Critical Analysis of Motivational Factors for Recruiting Human Sources to Cooperate with National Intelligence Structures

The publication offers a critical analysis of the motivational factors that shape the process of recruiting operational sources to cooperate with intelligence services. The object of study is agent-based intelligence, examined in a historical context – from the Second World War and the Cold War to contempo- rary conditions. In the theory of human intelligence (HUMINT), two main frameworks used in recruitment are well known: MICE and RASCLS. This constitutes the subject of the study: a comparative analysis supported by examples from the literature and the operational practice of various services. The study em- phasizes the psychological, value-based, and pragmatic motives that determine an individual’s decision to cooperate with an intelligence organization. The analysis draws on open-source materials – academic and specialized literature, interviews with veterans, and officially available American and Bulgarian publica- tions. The author presents original conclusions and viewpoints that contribute to a deeper understanding of the human factor in the intelligence process.