The world of global espionage has traditionally been dominated by the big powers—Russia, China, the United States, France, and Britain. But a series of recent revelations are a reminder that the intelligence services of middle powers—particularly those of the so-called global south—are not only active in the West, but also likely expanding the scope and ambition of their activities. The ramifications of these activities could rival any major power spy scandal. The states are smaller, but the stakes are not.
Three recent cases offer a snapshot into the capabilities of middle powers’ spycraft regimes and suggest some ways that Western nations can better anticipate—and even prepare to thwart—these threats in the future.
First, Egypt may have infiltrated the highest echelons of U.S. decision-making by enlisting the help of the former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Last week, federal prosecutors charged U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, with conspiring to have the senator act as an agent for the Egyptian government by using his powerful position to bolster military sales and aid to Egypt. An indictment last month also accused Menendez and his wife of accepting as bribes more than half a million dollars, bars of gold bullion, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, and other valuables from the Egyptian government.
