|
When you think of government intelligence agencies such as MI5, the most common image to pop into your head will most likely be of James Bond embarking on another globetrotting mission on behalf of Her Majesty's Secret Service, but sadly this image is not strictly true. In reality, MI5, or the Security Service, is a vital part of the UK's national and international intelligence gathering network, and although much of their work shares the same level of secrecy as MI6, MI5 has more in common with national and international police forces than a secret crime-fighting agency.
In its role as the UK's domestic security intelligence agency, MI5's main purpose is to protect national security and economic well-being against substantial, covertly organised threats. These threats come primarily from terrorism, espionage and weapons of mass destruction, but the service also works to prevent and detect serious crime within the UK alongside numerous other UK and international law enforcement agencies. These goals are fulfilled by collecting and distributing intelligence; investigating and assessing threats and working with others to counter them; advising on protection; and providing effective support for those tasks.
To counteract the threat from an outside body such as a terrorist organisation, MI5 attempts to gain an advantage over its 'subject' or 'target' by gathering strategic intelligence about them. From the information gathered, it can create a profile of that organisation, or individual, in order to assess the possible threat they pose to national security. This process is ongoing, as new intelligence must be shared with the relevant law enforcement agencies involved to ensure that prosecutions can be made.
Contrary to opinion, MI5 is not the 'Secret Police' as they don't have the executive power to prosecute an organisation or individual. As a consequence, most Security Service cases must be co-ordinated with the police or HM Customs and Excise, who have the authority to carry out any legal proceedings.
Despite the number of different measures that have been introduced in order to make more information about MI5 publicly available, the organisation has to retain a certain level of secrecy. Over the last few years, MI5 has striven to remove some of the layers of secrecy, beginning with the publication of a booklet in 1993 that, for the first time, included a postal address for public correspondence. The current aim of the Security Service is to be as open as possible, providing a factual context within which its work can be understood, but without damaging its operational effectiveness or putting its staff or agents at risk.
|
