Former secret service operatives such as Ray McGovern, John Stockwell, Phil Agee, Bob Baer (and even the notoriously cryptic Peter Wright of "Spycatcher" fame) have all poured scorn on the "rogue agent" excuse. It's not that spooks aren't encouraged to use their own initiative - far from it. But such people are usually much further up the food chain - giving orders. Footsoldiers, on the other hand, have very little latitude not least because the overwhelming majority of intelligence gathering is procedural, form filling, briefings, de-briefings etc. It's mind-numbing tedium and to take a poop you need half a dozen signatures in triplicate.
I mean, sure, it’s
possible that a low-ranking operative was put into a position where he could execute a political target (the political blowback from which would have fallen not on him but his superiors), but is it
probable?As Peter Wright said, senior politicians (such as the PM, Home Secretary etc.) and decision-makers in MI5 & MI6 wouldn’t dream of authorising the assassination of a political figure unless they were protected from being held accountable in a court of law at some point in the future. Orthodox methods of record-keeping are subverted so that those involved always retain plausible deniability.
If the political fallout is too extreme then it’s the easiest thing in the world (as well as the oldest trick in the book) to throw some low-ranking officer to the wolves. Regrettable to be sure. But entirely necessary if we are to maintain order and stability.
