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 military's special forces 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 1903, in an effort to consolidate the disjointed intelligence-gathering efforts of various Arthuristan military and civilian initiatives. The agency grew in the early-20th century as it became increasingly likely that Arthurista would find itself embroiled in globe-spanning wars against another Belisarian power, or Tsurushima. With the advent of increasingly sophisticated methods of political warfare, as well as weapons of mass destruction, SBI's remit gradually expanded to become the primary means through which the Arthuristan Foreign Office acquires actionable information.
The head of the SIB, known as its Chief or "C", oversees its operations worldwide. Below him are directorates of regions or areas of concern - eight directorates are currently known to exist (North Belisaria, Periclean, Ochran, Malaio and South Scipia, Norumbria, Oxidentale, 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 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 usually operate unarmed. Their task is not assassination, sabotage or other popular spy film activities, but thoroughly focused on intelligence gathering - maintaining, managing and expanding a network of informants from Arthuristan embassies. That being said, many SIB officers do have some basic training in self-defence. Where 'kinetic capabilities' are indeed necessary, SIB officers will work in conjunction with the military's special forces unit to carry them out, with SIB personnel providing intelligence and planning support whilst commandos would be responsible for execution.
See also: List of intelligence agencies in Ajax