Black, grey and white moles

by Valerian Obolensky
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Any significant organisation - state or corporate - knows what moles are, and uses them and fears them. Black, grey and white moles have one thing in common: they do their "mole-thing" under cover, usually in favour of a competative organisation, and they do it for a reason. For American moles money is an important motivational tool, others have less earthly ideals and ideologies. After all, in the rest of the world you’re not necessarily a winner if you’re filthy rich, and not necessarily a loser if you’re broke. "Job satisfaction" and money are in no way a guarantee for mole-free organisations. Moscow has known for decades that you pay American moles, while you motivate (and pay) the others. Another common thing is the fact that moles are silently waiting for a sign to come into action.
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Black moles
Black moles are the classic example of spies, usually political or military ones. They are highly trained officers, posted abroad or in their native country for an illegal purpose, without having diplomatic immunity in case of arrest. These cadre moles are usually full officers of the CIA, MI6, SVR or the GRU. You will not find black moles in the economic espionage business; most of them work in (counter)intelligence services, and live and work under assumed names. A good black mole is beyond suspicion.
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White moles
White moles are usually embassy personel. They are always under suspicion, and they know it. Their diplomatic status enables them to play a bit with their opponents, and their opponents to play with them. Starting intelligence officers are assigned to white-mole surveillance, to learn the tricks of the trade.
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Grey moles
Grey moles are the freelancers of the intelligence business. They do not receive direct orders from "HQ", but from a "handler", usually a friend from the past. A grey mole could choose his own career, while his handler just hopes that he ever could be of any use in that position. (The careers of black moles and white moles are thoroughly planned by their superiors.)
Grey moles are rather unreliable, in general, but there are a lot of them about, so a handler will probably get the job done, even if one or two of his grey moles let him down.
Grey moles do care about money, but their main motivation is their ideology. Grey moles usually live and work under their own identities, and they do not work in (counter)intelligence services, although you may find them in other civil service branches and in certain industries. They do their jobs like they’re supposed to, and once in a while they do an old friend a favour, that’s all.
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Examples of grey mole activity
A grey mole could be a trusted warder. Years could pass without using him. And then, one day, he would be approached by an old friend, a fellow who used to go to protest marches with him when they were young, and this friend would ask him to slip some drugs to a certain prisoner, say Milosevic. The grey mole receives some money in return, and last but not least the impression that he has done something important, that he makes a difference.
Industrial spies often have short term assignments. It’s in and out, they do their thing, they’re gone. Grey moles are long term investments. You never know when they have to be used, if it all, and they’re not on a pay roll. Grey moles can even be long term prisoners, as long as they are reasonably trusted in and by their systems, and they can have access to certain other prisoners. Most grey moles have key positions of some kind in the systems they are part of, professionally or socially.
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The handlers
Grey mole running can be fun. All you need are motivational skills, a budget and cool. A grey mole handler will never become filthy rich, but he will earn enough to make a more than decent living. Of course he has to be careful not to disclose any of his contacts, above or below. A handler needs to get things done, just like any manager. If one grey mole is unable to help you, you turn to another. Because of the fact that there are so many about, you are never really depending on one certain mole.
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The importance of moles
Moles are important for political and economical balance, which prevent the rise of super powers. Nationalists just want their country and their companies to be this greatest, the strongest, the most powerful, but nationalists don’t realise that their goals often lead to war. There will not be wars as long as there is balance. Okay, we could call all our moles back, but would the opposition or our competitors do the same? Nah, so we have to keep our moles to keep the balance.