Eye Spy - May 2018

4 EYE SPY INTELLIGENCE MAGAZINE 115 2018

INTELLIGENCE

REVIEW•NEWS•DIGEST

ALL CHANGE AT MI5 AND MI6?

S

British Intelligence expands its female workforce

as sources claim next MI6 Chief will be a female

everal UK media houses

have repor ted that the

next Chief of MI6 could

well be a female. This

follows a spate of

promotions in several international

spy agencies of women as head

of service, including the CIA. Now

intelligence sources state MI

Chief Alex Younger, has personally

selected a female candidate as his

successor. However, all the

sources have been described as

“anonymous” and MI6 naturally

chose not to comment on the

speculation. Nevertheless, she is

said to be a long-term career

staffer who has risen through the

ranks and has received an honour

from HM Queen Elizabeth.

Similarly, she served as Station

Chief in an unspecified country

and was engaged in important

operations.

The decision follows a directive

issued by British Intelligence to

increase the number of female

staffers in all three primary British

intelligence agencies to at least

30%.

MI5 STRIVING FOR DIVERSITY

On 6 March, MI5 once again

hosted a meeting of the 30% Club.

Established in 2010, the ‘club’

was established to take action to

create a better balance of men and

women at all levels of their

organisation as a business

Alex

Younger

MI5 D-G Andrew Parker at the

30% Club meeting

ormer FBI Director James

Comey’s A Higher Loyalty:

Truth, Lies, and Leadership

hit bookstores, receiving

A HIGHER LOYALTY

Intelligence World Divided Over Comey’s Book

F

mixed reviews from those in the

intelligence world. Critics and

supporters agreed it offered no new

information and that Comey lost

credibility as an objective witness in

the Russian investigation by

entering the political fray and

criticising President Trump publicly.

The book also reminded people on

both the left and the right of how

unhappy they were with Comey’s

handling of the investigation into

Democratic nominee Hillary

Clinton’s emails during the 2016

election. “Comey’s book surrenders

the higher ground and his book tour

continues his descent,” the once

supportive New York Times

columnist Frank Bruni wrote.

Daily Kos writer Joan McCarter said

Comey’s “revenge tour” shows he

is not the noble defender of justice

and truth that he tries to portray

himself as.

“If Trump’s conduct is to be

scrutinised, James Comey is not the

man for the job,” said the National

Review’s David French

Many intelligence officials were

surprised a former senior intelli-

gence officer would discuss what

are clearly internal agency and

security matters.