HUMINT facts for kids

HUMINT (an abbreviation of Human Intelligence) is intelligence information got from personal contacts. It is a term used in the spy community of the NATO countries.

Sources may be neutral, friendly, or hostile. They may or may not know they are giving information. Examples of HUMINT sources are:

• Advisors or foreign internal defence personnel working with the host nation forces or populations;
• Diplomatic reporting by accredited diplomats (e.g. military attachés);
• Espionage: secret reporting, using agents, couriers, cutouts;
• Military attachés: getting information is their job;
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
• Prisoners of war (POWs) or other detainees;
• Refugees;
• Routine patrolling (by military police, etc);
• Talking to travellers (e.g. the CIA Domestic Contact Service).

Images for kids

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  A United States Marine asks a local woman about weapons in Fallujah, Iraq

See also

In Spanish: Inteligencia humana (espionaje) para niños