Employing Spies

Sun Tzu said:

“Generally when you send forth an army of a hundred thousand on a campaign, marching them out a thousand li, the expenditures of the common people and the contributions of the nation will be one thousand pieces of gold per day. Those in turmoil within our borders and abroad, who are exhausted on the road or unable to pursue their agricultural work, will be seven hundred thousand families.”

“Armies remain locked in a standoff for several years in order to fight for victory on a single day. Yet a general unwilling to bestow one hundred pieces of gold and thereby does not know the enemy’s situation. This is the ultimate inhumanity. Such a person is not a general for the people, an assistant for a ruler, or the master of victory.”

“The means by which enlightened rulers and astute generals moved and conquered others, that their achievements extraordinary, was advance knowledge.”

“Advance knowledge cannot be gained from ghosts and spirits, inferred from phenomena, or projected from the calculations of Heaven, but must be obtained from men which have the knowledge of the enemy’s true situation.”

“Therefore there are five types of spies to be employed: local spy, internal spy, turned spy [double agent], dead and expendable spy, and the living spy. When all five are employed together and no one knows their Tao, this is termed ‘divine methodology’. They are a ruler’s treasures.”

• “For ‘local spies’ – employ people from the local district.”
  
• “For ‘internal spies’ – employ their people who hold government positions.”
  
• “For the ‘turned spy’ [Double agent] – employ the enemy’s spies.”
  
• “For the ‘dead and expendable spies’ – they are employed to spread disinformation to the enemy. We provide our expendable spies with false information and have them leak it to enemy agents.”
  
• “For ‘living spies’ – we use agents to return with their reports.”

“Therefore of all the armies’ affairs no relationship is closer than with spies; no rewards are more generous than those given to spies, no affairs are more secret that those pertaining to spies.”

“Unless someone has the abilities of the wise man, he cannot use spies; unless he is benevolent and righteous, he cannot employ spies; unless he is alert and observant, he cannot perceive the essence of intelligence reports. It is subtle, subtle! There are no areas in which one does not employ spies.”

“If a spy’s activities are leaked to our enemy before they begin, the spy and those who knew of the plans should be put to death.”

“Generally, if you desire to attack an army, target the cities you want to attack, and the men you want to assassinate, you must first know the names and identities of the defending commander, his assistants, staff, gate guards, officers, and attendants. You must have our spies search out and learn them all.”

“You must search for enemy spies who have come to spy on us. Tempt them with profits, instruct and retain them. Therefore double agents can be obtained and employed. Through knowledge gained from them, you can recruit both local and internal spies. Through knowledge gained from them, the dead and expendable spy can spread misinformation to the enemy. Through knowledge gained from them, our living spies can be employed as planned.”

“The ruler must know these five types of espionage work. This knowledge inevitably depends on turned spies; therefore, you must treat double agents with the utmost generosity.”

“In ancient times, when the Yin dynasty arose, they had I Chih who served in the house Hsia. When the Chou dynasty arouse, they had Lű Ya who served in the house Yin. Therefore enlightened rulers and wise generals who are able to get intelligent spies will invariably attain great achievements. This is the essential for warfare, what the army depends on to move.”