HUMINT

HUMINT, short for human intelligence, is an intelligence gathering discipline collecting information either by interviewing or tracking a subject of investigation, or by using a combination of 'black' techniques to gain confessions or involuntary disclosure of information. The organization primarily responsible for the collection of HUMINT for the US is the CIA.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The KGB considered the following as standard practice, and even defined the MICE acronym to help Soviet agents remember the "tricks of the trade":

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Money - Buy the agent

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Ideology - Turn dislike of his own country's system to your advantage

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Compromise - Trick the target into a compromising situation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Ego - Appeal to the target who feels they deserve better treatment than they are getting, and/or make them feel more important in their own eyes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many who work in the intelligence community refer to the HUMINT task using phrases such as "Having feet on the ground" or "Having a source on the ground". This refers to the need for "hard" data to backup or supplant other forms of intelligence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

HUMINT Intelligence Agencies

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• CIA - US
• MI6- UK
• DHU - UK
• ASIS - Australia
• Mossad - Israel
• CSIS - Canada
• SIDE - Argentina
HUMINT: See also ►



 

Intelligence gathering discipline: REDIRECT List of intelligence gathering disciplines...

CIA: REDIRECT Central Intelligence Agency...