AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes #28-06 dated 17 July 2006
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CIA'S BIN LADEN UNIT 'ALEC STATION' CLOSED A CIA team dedicated to hunting down Osama bin Laden, codenamed Alec Station, that was in existence years before the September 11th terrorist attacks, was deactivated last year and its resources distributed to other terrorist-hunting teams. The CIA says that the unit was disbanded in order to better deal with the current terrorist threat, a decentralized, loosely-coupled organization with little to no top-down hierarchy. The CIA says it needs to concentrate on organizations, not individuals. Many Al-Qaeda attacks have been perpetrated independent of bin Laden's involvement, making bin Laden more a symbol of terrorism than an operational commander. Alec Station was first headed by Michael Scheuer when it was established in 1996, and named after Scheuer's son. Recently, Scheuer was quoted as saying that the CIA has made a mistake in disbanding the unit which he believes signals the CIA's denigration of the importance of bin Laden and Al-Qaeda and a view inside the agency that Al-Qaeda is just a "first among equals." An intelligence official who was granted anonymity to discuss classified counterterrorism units said the closing of the bin Laden unit reflected a greater grasp of the terrorist organization. "Our understanding of al Qaeda has greatly evolved from where it was in the late 1990s," the official said, but added, "There are still people who wake up every day with the job of trying to find bin Laden." [PJK/ChicagoTrib 11Jul06/SFChron 4Jul06, Mazzetti]
BUSH DROPS RESISTANCE TO COURT REVIEW OF NSA DOMESTIC PROGRAM Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has brokered a deal with the White House to have the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court review in secret proceedings the constitutionality of the NSA domestic surveillance program. The program, which was approved by the President, drew controversy when it became known that the NSA was reviewing the phone records of persons in the U.S., supposedly who were in communication with terrorist organizations. The program was carried out without a warrant or the prior approval of the FISA court, which is normally required in cases of surveillance of U.S. persons (which extends to nearly anyone currently residing in the United States). Under the agreement, the FISA court would review the program in closed session without lawyers presenting briefings or oral arguments, and its findings would remain classified. The goal is for the court to determine if "the program is 'reasonably designed' to focus on the communications of actual terrorism suspects and people in the United States who communicate with them." [CameronL/NYT 14Jul06/Lichblau]
13 NATIONS SECRETLY COOPERATE AGAINST PYONGYANG AND TEHRAN With diplomacy efforts failing, and a general hesitancy to pursue military action, a program begun in 2003 to interdict and isolate Pyongyang's and Tehran's nuclear programs has intensified. Cooperating secretly, the armies, navies and air forces of 13 nations have worked to intercept North Korean ships, surveying foreign waterfronts, multi-national reconnaissance missions launched out of Singapore, tracking financial transactions, and a slew of signals intelligence ships and aircraft eavesdropping on communications. As evidence of success against North Korea, the Bush Administration points to actions that blocked the North Korea from obtaining technology to produce missile propellant, seized chemical weapons precursors in Taiwan, and persuaded China to stop supplying North Korea's nuclear scientists. The program was conceptualized by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, who dubbed it the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). Britain is a core member of the operation along with Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Italy, Spain and Singapore, among others. The program is "vague" which Bolton claims makes it "politically attractive." There has been almost no public debate about the PSI within countries that have committed military involvement, and a report to Congress stated that PSI has �no international secretariat, no offices in federal agencies established to support it, no database or reports of successes and failures and no established funding�. Recently North Korea's clandestine fundraising activities, which include collaborating with Chinese gangsters to forge U.S. 100 dollar bills and sell counterfeit Viagra and cigars, have been targeted. The center of the financial investigation was Macau, where the clues led to a trading company run by North Koreans with diplomatic passports and two banks. Macau authorities froze $20 million in North Korean assets. The U.S. also fears that Iran is trying to purchase plutonium from North Korea. It is believed that Korea has produced at least 43 kilograms of plutonium which would be enough to sell some and maintain enough for its own use. [Harvey/LondonSundayTimes 9Jul06/Sheridan]
SENIOR OFFICIAL PROBED FOR DEFENDING DIA ANALYST WHO ADMITTED TO SPYING Ron Montaperto pled guilty on June 21st to espionage-related charges in connection to his work as DIA analyst on China [see WINs Issue #26]. The plea included an admission by Montaperto that he passed secrets to Chinese officials. An investigation now is looking at Lonnie Henley, the Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) who sent a two-page e-mail to members of the intelligence community criticizing the FBI investigation of Montaperto and supporting the former analyst, and made several telephone calls claiming that Montaperto was only caught up in technical violations of classified data laws. Since ODNI has official oversight responsibilities for the FBI's counterintelligence program, the e-mail and telephone calls could be considered an official critique of the FBI's investigation, and therefore appropriate for review and possible disciplinary action. Montaperto was a long-time Chinese analyst and his connections run throughout the intelligence community. David Finkelstein, who leads an obscure unit called Project Asia at the Center for Naval Analysis, is a former DIA Chinese analysts and also sent emails claiming Montaperto was railroaded. And, Nancy Tucker the Ombudsman for Analysis at ODNI, who would normally investigate Henley, says she probably will have to recuse herself since she once dated Montaperto. [WashTimes 12Jul06/Gertz]
BACKGROUND ON THE CURRENT ISRAELI-LEBANESE CONFLICT Israeli incursions into Lebanon date back to at least 1978 after an attack on an Israeli bus left 35 dead. In retribution, Israel invaded South Lebanon to attack Palestinian guerillas and occupied that territory. The U.N. called for an Israeli withdrawal and insertion of an international peacekeeping force. However, 4 years later in 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon again, killing an estimated 14,000 Lebanese and Palestinians and occupying the outskirts of Beirut. This occupation instigated the formation of Hezbollah, an armed Shiite Muslim opposition group with whom the current conflict arose. That same year, Lebanese president-elect Bashir Gemayel was assassinated in a bomb explosion and a Christian Lebanese militia allied with Israel massacred hundreds of Palestinians in Beirut's Sabra and Chatila refugee camps. By 1985, Israel redeployed out of the Beirut area back to Southern Lebanon to set up a security zone. It was at this time that Israel traded over 1,000 Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners for three Israeli soldiers that were captured by guerillas. This trade foreshadowed the current situation in which Hezbollah and Hamas have kidnapped 3 Israeli soldiers and are again proffering a prisoner exchange. The current head of Hezbollah, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, came to power in 1992 after Israeli warplanes killed his predecessor, Sheik Abbas Mussawi. A year later, Israel launched a massive artillery campaign in an effort to wipe out Hezbollah and Palestinian guerillas. More attacks, this time in the form of aerial bombardments from Israeli warplanes, killed about 50 members of Hezbollah in 1994. Israeli kidnapped militant leader Mustafa Dirani in order to interrogate him for information on the location of Ron Arad, an Israeli navigator who was captured after his plane was shot down over Lebanon in 1986. The location and status of Arad was never established. Israeli fighters took out Lebanese power stations in 1996 and an artillery attack killed 100 Lebanese civilians who sought shelter at the U.N. base at Qana in South Lebanon. Israel lost 12 soldiers during a commando raid into Lebanon in 1997, and finally withdrew its force from Southern Lebanon after 18 years of occupation in 2000. However, violence continued, and later in 2000, Hezbollah attacked across the Israeli border and kidnapped 3 soldiers who were later killed, and a businessman. After 4 years in captivity, the businessman was traded along with the remains of the 3 soldiers for 436 Arab prisoners and the bodies of 59 Lebanese fighters. Israel maintained custody of at least three Lebanese, though, and Hezbollah vowed to win their release. The situation caught up to the present escalation in violence on July 12 when Hezbollah again crossed the Israeli border and captured two Israeli soldiers. Israel's response was to bomb multiple targets, including Beirut International Airport, and set up a naval blockade of Lebanon, all designed to isolate it from the outside world and stop Hezbollah from gaining reinforcements, acquiring military hardware and supplies and/or moving the Israeli prisoners. [LeonardS/AP 12Jul06]
HISTORICAL NEW YORK INTELLIGENCE ROOM DESTROYED IN EXPLOSION On the morning of July 10th, Dr. Nicholas Bartha took one of the most stunning actions to settle a divorce dispute. He blew up the four-story apartment building that he and his wife owned to keep her from getting a piece of it in the divorce settlement. However, when he destroyed that building he also destroyed a part of intelligence history. Inside that building was a room that served as the meeting place for a group of prominent New York business men who gathered intelligence for President Franklin Roosevelt before and during World War II. The room had no occupant and the phone number was unlisted. It is not even clear which apartment in the building housed "The Room." The group that met there was founded in 1917 and included real estate heir Vincent Astor, a close friend of Roosevelt; the book publisher Nelson Doubleday; Winthrop W. Aldrich, the president of the Chase National Bank; Kermit Roosevelt, a son of Theodore Roosevelt; David K. E. Bruce, a son-in-law of Andrew W. Mellon and a future ambassador to France, West Germany and Britain; the philanthropist William Rhinelander Stewart; and Marshall Field III, a newspaper publisher and heir to the Chicago department store fortune. They would gather to report on their conversations with world leaders and to hear speakers like the polar explorer Richard E. Byrd and the writer W. Somerset Maugham, who had been a secret agent in World War I. Members of The Room had close ties to British intelligence services. After the start of WWII the Room shifted its focus to counterintelligence operations. At Roosevelt's request, they created plans to guard arms factories against sabotage and tighten border controls to prevent foreign spies from entering the United States. The Room used its affluence to examine bank accounts suspected of being used by foreign spies; monitor Japanese naval activities in the South Pacific; and report on conditions in the Canal Zone, the Caribbean and Peru. By 1947, the Room was replaced by more formal intelligence organizations such as the CIA. [HuhgO/NYT 11Jul06/Chan]
DHS PROPOSES NEW PRE-DEPARTURE ADVANCE PASSENGER INFORMATION SYSTEM The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is proposing a new system that would help prevent terrorists from boarding aircraft and cruise ships destined for the U.S. The new requirement would provide DHS with passport information on passengers prior to their departures from foreign countries, and give officials sufficient time to alert the foreign authorities of a suspected terrorist attempting to travel to the U.S. �Our priority is to keep terrorists out of the United States by preventing them from boarding international flights. Receiving APIS data before a plane takes off is another layer of security that allows us to identify terrorists before they are en route to the United States. This rule will also help eliminate the inconvenience of flight diversions due to security concerns,� said Secretary Michael Chertoff. �We appreciate the airline industry�s efforts in working with us to strengthen the security of air travel and fulfill this Congressional mandate.� A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) will be published in the Federal Register on July 13, 2006, providing two options for air carriers and one option for sea carriers to meet the pre-departure APIS transmission requirements. One of the transmission options, APIS Quick Query (currently developed for air travel), allows international air carriers to submit manifest information interactively up to 15 minutes prior to departure. The second option, APIS-60, requires the complete manifest information be submitted to CBP 60 minutes prior to departure, and will be available for air and sea carriers. Prior to this rule, submission of the pre-departure information was voluntary. A 2004 Congressional mandate changed the voluntary policy to a requirement. [KathyP/DHSPressOffice 12Jul06]
BRITISH SECURITY SERVICE ANNOUNCES NEW TERRORIST THREAT ALERT SYSTEM Until recently, Britain used a terrorist threat warning system similar to the U.S. system. However, unlike the U.S., Britain kept the terrorist threat level secret. That is about to change. MI-5 has announced that it is launching a public announcement system that will inform the populace of the terrorist threat level and provide specific actions the public should take in the event of a heightened risk of attack. The system will have 5 levels like the U.S. system (currently there are 7 in Britain), but the levels will not be color-coded. The intelligence upon which the threat assessment is based will remain classified and not provided to the public. It is rumored that intelligence and security officials were against the new system, as they feared it could cause panic. An additional system, which will remain secret, will advise security service personnel of steps taken to respond to a threat. The government promises a more detailed explanation of its counter-terrorism strategy, codenamed Contest, to be provided in the coming weeks. [CameronL/Telegraph 9Jul06/Rayment]
BRAIN SENSOR ENABLES THOUGHTS TO CONTROL COMPUTER A man who is paralyzed in all four limbs was able to move a computer cursor, open e-mail and control a robotic arm just by thinking about it. The man has been implanted with the Brain Gate, a tiny silicon chip with 100 electrodes inserted into the area of the brain responsible for movement, which transmits brain activity via electronic signals that a computer can translate into motion. Brain Gate was developed by Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems Inc in Massachusetts. The man is the first of four patients who will be testing the device. "This is the dawn of major neurotechnology where the ability to take signals out of the brain has taken a big step forward. We have the ability to put signals into the brain but getting signals out is a real challenge. I think this represents a landmark event," said Professor John Donoghue of Brown University in Rhode Island and the chief scientific officer of Cyberkinetics. Stephen Ryu, a researcher at Stanford University Schools of Medicine and Engineering has developed a faster method for processing brain signals to prosthetic devices and says, "Our research is starting to show that, from a performance perspective, this type of prosthetic system is clinically viable." [Reuters 12Jul06/Reaney]
Books
Our Generals Don't Even Know Who We Are by David DeBatto, ISBN: 1581825390, $24.95. A book of U.S. Army Counterintelligence with the compelling subtitle, "How Incompetence, Inattention, and Inefficiency Within U.S. Military Intelligence Has Left America More Vulnerable than Ever." See www.davedebatto.com as well as on Amazon.com. [DavidB]
Enemy Combatant: My Imprisonment at Guant�namo, Bagram, and Kandahar by Moazzam Begg. New Press, ISBN 1-59558-136-7, $26.95 (416p). A British Muslim of Pakistani descent chronicles his imprisonment first for a year in Afghanistan on U.S. bases, and then for 2 years at the detention facility at Guant�namo Bay, Cuba. [EAB]
Letter from Kabul by Hamid Karzai. Wiley, ISBN 0-470-04515-9, $25.95 (176p). Hamid Karzai, the post U.S.-invasion president of Afghanistan tells the story of his life, beginning with his early childhood in a prominent Afghan family, the move to Pakistan to join the resistance against the Soviets, and his sneaking over mountains into Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 to fight the Taliban, and finally his triumphant return to Kabul. [EAB]
The J Curve: A New Way to Understand Why Nations Rise and Fall by Ian Bremmer. Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0-7432-7471-7, $26 (320p). The author forwards an interesting theory that says a nation's stability decreases as its openness increases, until a certain degree of openness is reached, at which time its stability swings back upward and surpasses its original level. If graphed, this behavior would form a 'J' curve. For example, North Korea has a closed society that is relatively stable, while Saudi Arabia is partially open and not very stable. The United States is extremely open, and therefore, extremely stable. Bremmer surmises that given the 'J' curve principle, sanctions and other isolating policies towards countries such as North Korea, may have the opposite of the desired effect. [EAB]
Authors/Researchers Seeking Assistance
INTELLIGENCE AND ETHICS 2007 CALL FOR PAPERS, DEADLINES 18 SEP 06, 10 OCT 06. The International Intelligence Ethics Association (IIEA) invites paper proposals by September 18, 2006; proposals for dinner table discussions on intelligence ethics in current events, by October 10, 2006, and proposals for lunch-with-an-author, by October 10, 2006. For further information, see http://intelligence-ethics.org/conference/07 or inquire at conference2007@intelligence-ethics.org.
DOCUMENTARIAN LOOKING FOR INFORMATION FOR BBC DOCUMENTARY ON MILITARY INTELLIGENCE MISSION TO KUWAIT IN 1990. We at Blakeway Productions in London are making a documentary for BBC TV and US Discovery Network. The film concerns a military intelligence mission to Kuwait in August 1990. The mission was intended to place eyes on the ground ahead of Saddam�s imminent invasion of Kuwait. The operatives, largely members of the British special forces, used a civilian British Airways flight to enter Kuwait in the early hours of August 2nd 1990. This turned out to be the same night on which Iraq invaded Kuwait, but the operatives successfully evaded the Iraqis. From therein they provided a steady stream of intelligence on Iraqi troop deployments from inside Kuwait, which ultimately proved very helpful in winning the Gulf War. We have amassed much in the way of information about this mission from several sources, including from some of those who took part. This story has been done twice before; once on TV and once in a book, but we are hoping to produce the definitive version. We are now in the process of cross referencing this information and we would be grateful for some assistance from any of your members who are kindly willing to offer it. We already have on record the US involvement in providing help and support for this mission. Ambassador Howell has confirmed his knowledge of the mission; there was a CIA liaison officer at the mission planning meeting at Chelsea barracks in London, and two of the mission team who got into trouble were rescued by Americans � picked up by a CSAR helicopter in southern Kuwait around August 8,1990 and taken to the USS Antietam. We have interviewed the captain of this ship at the time. However, we are looking for more background on the events leading up to this mission and the aftermath of the team landing on the plane. We are also looking for more perspective on the rescue of the two men and the weeks after, in which the other teams gathered their intelligence, with the help of locals and the embassies. We must emphasize that this story will NOT disclose any current methods of intelligence gathering. Indeed we will not be going into specific details about any methods, other than what is necessary to understand the wider story. If you feel you can help, it would be much appreciated if you would contact Adam Jessel at: adam.jessel@blakeway.co.uk.
PRESERVING TRUTH ABOUT THE VIETNAM WAR Vietnam veteran looking to document other vets' experiences and tales of the poor treatment of troops upon their return from Vietnam and in the decades since in order to refute assertions that there were no cases of spitting on soldiers or other insults as often claimed by veterans. The magnitude of the insult does not matter, but looking to record the attitude of the public at that time as revealed by impolite behavior. Stories do not have to contain claims of physical assault. For example, on unit's commanding officer advised the men not to wear their uniforms off-base (in Alabama) for their own personal safety. Please tell me of your experience, and where possible include dates or timeframes, locations, even names if possible. If we don't preserve the truth, who will? Let me hear from you. Email Terry Garlock at tgarlock@mindspring.com.
Obituaries
Professor Sir Peter Russell, 92, Wartime Intelligence Officer died June 22. After his commission into the Intelligence Corps in 1940, Russell trained in field security, before joining MI5 in 1942. Having obtained the rank of captain, he was posted to Jamaica as a defense security officer to watch for Axis spies. In 1943, Russell was promoted to major and moved to Accra in the Gold Coast where he performed similar defense security duties on the staff of Minister Resident in West Africa, Lord Swinton. His duties included counter-espionage and security operations against the German spies who were tracking convoys carrying minerals and food from West Africa to Britain. By 1945, Major Russell was transferred to the Pacific, and took up a control officer position running a Japanese double agent. Later he enjoyed telling of how he was able, through his agent, to dupe Japanese cruisers into responding to fictitious deployments from Trincomalee. At war's end, he escorted his agent to Singapore, arriving just after the Japanese surrendered. Russell left MI5 in 1946 at the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He returned to a bright career as a University lecturer in Spanish Studies. He was elected as the King Alfonso XIII Professor of Spanish Studies and a Fellow of Exeter College, ahead of some much more well known competition. Russell became one of England's most noted hispanists. After his retirement, he continued to lecture as visiting professor at a number of American universities (1982-1987), and kept up the stream of publications in his field. Among this late harvest were three of his most profound books: Cervantes (1985); a commentary on the Spanish medieval masterpiece La Celestina (1991); and Prince Henry the Navigator: A Life (2000). He was knighted in 1995. Sir Russell never married.
Coming Events
20 July 06 - Colorado Springs, CO - AFIO Rocky Mountain Chapter holds meeting at USAF Academy O'Club in the Falcon Room, starting at 11:30, lunch served at 12:00 and meeting ends at 1:30 pm. Rocky Mountain Chapter speaker is LTG (r) Ed Anderson, USA, former Dept. Commander NORTHCOM. A West Point graduate, Class of 1966 Questions or Reservations to Dick Durham, 719-488-2884. or Riverwear53@aol.com.
21 - 22 July 06 - Northampton, MA - AFIO New England Chapter holds meeting at the Hotel Northampton. Speakers will be: Professor Emeritus Douglas Wheeler and Lt. Col. Gordon Cucullu. Topic to be announced. For further information or to register, contact chapter president Art Lindberg at alindberg10@comcast.net
12 August 06 - Melbourne, FL - The Florida Satellite Chapter of AFIO will host its luncheon at Colony Hall at the IRCC. The legendary Billy Waugh will be the guest speaker; a man whose career spans some 50 plus years in special operations -tracking Carlos the Jackal, coming face to face with Osama bin Laden are but a few of the stories he will share with us. For more information, contact BEKeith at: Bobbie6769@JUNO.com or phone: (321) 777-5561.
21 - 25 August 06 - El Paso, TX - Foundations of Intelligence Analysis Training Active duty, Reserve, and National Guard personnel can attend this course if there is interest in law enforcement intelligence applications. The International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts still has seats available for the 40 hour Foundation of Intelligence Analysis Training class for this fall, August 21 through 25, to be held at the El Paso Intelligence Center. Seating is limited to 25 individuals. Additional information about FIAT is available at www.ialeia.org/fiat.html. Application, and additional material, can be obtained at www.intelligenceisthefuture.com under the FIAT tab. The 40 hour course covers the following topics in depth: History of Intelligence, Legal Aspects, Sources of Information, Critical Thinking, Logic, Inference Development, Competing Hypotheses, Crime Pattern Analysis, Association Analysis, Flow Analysis, Strategic Analysis, Communication Analysis, and Products of Analysis. IALEIA has already registered a number of individuals attending from other locations in the U.S. and Canada, to include instructors. Early registration is encouraged. Registration is $350.00. Recommended accommodations at a very good government rate ($88.00) is the Chase Suites near the airport (915-772-8000 or 800-237-8811). Mention the FIAT course and prior arrangements with Pat Valdez (General Manager). These accommodations are very comfortable, and only several minutes from the airport and 15 minutes to EPIC. Please feel free to contact David Jimenez, MSgt, USAF (Ret), CCA, 915-834-8628 (swnmia@juno.com), Moderator: www.IntelligenceIsTheFuture.com Adjunct Faculty: American Military University, Andrew Jackson University, Grantham University; Special Advisor, California University of Protection & Intelligence Management IALEIA Director of Training, Education, & Career Development
21 - 25 August 06 - Baltimore, MD - 2006 DHS Security Conference and Workshop will take place at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel and Hyatt Regency Hotel. The conference will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, August 21, and will have training developed specifically for State and Local security professionals. There is no registration fee for this conference. The Hyatt Regency Baltimore will house the Office of Security�s sessions, but you may stay in either hotel, they are located adjacent to one another. The Conference is expected to draw IT planning managers and security practitioners such as Information Systems Security Officers (ISSO), and Information Systems Security Managers (ISSM), as well as Administrative, Physical and Personnel Security Managers, State & Local Security Managers, and personnel from throughout the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) component organizations. To register for the conference and/or to acquire additional information on the conference please go to http://www.fbcinc.com/conference2006/default.asp. When you register, please indicate that you are associated with the Office of Security; this will link you to a survey document that will assist us in planning appropriate room sizes for the selected presentations. To ensure that you receive the government room rate you must make your reservation before July 18th. Make room reservations by calling the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel at 1-888-962-8300 or the Hyatt Regency Hotel at 1-888-421-1442. For more information contact: Office of Security, Helen Stewart, (202) 205-3266, helen.stewart@dhs.gov
23 - 25 August 06 - Raleigh, NC - Fourth Annual Raleigh International Spy Conference focuses on topic: Castro and Cuba: What Next? From revolution to Cold War KGB leader, Castro and his era will end soon. Hear the experts -- Don Bohning, Humberto Fontova, Brian Latell, Tim Naftali, Art Padilla, and AFIO's President, Gene Poteat -- take you from the Bay of Pigs through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the intrigue of Castros role as the "Bridgehead" for the KGB-led Non-aligned Movement - including new revelations from the intelligence world and estimates of what will happen to Cuba and its relationship with the US after Castro. Put on your calendar and go to www.raleighspyconference.com or call the Spy Hotline at 919- 807-7917 to register early for this important event.
3-8 September 06 - Oxford, England - Spies, Lies & Intelligence Conference - From the historical certainties of World War II, through the treacheries and ultimate triumphs of the Cold War, we have emerged into an age when "Terror" is the West's new political and security watchword. This five-day conference brings together authors, experts and intelligence practitioners of international standing and examines the evolution of intelligence, espionage and deception across more than half a century. direct all enquiries and bookings to: The Steward's Office, Christ Church OXFORD OX1 1DP. Tel: +44 (0)1865 286848 Email: conflict@chch.ox.ac.uk or to kerry.deeley@chch.ox.ac.uk
8 September 06 - Tysons Corner, VA - AFIO National Luncheon - Put On Calendar - Details to Follow
9 September 06 - Orange Park, FL - AFIO North Florida Chapter Meeting. Contact Quiel Begonia at begonia@coj.net for details. Meeting held at Orange Park Country Club, 2625 Country Club Blvd, Orange Park, FL.
14 - 18 September 06 - Arlington, VA - The OSS Society and the Carpetbaggers will be co-hosting a Reunion at the Crown Plaza Hotel Reagan National Airport. 1480 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA, US, 22202. More information can be found at www.osssociety.org
16 September 06 - Kennebunk, ME. The Maine Chapter of AFIO will meet at 2:00 p.m. at the Kennebunk Free Library, Main St., Kennebunk. Guest speaker will be Janet Ray Weininger, daughter of Thomas "Pete" Ray, a CIA pilot killed in the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. Ray, whose body was kept on display in a Havana morgue, is remembered by Memorial Star 22 on the Wall of Honor and in the Book of Honor at CIA headquarters. Following her successful recovery of her father's body from Cuba, Weininger spearheaded the recovery mission of the remains of two CIA pilots from the remote mountains of Nicaragua in 1998 with support from CIA, a U.S. Army team from the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, U. S. Army Black Hawk crews, and U.S. and Nicaraguan diplomats and military. Weininger has been honored by the U. S. Congress for her work and has appeared on national TV programs such as Good Morning America and in the press. Weininger is founder and president of Wings of Valor, a Miami, Fla. based charitable organization dedicated to rebuilding lives torn apart by war, poverty, and disaster. She has a degree in Business Administration and lives in Miami, Fla. with her husband, a Delta Airlines pilot. The meeting is open to the public. Contact 207-985-2392 for information.
17 September 06 - Washington, DC - The International Spy Museum presents "Third-String Catcher, All-Star Spy" This event celebrates American baseball player Moe Berg and his efforts as a secret agent of the OSS. From parachuting into Yugoslavia to clandestinely filming Japanese military installations, Berg was an active agent whose life as a touring baseball player was a perfect cover. Join historians, authors, friends, and fans in this exploration of Berg's career with a special presentation of a commemorative Moe Berg medal to relative Irwin Berg. The event will be held from 1:00-3:15pm at the Spy Museum, 800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC,Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station. The cost is $15; Members of The Spy Ring: $12; Advance Registration required. Tickets are non-refundable and do not include admission to the International Spy Museum. To register, call Ticketmaster at 202.397.SEAT, 800.551.SEAT or the Museum at 202.393.7798; order online at ticketmaster.com; or purchase tickets in person at the International Spy Museum. To infiltrate The Spy Ring, the Spy Museum's membership program, visit spymuseum.org or call 866.SPYMUSEUM.
21 September 06 - Colorado Springs, CO - AFIO Rocky Mountain Chapter holds meeting at Air Force Academy Officers Club in the Falcon Room, starting at 11:30, lunch served at 12:00 and meeting ends at 1:30 pm. Speakers to be announced. Questions or Reservations to Dick Durham, 719-488-2884. or Riverwear53@aol.com.
22 September 06 - New York, NY - AFIO NY Metro Chapter holds evening meeting at Society of Illustrators Building, 128 East 63rd St, (between Park and Lexington). Check-in: 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM. Speakers to be announced. Buffet dinner, tables of eight. $45pp, includes drinks, coffee, dessert. Cash bar. Registration and more information available from Jerry Goodwin, Chapter President, at 212-308-1450, or email him at afiometro@yahoo.com.
23 September 06 - Washington, DC - The Cold War Museum hosts a special Spy Tour of Washington. The Cold War Museum hosts a tour of various espionage sites in Arlington, Washington, and Georgetown; observe the former Caf�' where a Soviet spy escaped from his CIA handlers; listen in on a briefing about Civil War espionage at Lafayette Park; tour the Berlin Wall at the Newseum; and/or visit drop points used by agents such as FBI spy Robert Hanssen. Since its earliest days, Washington, D.C. has been the scene of international intrigue, espionage, and intelligence activity, as the U.S. government has tried to learn the plans of other countries while keeping its own plans secret. Key players in this non-ending drama include personalities as diverse as Rose Greenhow, Herbert Yardley, Major General "Wild Bill" Donovan, Aldrich Ames, and Robert Hanssen. This six-hour bus tour will introduce you to many of the locations in and around Washington that have been associated with intelligence and counter intelligence activities for the past two hundred years. Some walking is required. Optional stop at International Spy Museum not included in price. For more information, private bookings and additional information visit www.spytour.com or call the Cold War Museum at (703) 273-2381.
4 - 5 October 2006 - Bolling AFB, DC - National Military Intelligence Association hosts 2-day conference on Joint Intelligence Operations Center: Concepts and Reality with the Defense Intelligence Agency. The Conference will feature presentations by USD(I), the J2, the Combatant Commands, the Service Intelligence Chiefs and conclude with a discussion of resources by the Deputy Director, DIA. The conference will be conducted at the SECRET level at the DIAC on October 4-5, 2006. Further information available at www.nmia.org.
10 October 06 - Tampa, FL- AFIO Suncoast Chapter meets at 11:30 a.m. at the Officers' Club, at MacDill Air Force Base. The luncheon speaker is Billy Waugh who was wounded five times in his seven and a half years as a Green Beret in Vietnam. Many of these years were spent behind enemy lines as part of SOG, a top secret group of elite commandos. Sergeant Major Billy Waugh retired in 1972 to continue his craft as an independent contractor with the CIA. In 1994, Waugh was the team leader of a four-man CIA group that laid the groundwork for the capture of Carlos the Jackal, the world's most wanted man at the time. At the age of 71 shortly after 9/11, he was one of the first on the ground as a team member of a combined Special Forces/CIA takedown unit inside Afghanistan. Earlier Waugh had kept surveillance on Osama bin Laden in Khartoum in 1991 and again in 1992 as one of the first CIA operatives assigned to watch the al Qaeda leader. His book, Hunting the Jackal, recounts a remarkable life of service. For more information contact Don White, DonWhite@tampabay.rr.com.
20-21 October 06 - Lubbock, TX - The Vietnam Center at Texas Tech University and CIA's Center for the Study of Intelligence (CSI) will co-host a conference on "Intelligence in the Vietnam War," which will be held in Lubbock, Texas, at the Holiday Inn Park Plaza. The purpose of this conference is to examine intelligence activities in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and elsewhere as they impacted the Vietnam War. We welcome papers that discuss intelligence analysis and operations from all sides of the conflict and desire presentations that discuss US, RVN, DRV, VC, USSR, PRC, Warsaw Pact, and other intelligence activities as they related to the Vietnam War. While the focus will remain on historical events, it is our distinct hope that appropriate historical lessons might be drawn of more immediate application to current wars and conflicts. To that end, we are seeking paper and panel proposals on all subjects related to Intelligence in the Vietnam War to include but not limited to the following topics: Intelligence and counter-intelligence operations to include human, electronic, signals, and imagery intelligence; Terrorism and counter-terrorism; Infiltration operations into North Vietnam, the Viet Cong infrastructure, and elsewhere; Psychological operations; The Phoenix Program, Provincial Reconnaissance Units, and other attempts to neutralize the VCI; Rolling Thunder, enemy order of battle, the will to persist, and other analytical issues; Inter-agency cooperation and conflict between the CIA, DIA, and other intelligence organizations; The politics of intelligence (e.g. the producer v. the consumer in the development of estimative products); the use of RAND and other private analytical resources as intelligence; etc... This conference will offer students, scholars, intelligence officials, policy makers, and others with an excellent opportunity to discuss and learn from intelligence activities from America's longest war along with the many issues that surrounded these complex activities and events. If you are interested in providing either an individual presentation or a panel discussion, submit a proposal (single page or less) to Mr. Stephen Maxner, Deputy Director at the Vietnam Center at steve.maxner@ttu.edu or call (806) 742-9010 for more information. Deadline for submissions: August 1, 2006
21 October 06 - Kennebunk, ME - the Maine Chapter of AFIO will meet at 2:00 p.m. at the Kennebunk Free Library, Main St., Kennebunk. Guest speaker will be Colin Beavan, author of "Operation Jedburgh." Further information on the author and book, to follow. The meeting is open to the public. Contact 207-985-2392 for information.
3 - 5 November 06 - Reston, VA - AFIO - DHS National Intelligence Symposium on Homeland, Port and Border Security FOR YOUR Calendars. The AFIO National Symposium with the Department of Homeland Security will focus on DHS's Intelligence and Port and Border enforcement issues. The event will be held 3 November thru 5 November at the Hyatt Regency Hotel - Reston, 1800 Presidents St, Reston, VA 20190. Further information to be sent to all AFIO members in coming months. The hotel offers free shuttle to/from Dulles Airport. Make your flight reservations now.
3 - 4 November 06 - Hampton Beach NH - AFIO New England Chapter meets at the beautiful Ashworth-by-the-Sea Hotel to hear speakers Professor William Tafoya and Joe Wippl, the new CIA Officer-in-Residence at Boston University. For further information or to register, contact chapter president Art Lindberg at alindberg10@comcast.net
10 November 06 - Ft. Myer and Arlington National Cemetery - Army Counterintelligence Corps Veterans (ACICV) Annual "Day of Remembrance" The ACICV Day of Remembrance, which includes a special Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns in the Cemetery and a Memorial Luncheon at Fort Myer, honors the memory of Army Counterintelligence veterans and associates who have passed away since the last Remembrance Day. Friends and supporters of ACICV and Army Counterintelligence are invited to attend. For additional information contact Ed Meiser at 1-518-371-8356 (e-mail: Leigh54@aol.com) or Elly Burton at 1-703-591-3848 (e-mail ellyb@starpower.net).
16 November 06 - AFIO Rocky Mountain Chapter holds meeting at Air Force Academy Officers Club in the Falcon Room, starting at 11:30, lunch served at 12:00 and meeting ends at 1:30 pm. Speakers to be announced. Questions or Reservations to Dick Durham, 719-488-2884. or Riverwear53@aol.com.
1 December 06 - Tysons Corner, VA - AFIO National Luncheon - Put On Calendar - Details to Follow
5-7 December 06 - Chantilly, VA - MASINT V The MASINT Association�'s Annual Conference More details to follow. Or write them at masintassoc@earthlink.net
6 December 06 - Orange Park, FL - AFIO North Florida Chapter Meeting. Contact Quiel Begonia at begonia@coj.net for details. Meeting held at Orange Park Country Club, 2625 Country Club Blvd, Orange Park , FL.
8 December 06 - New York, NY - AFIO NY Metro Chapter holds evening meeting at Society of Illustrators Building, 128 East 63rd St, (between Park and Lexington). Check-in: 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM. Speakers to be announced. Buffet dinner, tables of eight. $45pp, includes drinks, coffee, dessert. Cash bar. Registration and more information available from Jerry Goodwin, Chapter President, at 212-308-1450, or email him at afiometro@yahoo.com.
12 December 06 - Tampa, FL- AFIO Suncoast Chapter meets at 11:30 a.m. at the Officers�' Club, at MacDill Air Force Base. The luncheon speaker is James Pavitt. A 31-year veteran of CIA, who in 1999 was appointed Deputy Director for Operations to head what is now known as the National Clandestine Service, the CIA directorate responsible for the clandestine collection of foreign intelligence. He had served as Associate Deputy Director for Operations from July 1997 through July 1999. He served longer in that position than any DDO in the last 30 years until retiring from CIA and the DO in August 2004. After joining the Agency in 1973 as a Career Trainee, he served in a variety of intelligence assignments in Europe, Asia and at CIA Headquarters. In 1990, he was assigned to the National Security Council as the Director for Intelligence Programs. In June 1992, President Bush appointed him Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and NSC Senior Director for Intelligence Programs. Mr. Pavitt began his intelligence career in the United States Army from 1969-1971 as an intelligence officer. Jim Pavitt is currently a principle at the Scowcroft Group and also serves as a member of the AFIO National Board of Directors. For more information contact Don White, DonWhite@tampabay.rr.com
AND FOR 2007 CALENDARS ....
26-27 January 07 - Springfield, VA- Intelligence and Ethics 2007 and Call for Proposals. The International Intelligence Ethics Association (IIEA) invites paper proposals by September 18, 2006; proposals for dinner table discussions on intelligence ethics in current events, by October 10, 2006, and proposals for lunch-with-an-author, by October 10, 2006. For further information, see http://intelligence-ethics.org/conference/07 or inquire at conference2007@intelligence-ethics.org.
13 February 07 - Tampa, FL- AFIO Suncoast Chapter meets at 11:30 a.m. at the Officers' Club, at MacDill Air Force Base. The luncheon speaker is Carl W Ford, Jr., former head of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), from 2001 until 2003. As Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, he reported directly to the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, and provided intelligence support and analysis to him and other senior policy makers. He was directly involved in crafting policy related to the war on terrorism, the Iraq war and reconstruction, and issues regarding the Chinese military, nuclear proliferation, the Middle East peace process, and the North Korean military threat. Between 1965 and 1989, Mr. Ford served a tour of duty in Vietnam, was a U.S. Army Military Intelligence Officer, a Defense Intelligence Agency China Strategic Intelligence Officer, a CIA China military analyst, a professional staff member for East Asia on the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the National Intelligence Officer for East Asia at the CIA. Beginning in early 1989, Mr. Ford spent four years working at the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary levels in the Defense Department. For more information contact Don White, DonWhite@tampabay.rr.com.
3 March 07 - Orange Park, FL - AFIO North Florida Chapter Meeting. Contact Quiel Begonia at begonia@coj.net for details. Meeting held at Orange Park Country Club, 2625 Country Club Blvd, Orange Park, FL.
17-19 May 2007 - Omaha, NE - SAC Intelligence/544th & Friends Reunion We have activated a SAC IN/544th & Friends Reunion website to update you on our reunion planning efforts. The web site address is: http://sacintelreunion.com (note: there is no www in the address). The web site is still UNDER CONSTRUCTION, and will be for some time as we incrementally add/refine relevant reunion information. The initial web site data includes, among other items, a main (i.e. home) page with reunion overview information, and a "participant" link that contains a list of the SAC IN/544th & Friends alumni that we've contacted to date. We request that you review this list to identify anyone you may know who is not on the list and, in turn, contact them (info Marv Howell: marvh@cox.net) and advise them of our reunion plans and ask them to contact Marv to let him know if they are interested (or not) in attending the reunion. Your assistance in identifying and contacting other potential reunion attendees is key to our getting the word out to as many people as possible and is very important to our "sizing" the reunion and developing related reunion cost data. We're also pleased to report that we have signed a contract with the Embassy Suites reserving a ballroom with a capacity of 350 for our banquet on Saturday, May 19, 2007. Additionally, we have blocked 50 rooms at a special rate for our reunion attendees ($129 plus tax, double occupancy). We encourage attendees who plan on staying at the Embassy Suites to make their reservations at the earliest convenient date to be insured of getting the discounted group room rate. Reservations should be made either directly with the Omaha Embassy Suites (402) 346-9000, or through the Embassy Suites central reservation center at 1-800-362-2779, request the "SAC INTELL Reunion" block discount room rate, group code "SIR". For your convenience, our web site provides a link to the Omaha Embassy Suites web site. As regards reunion event planning, we're very proud to note that our reunion banquet keynote speaker, General Michael Hayden (SAC IN analyst & briefer '70-'72), has been confirmed by the Senate to be Director of the CIA. Additionally, we have reserved the Dougherty Conference Center for a symposium to be held on Friday, May 18, and have reserved the Bellevue Lied Activity Center for a presentation on SAC Intelligence's role in the Cuban Missile Crisis to be held on Sat May 19. More detailed information on these reunion events will be posted on our web site as soon as possible. Finally, we have decided on a pre-registration fee of $25 per attendee and would request that those who plan on attending the reunion mail their pre-registration checks, made payable to: "SAC IN/544 Reunion", to: Mike Catherall, 13006 Jan Circle, Bellevue, NE 68123. Early payment (i.e. within the next 30 - 60 days) of the pre-registration fee is encouraged to assist us with meeting reunion planning financial obligations to include payment of a deposit for the banquet ballroom. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you this time next year in Omaha.
2 June 07 - Orange Park, FL - AFIO North Florida Chapter Meeting. Contact Quiel Begonia at begonia@coj.net for details. Meeting held at Orange Park Country Club, 2625 Country Club Blvd, Orange Park, FL.
8 September 07 - Orange Park, FL - AFIO North Florida Chapter Meeting. Contact Quiel Begonia at begonia@coj.net for details. Meeting held at Orange Park Country Club, 2625 Country Club Blvd, Orange Park, FL.
18-19 October 2007: Symposium on Cryptologic History sponsored by the Center for Cryptologic History, to be held at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD. Further details available in early 2007.
1 December 07 - Orange Park, FL - AFIO North Florida Chapter Meeting. Contact Quiel Begonia at begonia@coj.net for details. Meeting held at Orange Park Country Club, 2625 Country Club Blvd, Orange Park, FL.
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