Strategic Intelligence Bureau
| SIB | |
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1862 |
| Jurisdiction | Foreign Office, Government of Arthurista |
| Headquarters | Tower 4, Loweport |
| Employees | Unknown |
| Annual budget | Not disclosed |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive | |
| Website | https://www.sib.gov.arth |
The Strategic Intelligence Bureau, or SIB, is Arthurista's foreign intelligence agency, subordinate to the Foreign Ministry, focusing on HUMINT operations. Its main task is to gain strategic (political, diplomatic and economic) intelligence on foreign nations, work with the Ministry of Defence's Department of Military Intelligence (DMI) to gather information on military developments overseas, assist foreign and domestic authorities to counteract terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of massed destruction, and to coordinate with the Joint Commando Force in conducting direct action and other black operations.
Its motto is "Rerum Cognescere Causas" - to know the causes of things.
The SIB was founded in 1862 during the early days of the Viceroy's War against Ulthrannia, in an effort to unite the disjointed intelligence-gathering efforts of various Arthuristan military and civilian initiatives in support of the war effort. The agency grew dramatically after the war as Arthurista became increasingly involved in Pardesi affairs. During The Great Fascist War, the SIB's primary responsibility was to operate the unit known as the Special Operations Executive, which oversaw all behind the lines espionage, sabotage, commando operations, resistance movements and partisan warfare in territories occupied by the Fascists, playing an instrumental role in the latter's defeat by acquiring vital actionable intelligence and disrupting every aspect of its political, diplomatic, economic and military activities both internally and overseas. After the war, the SIB would combine its expertise in intelligence and direct-action operations to become a valuable asset in furthering the foreign policies of Arthurista.
The head of the SIB, known as its Chief or "C", oversees its operations worldwide. Below him/her are directorates of regions or areas of concern - eight directorates are currently known to exist by the public (Lusayanka, Akkadiya, Kasaishima, Ashizwe, Skandera, South Pardes, Counter-Proliferation and Overseas Counter-Terrorism).
The head of the SIB presence in a given country is known as the Station Chief. He usually has an official cover as a senior member of an Arthuristan embassy, for example, the assistant trade or cultural attache. His identity is usually disclosed to the host nation if relations are friendly, or kept secret if otherwise. Under his/her direction are "case officers", the principle actors in HUMINT operations. Their main task is to recruit and handle "agents" - well-placed and connected local citizens who are willing to gather intelligence on their behalf for a variety of motives, money and ideology being the most typical. In the event that an agent is discovered, the officer is usually protected by diplomatic immunity - the worst fate that may befall him or her is to be declared persona non grata and expelled.
Unlike many other intelligence agencies, the SIB is overwhelmingly civilian in character and its officers often go unarmed. Its main task is not assassination, sabotage or other popular spy film activities, but thoroughly focused on intelligence gathering. That being said, the vast majority of SIB officers are trained to handle weapons due to Arthurista's system of universal service in the Territorials, as well as given additional training in self-defence. The current standard issue weapons is the Walther PK380, gradually replacing the Walther PPK. Where 'kinetic capabilities' are indeed necessary, SIB officers will work in conjunction with Arthuristan Special Forces to carry them out. Force Zero commandos are typically the prime candidate, given their training in both combat and clandestine HUMINT techniques, although SIB personnel will usually remain in a supervisory role.