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mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axente_tapec%C3%ADu" title="Axente tapecíu – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Axente tapecíu" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_encobert" title="Agent encobert – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Agent encobert" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maulwurf_(Agent)" title="Maulwurf (Agent) – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Maulwurf (Agent)" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agente_encubierto" title="Agente encubierto – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Agente encubierto" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sator_(espioitza)" title="Sator (espioitza) – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Sator (espioitza)" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_dormant" title="Agent dormant – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Agent dormant" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_spava%C4%8D" title="Agent spavač – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Agent spavač" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%97%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%AA_(%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%92%D7%95%D7%9C)" title="חפרפרת (ריגול) – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="חפרפרת (ריגול)" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be%C3%A9p%C3%ADtett_ember" title="Beépített ember – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Beépített ember" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mn mw-list-item"><a href="https://mn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BE%D1%85%D0%BE%D1%80_%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD_(%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%BD%D1%83%D1%83%D0%BB)" title="Сохор номин (тагнуул) – Mongolian" lang="mn" hreflang="mn" data-title="Сохор номин (тагнуул)" data-language-autonym="Монгол" data-language-local-name="Mongolian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Монгол</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mol_(spionage)" title="Mol (spionage) – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Mol (spionage)" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%A2%E3%82%B0%E3%83%A9_(%E3%82%B9%E3%83%91%E3%82%A4)" title="モグラ (スパイ) – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="モグラ (スパイ)" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muldvarp_(spion)" title="Muldvarp (spion) – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Muldvarp (spion)" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nn mw-list-item"><a href="https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldvarp_i_spionasje" title="Moldvarp i spionasje – Norwegian Nynorsk" lang="nn" hreflang="nn" data-title="Moldvarp i spionasje" data-language-autonym="Norsk nynorsk" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Nynorsk" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk nynorsk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_%C3%AEn_adormire" title="Agent în adormire – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Agent în adormire" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82_(%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BA%D0%B0)" title="Крот (разведка) – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Крот (разведка)" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(espionage)" title="Mole (espionage) – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Mole (espionage)" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krtica_(agent)" title="Krtica (agent) – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Krtica (agent)" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myyr%C3%A4_(vakoilu)" title="Myyrä (vakoilu) – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Myyrä (vakoilu)" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullvad_(spion)" title="Mullvad (spion) – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Mullvad (spion)" 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0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-Original_research plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Original_research" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/40px-Ambox_important.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/60px-Ambox_important.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/80px-Ambox_important.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="40" data-file-height="40" /></span></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>possibly contains <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research" title="Wikipedia:No original research">original research</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please <a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mole_(espionage)&action=edit">improve it</a> by <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verifying</a> the claims made and adding <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#Inline_citations" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources">inline citations</a>. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">December 2019</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Espionage" title="Espionage">espionage</a> jargon, a <b>mole</b> (also called a "penetration agent",<sup id="cite_ref-Smith_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Smith-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> "deep cover agent", "illegal" or "<a href="/wiki/Sleeper_agent" title="Sleeper agent">sleeper agent</a>") is a long-term <a href="/wiki/Spy" class="mw-redirect" title="Spy">spy</a> (espionage agent) who is recruited before having access to secret intelligence, subsequently managing to get into the target organization.<sup id="cite_ref-Green_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Green-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> However, it is popularly used to mean any long-term clandestine spy or <a href="/wiki/Informant" title="Informant">informant</a> within an organization (government or private).<sup id="cite_ref-Green_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Green-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In police work, a mole is an undercover law-enforcement agent who joins an organization in order to collect incriminating evidence about its operations and to eventually charge its members. </p><p>The term was introduced to the public by <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">British</a> spy novelist <a href="/wiki/John_le_Carr%C3%A9" title="John le Carré">John le Carré</a> in his 1974 novel <i><a href="/wiki/Tinker_Tailor_Soldier_Spy" title="Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy">Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy</a></i><sup id="cite_ref-Carlisle_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Carlisle-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Shapiro_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Shapiro-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and has since entered general usage, but its origin is unclear,<sup id="cite_ref-Smith_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Smith-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> as well as to what extent it was used by <a href="/wiki/Intelligence_agency" title="Intelligence agency">intelligence services</a> before it became popularized. Le Carré, a former British <a href="/wiki/Intelligence_officer" title="Intelligence officer">intelligence officer</a>, said that the term "mole" was actually used by the <a href="/wiki/USSR" class="mw-redirect" title="USSR">Soviet</a> intelligence agency, the <a href="/wiki/KGB" title="KGB">KGB</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-Green_2-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Green-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and that a corresponding term used by Western intelligence services was <i>sleeper agent</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-Bruccoli2_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Bruccoli2-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> While the term <i>mole</i> had been applied to spies in the book <i>Historie of the Reign of King Henry VII</i> written in 1626 by Sir <a href="/wiki/Francis_Bacon" title="Francis Bacon">Francis Bacon</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-Smith_1-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Smith-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Green_2-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Green-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Le Carré said he did not get the term from that source. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Overview">Overview</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mole_(espionage)&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Overview"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A mole may be recruited early in life, and take decades to get a job in government service and reach a position of access to secret information before becoming active as a spy. Perhaps the most famous examples of moles were the <a href="/wiki/Cambridge_Five" title="Cambridge Five">Cambridge Five</a>, five upper-class British men recruited by the <a href="/wiki/KGB" title="KGB">KGB</a> as communist students at <a href="/wiki/Cambridge_University" class="mw-redirect" title="Cambridge University">Cambridge University</a> in the 1930s who later rose to high levels in various parts of the <a href="/wiki/British_government" class="mw-redirect" title="British government">British government</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Carlisle_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Carlisle-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> By contrast, most espionage agents, such as CIA counterintelligence officer <a href="/wiki/Aldrich_Ames" title="Aldrich Ames">Aldrich Ames</a> and FBI agent <a href="/wiki/Robert_Hanssen" title="Robert Hanssen">Robert Hanssen</a>, who spied on the US government for the KGB, were either recruited or offered their services as spies after they were in place as members of the target organization. </p><p>Because their recruitment occurred in the remote past, moles are difficult for a nation's security services to detect. The possibility that a top politician, corporate executive, government minister, or officer in an intelligence service could be a mole working for a foreign government is the worst nightmare of <a href="/wiki/Counterintelligence" title="Counterintelligence">counterintelligence</a> services.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (December 2019)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> For example, <a href="/wiki/James_Angleton" class="mw-redirect" title="James Angleton">James Angleton</a>, director of counterintelligence for the <a href="/wiki/CIA" class="mw-redirect" title="CIA">CIA</a> between 1954 and 1975, was reportedly obsessed with suspicions that the top levels of Western governments were riddled with long-term communist agents<sup id="cite_ref-Smith_1-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Smith-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and accused numerous politicians such as former U.S. Secretary of State <a href="/wiki/Henry_Kissinger" title="Henry Kissinger">Henry Kissinger</a>, former Canadian Prime Ministers <a href="/wiki/Lester_Pearson" class="mw-redirect" title="Lester Pearson">Lester Pearson</a> and <a href="/wiki/Pierre_Trudeau" title="Pierre Trudeau">Pierre Trudeau</a>, former British Prime Minister <a href="/wiki/Harold_Wilson" title="Harold Wilson">Harold Wilson</a> and many members of Congress before he was removed in 1975.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (December 2019)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>Moles have been featured in numerous espionage films, television shows, video games and novels. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Reasons_for_use">Reasons for use</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mole_(espionage)&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Reasons for use"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-Unreferenced_section plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Unreferenced" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section <b>does not <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources">cite</a> any <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">sources</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Mole_(espionage)" title="Special:EditPage/Mole (espionage)">improve this section</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Burden_of_evidence" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">removed</a>.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">July 2024</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The most common procedure used by <a href="/wiki/Intelligence_services" class="mw-redirect" title="Intelligence services">intelligence services</a> to recruit agents is to find the location within the foreign government or organization of the information they want (the <i>target</i>), find out which people have access to it, and attempt to recruit one of them as a spy (<i>espionage agent</i>) to obtain the information. However, the people with access to top secret government information, who are government employees with high <a href="/wiki/Security_clearance" title="Security clearance">security clearances</a>, are carefully monitored by the government's security apparatus for just that sort of espionage approach. Thus, it is difficult for a representative of the foreign intelligence service to meet with them clandestinely to recruit them. Private organizations, such as large <a href="/wiki/Corporation" title="Corporation">corporations</a> or <a href="/wiki/Terrorist_group" class="mw-redirect" title="Terrorist group">terrorist groups</a>, have similar security monitors. </p><p>In addition, the security clearance process weeds out employees who are openly disgruntled, ideologically disaffected, or otherwise having motives for betraying their country, so people in such positions are likely to reject recruitment as spies. Therefore, some intelligence services have tried to reverse the above process by first recruiting potential agents and then having them conceal their allegiance and pursue careers in the target government agency in the hope that they can reach positions of access to desired information. </p><p>Because the spy career of a mole is so long-term, sometimes occupying most of a lifetime, those who become moles must be highly motivated. One common motivation is ideology (political convictions). During the <a href="/wiki/Cold_War" title="Cold War">Cold War</a>, a major source of moles in Western countries was so-called <a href="/wiki/Fellow_traveller" title="Fellow traveller">fellow travellers</a>, Westerners who, in their youth during the 1920s to 1940s, became disaffected with their own governments and sympathetic to world <a href="/wiki/Communism" title="Communism">communism</a> without actually joining a <a href="/wiki/Communist_party" title="Communist party">communist party</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mole_(espionage)&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Agent_of_influence" title="Agent of influence">Agent of influence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Double_agent" title="Double agent">Double agent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Industrial_espionage" title="Industrial espionage">Economic and industrial espionage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Insider_threat" title="Insider threat">Insider threat</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jules_C._Silber" title="Jules C. Silber">Jules C. Silber</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spy_cops_scandal" class="mw-redirect" title="Spy cops scandal">Spy cops scandal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Traitor" class="mw-redirect" title="Traitor">Traitor</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/De_Mol_(TV_series)" title="De Mol (TV series)">The Mole</a></i> (TV series)</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mole_(espionage)&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-Smith-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Smith_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Smith_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Smith_1-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Smith_1-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFSmith2003" class="citation book cs1">Smith, W. Thomas (2003). <i><a href="/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Central_Intelligence_Agency" title="Encyclopedia of the Central Intelligence Agency">Encyclopedia of the Central Intelligence Agency</a></i>. Manhattan, New York City, USA: <a href="/wiki/Infobase_Publishing" class="mw-redirect" title="Infobase Publishing">Infobase Publishing</a>. p. 171. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781438130187" title="Special:BookSources/9781438130187"><bdi>9781438130187</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/586163250">586163250</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Encyclopedia+of+the+Central+Intelligence+Agency&rft.place=Manhattan%2C+New+York+City%2C+USA&rft.pages=171&rft.pub=Infobase+Publishing&rft.date=2003&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F586163250&rft.isbn=9781438130187&rft.aulast=Smith&rft.aufirst=W.+Thomas&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMole+%28espionage%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Green-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Green_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Green_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Green_2-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Green_2-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGreen2006" class="citation book cs1">Green, Jonathon (March 28, 2006). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=5GpLcC4a5fAC&q=mole+%22john+le+carre%22+tinker&pg=PA953"><i>Cassell's Dictionary of Slang: A Major New Edition of the Market-Leading Dictionary of Slang</i></a> (2nd, revised ed.). New York City, New York, USA: <a href="/wiki/Sterling_Publishing" title="Sterling Publishing">Sterling Publishing</a>. p. 953. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780304366361" title="Special:BookSources/9780304366361"><bdi>9780304366361</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/62890128">62890128</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">August 26,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Cassell%27s+Dictionary+of+Slang%3A+A+Major+New+Edition+of+the+Market-Leading+Dictionary+of+Slang&rft.place=New+York+City%2C+New+York%2C+USA&rft.pages=953&rft.edition=2nd%2C+revised&rft.pub=Sterling+Publishing&rft.date=2006-03-28&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F62890128&rft.isbn=9780304366361&rft.aulast=Green&rft.aufirst=Jonathon&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D5GpLcC4a5fAC%26q%3Dmole%2B%2522john%2Ble%2Bcarre%2522%2Btinker%26pg%3DPA953&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMole+%28espionage%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Carlisle-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Carlisle_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Carlisle_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCarlisle2003" class="citation book cs1">Carlisle, Rodney P. (April 1, 2003). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=wZt283WNub4C&q=%22the+term+mole%22+%22john+le+carre%22&pg=PA142"><i>Complete Idiot's Guide to Spies and Espionage</i></a> (illustrated ed.). Indianapolis, Indiana, USA: <a href="/wiki/Alpha_Books" title="Alpha Books">Alpha Books</a>. p. 142. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780028644189" title="Special:BookSources/9780028644189"><bdi>9780028644189</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/52090218">52090218</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">August 26,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Complete+Idiot%27s+Guide+to+Spies+and+Espionage&rft.place=Indianapolis%2C+Indiana%2C+USA&rft.pages=142&rft.edition=illustrated&rft.pub=Alpha+Books&rft.date=2003-04-01&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F52090218&rft.isbn=9780028644189&rft.aulast=Carlisle&rft.aufirst=Rodney+P.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DwZt283WNub4C%26q%3D%2522the%2Bterm%2Bmole%2522%2B%2522john%2Ble%2Bcarre%2522%26pg%3DPA142&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMole+%28espionage%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Shapiro-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Shapiro_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFShapiro2006" class="citation book cs1">Shapiro, Fred R. (Oct 30, 2006). <span class="id-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780300107982"><i>The Yale Book of Quotations</i></a></span> (illustrated ed.). New Haven, Connecticut, USA: <a href="/wiki/Yale_University_Press" title="Yale University Press">Yale University Press</a>. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780300107982/page/448">448</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780300107982" title="Special:BookSources/9780300107982"><bdi>9780300107982</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/66527213">66527213</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">August 26,</span> 2012</span>. <q>According to the <i>Oxford English Dictionary</i> "it is generally thought that the world of espionage adopted [the term mole] from Le Carré, rather than vice versa.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Yale+Book+of+Quotations&rft.place=New+Haven%2C+Connecticut%2C+USA&rft.pages=448&rft.edition=illustrated&rft.pub=Yale+University+Press&rft.date=2006-10-30&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F66527213&rft.isbn=9780300107982&rft.aulast=Shapiro&rft.aufirst=Fred+R.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fisbn_9780300107982&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMole+%28espionage%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Bruccoli2-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Bruccoli2_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLe_CarréBruccoliBaughman2004" class="citation book cs1">Le Carré, John; Bruccoli, Matthew J; Baughman, Judith (2004). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=jxPWT_Lo5yQC&q=mole&pg=PA33"><i>Conversations with John le Carré</i></a> (illustrated ed.). Jackson, Mississippi, USA: <a href="/wiki/University_Press_of_Mississippi" title="University Press of Mississippi">University Press of Mississippi</a>. pp. 33–34. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781578066698" title="Special:BookSources/9781578066698"><bdi>9781578066698</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/55019020">55019020</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">August 26,</span> 2012</span>. <q>interview with Le Carré in Melvyn Bragg <i>The Listener</i>, January 22, 1976 BBC1, (reprint)</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Conversations+with+John+le+Carr%C3%A9&rft.place=Jackson%2C+Mississippi%2C+USA&rft.pages=33-34&rft.edition=illustrated&rft.pub=University+Press+of+Mississippi&rft.date=2004&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F55019020&rft.isbn=9781578066698&rft.aulast=Le+Carr%C3%A9&rft.aufirst=John&rft.au=Bruccoli%2C+Matthew+J&rft.au=Baughman%2C+Judith&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DjxPWT_Lo5yQC%26q%3Dmole%26pg%3DPA33&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMole+%28espionage%29" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mole_(espionage)&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFStaff2009" class="citation book cs1">Staff (November 29, 2009). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=5qpIPQAACAAJ"><i>Why Do We Say It?: the stories behind the words, expressions and cliches we use</i></a> (reissue ed.). Secaucus, New Jersey, USA: Castle Books. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781555210106" title="Special:BookSources/9781555210106"><bdi>9781555210106</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/237155763">237155763</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">August 26,</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Why+Do+We+Say+It%3F%3A+the+stories+behind+the+words%2C+expressions+and+cliches+we+use&rft.place=Secaucus%2C+New+Jersey%2C+USA&rft.edition=reissue&rft.pub=Castle+Books&rft.date=2009-11-29&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F237155763&rft.isbn=9781555210106&rft.au=Staff&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D5qpIPQAACAAJ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMole+%28espionage%29" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mole_(espionage)&oldid=1241045303">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mole_(espionage)&oldid=1241045303</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Security_breaches" title="Category:Security breaches">Security breaches</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Spies_by_role" title="Category:Spies by role">Spies by role</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_matches_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description matches Wikidata">Short description matches Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_that_may_contain_original_research_from_December_2019" title="Category:Articles that may contain original research from December 2019">Articles that may contain original research from December 2019</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_that_may_contain_original_research" title="Category:All articles that may contain original research">All articles that may contain original research</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_with_unsourced_statements" title="Category:All articles with unsourced statements">All articles with unsourced statements</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_from_December_2019" title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements from December 2019">Articles with unsourced statements from December 2019</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_needing_additional_references_from_July_2024" title="Category:Articles needing additional references from July 2024">Articles needing additional references from July 2024</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:All_articles_needing_additional_references" title="Category:All articles needing additional references">All articles needing additional references</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 19 August 2024, at 00:40<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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