UPCOMING EVENTS FOR 2013 ARE ON THIS PAGE

To see prior 2013 events, those listings are here.

Movies of Interest to AFIO members can be found here.

May 2013

6 - 9 May 2013 - Orlando, FL - 28th Annual Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals International Conference & Exhibition

Never has there been a greater need for high quality information and strategic analysis. As the demand increases, strategic and competitive intelligence practitioners are becoming more of an indispensable resource to corporate decision makers. If you're looking for an opportunity for further education and to build an invaluable personal network in our industry, there is no better venue than the 28th Annual Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals International Conference & Exhibition. We are back in Orlando and expecting to best the record attendance set here two years ago! Join more than 700 intelligence and strategy executives from across the globe for a stay at the beautiful Caribe Royale in Orlando. Sounds like an excellent opportunity to enjoy the sun, especially if you're coming from a cold climate! SCIP 2013 brings you a powerful and dynamic agenda: 5 track themes, 2 learning levels,
25 executive insight presentations from leading competitive intelligence professionals and competitive strategy executives, 30 interactive sessions, and 8 pre-conference workshops. All
this, combined with endless opportunities to network, make new contacts, share experiences, understand best practices and lessons learned, make SCIP 2013 the one conference where you need to be to sharpen your competitive edge.
This is a "can't miss" annual forum for intelligence and strategy practitioners to hone their skills and stay on top of their game. We hope all of you are as excited about this year's conference as we are. Together, we have an opportunity to ensure the future success of our careers and our great profession. Looking forward to seeing you in Orlando!
Full details here.

Tuesday, 7 May 2013, 8 - 9 am - Tysons Corner, VA - FREE one hour brief on Global Terrorism, Espionage, and Cyber Security

Location: Microsoft Store Tysons Corner Mall, Virginia Level 2 parking area: Terrace C
RSVP to reserve your seat- we filled up last month. Registration to Meaghan.Smith@cicentre.com (240) 281-1627
*Up to 5 guests per person (all must RSVP) *New updated material every month! *Light refreshments will be served and multiple PRIZES will be drawn! * MORE DETAILS!!
This will be our LAST GTEC at the Microsoft store until the fall! All updates will be held at the International Spy Museum in the summer (updates to follow).

Wednesday, 8 May 2013, 6 - 9 pm - Scottsdale, AZ - 1st Annual 007 "End of Season" Dinner

In lieu of lunch, this season's LAST regular monthly Arizona Chapter meeting will be held Wednesday, May 8th, from 6pm to 9pm
It will be our First annual 007 event, to include cocktail attire and entertainment: Spy stories by many of our esteemed members; "Shaken not Stirred" Martini & Cash Bar; Sit down dinner (prime rib or salmon filet;
"Bond Girls" in attendance; Silver Aston Martin (without machine guns mounted) in the drive! All at McCormick Ranch Golf Club!
Please make your reservations BY MAY 1st, 2013 (Spouses, friends, and spy enthusiasts welcome since attendance IS limited to approximately 100 people!)
RSVP to Simone Lopes <simone@4smartphone.net>

Wednesday, 8 May 2013, noon - 1 pm - Washington, DC - Global Terrorism, Espionage, and Cyber Security brief with David Major

Presented in partnership with the CI Centre, these monthly briefings will provide you with the opportunity to be the first to learn of the most current worldwide happenings in the field of intelligence and terrorism. Drawn from the Centre's SPYPEDIA®, the most comprehensive source of espionage information in the world, each Update will cover important events and information which may not be reported by mainstream media outlets. Such as: espionage penetrations and arrests, cyber espionage reporting, and terrorist events. Briefings led by CI Centre founder David Major will include trend analysis and coverage of new emerging issues of value to the intelligence and security professional and individuals with an interest in national security matters. Major will also highlight and review, as appropriate, new books and reports to keep you current with breaking developments in the national security arena. *Up to 5 guests per person (all must RSVP)
*New updated material every month!
Event location: International Spy Museum, 800 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004
more info here.
RSVP to Meaghan.Smith@cicentre.com or call (240) 281-1627

Thursday, 9 May 2013, noon - 2 pm - Washington, DC - Roger Neighborgall, in Patton's 3rd Army and in intel, speaks to Returned & Services League of Australia

Our Speaker, Mr. Roger Neighborgall, was Ranger with the 5th Ranger Battalion assigned to George Patton's 3rd Army. He fought in Europe starting from D-Day at Omaha Beach to Metz, France; Northern France; Battle of the Bulge; Ersch-Zerf, Germany, and ending with Intel work on the Danube River and in Bavaria. Topic - The Battle of the Bulge
Where: Amenities room, Embassy of Australia, 1601 Massachusetts, Ave., Washington, DC 20036
Charge - $15.00, including buffet lunch and sodas. Alcoholic beverages- $2.00 each.
Attire: Business casual. Volunteers: As usual, we need a volunteer (or two) to run the bar. RSVP by noon on May 8 to David Ward at 202-352-8550 or via e-mail to dmward1973@gmail.com NOTE: Valid photo ID required
Parking: While there is no parking at the Embassy, paid off street parking is available behind and under the Airline Pilots Association- 17th and Mass, and at 15th and Mass (1240 15th street). On street two hour metered parking is also available.

Friday, 10 May 2013, 10:30 am - 2 pm - Tysons Corner, VA - David Shedd, DD/DIA, and Col. John B. Alexander, PhD.

AFIO National Spring Luncheon features Deputy Director David Shedd, Defense Intelligence Agency. The morning speaker is Col. John B. Alexander, PhD on UFOs and the Intelligence Community. Alexander, Senior Fellow with the Joint Special Operations University; Former Green Beret Commander, Los Alamos Project Director, recently released a book on: UFOs: Myths, Conspiracies and Realities. Sorry, Registration has closed.

Saturday, 11 May 2013, 11am - 3pm - Orange Park, FL - AFIO North Florida Chapter hosts J. Perry Smith, former CIA and FBI Executive

We have a most unique guest speaker for the occasion, J. Perry Smith, who is currently serving as Canon Pastor at St. John's Cathedral in Jacksonville. But that's just the tip of the iceberg of a most unusual and diverse career. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1944, but spent his early childhood in West Virginia and California.
In the early 1960s, he tried his hand at bullfighting in Mexico, life as a Trappist monk at The Abbey of Gethsemani near Bardstown, Kentucky, with Thomas Merton, and in 1967-68, he went to war in Vietnam. Perry did what few people have ever done. He was a CIA field operative for eight years, then left the agency and ultimately became a senior executive FBI Agent. His CIA story will appeal to those interested in an insider's perspective, spy versus spy, set mostly in Mexico, Central America and Europe during the Cold War. His 22 years of experience as an FBI Agent give a rare opportunity to see how one of the world's most secretive organizations actually operates. Then, even more rare, he became an Episcopal priest. On September 11, 2001, Perry Smith was reading in the courtyard at the Virginia Theological Seminary when he heard an explosion and felt the ground shake. Just eleven days earlier he had retired from the FBI. The antiterrorism unit had been his last assignment. Now he was studying to become an Episcopal priest. Perry lived in Spain and Latin America for many years and is an enthusiastic Hispanist, fluent in Spanish and a frequent traveler to Spain. Incidentally, he will be bringing copies of his book The Unlikely Priest to the meeting if you are interested in purchasing one.
Location: Country Club of Orange Park. RSVP to qbegonia@comcast.net
Cost will be $16 each, pay the Country Club at the luncheon.

13 May 2013, noon - Washington, DC - The OSS in Burma: Jungle War Against the Japanese at the International Spy Museum

"One could not choose a worse place for fighting the Japanese," said Winston Churchill of northern Burma, but it was there that the fledgling Office of Strategic Services conducted its most successful combat operations of World War II. Troy Sacquety, a historian for the US Army's Special Operations Command, ventures into Burma's steaming jungles in the first book to fully cover the exploits and contributions of the OSS's Detachment 101 against the Japanese Imperial Army. In this talk, Sacquety will describe how Detachment 101 succeeded and created a prototype for today's Special Forces.
Join the author for an informal chat and book signing. For more information please visit: www.spymuseum.org

• Tuesday, 14 May 2013, 4:30 - 6 pm - New York, NY - "The Law of Counterterrorism & Related Issues" conference and Roundtable Discussion on The Law of Counterterrorism
• The event is co-Sponsored by the ABA Section of Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice and The Council on Intelligence Issues
  Expert authors from the landmark ABA book The Law of Counterterrorism will discuss areas examined in detail in the book, such as key legal issues regarding the law of war as it pertains to detention, interrogation, and combatants; criminal jurisdiction and military commissions; the leading role of the NYPD in combating terrorism; the organization, structure, and authorities of the intelligence community; the PATRIOT Act and the IRTPA; implications of advice of counsel in controversial cases in the war on terror; and more. Reception Follows the event.
  Distinguished Speakers
• • New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
• • John D. Altenburg, Jr., Maj. Gen., U.S. Army, ret., Principal, Greenberg Traurig LLP
• • Karen J. Greenberg, Director, Center for National Security, Fordham Law School
• • Richard B. (Dick) Jackson, Col., U.S. Army, ret., Law of War Advisor to Judge Advocate General, U.S. Army
• • W. George Jameson, former Senior Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency
• • Lynne K. Zusman, Editor, ABA Administrative Law Section Fellow
  Event is being hosted by O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Times Square Tower, 30th Floor, 7 Times Square, NY 10036 (212) 326-2000. Reception follows the event. Due to building security policy, guests will have to register using a photo ID at security on the ground floor. Please allow extra time to complete this process.
  Cancellation: Cancellations accepted until May 7, 2013. Substitutions are encouraged. E-mail Angela.Petro@americanbar.org or Fax request to 202-662-1529.
  Payment: There is no charge for this program, however space is limited and advance registration is required. Return this form by EMAIL: angela.petro@americanbar.org OR FAX: 202.662.1529 OR MAIL: Angela Petro, ABA Section of Administrative Law, 740 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005.
  CLE: There is NO CLE Credit available for this program.
  Special Needs: Please contact Angela Petro at 202-662-1582 or angela.petro@americanbar.org to request accommodation for any special needs no later than May 7, 2013.
  

Thursday, 16 May 2013 - Denver, CO - The AFIO Rocky Mountain Chapter visits the Disaster Management Institute's "Center for Simulation"

The Institute's Center is located at 9235 E 10th Dr, Building 859 Room 911, Denver, CO. This is a joint meeting of the AFIO and Denver INFRAGARD. There are seating limitations of 45 seats so we will accept reservations on a first come first serve basis. There will be no lunch at this facility... it will be lunch on your own outside the Center for Simulation, since they have no cafeteria. The Center for Simulation is the first of its kind in the world for training and preparing first responders in full immersion learning environments. Since its inception in 2005 the center has grown to include a complete home, bar, street scene, hazardous material/refinery, hoarder house, underground space and the Disaster Management Institute (DMI). The DMI is a state of the art emergency operations center with multiple cable and satellite feeds, Web-EOC, smart boards, a star board, video cubes and a touch table. Each space has multiple cameras and global sound. Every training is recorded and a DVD can be created live or the video feeds can be stored on servers for playback options. Currently the Center and DMI have active training relationships with working professionals from local, state, federal and Department of Defense assets in addition to students from several educational institutions. You will receive directions when you RSVP to Warren Gerig at warren@asia.com.

16 May 2013, 12.30-2.30 PM - Los Angeles, CA - AFIO LA Chapter hears Dr. Fadi Essmaeel of US Congress on Homeland Security & Emergency Management challenges in Southern California and the evolving role of intelligence

Dr. Fadi Essmaeel from the U.S. Congress will be addressing the AFIO L.A. Chapter on the topic of Homeland Security & Emergency Management challenges in Southern California and the evolving role of intelligence. Meeting Location: LAPD Ahmanson Training Center RM 1G 5651 W. Manchester Blvd. • Los Angeles, CA 90045
Please RSVP for your attendance and access to the facility: AFIO_LA@yahoo.com
Dr. Fadi Essmaeel serves as HS Director for US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of the CA-48th District and as Chairman, of the Training and Exercise Subcommittee of the Central CA Area Maritime Security Committee. He is a physician, former officer with the IDF and a human rights activist. As first responder and incident commander he handled numerous incidents that took place against the backdrop of key historical landmarks such as the South-Lebanon conflict, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the ensuing waves of violence. For 13 years, Dr. Essmaeel has offered free-of-charge educational programs for HS/EM officials resulting in delivery of more than a 100,000 professional training hours in myriad subjects. Trainees represent all government jurisdictions and a wide variety of private sector industries. During the early 2000's he also initiated an ongoing nation-wide digital information-sharing campaign during which terabytes of information have already been disseminated including: manuals, handbooks, guidelines, best practices, procedures, training materials, course calendars etc. Central to his duties, he facilitates trouble-shooting for response-agencies as they interact with the federal government and has supervised more than 2000 constituent-cases with HHS/DoD/DHS/DOJ. Dr. Essmaeel voluntarily mentors and tutors first responders and their training managers in diverse jurisdictions across the United States. He operates the SOCAL Training and Knowledge Network (STAK-Net) service for HS/EM.

19 May 2013 - Tysons Corner, VA - NMIA/NMIF Awards Banquet

NMIA hosts event that recognizes outstanding performance by civilian, enlisted, and officer military intelligence professionals. Recognition goes to individuals from all the Services, the Guard and Reserves, and the Military Intelligence Agencies. Selections for the awards are made by NMIA/NMIF in conjunction with the Service Intelligence Chiefs and the Directors of the DOD Intelligence Agencies. Attendees at the banquet will include members of the IC and senior representatives of the Military Intelligence Organizations. Register here.

23 - 24 May 2013 - Fort Meade, MD - Schorreck Memorial Lectures at National Cryptologic Museum

---Thursday, May 23 – 1000-1200: "Understanding the Allied Approach to Radio Intelligence in the Pacific Theatre during World War II"

---Friday, May 24 – 0930-1130: "The Thought Behind High-level Cryptological Discovery, 1930-1945"

The Center for Cryptologic History is pleased to announce the upcoming 2013 Henry F. Schorreck Memorial Lecture. The Schorreck Lecture is a series of historical lectures named in honor of the former NSA Historian. It is presented annually by preeminent scholars who address cryptologic issues with an historical perspective. Previous talks have been delivered by scholars in the field such as David Kahn, Christopher Andrew, John Ferris, and Stephen Budiansky.

The speaker this year will be Dr. Peter W. Donovan (image at left), of the Department of Mathematics, University of New South Wales, Australia. A renowned expert in several subfields of mathematics, as well as on cryptologic history, Dr. Donovan has conducted some of the most innovative and path-breaking work to date on the Allied effort to break Japanese encipherment systems in use during WWII. He will be presenting two separate lectures detailing the cipher war in the Pacific, including revelations about the weaknesses in the Japanese naval codes that the Allies exploited, all of which led to dramatic successes on the battlefield.

These talks are free and open to the public. They will be held in the Magic Room of the National Cryptologic Museum.  For more information about this event, please contact the Center at 301-688-2336 or history@nsa.gov.

23 May 2013, 11:30am - 3 pm - McLean, VA - DIA Forum hosts Tom Dowling on "The Arab-Israeli Mess."

Tom Dowling will speak on "The Arab-Israeli Mess." Tom is a retired Foreign Service Officer with 30 years of experience working mostly in or on the Middle East. He served in Iran from 1976 to 1978 and worked on the State Department working group during the revolution. Later, he was consul in charge in Dubai from 1980 to 1982. From 1996 to 2002, he served as deputy director and acting director of Department of State/Bureau of Intelligence and Research for Near East and South East Asia. For the life of the 9-11 Commission, he worked on this commission as a professional staff member of a group responsible for tracing the origins of Al Qaeda. Summer before last, Tom helped organize and spoke twice at an Intelligence Community seminar on Iran.
He has been a faculty member at the National Intelligence University since 1998 and taught courses on Middle East for Intel Analysts, Islam in Modern World and Operational Capability Analysis, which he was instrumental in its development. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hunter College City University of New York with a BA in Political Science. Other degrees include a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University and a Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College. Tom graduated from the Foreign Service Institute Long Term (two years) Arabic Language Training Course.
Location: The Defense Intelligence Forum meets at Pulcinella Restaurant, 6852 Old Dominion Dr, McLean, VA
RSVP by 22 May 2013 to diforum@diaalumni.org. Include names, telephone numbers, and email addresses.
Fee: $29 payable to DIAA, Inc

31 May 2013, 7 pm - Washington, DC - The ESP in Espionage: An Evening with Alain Nu, The Man Who Knows - at the International Spy Museum

When the US government began their Star Gate program in the 1970s, they were focused on the possibility of using psychic channels to gather intelligence. Psychics, in a clinically controlled setting, were asked to perform "remote viewing"—attempting to sense targeted information about people, places, and events. Reports of the program's success run from the eerie to the off-base, but the intelligence world's pursuit of the mind's power has captured the imagination of Alain Nu. The Man Who Knows™ has long been obsessed with the strange, the unknown, and unexplained. His exploration of the unusual has led him to the field of mentalism and developing his untold powers. Nu's uncanny demonstrations blur the line between science and the mysteries of unexplained phenomena and have been featured in his own TLC Network television specials The Mysterious World of Alain Nu and his book Picture Your ESP!Now he is turning his ESPecially entertaining powers to the world of ESPionage. Join us for an evening with Nu inspired by Star Gate, the trickery of spies, and other top secret projects. Complimentary light hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.
For more information or to purchase tickets please visit: www.spymuseum.org

31 May - 12 June 2013 - NYC to England - "The Spying Game: The Cold War and Cambridge" aboard the Queen Mary 2, with Intelligence Expert Nigel West

Immerse yourself in the shadowy underworld of international espionage with renowned author and intelligence expert Nigel West. Learn the truth behind the acronyms of the CIA, SOE, NKVD and KGB, as well as the role of "sleeper agents," the secret VENONA project and the race for atomic power. Aboard the elite Queen Mary 2, gain intimate vantages into the post-World War II geopolitical, ideological and economic struggles that shaped the world today. Highlights • Gain expert insight into Yalta, the Manhattan Project and the greatest secret of the Cold War: VENONA. • Visit Bletchley Park, home to the Enigma machine and historic headquarters of secret British code-breaking in World War II. • At colleges associated with the Cambridge Five, learn how a group of undergraduates became a famous Soviet spy ring. Activity Notes Walking up to two miles per day. Itinerary Summary Arrival New York City, N.Y., 1 night; embark Queen Mary 2, 7 nights; disembark, Cambridge, 4 nights; departure.
For more information or to book your participation: visit www.roadscholar.org and select Program #14569

June 2013

2 - 14 June 2013 - Charlottesville, VA - UVA 21st National Security Law Institute June 2013 Training Program

Each summer for the past two decades, the University of Virginia Law School's Center for National Security Law has run a highly intensive training program during the first two weeks of June. While primarily aimed at helping to prepare law professors to teach in the field, the program is also open to government lawyers from the United States and abroad. Classes are taught by some of the leading scholars and practitioners in the field, including the directors of the UVA center and of similar national security law centers at Duke and Georgetown.

The 2013 Institute will take place at the University of Virginia School of Law between June 2 and June 14. The deadline for applications is April 12, but applications may be submitted at any time before then. The $1950.00 tuition fee covers lodging during the seminar as well as books and other reading materials. Participants are responsible for their travel to and from Charlottesville and meals other than lunches during the two-week period.

Whether you are new to the field and need a broad overview of some of the most important issues, or are looking to update your expertise and take advantage of the networking opportunities the Institute offers, you will find it both an enjoyable and a rewarding educational experience. Further information on the Institute may be found at http://www.virginia.edu/cnsl/nsli.html, and questions about the Institute may be submitted by email to Professor Robert (Bob) F. Turner rft3m@virginia.edu or by phone to (434) 924-4083.

Wednesday, 05 June 2013, noon - Washington, DC - "Global Terrorism, Espionage, and Cybersecurity Monthly Update," at the International Spy Museum

This noontime, no cost presentation is done in partnership with the CI Centre, to provide an opportunity to be the first to learn of the most current worldwide happenings in the field of intelligence and terrorism. Drawn from the Centre’s SPYPEDIA®, the most comprehensive source of espionage information in the world. Each update covers important events and information which may not be reported by mainstream media outlets; such as, espionage penetrations and arrests, cyber espionage reporting, and terrorist events. Briefings led by CI Centre founder David Major will include trend analysis and coverage of new emerging issues of value to the intelligence and security professional and individuals with an interest in national security matters. Major will also highlight and review, as appropriate, new books and reports to keep you current with breaking developments in the national security arena. Tickets: Free! No registration required.

12 June 2013, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC - Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor: Nazi Spy? at the International Spy Museum

When King Edward VIII abdicated the English thrown in December 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, the world was agog. And many feared the political implications of a former king on the loose. What would these notorious lovers do? Would they attempt to influence world affairs? It seemed that the worst nightmare of many observers was coming to pass when photos of the two gleefully gladhanding Hitler appeared in 1937. During World War II, the former King was given governorship of the Bahamas—a post that those in-the-know rightly considered a form of exile. But just how dangerous were they? Amanda A. Ohlke, Adult Education Director at the International Spy Museum, will overview the most serious accusations and credit or debunk them. Much is made of secret files and gossip, but this June, the 76th anniversary of their controversial marriage, find out the truth about Wallis and Edward. After the presentation, toast the famed couple's marriage with some bubbly and trade a quip with the Baltimore-born Duchess. The Duchess, as brought to life by historical enactor Emily Lapisardi, will answer to some of the most heinous accusations in the spirit of Mrs. Simpson.
Space is limited – advance registration required! For more information or to purchase tickets please visit: www.spymuseum.org

14 June 2013, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC - Surveillance 201 with Eric O'Neill - Spy School Workshop at the International Spy Museum

What if you were assigned to watch the most damaging spy in US history? As a young operative in the FBI, Eric O'Neill was put into position as Robert Hanssen's assistant with the secret task of spying on his boss, who was under suspicion of working for Russia. O'Neill's background with the FBI was in surveillance, so he was up to the challenge. O'Neill has run some previous recruits through a surveillance basics course, and now he's ready to take those with the expertise to the next level. This advanced small group surveillance exercise is best suited to those who already know how to track the "Rabbit" without being "made." O'Neill will rate your clandestine prowess while you spy on secret meetings and operational acts and see if you can uncover the spy skullduggery that's afoot while you are on foot. There is no guarantee that your "Rabbit" won't escape!
Space is limited to only 10 participants – advance registration required! For more information or to purchase tickets please visit: www.spymuseum.org

14 June 2013, 7 - 8:30 pm - Arlington, VA - 15 Minutes with "POTUS" Briefing Competition Final Presentation at Founders Hall, George Mason University - No Charge To Attend.

15 Minutes with "POTUS" takes place at Founders Hall, George Mason University, Arlington, VA. This Policy Briefing Competition Enters the Final Stage. The three finalists now will display their briefing skills to high-level policymakers.
They were assigned to imagine that they are policy analysts at the National Security Council. They have been asked to prepare a decision memo for the President. The President has allocated 15 minutes for their briefing

The three great finalists will be presenting policy briefs to Chuck Robb, Michael Hayden, and Janine Davidson. POTUS—played by The Honorable Charles S. Robb, former U.S. Senator (D-VA); National Security Advisor—played by General Michael V. Hayden, former director, CIA and NSA; Secretary of Defense—played by Dr. Janine Davidson, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Plans.
There is no charge to attend.

Here is the link to the RSVP page if AFIO members would like to attend to cheer-on and encourage these students and other attendees, and to meet the presidential stand-ins. http://15minutes.gmu.edu/

15 Minutes with POTUS is hosted by George Mason School of Public Policy, in Founders Hall Auditorium, Friday, June 14, 2013, 7 PM to 8:30 PM (EDT) Arlington, VA.

21-23 June 2013 - Athens, Greece - IIHA and RIEAS 2013 Annual Conference on "Intelligence in the Mediterranean and the Balkans."

International Intelligence History Association [IIHA] and Research Institute for European and American Studies [RIEAS] host 2013 Annual Conference at Titania Hotel, Athens.
The birthplace of Western civilization, the Mediterranean region has seen the rise and fall of empires, numerous conflicts and wars, and more than three thousand years of intelligence operations. Today, the Mediterranean and Balkans regions are undergoing profound regional transformations, in the aftermaths of the 1990s Balkans wars and the more recent 'Arab Spring' revolutions. Recent events in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Turkey, as well as older and still ongoing conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli and Turkish-Greek-Cypriot conflicts, highlight the strategic importance of the Mediterranean on the one hand and the fragility of its current regional order on the other. Intelligence played a key part in conflicts, diplomacy and peace efforts in these regions.
The 2013 Annual Conference of the International Intelligence History Association (IIHA), conducted together with the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS), aims to explore past, current and future roles of intelligence in the Mediterranean and Balkans regions. We invite paper proposals dealing with every aspect of intelligence services, operations and activities relevant to the Mediterranean and/or Balkans regions, of any time period, from Alexander the Great to the present day, including also the role of intelligence in proactively maintaining peace and security in the region. Both historical and contemporary papers are welcomed. The conference theme this year is broad, both in terms of the periods covered and of the focus of papers: this will provide for wide ranging discussions and a variety of themes relating to intelligence in these regions and beyond. We especially encourage paper proposals from young researchers and doctoral students as well as from established scholars and former practitioners.
Submission and deadline
Please submit your paper proposal abstract (200-300 words) and your short CV by email to the IIHA Executive Director at a_abelmann@yahoo.com
Please also indicate if you wish to make use of a PowerPoint presentation. The deadline for paper proposal submissions is 15 March 2013. Acceptance notifications will go out by mid April. Publication of Papers: Conference speakers are encouraged to submit their paper in the form of an article to the association's Journal of Intelligence History (JIH) within two months after the conference to be peer reviewed for possible publication.

Conference details (as PDF) are here.

Further information available from John M Nomikos, Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS), Director Editor, Journal of Mediterranean and Balkan Intelligence (JMBI), Athens, Greece. RIEAS: www.rieas.gr

22 June 2013, 2:30 pm - Kennebunk, ME - AFIO Maine meets to hear Martha Peterson, former CIA Ops Officer, describe her arrest, interrogation by KGB

Guest speaker will be Martha D. Peterson, who retired from CIA after a 32-year career as an operations officer. Martha describes what it was like to be a CIA Operations Officer assigned to Moscow during the Cold War and be arrested and interrogated by the KGB. Peterson has written The Widow Spy: My CIA Journey from the Jungles of Laos to Prison in Moscow (Wilmington: Red Canary Press, $18.95 paperback).
Event will be held at the Brick Store Museum Progam Center in Kennebunk, Maine. Further information available at 207-967-4298.

Saturday 22 June 2013 - Milford, MA - AFIO New England Chapter hosts John J. Strauchs at their Summer Meeting

Schedule: Registration & gathering, 1000 - 1130, Membership meeting 1130 - 1200; Luncheon at 1200 followed by keynote speaker John J. Strauchs; Adjournment at 2:30PM.
Our afternoon speaker is John J. Strauchs.  His presentation is titled: The 1993 Bombing of the World Trade Center:  The Wellspring of Counterterrorism Planning for Public Buildings
John Strauchs was the chief security engineering consultant for the World Trade Center following the 1993 bombing. John will discuss the risk assessment that was conducted for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in May 1994 and, despite comments to the contrary by political and news media pundits, that the possibility of the deliberate crashing of an aircraft into the towers was considered. He will reveal the many security innovations that were developed for the World Trade Center, as well as lessons learned—both good and bad—and how the 1993 bombing changed life in America and how we live and work today.  The resultant security systems design consisted of more than 1000 security design drawings and an initial security construction budget of $54 million.
Note, as this meeting is a one day event we have not made any hotel arrangements.
Advance reservations are $25.00 per person.  We can no longer accept walk-ins.  Emails regarding your plans to attend will be accepted if you are late meeting the deadline.  These must be sent to Mr. Arthur Hulnick no later than 7 days prior to the event. Location: Courtyard by Marriott in Milford, Mass. Hotel website is here.
********Luncheon reservations must be made by 12 June 2013. ************** Mail your check and the reservation form to:  Mr. Arthur Hulnick, 216 Summit Avenue # E102, Brookline, MA 02446 or contact him at hlnk@aol.com Questions to afionechapter@gmail.com

July 2013

Tuesday, 02 July 2013, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC - George Washington's Long Island Spy Ring: The Secret History of History, at the International Spy Museum

By the summer of 1776 George Washington had suffered two disastrous defeats. New York was in the hands of the British and Long Island was controlled by Loyalists. Washington was in desperate need of good intelligence and created his Culper Spy Ring to operate on Long Island. Join Elizabeth Kahn Kaplan, curator of the Three Village Historical Society exhibit, Spies! How A Group of Long Island Patriots Helped General Washington Win the Revolution, as she reveals how the five "Culpers" gathered information about British military activity on Long Island and in Manhattan and sent it to General Washington despite constant danger. You will be fascinated by the story and accomplishments of Robert Townsend, Abraham Woodhull, Austin Roe, Caleb Brewster, and Anna Smith Strong.
Tickets: $10 Register at www.spymuseum.org

6 - 18 July 2013 - NYC - London Excursion - "Theater and Espionage: Complementary Arts of Illusion" aboard the Queen Mary 2 with Nigel West and Giles Ramsay, hosts.

The worlds of theater and espionage may seem unrelated, but their core elements — acting, plots and intelligence — intertwine beautifully. With theater and intelligence experts, Giles Ramsay and Nigel West, get a first hand look at London's theatre scene and immerse yourself in the history and literature of espionage. Highlights • Learn about the first and second Cambridge spy rings and the role of Christopher Marlow in Elizabethan espionage. • Look at the facts behind the fiction of Frederick Forsythe and Ian Fleming. • In London enjoy two top theatre performances. Activity Notes Program cost excludes two lunches to enjoy on your own. Ability to stand and walk from three blocks to one mile over the course of a field trip. Itinerary Summary Arrival New York City, N.Y., 1 night; embark Queen Mary 2, 7 nights; disembark Southampton (England), coach to London, 4 nights; coach to London, departure
For more information visit www.roadscholar.org and seek Program #19444.

Wednesday, 10 July, 2013, noon - Washington, DC - Global Terrorism, Espionage and Cybersecurity Monthly Update, at the International Spy Museum

Presented in partnership with the CI Centre, these monthly briefings will provide you with the opportunity to be the first to learn of the most current worldwide happenings in the field of intelligence and terrorism. Drawn from the Centre's SPYPEDIA®, the most comprehensive source of espionage information in the world, each Update will cover important events and information which may not be reported by mainstream media outlets. Such as: espionage penetrations and arrests, cyber espionage reporting, and terrorist events. Briefings led by CI Centre founder David Major will include trend analysis and coverage of new emerging issues of value to the intelligence and security professional and individuals with an interest in national security matters. Major will also highlight and review, as appropriate, new books and reports to keep you current with breaking developments in the national security arena.
Tickets: Free! No registration required. See www.spymuseum.org

Thursday, 11 July 2013, 6:30 p.m. - Washington, DC - Sex(pionage): Spies, Lies, and Naked Thighs, at the International Spy Museum

The weather isn't the only steamy thing at the Spy Museum this summer!
Think July is hot? Wait til you hear these sultry tales of sex and spies. If you have access to secrets or influential VIP's, you might just find yourself the victim of one of the oldest tricks of the trade: sexpionage. From ancient intrigues to Anna Chapman, spies, counterspies, and terrorists often conduct their undercover activities under the covers! International Spy Museum Board Member and intelligence historian H. Keith Melton will reveal how seduction is used as a tool to attract and manipulate assets, to coerce and compromise targets, and to control spies in both reality and fiction. Featuring authentic sexual entrapment videos and technical details of the infamous Russian "honey traps," Melton will tell all about the spies who stop at nothing to get their man or woman!
Guests will enjoy a complimentary cocktail as they gather essential knowledge for handling any questionable or suspicious relationship.
Adult material - 18 and older strictly enforced. Tickets: $25 Register at www.spymuseum.org

Thursday, 18 July 2013, noon - Washington, DC - Spy Lost: Caught Between the KGB and the FBI, at the International Spy Museum

In this memoir of espionage and deceit Kaarlo Tuomi, a Finnish American who had returned to the Soviet Union in 1933, tells of his recruitment by the KGB after World War II. Because he was born in Michigan, Tuomi had the most prized possessions that Soviet espionage could ask for: an American passport and native fluency in English. The KGB trained Tuomi and sent him back to the United States in the late 1950s as a sleeper agent but the FBI quickly identified him and turned him back against his handlers, using him to feed disinformation into the Soviet Union. John Earl Haynes, historian of Communism in America and Soviet espionage, and editor of this memoir, will recount the gripping story of this Finnish American caught between the KGB and the FBI. Join the author for an informal chat and book signing.
Tickets: Free! No registration required. See www.spymuseum.org

25 July 2013, 12:30 - 2:30pm - Los Angeles, CA - David Glazier speaks on "Drones, Targeted Killing, and the Law" at AFIO LA Chapter

Glazier will provide a legal overview assessment of the use of drones for targeted killing.
Location: LAPD ARTC 5651 W Manchester Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Please RSVP for attendance: AFIO_LA@YAHOO.COM

August 2013

Tuesday, 13 August 2013, noon - Washington, DC - The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines, at the International Spy Museum

When 26 Army nurses and medics - part of the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron - boarded a transport plane in November, 1943, they never anticipated the crash landing in Nazi-occupied Albania that would lead to their months-long struggle for survival. The group dodged bullets and battled blinding winter storms as they climbed mountains and fought to survive, aided by courageous villagers who risked death at Nazi hands as well as Britain's Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the American OSS. Join author Cate Lineberry, a former writer and editor for Smithsonian Magazine, for this mesmerizing tale of World War II courage and heroism.
Join the author for an informal chat and book signing.
Tickets: Free! No registration required. See www.spymuseum.org

Wednesday, 14 August, 2013, noon - Washington, DC - Global Terrorism, Espionage and Cybersecurity Monthly Update, at the International Spy Museum

Presented in partnership with the CI Centre, these monthly briefings will provide you with the opportunity to be the first to learn of the most current worldwide happenings in the field of intelligence and terrorism. Drawn from the Centre's SPYPEDIA®, the most comprehensive source of espionage information in the world, each Update will cover important events and information which may not be reported by mainstream media outlets. Such as: espionage penetrations and arrests, cyber espionage reporting, and terrorist events. Briefings led by CI Centre founder David Major will include trend analysis and coverage of new emerging issues of value to the intelligence and security professional and individuals with an interest in national security matters. Major will also highlight and review, as appropriate, new books and reports to keep you current with breaking developments in the national security arena.
Tickets: Free! No registration required. See www.spymuseum.org

14 - 26 August 2013 - NYC to England - "The Spying Game: The Cold War and Cambridge" aboard the Queen Mary 2, with Intelligence Expert Nigel West

Immerse yourself in the shadowy underworld of international espionage with renowned author and intelligence expert Nigel West. Learn the truth behind the acronyms of the CIA, SOE, NKVD and KGB, as well as the role of "sleeper agents," the secret VENONA project and the race for atomic power. Aboard the elite Queen Mary 2, gain intimate vantages into the post-World War II geopolitical, ideological and economic struggles that shaped the world today. Highlights • Gain expert insight into Yalta, the Manhattan Project and the greatest secret of the Cold War: VENONA. • Visit Bletchley Park, home to the Enigma machine and historic headquarters of secret British code-breaking in World War II. • At colleges associated with the Cambridge Five, learn how a group of undergraduates became a famous Soviet spy ring. Activity Notes Walking up to two miles per day. Itinerary Summary Arrival New York City, N.Y., 1 night; embark Queen Mary 2, 7 nights; disembark, Cambridge, 4 nights; departure.
For more information or to book your participation: visit www.roadscholar.org and select Program #14569

Thursday, 22 August 2013, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC - James Bond, All-American Hero: Exquisitely Evil Programs, at the International Spy Museum

Leave your affected British accent at the door!
When Ian Fleming created the character James Bond he made him English to the core, from his Aston Martin to his quick wit and loyalty to the Queen. Historian Jonathan Nashel contends that as Bond has become a global phenomenon something very curious has happened to 007: he has become an all-American hero. Nashel argues that as Bond was idolized by millions of American men during the Cold War, he set the standard for many of them - including President John F. Kennedy. Bond showed how a man should carry himself and especially how he should act when confronted with danger. And English or American, would James Bond have been as fascinating without the evildoers in his films? Nashel will show how the evolving Bond and his responses to these villains and threats influenced the values and mores behind US Cold War policy and affected the image of red, white, and blue Cold War masculinity.
Tickets: $10 Visit www.spymuseum.org to register or more information.

September 2013

Saturday 28 September 2013 - Milford, MA - AFIO New England Chapter hosts their Fall Meeting

Location: Courtyard by Marriott in Milford, Mass. Hotel web site is here: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/bosml-courtyard-boston-milford
Schedule: Registration & gathering, 1000 – 1130, Membership meeting 1130 – 1200; Luncheon at 1200 followed by keynote speaker; Adjournment at 2:30PM.
Questions to afionechapter@gmail.com

October 2013

1 October 2013 - Little Rock, AR - "President William J. Clinton, Intelligence, and the Dayton Accords" - a CIA Historical Documents 'Release Event' Conference co-hosted with the William J. Clinton Presidential Center

The released documents at this event will illustrate how intelligence supported the negotiations that led to the signing of the Dayton Accords in 1995, bringing an end to the war in Bosnia. The interagency Balkan Task Force (BTF) provided intelligence to the policymakers and would become a model for future task forces. Documents shed light on the first post-Cold War conflict which, with its ethnic warfare and mass exodus of civilians, has parallels in the ongoing conflict in Syria.
Agenda and further information to be announced here as released to AFIO.

15 October 2013, 11:30 am - McLean, VA - The Defense Intelligence Forum hears Dr. Colton on "Foreign Policy Decision-Making: Behind the Headlines in the World's Hot Spots."

Dr. Elizabeth Overton Colton will speak on "Foreign Policy Decision-Making: Behind the Headlines in the World's Hot Spots."

Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Overton Colton's career bridges the fields of diplomacy, journalism, scholarship, politics, and education. She has worked in more than 100 countries on six continents. Her most recent diplomatic assignment was as a Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. Before joining the Foreign Service, she was an Emmy-winning journalist for ABC News and other media, including NPR, NBC News, and Newsweek, working in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia and covering foreign policy and diplomacy in Washington D.C. She has been a Fulbright Scholar, a university professor, and executive editor of 10 newspapers. She holds several degrees, including a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her consulting firm, EO Colton and Associates, promotes global collaboration in diplomacy, politics, education and the news media. Dr. Colton currently serves as the Program Director and Adviser for the American Committee on Foreign Relations. For this forum, you may attribute the speaker's remarks.
Registration starts at 11:30 AM, lunch at 12:00 PM
Event location: Pulcinella Restaurant, 6852 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA
Reservations by October 14, 2013 by email to diforum@diaalumni.org. Include names, telephone numbers, and email addresses. For each attendee, choose among Chicken Cacciatore, Tilapia Puttanesca, Lasagna, Sausage with Peppers, Fettuccini with Portabella for your lunch selection.
Pay at the door with a check for $29.00 per person, payable to DIAA, Inc.
Check is preferred, but will accept cash; however, credit card payments are discouraged!

16 October 2013 - Fort Meade, MD - The National Cryptologic Museum Foundation [NCMF]General Membership Meeting

17-18 October 2013 - Laurel, MD - "Technological Change and Cryptology: Meeting the Historical Challenges" is theme at the Biennial Cryptologic History Symposium

The biennial Cryptologic History Symposium will be held 17-18 October 2013. Historians from the Center, the Intelligence Community, the defense establishment, and the military services, as well as distinguished scholars from American and foreign academic institutions, veterans of the profession, graduate and undergraduate students, and the interested public all will gather for two days of reflection and debate on relevant and important topics from the cryptologic past.

Past symposia have featured scholarship that set out new ways to consider out cryptologic heritage, and this one will be no exception. The intended goal is to foster discussion on how cryptology has impacted political, diplomatic, economic, and military tactics, operations, strategy, planning, and command and control throughout history. Any serious researcher whose work touches upon the historical aspects of cryptology defined in its broadest sense is encouraged to participate. The conference will provide many opportunities for interaction with leading historians and other distinguished experts. The mix of practitioners, scholars, and interested observes always precipitates a lively debate promoting an enhanced appreciation for the context of past events.

The theme for the upcoming conference will be "Technological Change and Cryptology: Meeting the Historical Challenges."The practice and application of cryptanalysis and cryptography have been radically altered as the evolution of technology has accelerated. Conference participants will delve into the technical, scientific, methodological, political, and industrial underpinnings of signals intelligence and information assurance as presented throughout a broad swath of history. While presenters may choose to focus on purely technological topics, the theme is not meant to be exclusionary; the panels will include papers on a broad range of related operational, organizational, counterintelligence, policy, and international themes. The audience will be particularly interested in new findings on the intersection of technology and cryptology as signals systems evolved from manual to machine-assisted to digital formats.

The Symposium will be held at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory's Kossiakoff Center, in Laurel, Maryland, a location central to the Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., areas. For more information on this conference, contact Dr. Kent Sieg, the Symposium Executive Director, by telephone at 301-688-2336 or via email at kgsieg@nsa.gov.

CALL FOR PAPERS - At this time, interested persons are invited to submit proposals for a single presentation or even a full panel. The topics can relate to this year's theme, but all serious work on any unclassified aspect of cryptologic history will be considered. Proposals should include an abstract for each paper as well as biographical sketches for each presenter. To submit proposals or for more information on this conference, contact Dr. Kent Sieg, the Symposium Executive Director, by telephone at 301-688-2336 or via email at kgsieg@nsa.gov. The first round of proposal consideration will begin with papers received by mid-January.

26 October 2013 - Washington, DC - The OSS Society honors Adm William McRaven, USN, at its 2013 Donovan Award Dinner.

The OSS Society will present its 2013 William J. Donovan Award to Admiral William McRaven, USN, Commander, USSOCOM. Save the date. By invitation only.

30 October 2013 - Northampton, MA - "Typists to Trailblazers" - The History of Women's Advancement and Achievements at CIA

FOR YOUR OCTOBER 2013 CALENDAR. Wednesday, 30 OCTOBER 2013 will be "Typists to Trailblazers"The History of Women's Advancement and Achievements at CIA
A CIA Conference at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.
This CIA Historical Documents 'Release Event' Conference co-hosted with Smith College and features CIA's women's history month celebration. Speakers will discuss women's advancement, including Petticoat Panel Report, and other achievements that brought women into higher positions beyond the typing pool.
Additional program details to follow. Registration will be available here in coming weeks.
All AFIO members are invited.
REGISTER your interest in attending event by clicking email below to obtain additional details as these become available: events@afio.com

November 2013

13 November 2013 - Atlanta, GA - "President Jimmy Carter, Intelligence, and the Camp David Accords" - a CIA Historical Documents 'Release Event' Conference co-hosted by the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum

Focus of release is the role the Agency played in supporting intense diplomatic efforts leading to the Camp David Accords. Of vital importance to President Jimmy Carter was CIA's leadership analysis of Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt's President Anwar Sada. President Carter praised the profiles in a memo to the Agency after the peace talks, saying "after spending 13 days with the two principals, I wouldn't change a single word." Jerrold Post, the primary author of the profiles, has agreed to speak at the event on his fole in preparing the profiles.
Speakers, Agenda, and further information to be announced here as released to AFIO.

December 2013

UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2014 ARE HERE

Movies of interest

ZERO DARK THIRTY: For a decade, an elite team of CIA intelligence and military operatives, working in secret across the globe, devoted themselves to a single goal: to find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. This is the story of history's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man.
Directed and co-produced by Kathryn Bigelow with screenplay by Mark Boal
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong

Book is tied to the October release of the political thriller film Argo (starring Ben Affleck as Mendez).
This is a fast-paced account of a 1979 rescue operation during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979–1981. Iranian militants entered the American Embassy in Tehran and held dozens of Americans hostage for 444 days. Six diplomats managed to escape and fled to the Canadian ambassador’s home, avoiding discovery and possible execution by militants for two months. After a recap of the hostage situation at the American embassy, the narrative follows the six step-by-step as they moved through several hideout locations. CIA operative Mendez (Spy Dust), in charge of creating and maintaining myriad false identities and disguises for the CIA, relates, with the aid of journalist Baglio (The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcism), how he concocted a clever but risky plan to get the six Americans safely out of the country. Posing as a film producer, he set out to disguise the six as a Hollywood production crew scouting locations for a fake science fiction movie titled Argo: “It’s like Buck Rogers in the desert.”
Details of the dangerous operation inject strong suspense and excitement into the closing chapters.

Film trailer viewable here or click image above

ARGO: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History
by Antonio Mendez and Matt Baglio [Viking Press, 320p, October 2012]

Book is tied to the October release of the political thriller film Argo (starring Ben Affleck as Mendez).
This is a fast-paced account of a 1979 rescue operation during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979–1981. Iranian militants entered the American Embassy in Tehran and held dozens of Americans hostage for 444 days. Six diplomats managed to escape and fled to the Canadian ambassador’s home, avoiding discovery and possible execution by militants for two months. After a recap of the hostage situation at the American embassy, the narrative follows the six step-by-step as they moved through several hideout locations. CIA operative Mendez (Spy Dust), in charge of creating and maintaining myriad false identities and disguises for the CIA, relates, with the aid of journalist Baglio (The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcism), how he concocted a clever but risky plan to get the six Americans safely out of the country. Posing as a film producer, he set out to disguise the six as a Hollywood production crew scouting locations for a fake science fiction movie titled Argo: “It’s like Buck Rogers in the desert.”
Details of the dangerous operation inject strong suspense and excitement into the closing chapters.

Film trailer viewable here or click image above

ACT OF VALOR

When the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S., a team of SEALs is dispatched on a worldwide manhunt. As the valiant men of Bandito Platoon race to stop a coordinated attack that could kill and wound thousands of American civilians, they must balance their commitment to country, team and their families back home. Act of Valor uses active duty U.S. Navy Seals as actors. The characters they play are fictional, but the weapons and tactics used are real.
Act of Valor opened in many theaters as of February 17, 2012

Click on image above to view film trailer or use this link: trailer

I R A N I U M

An important film about a possible threat
that shows a country bent on annihiliation of the free world:
Iran's Acquisition of Nuclear Weapons

For a limited time, entire film can be viewed online at no cost.
We urge you to take the time to do so now.

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TWO Semi-Documentaries to see:

Fair Game - A Film about CIA Officer Valerie Plame, diplomat Joe Wilson, CIA, and the Bush Administration - in Theaters November 5, 2010
Click image below to view trailer

A suspense-filled glimpse into the corridors of political gamesmanship where leaked intelligence community doubts about the lack of any serious threat of WMDs in Iraq, comes up against an administration hellbent to justify an invasion of Iraq to bring about regime-change. The film is based on the autobiography of the same name of CIA National Clandestine Services [NCS] officer Valerie Plame [Naomi Watts], whose career was destroyed, and marriage strained, when her covert identity was exposed by White House minions, in a campaign to neutralize her and to discredit her husband who released the findings not meant for public release, when it was clear his assessment would not support administration goals.

But the situation was not as simple as the book and film would have us believe. As a NCS officer operating as a "NOC" [non-official cover officer], working in CIA's Counter-Proliferation Division, Plame leads an investigation into the existence of WMDs in Iraq. Plame's husband, diplomat Joe Wilson [Sean Penn] -- a well-known critic of the Bush administration -- is drawn into the investigation when he is assigned [by whom?] to substantiate an alleged sale of enriched uranium from Niger. His classified findings are that there was no sale and likely no WMDs. But when the administration ignores his findings and uses the issue to continue its call to war, Wilson violates the secret nature of his assignment and writes a New York Times editorial outlining his conclusions, igniting a firestorm of controversy. The WH sees the editorial, by the husband of a CIA officer who likely played a role in cherrypicking Wilson for the assignment, as nothing less than a deliberate endplay, and a blatant, politically motivated betrayal of decisions that should have remained in the hands of the President and his advisors who, alone, were the ones to decide which facts to accept or ignore from a vast number of inputs arriving from intelligence collectors and analysts.

Misbehavior on both sides. There still is little agreement on where the betrayals were greatest, but the deliberate exposure of Valerie Plame's undercover status was unconscionable for it put the lives of scores of sensitive operations, proprietaries, other officers, and intelligence agents at risk in countries that quickly arrest and often kill entire families found to be aiding CIA or other western services.

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  Farewell - A Documentary based on spy Vladimir Vetrov

• A real espionage case. Do not miss the following...

  

  Farewell - A movie based on spy Vladimir Vetrov

  In Select Theaters July 2010 - New York and Los Angeles - July 23, 2010
  Cast & Crew: Director: Christian Carion Producers: Christophe Rossignon, Bertrand Faivre, PHILIP BOEFFARD
  Cast: WILLEM DAFOE, Guillaume Canet, EMIR KUSTURICA, ALEXANDRA MARIA LARA, Dapkunaite, Dina Korzun, David Soul, Fred Ward
  Written by: Eric Raynaud
  France 2009 | Run time: 112 min.
  Director: Christian Carion | Language: French - English - Russian

  In 1981, Colonel Grigoriev of the KGB (real name - Vladimir Vetrov), disenchanted with what the Communist ideal has become under Brezhnev, decides he is going to change the world…
  Discreetly, he makes contact with a French engineer working for Thomson in Moscow and little by little passes on documents to him - mainly concerning the United States - containing information which would constitute the most important Cold War espionage operation known to date.
  During a period of two years, French President, François Mitterrand, was to personally vet the documents supplied by this source in Moscow, to whom the French Secret Service gave the codename « Farewell ».
  Then master of the White House, Ronald Reagan, set aside his reluctance to work with a French Socialist to put this unhoped-for information from the very heart of the KGB to use. Farewell would in fact decapitate the network which enabled the KGB to gain in-depth knowledge of scientific, industrial and military research in the West.
  Once the USSR had been deprived of these precious sources of information, Ronald Reagan's announcement of the new « Star Wars » military programme sounded the death bell of the Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall would fall before the end of the 80s…
  In his own way, Farewell managed to change the world, by avoiding traditional espionage methods too well known to the KGB and by not asking for any financial compensation whatsoever – much too capitalist for his taste. He simply followed his destiny, so that a new world might dawn for all his fellow Russians, but especially for his son.
  A trailer of the film can be viewed at this link:
  http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/farewell/

  More information about the case and film is available at: http://www.FarewellTheMovie.com

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