<P> Percy Alleline becomes the new Chief , Bill Haydon his deputy and Roy Bland and Toby Esterhase as lieutenants . Despite Control and Smiley 's misgivings , their successors have already begun a secret operation -- `` Witchcraft '' -- to obtain highly sensitive information from the Soviet Union , which is in turn being traded with the CIA for American intelligence . Smiley is brought out of retirement by Cabinet Office civil servant Oliver Lacon to investigate a claim by Ricki Tarr , a British spy , that for years there has been a mole in a senior role in the Circus , as Control had suspected . Smiley chooses a trustworthy agent , Peter Guillam , and retired Special Branch officer Mendel to help him . He interviews former Circus analyst Connie Sachs , who was sacked by Alleline after deducing that Alexei Polyakov , a Soviet cultural attaché in London , was a spy . </P>
<P> Percy Alleline becomes the new Chief , Bill Haydon his deputy and Roy Bland and Toby Esterhase as lieutenants . Despite Control and Smiley 's misgivings , their successors have already begun a secret operation -- `` Witchcraft '' -- to obtain highly sensitive information from the Soviet Union , which is in turn being traded with the CIA for American intelligence . Smiley is brought out of retirement by Cabinet Office civil servant Oliver Lacon to investigate a claim by Ricki Tarr , a British spy , that for years there has been a mole in a senior role in the Circus , as Control had suspected . Smiley chooses a trustworthy agent , Peter Guillam , and retired Special Branch officer Mendel to help him . He interviews former Circus analyst Connie Sachs , who was sacked by Alleline after deducing that Alexei Polyakov , a Soviet cultural attaché in London , was a spy . </P>
tinker tailor soldier spy who is the spy
tinker tailor soldier spy who is the spy
Alexei Polyakov
Alexei Polyakov