Vladimir Putin Quotes

Espionage takes place in the world. Even we commit espionage.

The human spy, in terms of the American espionage effort, had never been terribly pertinent.

The world of spying is my genre. My struggle is to demystify, to de-romanticise the spook world, but at the same time harness it as a good story.

Since real spies are so good, you never really know what actual spying is. But I do think spying is a lot more dangerous than we are led to believe.

An intelligence service is the ideal vehicle for a conspiracy [against its own government]. Its members can travel about at home and abroad under secret orders, and no questions are asked. Every scrap of paper in the files, its membership, its expenditure of funds, its contacts, even enemy contacts, are state secrets.

[Wiretapping is] a dirty business…. [Espionage] has been employed by every tribe and state since the beginning of history.

I love the spy genre.

This is the wonderful thing about espionage, nothing exists any more.

You could say that all novels are spy novels and all novelists are spy masters.

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

The Secret Intelligence Service I knew occupied dusky suites of little rooms opposite St James's Park Tube station in London.

I'm sort of fascinated by the whole espionage crime thing.

What I really found was that the one similarity between 'Covert Affairs' and 'Fair Game' is a deep love and admiration and fascination with the home life of a spy.

During the Cold War, we gathered information by listening to the Soviets, taking pictures of the Soviets, and we allowed our human intelligence to decline.

I've always wanted to be a spy, and frankly I'm a little surprised that British intelligence has never approached me.

From the outside, the CIA seems pretty exotic, but from the inside, it's a big, bureaucratic place. Think 'post office with spies.'

I would have loved to have met some former spies, but they don't readily advertise themselves unless they're not living in Moscow, and even then. I'm sure I've met some without realizing it.

We planted bugs, microphones, in premises which interested us in the West. We weren't too successful - I would have said unfortunately in former years, but I don't care anymore now.

There are few archbishops in espionage. He's on our side and that's all that matters. Besides, one needn't ask him to one's club.

There is only one law of espionage—there are always going to be spies.

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.

Intelligence without counter-intelligence is useless.

What the Hell do those clowns do out there at Langley? Get the CIA jerks working on Cambodia.

Spies go undercover. They take on different personas.

I'm sure, in real life, spying is boring - there's probably a lot of sitting around and plenty of paperwork. But the world seems to think that spying is exciting, and that's how movies get made.