Humint

HUMINT, or human intelligence, is information gathered from human sources through interpersonal contact. It is one of several intelligence disciplines and is typically combined with signals intelligence, imagery intelligence, and open-source intelligence to produce a fuller picture of events.

Sources for HUMINT include military personnel, diplomats, informants, defectors, refugees, and ordinary individuals who have access to relevant information. Methods range from formal debriefings and structured interviews to asset recruitment and elicitation—conversations designed to encourage a source to reveal information—along with the handling and protection of assets who provide information.

Tradecraft in HUMINT covers the development and management of sources, secure communications, documentation, and the assessment and validation of information. It also involves risk management for both sources and officers, identity protection, and compliance with legal and policy constraints. HUMINT operations are often coordinated with other agencies and may involve liaison with foreign counterparts under agreed frameworks.

HUMINT information offers context, intent, and nuanced understanding that other disciplines may not easily provide, but it can be affected by bias, manipulation by sources or opponents, and misreporting. Analysts typically corroborate HUMINT with additional sources and indicators to judge reliability and relevance.

Historically, HUMINT has been a central component of statecraft and military planning, with formal programs in many countries. In modern practice, it supports counterterrorism, crisis management, battlefield and strategic planning, diplomacy, and intelligence sharing with allies.

Ethical and legal frameworks govern HUMINT activities. Many jurisdictions prohibit coercive methods and require oversight to protect human rights and minimize risk to individuals involved in sources and officers.