ABSTRACT
If spying is the world’s second oldest profession then it must have its roots in the Nile Valley – one of the cradles of civilization and foundation for some of the earliest empires in history. While Egyptians proudly trace their origins in terms of millennia, the genesis of their modern intelligence system lies not in the distant past of pharaohs and pyramids but in the more recent present – the beginning of the twentieth century to be precise when another empire created a secret police apparatus to enhance its control over the Nile Valley. Although Egypt was never a formal part of the British Empire, London regarded its de facto occupation of Egypt in general – and the Suez Canal in particular – as integral to the health and welfare of that empire. While the French and other powers resented British control of Egypt, the British faced few serious threats to their dominance until the beginning of the twentieth century when a growing class of educated Egyptians began demanding national independence. Indeed, the story of Egypt in the first half of the twentieth century is one of frustrated demands for independence, and that frustration manifested itself in secret societies, assassinations, riots and revolution. In order to contain this rising nationalist sentiment, the British created a secret police apparatus which, as the new century progressed, grew in size, influence and capabilities. On the eve of World War II, the nascent Egyptian intelligence community was still bound by many ties to its British creator and master; however, the stage was being set for its eventual independence and further growth.
