MI5 - Knowledge

916:. This necessitated a large-scale organisational effort, since the information had to appear valuable but actually be misleading. A high-level committee, the Wireless Board, was formed to provide this information. The day-to-day operation was delegated to a sub-committee, the Twenty Committee (so called because the Roman numerals for twenty, XX, form a double cross). The system was extraordinarily successful. A post-war analysis of German intelligence records found that of the 115 or so agents targeted against Britain during the war, all but one (who committed suicide) had been successfully identified and caught, with several 'turned' to become double agents. The system played a major part in the massive campaign of deception which preceded the 52: 4773: 248: 901:. This was a system based on an internal memo drafted by an MI5 officer in 1936, which criticised the long-standing policy of arresting and sending to trial all enemy agents discovered by MI5. Several had offered to defect to Britain when captured; before 1939, such requests were invariably turned down. The memo advocated attempting to 'turn' captured agents wherever possible, and use them to mislead enemy intelligence agencies. This suggestion was turned into a massive and well-tuned system of deception during the Second World War. 1305: 1180: 43: 390:, who is directly supported by an internal security organisation, secretariat, legal advisory branch, and information services branch. The Deputy Director General is responsible for the operational activity of the service, being responsible for four branches; international counter-terrorism, National Security Advice Centre (counter proliferation and counter espionage), Irish and domestic counter-terrorism, and technical and surveillance operations. 1401:, said: "After a seven-month legal battle, the prime minister has finally been forced to publish her secret order, but we are a long way from having transparency. The public and parliament are still being denied the guidance that says when British spies can commit criminal offences, and how far they can go. Authorised criminality is the most intrusive power a state can wield. Theresa May must publish this guidance without delay". 1521: 1742: 748:

British intelligence. Moreover, with MO4(x) having fielded a total of 175 agents of the DDSB, Collins's operation only temporarily slowed British momentum. Within days, the remaining 160-odd M04(x) agents were re-established in secure quarters inside solidly loyalist hotels in Dublin, from where they continued to pursue Collins and the IRA relentlessly right up until the truce of July 1921.

645:. This was justified by citing the common belief that foreign influence was at the root of these organisations. Thus, by the end of the First World War, MI5 was a fully-fledged investigating force (although it never had powers of arrest), in addition to being a counter-espionage agency. The expansion of this role continued after a brief post-war power struggle with the head of the 787:, the government inspector-general for civil-service affairs, conducted a thorough review of the operations and expenditures of Basil Thomson's Home Intelligence Directorate. He issued a scathing report, accusing Thomson of wasting both money and resources, and conducting redundant as well as ineffectual operations. Shortly thereafter, in a private meeting with Prime Minister 437:

endorsed these mechanisms in multiple applications under the European Convention on Human Rights. Additionally, the Service is subject to oversight and accountability through various other means. These oversight mechanisms have evolved over time to meet changing governmental requirements, with the Service now being held accountable through a variety of oversight arrangements.

611:, outlining the products of his research into recently opened files. Hiley was sent an advance copy of the official history, and objected to the retelling of the story. He later wrote another article, 'Re-entering the Lists', which asserted that the list of those arrested published in the official history was concocted from later case histories. 822:(GRU). It continued to think in terms of agents who would attempt to gather information simply through observation or bribery, or to agitate within labour organisations and the armed services, while posing as ordinary citizens. The NKVD, meanwhile, had evolved more sophisticated methods; it began to recruit agents from within the 6819: 7342: 1413:, seeking to have it declare the policy illegal, and to issue an injunction against further 'unlawful conduct'. In December 2019, the tribunal dismissed the request of the human rights organisations in a 3-to-2 decision. The potential criminal activities include murder, kidnap, and torture, according to a 1408:

claimed that the UK government has a policy dating from the 1990s to allow MI5 officers to authorise agents or informers to participate in crime, and to immunise them against prosecution for criminal actions. The organisations said the policy allowed MI5 officers to authorise agents and informers to

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British Army after-action reports and contemporary accounts indicate that M04(x)/DDSB was considered by some a highly amateurish outfit. Serious cover constraints, coupled with alcohol abuse and social fraternisation with local prostitutes would prove the downfall of several of these amateur sleuths.

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In the meantime, MI5's role had grown substantially. Due to the spy hysteria, MI5 had formed with far more resources than it actually needed to track down German spies. As is common within governmental bureaucracies, this caused the service to expand its role to use its spare resources. MI5 acquired

449:. In certain circumstances, officers handling agents or informers may authorise them to carry out activity which would otherwise be criminal within the United Kingdom. The Security Service "is authorised to investigate any person or movement that might threaten the...security" of the United Kingdom. 1033:

was appointed as a staff counsellor for the security and intelligence services. His role was to be available to be consulted by any member or former member of the security and intelligence services who had "anxieties relating to the work of his or her service" that it had not been possible to allay

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man in London, encouraging Nazi sympathisers to pass him information about people who would be willing to help Germany in the event of invasion. When his recruits began bringing in intelligence, he promised to pass that on to Berlin. The operation was deeply controversial within MI5, with opponents

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in 1952, with a directive issued by the Home Secretary setting out the role and objectives of the Director General. The service was subsequently placed on a statutory basis in 1989 with the introduction of the Security Service Act. This was the first government acknowledgement of the existence of

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The net impact of Collins's strike of Bloody Sunday, 21 November 1920, was therefore quite negligible, even though the IRA had not gone up against MI5 professionals, but instead only against a quickly trained outfit of amateur army "D-Listers". That afternoon, a mixed force of the British Army, the

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officer that a detainee appeared to have been mistreated before, an MI6 officer was sent instructions that were copied to all MI5 and MI6 staff in Afghanistan about how to deal with concerns over mistreatment, referring to signs of abuse: 'Given that they are not within our custody or control, the

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MI5's efficiency in counter-espionage declined from the 1930s. It was, to some extent, a victim of its own success. It was unable to break the ways of thinking it had evolved in the 1910s and 1920s. In particular, it was unable to adjust to the new methods of the Soviet intelligence services, the

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Although the shooting of 14 British officers had the desired effect on British morale, in many ways Bloody Sunday was a botched job. Three of Collins's men were apprehended after engaging in a shoot-out on the street, and at least two of the wounded British officers had no connection whatsoever to

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In April 1919, Colonel Walter Wilson of the Department of Military Intelligence arrived in Dublin to take over the day-to-day management of these 175 Army intelligence-officers, and the unit was designated as the "Dublin District Special Branch" (DMI/MO4(x)/DDSB), because it operated exclusively

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Also, the Security Service Act of 1989 establishes several legal key mechanisms aimed at ensuring the accountability and control of the Service. Certain provisions from this act were later integrated into the Intelligence Services Act of 1994 with European Commission on Human Rights later having

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Executive liaison groups enable MI5 to safely share secret, sensitive, and often raw intelligence with the police, on which decisions can be made about how best to gather evidence and prosecute suspects in the courts. Each organisation works in partnership throughout the investigation, but MI5

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MI5 proved consistently successful throughout the rest of the 1910s and 1920s in its core counter-espionage role. Throughout the First World War, Germany continually attempted to infiltrate Britain, but MI5 was able to identify most, if not all, of the agents dispatched. MI5 used a method that

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These arrests have provoked recent historical controversy. According to the official history of MI5, the actual number of agents identified was 22, and Kell had started sending out letters to local police forces on 29 July, giving them advance warning of arrests to be made as soon as war was

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law does not require you to intervene to protect this'. It went on to say that the Americans had to understand that the UK did not condone such mistreatment, and that a complaint should be made to a senior US official if there was any coercion by the US in conjunction with an MI6 interview.

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after his arrest at a military checkpoint in the northern German village of Bremervörde in May 1945. Himmler subsequently killed himself during a medical examination by a British officer by means of a cyanide capsule that he had concealed in his mouth. One of the MI5 officers,

7513: 7354: 592:, announced that "within the last twenty-four hours no fewer than twenty-one spies, or suspected spies, have been arrested in various places all over the country, chiefly in important military or naval centres, some of them long known to the authorities to be spies". 6719: 1321:

In 1996, legislation formalised the extension of the Security Service's statutory remit to include supporting the law enforcement agencies in their work against serious crime. Tasking was reactive, acting at the request of law enforcement bodies such as the

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arguing that it amounted to entrapment. By the end of the war, Roberts had identified around 500 people. But MI5 decided not to prosecute, and instead covered the work up, even giving some of Roberts' recruits Nazi medals. They were never told the truth.

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operative David Boyle arrived at Dublin Castle to take over the day-to-day management of D Branch. The unit's former commander, Colonel Wilson, resigned in protest against having had his command taken from him. D Branch thrived under Boyle's leadership.

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Although the Service is commonly referred to as 'MI5', this was its official name for only thirteen years (1916–1929). However, it is still used as a sub-title on the various pages of the official Security Service website, as well as in their web address

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accused the British Government of "hoarding information about people who pose no danger to this country", after it emerged that MI5 holds secret files on 272,000 individuals, equivalent to one in 160 adults. It had previously been revealed that a

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with loyalists. In 2006, an Irish government committee inquiry found that there was widespread collusion between British security forces and loyalist terrorists in the 1970s, which resulted in eighteen deaths. In 2012, a document based review by

1018:. Whilst little has yet been released regarding the successes of the service, there have been a number of intelligence failures which have created embarrassment for both the service and the government. For instance, in 1983, one of its officers, 1913: 656:

After the First World War, budget-conscious politicians regarded Kell's department as unnecessary. In 1919, MI5's budget was slashed from £100,000 to just £35,000, and its establishment from over 800 officers to a mere 12. At the same time, Sir

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it was responsible for the arrest of enemy spies, or suspected enemy spies. Throughout the First World War, Germany continually attempted to infiltrate Britain, but MI5 was able to identify most, if not all, of the agents dispatched. During the

1090:' spy ring, which had formed in the inter-war years, and achieved great success in penetrating the government, and the intelligence agencies themselves. Related to this failure were suggestions of a high-level penetration within the service, 628:

to surreptitiously support revolutionary activities within Britain. MI5's expertise, combined with the early incompetence of the Soviets, meant the bureau was successful in correctly identifying and closely monitoring these activities.

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many additional responsibilities during the war. Most significantly, its strict counter-espionage role blurred considerably. It acquired a much more political role, involving the surveillance not merely of foreign agents, but also of

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of 1919–1921. To further worsen the situation, several of Kell's officers defected to Thomson's new agency, the Home Intelligence Directorate. MI5 therefore undertook no tangible intelligence operations of consequence during the

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that they were abandoned by MI5 and were "left high and dry despite severe health problems as a result of their work and lavish promises of life-time care from their former Intelligence bosses". Both men suffer from

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agency had arrested him in 2006, and that MI5 had colluded in torture by submitting questions which were put to him under torture in Pakistan. This claim was rejected by the High Court on 16 December 2020.

741: 8609: 6277: 5442: 585:, the service was responsible for overall direction and the identification of foreign agents, while Special Branch provided the manpower for the investigation of their affairs, arrest and interrogation. 397:, and a number of other bodies within the British government, and industrial base. It is overseen by the Intelligence and Security Committee of Members of Parliament, who are directly appointed by the 4306: 661:

of Special Branch was appointed Director of Home Intelligence, in supreme command of all domestic counter-insurgency and counter-intelligence investigations. Consequently, as official MI5 historian

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jumped the gun and arrested one on 3 August, and not all of the 22 were in custody by the time that McKenna made his speech, but the official history regards the incident as a devastating blow to

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retain the lead for collecting, assessing and exploiting intelligence. The police take lead responsibility for gathering evidence, obtaining arrests, and preventing risks to the public.

577:. Its role was originally quite restricted, as the section existed solely to ensure national security through counter-espionage. With a small staff, and working in conjunction with the 2622: 6225: 1240:(UDA). The review disclosed that MI5 assessments of UDA intelligence consistently noted that the majority came from MI5 sources, with an assessment in 1985 finding 85% came from MI5. 6661: 5678: 897:

project), the spy scare eased, and the internment policy was gradually reversed. This eased pressure on MI5, and allowed it to concentrate on its major wartime success, the so-called

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command to civil command under Deputy Police Commissioner General Ormonde Winter, and thereafter was known as "D Branch" within Dublin Castle. By January 1921, the highly experienced

6373: 6241: 3327: 7501: 7330: 6977: 361:. In 1996, legislation formalised the extension of the Security Service's statutory remit to include supporting the law enforcement agencies in their work against serious crime. 6157: 5484: 7741: 7095: 5960: 1891: 1914:"MI5 edges out of the shadows: 42% of elite Security Service officers are women – Terrorists are main target – Bugging of Royal Family denied – Booklet outlines organisation" 6539: 3295: 740:, to assassinate 25 M04(x) agents, several British courts-martial officers, at least one agent reporting to Basil Thomson, and several intelligence officers attached to the 120: 8599: 7634: 7600: 6807: 682:

case-officers from the Department of Military Intelligence (DMI), for the Army's so-called "Silent Section", otherwise known as M04(x). Quickly trained by MI5 veterans at

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spy ring at the start of the 1970s, with 105 Soviet embassy staff known or suspected to be involved in intelligence activities being expelled from the country in 1971.

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In 1991, MI5 revealed its head publicly for the first time and declassified some information, "such as the number of its employees and its organizational structure."

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depended on strict control of entry and exit to the country and, crucially, large-scale inspection of mail. In post-war years, attention turned to attempts by the

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accepted the findings, and apologised on behalf of the British government, and acknowledged significant levels of collusion with Loyalists in its state agencies.

908:, codenamed 'Snow', MI5 began to offer enemy agents the chance to avoid prosecution (and thus the possibility of the death penalty) if they would work as British 7813: 5816: 5708: 5672: 4433: 2342: 6989: 4003: 6391: 5424: 1397:

In March 2018, the government acknowledged that MI5 officers are allowed to authorise agents to commit criminal activity in the UK. Maya Foa, the director of

7181: 6037: 5358: 1146:, went on to reside in England using false identities, and in 2012, launched test cases against the agency. Both men claimed to journalist Liam Clarke in the 7505: 6967: 6211: 5798: 5160: 1130:

There have been strong accusations levelled against MI5 for having failed in its obligation to provide care for former police agents who had infiltrated the

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participate in criminal activities that protected national security or the economic well-being of the UK. The organisations took the UK government to the

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case, within British intelligence itself, from where they were able to provide the NKVD with sensitive information. The most successful of these agents;

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activity within Britain, and increasing the effort countering other forms of terrorism, particularly in more recent years the more widespread threat of

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The national headquarters at Thames House draws together personnel from a number of locations into a single HQ facility: Thames House also houses the

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beginning in the spring of 1919. Over time, 175 officers were trained and dispatched to Ireland. In Ireland, they came under the command of General

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activities. The former specialisation was a result of a growing interest at the Admiralty, at the time, in intelligence regarding the fleet of the

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On 10 October 2007, the lead responsibility for national security intelligence in Northern Ireland returned to the Security Service from the

878:. He was replaced initially by the ineffective Brigadier A.W.A. Harker, as Acting Director General. Harker in turn was quickly replaced by 288: 7525: 2248: 7978: 7671: 7410: 7175: 6837: 6415: 6151: 5930: 5502: 5312: 5243: 5082: 3473: 799:. Only then was Vernon Kell able once again to rebuild MI5 and re-establish it in its former place as Britain's chief domestic spy agency. 4281: 3516: 7768: 7491: 7380: 7148: 6893: 6527: 6455: 6067: 6018: 5888: 5520: 5382: 5109: 4905: 4893: 4835: 1355: 418: 3954: 8142: 7786: 7665: 7107: 6863: 6713: 6585: 5942: 5870: 5538: 5060: 5055: 4976: 4082: 3236: 996: 732:, Michael Collins was able to learn the names and lodgings of the M04(x) agents, referred to by IRA operatives as 'The Cairo Gang'. On 202: 3022: 8413: 8374: 8364: 7905: 7582: 7404: 7294: 7217: 7079: 7041: 6795: 6755: 6521: 6465: 6397: 6199: 6193: 6097: 5876: 5804: 5756: 5750: 5654: 5648: 5544: 5394: 5075: 3978: 2304: 1886: 357:. Its role was then expanded to countering other forms of terrorism, particularly in more recent years the more widespread threat of 2048: 1847: 7867: 7594: 7366: 7322: 7243: 7051: 6847: 6761: 6629: 6569: 6515: 6471: 6409: 6307: 6175: 6103: 5642: 5630: 5550: 5526: 5430: 4864: 3106: 7798: 7360: 6367: 6259: 5912: 3110: 8589: 8531: 8149: 7910: 7549: 6635: 6127: 5984: 5948: 5726: 5696: 5305: 1654: 1647: 999: 928: 699: 457: 393:

The service is directed by the Joint Intelligence Committee for intelligence operational priorities. It liaises with SIS, GCHQ,

2652: 912:. Agents who agreed to this were supervised by MI5 in transmitting bogus 'intelligence' back to the German secret service, the 8594: 8302: 8292: 8230: 7588: 7428: 6767: 6645: 6545: 6313: 6231: 6133: 6012: 5900: 5828: 5762: 5690: 5582: 5460: 5388: 4851: 4811: 4782: 4267: 1819: 1323: 280: 7622: 2463: 830:), whom it regarded as a long-term investment. Such NKVD agents succeeded in gaining positions within the government, and, in 8341: 7829: 7652: 7187: 7035: 6929: 6333: 6115: 5864: 5834: 5732: 5660: 5532: 4748: 4729: 4710: 4688: 4669: 4650: 4626: 4607: 4588: 4569: 4545: 4526: 4507: 4488: 4464: 4443: 4419: 4275: 4212: 4181: 4150: 4119: 3197: 2968: 2906: 2784: 2737: 2382: 2221: 1948: 1159: 1064: 932: 429:, and various other items of legislation. Information held by the service is exempt from disclosure under section 23 of the 338:. This involved attempting to 'turn' captured agents wherever possible, and use them to mislead enemy intelligence agencies. 791:, Sir Basil Thomson was sacked, and the Home Intelligence Directorate was formally abolished. With Thomson out of the way, 538:. The Bureau was initially split into naval and army sections which, over time, specialised respectively in foreign target 8328: 8315: 8011: 7945: 7780: 7735: 7659: 7640: 7628: 7392: 7306: 7134: 6791: 6737: 6575: 6563: 6533: 6267: 5924: 5906: 5894: 5882: 5600: 5448: 5087: 2898: 578: 398: 8182: 8122: 8109: 7859: 7823: 7461: 7326: 7211: 7205: 7045: 6973: 6851: 6841: 6773: 6321: 6073: 6055: 5612: 5508: 5376: 5346: 4954: 2498: 2110: 1194:

resulted in a change in emphasis for the operations of the service, assuming responsibility for the investigation of all

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inquiry of 1974 found the case unproven of that accusation, and that view was later supported by the former KGB officer

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in the U.S., MI5 started collecting bulk telephone communications data under a little understood general power of the

717:, and came close to arranging his capture. The IRA identified Byrnes as a British spy and murdered him in March 1920. 8387: 8256: 7973: 7925: 7895: 7809: 7272: 6875: 6701: 6668: 6421: 6205: 5568: 5466: 5142: 4947: 4804: 3731: 2827: 1131: 952: 402: 7930: 7691: 7681: 7606: 7249: 6953: 6911: 6403: 6295: 6163: 6139: 6091: 5666: 5490: 5472: 1859: 417:

Operations of the service are required to be proportionate, and compliant with British legislation, including the

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One of the most significant and far-reaching failures was an inability to conclusively detect and apprehend the '

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which introduced new surveillance powers overseen by the Investigatory Powers Commission (IPC) it introduces.

955:, which was operated by MI5 subsection B1D; 30,000 were inspected at LRC. Captured enemy agents were taken to 8000: 7940: 7920: 7841: 7685: 7300: 6957: 6935: 6491: 6351: 5768: 5556: 5436: 5137: 4827: 4787: 4254: 2081: 1779: 1410: 1363: 784: 422: 406: 379: 85: 1358:

which would have brought independent oversight and regulation). This was kept secret until announced by the

963:, for interrogation. This was commanded by Colonel Robin Stephens. There was a reserve camp, Camp 020R, at 51: 8087: 7709: 7374: 7284: 7227: 7124: 7089: 7011: 6509: 6437: 6237: 6169: 5846: 5562: 5260: 1619: 1226: 920:

landings, designed to give the Germans a false impression of the location and timings of the landings (see

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The post-war period was a difficult time for the service, with a significant change in the threat as the

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of the Department of Naval Intelligence, was also seconded to Romer's intelligence staff at this time.

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Could 7/7 have been prevented? Review of the Intelligence on the London terrorist attacks on 7 July 2005

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While the double-cross work dealt with enemy agents sent into Britain, a smaller-scale operation run by

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Hiley, Nicholas (2010). "Re-entering the Lists: MI5's Authorized History and the August 1914 Arrests".

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It is believed that two MI5 officers participated in 'a gentle interrogation' given to the senior Nazi

683: 394: 1726:(GCPD) as a cover name when sponsoring research related to drone usage in charging recording devices. 550:. This division was formalised, as separate home and foreign sections, prior to the beginning of the 8132: 6427: 6181: 5092: 4883: 3699: 3152: 2102: 1807: 1475: 1405: 1255: 675: 446: 325:

The Security Service is derived from the Secret Service Bureau, founded in 1909. At the start of the

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through the ordinary processes of management-staff relations, including proposals for publications.

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Despite these failings, it was not MI5, but one of Basil Thomson's agents, John Charles Byrnes, a

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maintains that his fears of MI5 conspiracies and bugging were unfounded. As Home Secretary, the

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Camp 020: MI5 and the Nazi Spies — the official history of MI5's wartime interrogation centre

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was returned to the command of the Commissioner of The Criminal Investigation Division at

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Red: enquiries prohibited, substantial information may not be added; about 44% of files.

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Spooks: The Unofficial History of MI5 from Agent ZIGZAG to the D-Day Deception, 1939–45

4004:"MI5 licensed informants to commit murder, kidnap and torture for decades, court hears" 3393: 3271: 3128: 2604: 2554: 2537:

Hiley, Nicholas (2006). "Entering the Lists: MI5's great spy round-up of August 1914".

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and left-wing politicians. It also assumed responsibility for the investigation of all

247: 3015:"Sidney Noakes Intelligence Corps officer with MI5: Himmler's false identity document" 509:. Awards and citations are given to teams within the agencies as well as individuals. 8104: 8057: 7422: 5572: 4744: 4725: 4706: 4684: 4665: 4646: 4622: 4603: 4584: 4565: 4541: 4522: 4503: 4484: 4460: 4453: 4439: 4415: 4271: 4208: 4177: 4146: 4115: 3368: 3335: 3296:"MI5 labelled the Archbishop of Canterbury a subversive over anti-Thatcher campaigns" 3193: 2964: 2937: 2927: 2902: 2780: 2733: 2664: 2608: 2558: 2406:"SIS Records — War Office Military Intelligence (MI) Sections in the First World War" 2378: 2217: 1944: 1447: 1298: 1199: 1139: 1117: 1072: 887: 871: 543: 531: 358: 300: 296: 1220:

groups since the early 1970s, republican sources have often accused these forces of

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spy ring at the start of the 1970s. It then allegedly became involved in monitoring

8097: 7697: 4971: 4636: 4341: 3988: 3964: 3847:"Here's the little-known legal loophole that permitted mass surveillance in the UK" 3741: 3170: 2800: 2596: 2546: 2508: 2494: 2374: 1626: 1524: 1502: 1487: 1483: 1206: 1030: 1026: 1019: 971: 807: 604:, which deprived them of their entire spy ring, and specifically upset the Kaiser. 601: 589: 574: 486: 3788: 995:

The Prime Minister's personal responsibility for the service was delegated to the

686:, outside London, these freshly-minted M04(x) Army case-officers were deployed to 554:. Following a number of administrative changes, the home section became known as 468:

The service marked its centenary in 2009 by publishing an official history titled

8137: 8052: 8040: 7497: 7318: 5810: 5297: 5253: 4011: 3755: 3727: 3568: 3453: 3244: 3213: 2600: 1993: 1479: 1455: 1385:

Amber: enquiries prohibited, further information may be added; about 46% of files

1214: 1163: 1143: 1113: 1080: 960: 851: 773: 698:

within the confines of the Army's Dublin Military District. Royal Marine Colonel

670: 551: 272: 3698:. London: UK Cabinet Office, Intelligence and Security Committee. Archived from 890:, and the abandonment of invasion plans (correctly reported by both SIS and the 8424: 5065: 4791: 4500:

Spooks: The Unofficial History of MI5 from the First Atom Spy to 7/7, 1945–2009

4228: 4041: 3950: 3120: 1633: 1591: 1563: 1443: 1426: 1414: 1359: 1241: 1087: 1049: 1014:, and increasing incidence of the Northern Ireland conflict, and international 891: 859: 792: 769: 729: 646: 642: 498: 375: 304: 114: 2550: 8573: 8496: 7963: 3784: 3356: 3189: 2941: 2776: 2725: 2027: 1972: 1796: 1790: 1501:(NIO). The service has offices across the United Kingdom, including a HQ in 1459: 1375: 1259: 1244: 1100:) and others believing that evidence implicated the former Director General, 1060: 847: 823: 796: 658: 650: 588:

On the day after the declaration of the First World War, the Home Secretary,

527: 198: 136: 122: 2417: 8579: 4662:

Empires of Intelligence: Security Services and Colonial Disorder after 1914

4555: 4067: 3854: 3664: 2832: 2730:

Michael Collins and the Anglo-Irish War: Britain's Failed Counterinsurgency

2253: 1848:

Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament "Annual Report 2021–2022"

1825: 1784: 1661: 1577: 1556: 1471: 1463: 1370: 1217: 1184: 1135: 1101: 1038: 909: 905: 879: 855: 752: 710: 679: 638: 621: 453: 354: 342: 331: 218: 106: 56: 2440: 874:

on coming to power in early 1940 was to sack the agency's long-term head,

8352: 8092: 5070: 3686: 3628: 2984: 2312: 1612: 1542: 1490:(1976–1994, since demolished), before returning to Thames House in 1994. 1451: 1271: 1056: 875: 843: 691: 566: 526:, founded in 1909, and concentrating originally on the activities of the 346: 326: 310:

Within the civil service community, the service is colloquially known as

42: 4581:

Security and Special Operations: SOE and MI5 During the Second World War

2985:"Heinrich Himmler: how a fake stamp led to the Nazi SS leader's capture" 1454:. After the First World War, it relocated to smaller premises at 73–75 1179: 886:(SIS) man, with Harker remaining as his deputy. With the ending of the 4698: 3946: 3105: 2278: 1570: 1096: 1076: 984: 835: 831: 819: 777: 607:

In 2006, his article 'Entering the Lists' was published in the journal

535: 260: 4412:

The Black Door: Spies, Secret Intelligence and British Prime Ministers

4063:"MI5 colluded in Pakistan's torture of British terrorist, court hears" 1482:, Oxfordshire, in 1940. After the Second World War, MI5 was based at 1055:

Controversy arose when it was alleged that the service was monitoring

382:. The service is headed by a Director General (DG) at the grade of a 8208: 8191: 8006: 7996: 7968: 7266: 4600:

Treachery Betrayals, Blunders and Cover Ups: Six Decades of Espionage

2185: 2160: 1392: 1289:(SDU), the counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence section of the 1221: 1015: 625: 539: 4681:

The Secret State: British Internal Security in the Twentieth Century

4642:

Open Secret: The Autobiography of the Former Director-General of MI5

4083:"Rangzieb Ahmed -v- Director General of Security Service and others" 1462:

in 1929, before transferring to the top floor of the South Block of

1308:

Recognising service at home and abroad protecting the United Kingdom

1304: 1059:

and left-wing politicians. A file was kept on Labour Prime Minister

8610:

Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in World War II

8077: 8045: 6503: 6301: 3792: 3636: 3546: 3221: 2992: 2804: 1520: 1467: 1267: 1263: 1191: 1174: 1079:

discovered the existence of his own file dating from his days as a

1007: 956: 725: 634: 341:

After the war, the service was instrumental in breaking up a large

405:. Judicial oversight of the service's conduct is exercised by the 8082: 8021: 7713: 7612: 5248: 3983: 3959: 3736: 3165: 3115: 2503: 2305:"Appointment of the new Director General of the Security Service" 940: 4369:"MI5 involvement in drone project revealed in paperwork slip-up" 2049:"Investigatory Powers Commissioner establishes oversight regime" 1281:

MI5 is understood to have a close working relationship with the

8280: 6983: 6749: 5624: 4741:

Mask: MI5's Penetration of the Communist Party of Great Britain

4619:

The Secret War Between the Wars: MI5 in the 1920s and the 1930s

4538:

Spies, Lies and Whistleblowers: MI5, MI6 and the Shayler Affair

4034:"Court rules British MI5 agents can murder, kidnap and torture" 3364: 3328:"Two ex-spies target MI6 in landmark legal battle over payouts" 1446:

from 1912 until 1916, when it moved to larger facilities at 16

1052:

had an office in the BBC, and took part in vetting procedures.

913: 772:

retaliated by indiscriminately shooting dead 14 civilians at a

694:

and his Deputy, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Searle Hill-Dillon.

687: 319: 110: 2210:

Leach, Robert; Coxall, Bill; Robins, Lynton (17 August 2011).

967:, which was used mainly for long term detention of prisoners. 5352: 4386: 2623:"How MI5 combated Communist attempts to take over the scouts" 1293:(national police), particularly with regards to threats from 987:

and the forged identity document that had led to his arrest.

917: 803: 8160: 4334:"Oops! Building firm blurts out secrets of hush-hush MI5 HQ" 3595:"Transfer of national security lead to the Security Service" 3237:"Parliament & Politics: Straw will not see his MI5 file" 2924:

Agent Jack : the true story of MI5's secret Nazi hunter

2773:

The Squad and the Intelligence Operations of Michael Collins

1741: 1515: 1429:

brought a civil claim against MI5, alleging that Pakistan's

931:

targeted British citizens who wanted to help Germany. The '

8485: 7221: 5231: 5226: 5218: 5213: 5205: 5200: 4996: 3923:"30 October 2015 Investigatory Powers Commission factsheet" 815: 506: 485:

Members of the Security Service are recognised annually by

4889:

National Domestic Extremism and Disorder Intelligence Unit

3543:"Pat Finucane murder: 'Shocking state collusion', says PM" 3183: 3109:, Minister of State, Home Office (30 November 1987). 2828:"Recruited by MI5: the name's Mussolini. Benito Mussolini" 947:

All foreigners entering the country were processed at the

8446: 5996: 5195: 5190: 5185: 5180: 5175: 5170: 5165: 4967:

1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade

4915: 4766: 2862: 1674: 1167: 1045: 1011: 756: 559: 502: 236: 27: 4826: 736:

in 1920, Collins ordered his counter-intelligence unit,

573:, who remained in that role until the early part of the 275:

and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the

4435: