Secrets of Her Majesty's Secret Service

As one of the world's great cities, London also serves as a magnet for international intrigue and espionage. Although its very existence was not acknowledged until recently, Britain's intelligence bureau MI6 was founded in 1909 in response to the growing war threat from imperial Germany. Filmmaker Kasia Uscinska's PBS-aired documentary reveals a number of little known facts about Britain's famed spy bureau, which never exposes its missions or reveals the identities of its agents. Of course, most people think of MI6 as the home of the fictional James Bond, and author Ian Fleming indeed took inspiration from the bureau's activities, where discretion, secrecy, and an ability to work in the shadows served as hallmarks. MI6 scored one of its greatest triumphs during WWII when it cracked Germany's "Enigma" code," allowing Allies to thwart Nazi plans. Counterespionage activities accelerated during the Cold War, which saw defectors on both sides (several Russian defectors were assassinated on London streets, using poison tipped umbrellas!). Some of the legends are true, particularly MI6's fascination with spy gadgets, although there is no such thing as a "license to kill." One of the flaws in MI6, however, has been upper class elitism—an old boy network in drinking clubs—evidenced in a reluctance to perform thorough background security checks on top government officials, which led to disastrous leaks that had fatal consequences, such as in the case of noted turncoat Kim Philby. Other topics includes MI6's ability to handle agents, its "special relationship" with America, and the agency's continuing traditions. With over 3,000 offices around the world, MI6 now deals with modern threats of cyber, biological, and terrorist attacks, along with the usual internal and external security breaches. Featuring interviews with historians and a few spies brought "in from the cold," this interesting behind-the-spy-scenes documentary is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)