Edward Snowden Quotes

A murderer is less loathsome to us than a spy. The murderer may have acted on a sudden mad impulse; he may be penitent and amend; but a spy is always a spy, night and day, in bed, at table, as he walks abroad; his vileness pervades every moment of his life

Janie: So you're a double agent? Cabel: Sure.That sounds sexy.

Of all those in the army close to the commander, none is more intimate than the secret agent.

I'm not a spy for Russia or China or any other country for that matter.

That’s the thing about spies. Most of the secrets we keep are from each other.

"We're going to be okay." Here's the thing about being a spy: sometimes all you have are your lies. They protect your cover and keep your secrets, and right then I needed to believe that it was true even when all the facts said otherwise.

Someone responding to the story said 'real spies do not speak like that'. Well, I am a spy and that is how they talk. Whenever we had a debate in the office on how to handle crimes, they do not defend due process - they defend decisive action. They say it is better to kick someone out of a plane than let these people have a day in court. It is an authoritarian mindset in general.

You couldn't trust anyone or anything that belonged to the world of espionage.

Ask yourself: if I were a Chinese spy, why wouldn't I have flown directly into Beijing? I could be living in a palace petting a phoenix by now.

The creation of George Smiley, the retired spy recalled to hunt for just such a high-ranking mole in 'Tinker, Tailor,' was extremely personal. I borrowed elements of people I admired and invested them in this mythical character. I'm such a fluent, specious person now, but I was an extremely awkward fellow in those days.

It was awesome and liberating to play a Russian spy.

I've always wanted to play a spy, because it is the ultimate acting exercise. You are never what you seem.

I've always wanted to be a spy, and frankly I'm a little surprised that British intelligence has never approached me.

Anyone who tells you he deals with the CIA is either a fool (for admitting it) or a braggart.

It is important to seek out the spies that the enemy has sent to spy on you so you can bribe them to really spy for you.

You can probably forgive the top spy for lying about spying. Lying is part of the job description. It’s what spies do.

It’s [the CIA] an organization that thrives on deception. How do you manage an organization like that?

If this was a graduating class of CIA case officers my advice would be short and to the point: Admit nothing, deny everything, and make counteraccusations.

I never worked for any secret service, certainly not the Israeli secret service.

Oh, I can keep many secrets, so I would be a phenomenal secret agent. I love secrets.

One of the things that distinguishes the CIA from the State Department is that the CIA is both asked to, and authorized to, steal secrets. So if the question is whether the CIA steals secrets, the answer is yes.

A good undercover agent stays as close to the truth as possible, as close to your own personality and your own values as possible. This is the way you stay in character - you try to be yourself.

I spent a whole career infiltrating places.

The life of spies is to know, not bee known.

The CIA agent looked more dead than alive. Alex wondered if he had been hit, but there was no sign of any blood. Perhaps he was in shock.