback Publishing.
- Rizal, M.. "Misteri Sjam, Pengendali Operasi G30S".
- Berkeley, Bill. (1989-10-22). "Apartheid's Spies". The Washington Post.
- Dube, Benson. (2014-02-21). "Philip Conjwayo dies". Southern Eye.
- Windrem, Robert. (17 June 2018). "He spied on al Qaeda from inside, until he had to run for his life". NBC News.
- Begoum, F.M.. "Observations on the Double Agent". Central Intelligence Agency.
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