Former CIA analyst reveals what would happen if American spies and the MI6 turned on each other
Former CIA analyst John Kiriakou says a direct conflict between American intelligence agencies and MI6 would be unlikely to end in either side “winning”. He argues that the two services’ close relationship and shared interests make such a rupture improbable, and that any dispute would carry serious consequences for both countries.
Kiriakou says the CIA has greater resources and global reach, while MI6 has a smaller budget and workforce. But he cautions that intelligence work is not a simple contest of size: both agencies rely on cooperation, information-sharing and networks of sources, and a breakdown could damage intelligence efforts on both sides.
- A former CIA analyst says a spy-agency feud would hurt both countries.
- He describes the CIA as larger and better resourced than MI6.
- Their cooperation makes a direct clash unlikely.
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The CIA and MI6 are the intelligence services of the United States and United Kingdom respectively. They have maintained one of the world's closest intelligence partnerships for nearly eighty years, regularly sharing classified information and coordinating operations on matters affecting both countries' security.
This partnership began during the Second World War and has remained central to the US-UK relationship ever since. Both services rely heavily on each other's networks of sources, analytical expertise and intelligence-gathering capabilities to address global threats.
To understand discussions about what would happen if this partnership broke down, it is important to recognise how closely the two services work together. Any serious rupture between them would affect the intelligence capabilities and security operations of both countries.