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| Spies like us | Spies like us |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| If you've seen Spooks (above) you'll know what fictional spies do. But what is the reality of the job? The BBC has been given unprecedented access to speak to real spies about their jobs. | |
| It's a profession that used to be stamped top secret, access denied. However, in recent years the security services have tried to take some of the mystery out of what they do. | It's a profession that used to be stamped top secret, access denied. However, in recent years the security services have tried to take some of the mystery out of what they do. |
| The aim is to attract new recruits from a much broader pool of talent - ones that better reflect the society they serve. | The aim is to attract new recruits from a much broader pool of talent - ones that better reflect the society they serve. |
| A journalism first - going inside MI6 | |
| The BBC's Radio 1 and Asian Network have been given access to some of the younger operatives working in the security services. | The BBC's Radio 1 and Asian Network have been given access to some of the younger operatives working in the security services. |
| GREG, MI6 | GREG, MI6 |
| Greg is what MI6 call an operational officer and the rest of us call a secret agent or spy. He says despite the stereotypes, agents are not picked because of their family or educational background. | Greg is what MI6 call an operational officer and the rest of us call a secret agent or spy. He says despite the stereotypes, agents are not picked because of their family or educational background. |
| "I certainly didn't come from a rich background and I definitely didn't go to a top university," he says. | "I certainly didn't come from a rich background and I definitely didn't go to a top university," he says. |
| "MI6 were really looking for things such at the right people skills and critical thinking." | "MI6 were really looking for things such at the right people skills and critical thinking." |
| His job involves eliciting secret information abroad, either on his own or through informants. Training covers meeting such informants, and includes role play in real locations, like cafes. Such role play is treated seriously and assessed. A lot of different elements have to be considered, says Greg. | His job involves eliciting secret information abroad, either on his own or through informants. Training covers meeting such informants, and includes role play in real locations, like cafes. Such role play is treated seriously and assessed. A lot of different elements have to be considered, says Greg. |
| "Selecting somewhere where you can have that meeting securely, then actually conducting it so no one can hear your conversation and trying to take on board the information that you're trying to get from them." | "Selecting somewhere where you can have that meeting securely, then actually conducting it so no one can hear your conversation and trying to take on board the information that you're trying to get from them." |
| Only a few members of Greg's immediate family know what he does. He cannot tell friends and says it's one of the hardest things about the job. | Only a few members of Greg's immediate family know what he does. He cannot tell friends and says it's one of the hardest things about the job. |
| Like any job, some of the work involved is boring and Greg wishes he got paid more, after taking a considerable wage cut to join MI6. The entry pay scale depends on experience - Greg started on about £27,000. | Like any job, some of the work involved is boring and Greg wishes he got paid more, after taking a considerable wage cut to join MI6. The entry pay scale depends on experience - Greg started on about £27,000. |
| "Some of the IT tasks are not always the most exciting and it would be nice if we got paid more, but I don't think that's why people are doing the job." NATALIE, MI6 | "Some of the IT tasks are not always the most exciting and it would be nice if we got paid more, but I don't think that's why people are doing the job." NATALIE, MI6 |
| Natalie joined MI6 because she wanted to do something worthwhile. | Natalie joined MI6 because she wanted to do something worthwhile. |
| "Basically I was fed up working in a corporation and lining someone else's pockets," she says. "I wanted to do something that was worthwhile and a bit more constructive." | "Basically I was fed up working in a corporation and lining someone else's pockets," she says. "I wanted to do something that was worthwhile and a bit more constructive." |
| She didn't go to university and is an example of the wide range of backgrounds that MI6 now accepts. She was worried not having a degree would mean she couldn't get a job with MI6 and when she did, that she might be looked down on by other trainees. | She didn't go to university and is an example of the wide range of backgrounds that MI6 now accepts. She was worried not having a degree would mean she couldn't get a job with MI6 and when she did, that she might be looked down on by other trainees. |
| "I don't have that level of education but there's just such a wide range of backgrounds here," she says. | "I don't have that level of education but there's just such a wide range of backgrounds here," she says. |
| "I was worried I just wasn't educated well enough to do a good job... but there isn't that snobbery and concern if you don't have a degree." | "I was worried I just wasn't educated well enough to do a good job... but there isn't that snobbery and concern if you don't have a degree." |
| Her role is effectively a desk job, using spreadsheets and filling in forms. It's not the traditional image of what a "spy" does. | Her role is effectively a desk job, using spreadsheets and filling in forms. It's not the traditional image of what a "spy" does. |
| But whether you are in the field or behind a desk, operational officers are all working towards the same objectives and have a lot of respect for each other, she say. | But whether you are in the field or behind a desk, operational officers are all working towards the same objectives and have a lot of respect for each other, she say. |
| She also says keeping her work secret can be stressful, but talking to her colleagues helps. | She also says keeping her work secret can be stressful, but talking to her colleagues helps. |
| "We are given guidance and there's support here if we ever need it. | "We are given guidance and there's support here if we ever need it. |
| "It is a family environment here and everyone's close... so we just talk to each other about it and that's good." | "It is a family environment here and everyone's close... so we just talk to each other about it and that's good." |
| YASMIN, MI6 | YASMIN, MI6 |
| Yasmin's job is to find out secret intelligence on whatever issues are concerning a specific government department. She cannot say which one. | Yasmin's job is to find out secret intelligence on whatever issues are concerning a specific government department. She cannot say which one. |
| "I do this for a particular part of the world - I can't tell you which one - and my job is to identify, target and recruit people from abroad who will provide us with this secret intelligence," she says. | "I do this for a particular part of the world - I can't tell you which one - and my job is to identify, target and recruit people from abroad who will provide us with this secret intelligence," she says. |
| It's basically recruiting spies for Britain to gather information on subjects such as counter terrorism, drugs, the nuclear threat or promote British economic interests abroad. | It's basically recruiting spies for Britain to gather information on subjects such as counter terrorism, drugs, the nuclear threat or promote British economic interests abroad. |
| "Just making sure that Britain isn't being ripped off," she says. | "Just making sure that Britain isn't being ripped off," she says. |
| She does not believe she was recruited because she is a Muslim as it makes no difference in the part of the world she works in, she says. She also says her faith does not conflict with her work. | She does not believe she was recruited because she is a Muslim as it makes no difference in the part of the world she works in, she says. She also says her faith does not conflict with her work. |
| "I would say extremism in any form is wrong... I feel very, very strongly that if you are able to do something to make a difference you should make that difference." | "I would say extremism in any form is wrong... I feel very, very strongly that if you are able to do something to make a difference you should make that difference." |
| But the perception among Muslims that the establishment was out to get them had to be corrected, she acknowledges. | But the perception among Muslims that the establishment was out to get them had to be corrected, she acknowledges. |
| JAYASHREE, MI5 | JAYASHREE, MI5 |
| Jayashree says she became an MI5 agent to repay a debt to her country. She says Britain has welcomed her family and is the country in which she was born and raised. | Jayashree says she became an MI5 agent to repay a debt to her country. She says Britain has welcomed her family and is the country in which she was born and raised. |
| "I just want to work as hard as I can to ensure that it's safe for my, I'd like to say community, but by that I mean my whole country," she says. | "I just want to work as hard as I can to ensure that it's safe for my, I'd like to say community, but by that I mean my whole country," she says. |
| "If you really do feel you belong to this country and you want to do something worthwhile and make a difference this is a great organisation to be in." | "If you really do feel you belong to this country and you want to do something worthwhile and make a difference this is a great organisation to be in." |
| She's never felt this more than after the 7 July terror attacks in 2005. She felt "absolute shock" at what happened but had been trained to deal with such an event. | She's never felt this more than after the 7 July terror attacks in 2005. She felt "absolute shock" at what happened but had been trained to deal with such an event. |
| Unlike the public, she was in a position where she could "make a difference" and "find out what had happened and piece things together". | Unlike the public, she was in a position where she could "make a difference" and "find out what had happened and piece things together". |
| "It was probably one of the most defining points of my career, where I actually felt that the job that I was doing would make a difference. | "It was probably one of the most defining points of my career, where I actually felt that the job that I was doing would make a difference. |
| "The reality was that this was probably one of the biggest jobs that any of my colleagues and I ever had to undertake. We'd received the training and we just got ahead and tried to do as much work as we could." | "The reality was that this was probably one of the biggest jobs that any of my colleagues and I ever had to undertake. We'd received the training and we just got ahead and tried to do as much work as we could." |
| SHAZAD, MI5 | SHAZAD, MI5 |
| There are a lot of misconceptions about the job, says Shazad. Those include who is targeted by the security services. The job is about individuals - "Those who potentially pose a threat or who are recognised to pose a threat to national security" - not specific communities, he says. | There are a lot of misconceptions about the job, says Shazad. Those include who is targeted by the security services. The job is about individuals - "Those who potentially pose a threat or who are recognised to pose a threat to national security" - not specific communities, he says. |
| "We don't look at communities as a whole." | "We don't look at communities as a whole." |
| Like Jayashree, Shazad joined MI5 to help the country his family had chosen to make its home. | Like Jayashree, Shazad joined MI5 to help the country his family had chosen to make its home. |
| "It was one of the driving points behind why I joined," he says. "In your own working environment you know when you've done something really good and its really rewarding." | "It was one of the driving points behind why I joined," he says. "In your own working environment you know when you've done something really good and its really rewarding." |
| He says discretion is a major part of his job and when he leaves the office he has to leave his work behind. | He says discretion is a major part of his job and when he leaves the office he has to leave his work behind. |
| "The security services welcomes discretion. Right from the recruitment process we advise that you minimise the number of people you reveal your application to. | "The security services welcomes discretion. Right from the recruitment process we advise that you minimise the number of people you reveal your application to. |
| "This is a very interesting place to work the difference is that we can't go home and talk about our work. | "This is a very interesting place to work the difference is that we can't go home and talk about our work. |
| "We discuss it amongst ourselves in this building, amongst our colleagues here. But when you leave the office, you really leave your work behind." | "We discuss it amongst ourselves in this building, amongst our colleagues here. But when you leave the office, you really leave your work behind." |
| Pictures are illustrative only. Radio 1 Newsbeat will be broadcasting these interviews and more every day this week. Add your comments on this story, using the form below. | |
Add your comments on this story, using the form below. | |