Agent Handling - Agents, Spotting, and Recruitment

Agents, Spotting, and Recruitment

By definition, an "agent" acts on behalf of another, whether another individual, an organization, or a foreign government. Agents can be considered either witting or unwitting, and in some cases, willing or unwilling. Agents typically work under the direction of a principal agent or a case officer. When agents work alone, and are not members of an agent network, they are termed "singletons".

The identification of potential agents is termed "agent spotting". Identifying potential agents, and investigating the details of their personal and professional lives, involves the granular verification of their bona fides. Such activities can include uncovering personal details that leave potential agents vulnerable to coercion, blackmail, or other inducements, such as sexual approaches.

The recruitment of potential agents is an art form, and it is the raison d'être of the intelligence case officer. Approaches to potential agents can be multitudinous and interminable, and considerable time can pass before the potential agent is suborned or maneuvered into a position where a recruitment "pitch" can be hazarded.