Ally Carter Quotes

[Referring to the CIA:] We coexist. They work, and we work.

Ask yourself: if I were a Chinese spy, why wouldn't I have flown directly into Beijing? I could be living in a palace petting a phoenix by now.

No other people, as a whole, is entirely our enemy. No people at all … is entirely our friend.

No one would argue that it's in the United States' interest to have independent knowledge of the plans and intentions of foreign countries. But we need to think about where to draw the line on these kind of operations so we're not always attacking our allies, the people we trust, the people we need to rely on, and to have them in turn rely on us.

I think all governments engage in intelligence gathering vis-a-vis other governments.

Trust between allies is as important as deterrence of foes.

Having watched the form of our traitors for a number of years, I cannot think that espionage can be recommended as a technique for building an impressive civilization. It's a lout's game.

It was given for all purposes to which a secret service fund should or could be applied to the public benefit—for spies, if the gentleman pleases.

Today we will find most nations to be both our partners and our adversaries—sometimes simultaneously.

I served 10 years on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, and I had the distinct privilege of meeting with real U.S. spies throughout the globe.

We need to quit appeasing our adversaries, and we need to stand with our allies.

Europeans don't like to talk about intelligence, and they often pretend their countries don't spy.

The American people and our allies around the world can rely on CIA's vigilance, excellence, and determination to proudly serve.

The U.K. is at the heart of intelligence gathering with our allies to call out hostile activity.

I spent over ten years in the Central Intelligence Agency as an undercover operations officer serving overseas after 9/11 where I carried out covert operations against al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, as well as other countries who are 'hostile to liberty,' as I like to say.

Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity.

Enemies make better allies than frenemies.

SIS, the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, also has no executive powers and operates abroad on CIA lines, but with a tiny percentage of the budget and a tiny percentage of the personnel.

The Confederates had suspected Wild Bill of being a spy for two or three days, and had watched him closely.

Throughout my career, I had the great fortune to experience firsthand as well as to witness what it means to be a CIA officer.

If you want to treat China as an enemy, you have a much better chance of making them an enemy than if you treat them as a potential friend.

With stealth technology, the U.S. could spy on its Cold War adversaries without running the risk of getting caught.

A major theme in all my books is that the CIA is not only the first line of defense but they should also be the first line of offense.

What you get in the Cold War is 'the wilderness of mirrors' where you have to figure out what's good and what's evil. That's good for John le Carre, but not me.

Foreign Ministry guys don't become agents. Party officials, the Foreign Ministry nerds, tend not to volunteer to Western intelligence agencies.