Australian Secret Intelligence Service
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service ( ASIS ; German Australian Secret Service ) is an Australian intelligence service similar to the British Secret Intelligence Service or the US Central Intelligence Agency . However, its role is much narrower.
The service is prohibited by law from conducting paramilitary operations. There are also no reports of such activities following a spectacularly failed training mission at the Sheraton Hotel in Melbourne on November 30, 1983 . Australian agents in training were arrested by the police and charged with a long list of offenses.
ASIS is the Australian external information gathering authority. It is part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (roughly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade ). Almost all of ASIS 'employees work outside of Australia as the agency primarily collects information. ASIS does not evaluate the data itself, but forwards it to other authorities ( ASIO , DSD , Office of National Assessment ) for analysis.
The Australian government has only admitted the existence of this top secret organization in the last few years.
Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service
- 1952–1957: Alfred Deakin Brookes
- 1957-1960: Ralph Harry
- 1960–1968: Walter Joseph Cawthorn
- 1968–1975: Bill Robertson
- 1975-1981: Ian Kennison
- 1981-1983: John Ryan
- 1984-1992: Brigadier Jim Furner
- 1992-1998: Rex Stevenson
- 1998-2003: Allan Taylor
- 2003-2009: David Irvine
- since 2009: Nick Warner