Były szef wywiadu: „Jak zdradzisz służby, będziesz oglądał się do końca życia” [SŁUŻBY] odc.1, cz. I

Do the secret services operate like a closed "family" from which it's impossible to truly leave? In the new episode of "In the Services," our guest is Zbigniew Siemiątkowski, former coordinator of the secret services and head of intelligence, who reveals the secrets behind their operations. The conversation begins with a foundation: loyalty. In well-organized services, it has an almost ritualistic character – joining the structures resembles initiation, and betrayal carries lifelong consequences. The services develop their own ethos: elitism, exclusivity, and a sense of unique mission. Key questions also arise about who should lead intelligence – a professional officer or a politician from the outside? As practice in various countries shows, there is no single model. In the Mossad and the British services, "insiders" dominate, while, for example, the Central Intelligence Agency was often led by politicians or military personnel. We also explain basic concepts: who is an agent and who is an officer – and why the media often confuses these roles. In addition, there's a division of responsibilities: intelligence operates abroad, counterintelligence at home, and the boundaries between them can be crucial to national security. The conversation also touches on the realities of the services' work: operating outside the law in foreign territory, recruiting agents, and the gray zone that's not officially discussed. Even among allies, a quiet game continues – because in the world of intelligence, there are no eternal friends or enemies. Finally, the future. Does intelligence today mean drones, AI, and technology? Or is it still people and access to information at the source that matter most? As the guest argues, without so-called HUMINT, or human intelligence, even the most modern systems can fail. This is the first of two episodes of the conversation – the next will focus on the people behind the services and the behind-the-scenes of recruitment. #secretservices #intelligence #espionage #agent #secrets #geopolitics #politics #security #Mossad #CIA #Russia #China #war #coldwar #intelligence #behindthescenes #DGP #Services