Concise Histories of Intelligence – serie

An introduction to Putin’s formidable intelligence and security organizationSince its founding in 1995, the FSB, Russia’s Federal Security Service, has regained the majority of the domestic security functions of the Soviet-era KGB. Under Vladimir Putin, who served as FSB director just before becoming president, the agency has grown to be one of the most powerful and favored organizations in Russia. The FSB not only conducts internal security but also has primacy in intelligence operations in former Soviet states. Their activities include anti-dissident operations at home and abroad, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, criminal investigations of crimes against the state, and guarding Russia’s borders.In The Russian FSB, Kevin P. Riehle provides a brief history of the FSB’s origins, placed within the context of Russian history, the government’s power structure, and Russia’s wider culture. He describes how the FSB’s mindset and priorities show continuities from the tsarist regimes and the Soviet era. The book’s chapters analyze origins, organizational structure, missions, leaders, international partners, and cultural representations such as the FSB in film and television. Based on both English and Russian sources, this book is a well-researched introduction to understanding the FSB and its central role in Putin’s Russia.Concise Histories of Intelligence SeriesChristopher Moran, Mark Phythian, and Mark Stout, Series Editors

The first book about Iran's shadowy Ministry of IntelligenceSteven R. Ward provides an accessible overview of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) and its focus on tracking and countering domestic dissent and perceived foreign-inspired sedition. The ministry's checkered record of effective intelligence operations includes a history of assassinations and human rights abuses. Developing a clearer picture of the MOIS is important for understanding how the Islamic Republic of Iran operates, seeks security, and competes with its adversaries.Iran's Ministry of Intelligence updates and improves on the paucity of available information about Iranian intelligence activities. The chapters in the book cover the MOIS's origins, leaders, structure and organizational culture, operations and tradecraft, foreign partners, cultural representations, and future outlook. The book also provides a significant examination of this contemporary intelligence agency that does not follow the model of Western organizations.Iran's Ministry of Intelligence will be of interest to scholars, students, and general readers of intelligence and Iran's history and politics. It will also be an important resource for national security and foreign policy practitioners.

An introduction to Putin’s formidable intelligence and security organizationSince its founding in 1995, the FSB, Russia’s Federal Security Service, has regained the majority of the domestic security functions of the Soviet-era KGB. Under Vladimir Putin, who served as FSB director just before becoming president, the agency has grown to be one of the most powerful and favored organizations in Russia. The FSB not only conducts internal security but also has primacy in intelligence operations in former Soviet states. Their activities include anti-dissident operations at home and abroad, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, criminal investigations of crimes against the state, and guarding Russia’s borders.In The Russian FSB, Kevin P. Riehle provides a brief history of the FSB’s origins, placed within the context of Russian history, the government’s power structure, and Russia’s wider culture. He describes how the FSB’s mindset and priorities show continuities from the tsarist regimes and the Soviet era. The book’s chapters analyze origins, organizational structure, missions, leaders, international partners, and cultural representations such as the FSB in film and television. Based on both English and Russian sources, this book is a well-researched introduction to understanding the FSB and its central role in Putin’s Russia.Concise Histories of Intelligence SeriesChristopher Moran, Mark Phythian, and Mark Stout, Series Editors

An introduction to Pakistan's ISI, which has been both an essential ally and problematic partner of the United StatesForged during the tumultuous aftermath of Partition in 1947, the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) has grown to become the preeminent intelligence service in Pakistan. Its capabilities are comprehensive, its remit covers both foreign and domestic intelligence, and it is one of the most feared and respected agencies of the Global South.Pakistan's ISI provides an up-to-date and detailed introduction to the ISI and its historical evolution. The narrative is rooted in a deep and wide-ranging contextualization of the state of Pakistan and its security environment. The story is one of an agency that grew from humble beginnings into an extremely capable and robust force at the heart of power in the state. The ISI utilizes broad human intelligence networks and employs covert action and support for militants, particularly in its rivalry with India. As a crucial intelligence partner for the West during the Cold War and into the contemporary era, the ISI has been both an essential ally and problematic partner. The shadow of this agency continues to loom over Pakistan's democratic institutions.This book will appeal to students, scholars, and general readers interested in intelligence and the politics and history of South Asia.

An introduction to Pakistan's ISI, which has been both an essential ally and problematic partner of the United StatesForged during the tumultuous aftermath of Partition in 1947, the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) has grown to become the preeminent intelligence service in Pakistan. Its capabilities are comprehensive, its remit covers both foreign and domestic intelligence, and it is one of the most feared and respected agencies of the Global South.Pakistan's ISI provides an up-to-date and detailed introduction to the ISI and its historical evolution. The narrative is rooted in a deep and wide-ranging contextualization of the state of Pakistan and its security environment. The story is one of an agency that grew from humble beginnings into an extremely capable and robust force at the heart of power in the state. The ISI utilizes broad human intelligence networks and employs covert action and support for militants, particularly in its rivalry with India. As a crucial intelligence partner for the West during the Cold War and into the contemporary era, the ISI has been both an essential ally and problematic partner. The shadow of this agency continues to loom over Pakistan's democratic institutions.This book will appeal to students, scholars, and general readers interested in intelligence and the politics and history of South Asia.

The first book about Iran's shadowy Ministry of IntelligenceSteven R. Ward provides an accessible overview of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) and its focus on tracking and countering domestic dissent and perceived foreign-inspired sedition. The ministry's checkered record of effective intelligence operations includes a history of assassinations and human rights abuses. Developing a clearer picture of the MOIS is important for understanding how the Islamic Republic of Iran operates, seeks security, and competes with its adversaries.Iran's Ministry of Intelligence updates and improves on the paucity of available information about Iranian intelligence activities. The chapters in the book cover the MOIS's origins, leaders, structure and organizational culture, operations and tradecraft, foreign partners, cultural representations, and future outlook. The book also provides a significant examination of this contemporary intelligence agency that does not follow the model of Western organizations.Iran's Ministry of Intelligence will be of interest to scholars, students, and general readers of intelligence and Iran's history and politics. It will also be an important resource for national security and foreign policy practitioners.

The first history of France's present-day foreign intelligence service to be published in EnglishFrance's foreign intelligence service for espionage, analysis, covert action, and security is the formidable Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE). The DGSE's remit spans a wide range of threats, including foreign interference, terrorism and international crime, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the defense of French economic interests.Through an examination of official reports, rare declassified documents, interviews, memoirs, and French secondary sources, Van Puyvelde offers an accessible short introduction to the DGSE. Thematic chapters in The DGSE provide insight into the agency's foundations, organization, leadership, activities, international partners, cultural representations, legacies, and future. The service has had a reputation for audacious operations and shadowy influence within the French state and internationally. Fiascoes like the bombing of Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior tarnished its reputation; but in recent years, the DGSE has reformed and has distanced itself from its checkered past. Van Puyvelde's innovative framework shows how the DGSE has successfully adapted to twenty-first-century security requirements.This first history of the DGSE in English will be of great interest to general readers of spy nonfiction and to scholars and students of intelligence studies, French history, and international affairs.