Spy Guide

When students of the gray world gather, the conversation--whispered, of course --often turns to the quality of intelligence services. The CIA and KGB rank, on a scale of 1 to 4, at the top. Here, with help from intelligence operatives in the U.S. and abroad, TIME rates the other services:

Israel. Mossad, its intelligence service, is very well organized, ruthless, dedicated, all but impossible to infiltrate. Excels at information gathering and counterintelligence, is weaker on political analysis. Major target: Arab countries, naturally.

Britain. Its Secret Intelligence Service is tops at analytical work and political judgments. Good on the Middle East, less impressive on Africa. Master Spy Kim Philby's exposure as a KGB agent in 1963 was a blow, but SIS has overcome that.

Czechoslovakia and Poland. Their services are best in the East, after the KGB. The Czechs' main target: Britain, where it has 50 spies in London embassy. Poles tend to move and mix better internationally.

West Germany. Bonn's Bundesnachrichtendienst is superb on East Germany and on analyzing other Warsaw Pact countries. Reputation tarnished by penetration of Soviet and East German spies into government ministries.

France. The SDECE has some bright leaders and operates well in certain areas, notably former French West Africa. Suffers from internal squabbling and is thought to be penetrated by Communist agents.

Japan. Tokyo's Cabinet Research Office aims to gather information about foreign countries' economic-policy intentions and industrial secrets. Political analysis is weak.

China. The General Administration of Intelligence operates mostly in Asia, Africa and in centers of Overseas Chinese. Technologically weak, but sound on analysis. Especially concerned with Soviet industrial development in Siberia.

Norway and Sweden. Both sound on Soviet Union, but Norway has edge, with access to NATO intelligence.

Canada and Australia. Minor league worldwide, stronger regionally.

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