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Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The next head of the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, has been named as Richard Moore.
Moore is currently political director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former ambassador to Turkey. He will take over as MI6 chief in the fall.
He succeeds Sir Alex Younger, who has been in office for almost six years.
Moore was praised as “an excellent choice” and “calm, handsome, attentive and courageous” by a former MI6 chief.
MI6 is the UK’s foreign intelligence service and is responsible for collecting information from outside the UK.
He says his three main goals are to stop terrorism, disrupt the activity of hostile states, and give the UK a cyber advantage.
Its counterpart intelligence agency, MI5, is responsible for protecting the UK, its citizens and interests at home and abroad against threats to national security.
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Libyan-born Mr. Moore joined MI6 in 1987 and then held directorial positions there. He has also been a deputy national security adviser in the Cabinet Office.
During his career he has been sent to Vietnam, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia.
According to his online biography, he is married with two children and his interests include golfing, hiking, diving, Turkish rugs and china, and visiting historical sites. He speaks Turkish fluently and sometimes tweets on it.
‘Vital role’
“I am pleased and honored to be asked to return to lead my service,” said Mr. Moore.
“SIS plays a vital role, with MI5 and GCHQ, in keeping the British safe and promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad.
“I look forward to continuing that work alongside the courageous and dedicated SIS team.”
C’s job involves balancing what happens within MI6’s boundaries with the outside world.
Internally, a boss must ensure that MI6 can continue to produce intelligence from officers.
This requires complex risk and resource decisions, but also ensuring that the secret service is kept up-to-date with technology: the interconnected, data-driven world defies traditional espionage because it makes it more difficult to keep secrets and work undercover.
But a boss also needs to navigate the world at large, sometimes acting as a secret diplomat who maintains alliances that provide intelligence cooperation and sometimes return channel contacts with sensitive countries.
A boss also needs to navigate Whitehall. There was a time when they would have little contact with the prime minister, but that has changed as relations have grown closer, too close, many felt, in the run-up to the Iraq War.
Richard Moore’s resume, which includes operating time in MI6 early in his career, then as an ambassador, and finally in the halls of power, is probably what helped him secure the job.
John Sawers, who served as MI6 chief for five years until 2014, said Moore “has the perfect combination of experience: leading intelligence operations and holding senior positions in diplomacy and policy formation.”
“He knows how intelligence is produced and how it is best used to protect our national security.”
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MI6 is based in Vauxhall, London
Mr. Sawers added: “I have known Richard for many years. He is calm, handsome, caring and courageous, all the qualities that will be essential to the demanding role of the MI6 chief, especially during these difficult times.”
Outgoing MI6 chief Sir Alex said: “Richard is a highly accomplished intelligence officer and we look forward to welcoming him back to service.”
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Outgoing chief Alex Younger joined SIS in 1991
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab appointed Moore with the Prime Minister’s agreement.
“He returns to SIS with tremendous experience and will oversee the work of a group of men and women whose tireless efforts are rarely seen in public, but who are critical to the security and prosperity of the United Kingdom,” he said.
“I pay tribute to Sir Alex Younger for all that he has done during his time at the helm of the Secret Intelligence Service.
“It has carefully and effectively guided the service through a time of increasing and more diverse threats.”
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Sir Alex assumed the role of SIS chief, known as “C”, in 2014.
Public speeches by the MI6 chief are rare. In 2018 Sir Alex spoke at the University of St Andrews where he studied as a university student.
In the speech, he asked questions about Chinese technology companies involved in the UK’s communications infrastructure.
He also said that Russia should not underestimate the capabilities of the United Kingdom.
