The best intelligence agency in the world?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the question of which intelligence agency is considered the best in the world, with participants mentioning various agencies such as Mossad, CIA, MI6, KGB, and NSA. The conversation explores opinions on their effectiveness, capabilities, and public perception.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that if an intelligence agency is doing its job well, it would remain unknown to the public.
  • One participant argues that the NSA is superior due to its secrecy and capabilities, citing its significant budget and technological resources.
  • Another participant claims that the NSA primarily provides support to other agencies like the CIA, suggesting it lacks the same level of operational capability as agencies like Mossad.
  • Some participants mention lesser-known agencies, such as Forsvarets Etterretningstjeneste and SÄPO, with mixed opinions on their effectiveness.
  • There are humorous exchanges regarding the avatars and references to "Super-Secret Secret Squirrels," indicating a light-hearted tone amidst the debate.
  • One participant asserts that RAW (India) is the supreme intelligence agency, challenging the previously mentioned agencies.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on which intelligence agency is the best, with multiple competing views and ongoing debate about the capabilities and effectiveness of various agencies.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the capabilities of intelligence agencies depend on definitions of effectiveness and operational scope, which remain unresolved in the discussion.

  • #31


Vanadium 50 said:
Reading this, I think people would do well to distinguish between "intelligence gathering" and "covert operations".

To be fair there are covert and clandestine missions carried out for the purpose of gathering intel. Agencies like the CIA also put spys in place to gather and even illicit information that can not be procured electronically. The NSA, from what wiki says, use no undercover operatives or infiltration missions themselves. Likely they have the CIA do it for them.
 
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  • #32


Clearly the only way to solve this is to simultaneously infiltrate all the possible options, and perhaps a dozen other national intelligence agencies for comparison, in order to determine which one is the best. Once we have all the data collected we can conclude that we're the best and the issue is solved
 

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