They are morally revolted by their targets’ conduct and dismayed at the future they’re intent on building or have already actualized. Their motives are not self-serving-the risks of espionage in the contexts they serve in are too high to draw in selfish people. Heroic spies are an entirely different type of human being, set apart from ordinary clandestine players not by the tradecraft they use-which is universal-but by their fundamental values. They like sneaking around and manipulating others, and feel superior to their oblivious targets drawn into hidden games of secrecy and deception.

Some want money, or the excitement of a James Bond adventure, or to believe they are playing dramatic, if hidden, roles in historical events. These motivations are often self-serving. Intelligence officers who handle espionage sources-variously called informants, assets, or agents, to distinguish them from the professionals-and the psychologists they consult with study the motives of agents closely.

What do people outside the clandestine world not see?

For those of us in the business, it was rare to see an agent’s heroism come to light, though we get to witness their bravery covertly on a routine basis in our daily work. It has been widely reported in the media that the plot failed because the operative chosen by AQ was in fact a agent of British or Saudi Intelligence Services. Intelligence officials foiled an al Qaeda plot to bring down a plane by having a suicide operative smuggle on board a nonmetallic exploding device concealed beneath his clothing. In early May, the world learned of a real example of heroic espionage. What goes on in the mind of those who inhabit the clandestine world? Every few years, major news breaks about spying, with stories of spectacular heroism and shocking betrayal.

What is a spy agent