AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes #18-08 dated 5 May 2008
_____________________________________________________

Click here to view disclaimers, removal, methods of use of the links in this document.

The WIN in its entirety appears below; however, the document may also be viewed online by current members with usernames and passwords
at: https://www.afio.com/pages/currentwin.htm 
Usernames and Passwords appear on AFIO Membership Cards.
They work only if the membership is current.

WIN CREDITS FOR THIS ISSUE:  The WIN editors thank the following special contributors to this issue: pjk.  
All have contributed one or more stories used in this issue. 

CONTENTS

Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Section II - TERRORISM

Section III - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE

Section IV - BOOK REVIEWS, OBITUARIES, REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE AND COMING EVENTS

Book Review

Obituary

Request for Assistance

Coming Events

Current Calendar Next Two Months ONLY:

  For Additional Events two+ months or more....view our online Calendar of Events  

Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Document Claims Gorbachev Signed Death Warrant for Pope. The weekly Polish newspaper, Wprost, reportedly will publish a politburo document signed by Mikhail Gorbachev, which appears to warrant a KGB contract killing on John Paul II.

The document, dated November 1979, says: "Use all available possibilities to prevent a new political trend, initiated by the Polish pope..." and is signed by eight top Party officials including Konstantin Rusakov, who coordinated action with the Polish communist party, and Mikhail Gorbachev. The article misidentifies U.S.-based former intelligence officer John Koehler as "Polish journalist John O. Kohler" as someone also releasing a book, titled Chodzi o papieża. Szpiedzy w watykanie - (About the Pope: Spies in the Vatican), which includes the same document. 

Pope John Paul II survived four bullets on May 13, 1981 shot by Turk Mehmet Ali Hagca in Rome.

"If this information is true, Gorbachev should be brought to account," said Zbigniew Chlebowski, head of the ruling Civic Platform's parliamentary party. [Polskieradio/27April2008] 

Letters Give CIA. Tactics a Legal Rationale. The Justice Department has told Congress that American intelligence operatives attempting to thwart terrorist attacks can legally use interrogation methods that might otherwise be prohibited under international law.

The legal interpretation, outlined in recent letters, sheds new light on the still-secret rules for interrogations by the Central Intelligence Agency. It shows that the administration is arguing that the boundaries for interrogations should be subject to some latitude, even under an executive order issued last summer that President Bush said meant that the CIA. would comply with international strictures against harsh treatment of detainees.

While the Geneva Conventions prohibit "outrages upon personal dignity," a letter sent by the Justice Department to Congress on March 5 makes clear that the administration has not drawn a precise line in deciding which interrogation methods would violate that standard, and is reserving the right to make case-by-case judgments.

"The fact that an act is undertaken to prevent a threatened terrorist attack, rather than for the purpose of humiliation or abuse, would be relevant to a reasonable observer in measuring the outrageousness of the act," said Brian A. Benczkowski, a deputy assistant attorney general, in the letter, which had not previously been made public.

Mr. Bush issued the executive order last summer to comply with restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court and Congress. The order spelled out new standards for interrogation techniques, requiring that they comply with international standards for humane treatment, but it did not identify any approved techniques.

The letters from the Justice Department to Congress were provided by the staff of Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat who is a member of the Intelligence Committee and had sought more information from the department.

Some legal experts critical of the Justice Department interpretation said the department seemed to be arguing that the prospect of thwarting a terror attack could be used to justify interrogation methods that would otherwise be illegal.

But a senior Justice Department official strongly challenged this interpretation on Friday, saying that the purpose of the interrogation would be just one among many factors weighed in determining whether a specific procedure could be used.

The humiliating and degrading treatment of prisoners is prohibited by Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. [Mazzetti/NewYorkTimes/27April2008] 

CIA Chief Says Europe, US May Never Agree on Security Threats. Europe and the United States may always differ in their views of the biggest global security threats and how to respond to them, CIA director Michael Hayden said.

In a speech at Kansas State University, Hayden said this "key strategic relationship" had changed, noting that disagreements over Iraq and terrorism "have raised questions in recent years about the future of the alliance."

Hayden said the European-US relationship was no longer primarily focused on Europe, which was now "nearly whole, free, and at peace," so attention was shifting to more global threats, Hayden said.

Wider cooperation had brought great benefits - it had "thwarted terrorist plots and saved lives" both sides of the Atlantic, he said - but also more scope for disagreements.

He said European governments worked with each other and their allies, such as the United States, to confront direct threats, but did not in general share Washington's view that terrorism was "an overwhelming international challenge."

Hayden said managing such tensions would "complicate" the once relatively easy relationship and the effects of the disagreements would be felt "from intelligence and law enforcement to military cooperation and foreign policy." [AFP/30April2008] 

New Zealand Spy Bureau Upgrades to "Intelligent" Headquarters. A $90 million building will be constructed in central Wellington for an intelligence agency that spies for the government.

The 14,000-square-metre office building in Pipitea St, to be known as Pipitea Plaza, will house the Government Communications and Security Bureau. Construction is expected to be finished in October 2010. [Beaumont/DominionPost/30April2008] 

British Councils Admits Using Anti-Terror Law to Spy on Public. Dozens of local government units are using legislation designed to combat terrorism to investigate petty offences such as poor parking, graffiti and dropping litter.

The Home Office website describes the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act as a tool for "preventing crime, including terrorism".

However, the laws, under which people can be put under surveillance, have been used 24 times in Newcastle to investigate parking fines. They have also been used by Kensington and Chelsea borough council to investigate the misuse of disabled parking badges, and by Poole borough council in school admissions cases.

The disclosures came as 46 councils responded to a Press Association survey regarding the legislation's use. Seven councils admitted spying on people they suspected of letting their dogs foul in public. [Telegraph/30April2008] 

Pentagon Suspends Briefings for Analysts. The Pentagon announced on Friday that it was suspending its briefings for retired military officers who often appear as military analysts on television and radio programs. A spokesman for the Pentagon said the briefings and all other interactions with the military analysts had been suspended indefinitely pending an internal review.

Internal Pentagon documents showed that Defense Department officials referred to the retired officers as "surrogates" or "message force multipliers" who could be counted on to deliver administration "themes and messages" in the form of their own opinions.

The documents, which included transcripts of private briefings between senior military leaders and the military analysts, also reveal a symbiotic relationship in which the usual dividing lines between government and journalism have been obliterated.

Military analysts have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even when they suspected the information was false or inflated. Several said they had used their special access as a marketing and networking opportunity or as a window into future business possibilities.

A Pentagon spokesman said the decision to halt the briefings, which was first reported on Friday by Stars and Stripes, was made by Robert Hastings, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.

The decision came amid criticism and questions from members of Congress.  [Barstow/26April2008/NewYorkTimes] 

Officials Say Pentagon Easing Security Clearance Screening. U.S. troops won't have to reveal all their mental health counseling when applying for security clearances under a change the Pentagon hopes will ease the stigma of seeking help for combat stress. Officials say many returning troops suffering from war-related anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress hesitate to get psychiatric care because they fear that could cost them their security clearances, harm their careers and embarrass them before commanders and comrades.

Defense Secretary Gates is trying to remove one impediment, revising a question about mental health treatment that appears on the form required by the Office of Personnel Management, the agency that does the majority of investigations for security clearances to military and civilian federal workers, officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement was pending.

Currently, Question 21 on the form asks applicants whether they have consulted a mental health professional in the past seven years. If so, they are asked to list the names, addresses and dates they saw the doctor or therapist, unless it was for marriage or grief counseling and not related to violent behavior.

The amended question Gates has approved is less stringent. It essentially means troops do not have to volunteer information about therapy they got for difficulties caused by their wartime tours of duty or other missions, said four officials familiar with the revision.

The Pentagon says the perception of stigma for security applicants is far worse than the reality.

The most recently released data show less than 1 percent of some 800,000 people investigated for clearances in 2006 were rejected on the sole issue of their mental health profiles.

Officials say they see signs the stigma of obtaining mental health counseling has been slowly easing over the years, though it's still believed to be worse among those who need treatment. [Jelinik/AP/30April2008] 

Sudanese Admits to Espionage at Trial In Germany. A Sudanese man admitted in a German courtroom to espionage, saying he conducted surveillance of Sudanese exiles and human-rights activists for 100 euros (155 dollars) monthly.

The accused, 40, has been in custody since his arrest six months ago. Berlin judges said as the trial began that if he confessed to the charges, he was likely to receive a suspended 18-month prison term. 

Federal prosecutors said he was in the pay of an official at the Sudanese embassy in Berlin from August 2006 till his arrest in October 2007. He told the court he had been desperate for money to feed his family because he could only get casual jobs in Berlin. [Monsters&Critics/30April2008] 

Senate Panel Bans Private Contractors in CIA Interrogations. The Senate Intelligence Committee has moved to ban the CIA from using private contractors to interrogate detainees. The restriction is part of a bill that authorizes intelligence spending for 2009, which the panel approved on a 10-5 vote, sending it to the full Senate for further action.

The bill would also require the intelligence agencies to give the International Committee of the Red Cross access to all their prisoners. That would prevent the United States from holding "ghost detainees" - anonymous prisoners detained incommunicado and without records. 

The bill also limits the CIA to using only those interrogation techniques approved by the military. The military specifically bars waterboarding, in which a prisoner is strapped down and water poured over his face, making the prisoner feel as though he is drowning.

The bill would also create an inspector general for all 16 intelligence agencies. [Hess/AP/30August2008] 

The First Iraqi Senior Intel Management Course Graduates. A mix of 22 Iraqi Army officers and high ranking civilian equivalents graduated Apr. 30 from the first Senior Intelligence Management course at the Minister of Defense Training Center.

The 10 day long course took place Apr. 20 to the 30. The new class focused on training Iraqi Army lieutenant colonels and above, as well as their civilian equivalents, the necessary skills to manage their assigned soldiers and provide high quality intelligence data to their superiors.

The course curriculum focused on the gathering and managing of various intelligence reporting procedures and analysis methods.  
[Newsblzaze/30April2008] 

Section II - TERRORISM

Israeli Intelligence Concerned About Attacks In Anticipation of Independence Celebration. Israeli Military Intelligence Chief, Amos Yadlin, stated that Palestinian armed groups are interested in carrying a large-scale attack ahead of the Israeli celebrations of the 60th anniversary of independence. He added that this attack might be carried out at the Gaza-Israel border similar to a recent failed attack at the Kerem Shalom Crossing which was attempted before the Jewish Passover feast.

Haaretz also said that Yadlin warned that Hamas is planning another border breach in an attempt to break the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip; therefore, he added that he believes that Hamas will focus on attacks against the Israeli border.  [Imemc/30April2008] 

Section III - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE

U.S. Hones Intelligence Skills. Just 13 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, Ft. Huachuca, once the home of the Buffalo Soldiers, is noted today for training some of the U.S. military's most-talented intelligence operatives and interrogation personnel.

Norton, chief of the Defense Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Management Office within the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), said the threat against the US has changed from communism to terrorism. "So we're not looking at nation states; we're not looking at armies; we're not looking at equipment - submarines and ships. We're dealing with a very diabolical enemy, but within the human dimension kind of threat."

Maj. Gen. John M. Custer III, commander of the Army Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca, said he would like to add 7,000 more "intelligence soldiers" and 350 more interrogators by 2013. Military officials could not provide the total projected cost of the program because they consider it classified information.

Last year, at the Army Intelligence Center, about 1,700 enlisted soldiers, National Guard members, Army Reservists and other military personnel were taught to become 97Es - also known as human intelligence collectors.

Mr. Norton said that post-Sept. 11, the Defense Department, on the recommendation of the 9/11 commission and other national security experts, realized that developing human intelligence would be essential to gaining ground on al Qaeda. It became more imperative once the war in Afghanistan and Iraq began.

Terrorists operate "like ghosts," he said, adding that winning against extremists requires having the tools and human operatives necessary to root them out.

Life as an intelligence operative in the 21st century reads like the spy books of the past, but minus the glamour of James Bond.

Tom, who uses the alias for security purposes, is one of the new generation of soldiers, who recently prepared for his third tour of duty in the Middle East - this time as an intelligence operative behind enemy lines.

He describes his work "outside the wire," as a necessary challenge to stay ahead of the extremist groups who operate clandestinely in the region.

He said "developing relationships" and "learning the ins and outs of people" are imperative in his work.

"[In] both jobs, you have to be well-organized, outgoing, or at least pretend to be outgoing," he said laughing, describing both the intelligence operatives and interrogators in training.

The young soldier from the Midwest said his skills and abilities would be better utilized in his new line of work, despite the lack of protection from the troops he once fought beside.

Military officials could not release the number of human intelligence operatives now working around the world because of security reasons. But they did say the agency continues to expand all facets of the program, from recruiting new agents to adding new classes.

Operatives such as Tom are taught to blend into foreign societies, develop relationships with locals and collect the necessary information to protect their military units. They don't carry notepads or recorders. They are taught to memorize the smallest details of the environment around them.

Military officials tout this generation of soldiers as "unsung heroes," whose duty to country and fellow troops outweighs any public accolades they will receive or the dangers they will face.

For the Defense Department, creating a single intelligence-training facility, combining all military branches, was difficult.

Mired in red tape, the project was an uphill battle that took nearly two years once the plans were in place, Defense Department officials said.

In October, the Defense Department completed the Human Intelligence Training-Joint Center of Excellence (HIT-JCOE) at the Army fort.

Lt. Col. James Hamby, commander of HIT-JCOE, said under his jurisdiction the government developed five courses that would give all human intelligence specialists the ability to interact on the same wavelength.

Fort Huachuca is not without its critics. They claim that instructors at the facility teach inhumane techniques, including mental abuse and torture as part of the advanced lessons in interrogation.

Officials at Fort Huachuca insist that interrogation training is guided strictly by the Army Training Field Manual, which states, "No person in the custody of or under the control of [the Department of Defense], regardless of nationality or physical location, shall be subject to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, in accordance with and as defined in U.S. law."

Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said, "We believe that the approaches that are in the Army Field Manual give us the tools that are necessary for the purpose under which we are conducting interrogations."

Some in the U.S. Senate have asked the CIA to adopt the same training manual in conducting interrogations after the controversy erupted earlier this year over waterboarding, a technique opponents have described as torture. The CIA recently admitted to using waterboarding on three senior al Qaeda terrorists shortly after Sept. 11.

Like the CIA, the military also received its share of criticism for its treatment of detainees.

Mr. Pastora said that "incidents, which have happened in the past, unfortunately," including those at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, are not representative of what is taught, but rather "are isolated, individual acts, and not an act of the organization across the board."

Military officials said a prominent obstacle in the war on terror is fighting an enemy without a nation and distinguishing that enemy from innocent civilians.

The training lasts about 15 weeks. Roughly 10 percent drop out or fail before completing their training, Col. Jennings said.

The soldiers apply the lessons they learned from cultural-awareness classes, interrogation methods and live-fire exercises to the scenarios that arise at the mock villages.

As the training progresses, many soldiers operate on less than a few hours of sleep each night. "They learn best when under pressure," Col. Jennings said.

The training is aided by hired contractors. They are role players from the Middle East and Africa, who teach cultural awareness through reality scenarios.

The Army recently began hiring role-player linguists who do not speak English and interpreters who train soldiers on how to use interpreters.

"HUMINT soldiers provide a large amount of intelligence in the current operational environment," said Col. Jennings. "Becoming a seasoned HUMINT professional takes not only good training, but also time and experience."

"We train them to expect the unexpected," he added. [Carter/WashingtonTimes/28April2008]

India Recalls its Amorous Spy from Beijing. India has recalled intelligence agent Manmohan Sharma, who headed the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) desk at the Indian Embassy in Beijing, after learning of his romantic relationship with a Chinese national. According to reports, top intelligence officials believe that the spy's beloved could be an informant of the Chinese government and that Sharma might have passed on information on India's moves and counter-moves regarding border talks with China over the past year. 

Over the past few years, Indian diplomats and intelligence officers posted in Beijing and its surroundings have embarked on relationships with Chinese women. A young Indian diplomat also fell in love with his Chinese language teacher in early 2000. The young officer was removed from his post and posted at an academy in India. In October last year, senior RAW officer Ravi Nair was recalled from Hong Kong for his reported relationship with a woman believed to be working for a Chinese spy agency. However, the woman met with Ravi again some time later while he was posted in Colombo, and began living with him. The RAW management again acted and recalled him from Colombo.

In early 90s an Indian naval attach� posted in Islamabad reportedly fell in love with a Pakistani woman working in the Military Nursing Service in Karachi. The attach� was interrogated and then forced to resign. Reports said the official, who had initially claimed having recruited the woman as a spy, was being blackmailed by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which wanted his services after his return to the Naval Headquarters in Delhi.

However, in the history of Indian intelligence, the most famous case was that of KV Unnikrishnan, a RAW officer dealing with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He had developed a relationship with an airhostess believed to be an intelligence scion.

He was arrested just ahead of a peace accord signed between India and Sri Lanka.

Because Unnikrishnan was in charge of the Chennai office through which India channeled assistance to the LTTE, his job was considered 'super sensitive'. Because of his relationship, several LTTE boats had been trapped by the Sri Lankan army - which led to the suspicion that someone had tipped off the Sri Lankan authorities. Unnikrishnan was arrested and imprisoned for several years. He was released without a court trial because of the sensitive nature of his job and the fear that India's connections with the LTTE would become public. [Gilani/DailyTimes/1May2008] 

Taiwan Businessmen Caught up in China Spy Cases. The Kafkaesque spy world that Taiwanese businessman Song Hsiao-lien says he fell into has left him financially strapped, unemployed and unnerved after nearly four years in a Chinese prison. Song was further rattled after his release late last year by the discovery in January of a body in Taipei's Dansuie River that turned out to be that of another former accused spy, Jiang jen-shi.

Song says he and Jiang are among scores of businessmen whose lives have been upended over the years by the historical distrust between China and Taiwan, the shaky nature of Taiwan's intelligence community and, in particular, the recruitment practices of the island's Military Intelligence Bureau. By some accounts, 800 Taiwanese are in Chinese jails, many allegedly on trumped-up charges.

Experts, some of whom declined to be identified given their work and the topic's sensitivity, say the Taiwanese intelligence community has been hurt by high turnover and bureaucratic muddle, prompting it to rely increasingly on businessmen and students, with serious consequences for the quality of information.

Song, 45, says his problems started in early 2002 with a phone call from someone who seemed to know that he was leaving for China and who said he was a travel agent. Song, who was investing in several real estate projects on China's southern Hainan island, agreed to meet him at a Taipei coffee shop. The thirtysomething man, who gave only the surname Fan, was soon joined by his boss, a tall, skinny man in his 60s who gave only the surname Huang. A Chinese news release later identified them as Fan Mingjian and Huang Maji.

The pair asked Song to pick up a few routine items in China for them - some newspapers, a magazine, a map. They advanced him $650 for expenses and he returned with the items a few weeks later.

Song returned to Taiwan every few weeks to see his wife and three children. At subsequent meetings, Fan asked Song to provide information about a Hainan military port, and draw pictures of what he had seen, which Song did. Hainan, a tropical resort island, also has several military bases and is where a U.S. EP-3 spy plane was forced to make an emergency landing after a midair collision in 2001. Song says he was still not suspicious.

At some point, Fan admitted that he wasn't a travel agent, claiming instead to be a private investigator. Only later would Song learn that the men were with Taiwan's Military Intelligence Bureau.

The intelligence agency has declined interview requests, although it acknowledges recruiting Song and recently agreed to partially compensate him and others for their ordeals. Some details of Song's story, including those involving time spent in Chinese interrogation and prison, could not be independently verified.

Song says that around August 2002, the men asked him to check out Hainan's Lingshui military airport. By then, the situation had begun to seem a bit fishy and Song says he decided to break off the relationship, telling Fan that his mother was ill and that he would be moving back to Taiwan.

That seemed to be the end of it. Then, more than a year later, while on another business trip to Hainan, Song was returning from dinner one evening when he noticed movement in the shadows only seconds before several men forced him into a car.

Initially he thought he'd been kidnapped. He offered the men all the money in his wallet, his watch and anything else they wanted. But it soon became apparent they were Chinese national security officials.

For the next two weeks he was interrogated for about 22 hours a day, threatened, made to kneel until his legs went numb, and held in a cell with a platform bed and a small hole for food to be handed through.

Eventually, his jailers seemed to believe he was not a spy and became friendlier. They said they were only "small fish," but said that no matter the facts, the careers of powerful bosses depended on their finding Taiwanese spies.

A little later, they handed him an indictment, followed soon by a closed-door trial. He was convicted and sentenced to four years.

A Chinese news release in early 2004 said Song had "confessed to engaging in espionage activities" and traveled around China to gather intelligence on the navy and other military targets, a contention he disputes.

Finally, in late 2007, he was released from custody.

Song learned that he had been one of 36 Taiwanese businessman "spies" arrested about the same time and sentenced to as long as 15 years in prison. The roundup apparently was aimed at humiliating Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, who in late 2003 had angered Beijing by introducing a referendum on whether China should remove its then-496 missiles aimed at Taiwan. The two sides split in 1949 during a civil 6war.

Once back in Taipei, Song met with an agent from the Military Intelligence Bureau, who advised him to keep quiet. The agent seemed sympathetic until Song brought up the issue of compensation, at which point the conversation ended.

In addition to the mental and physical anguish Song and his family have suffered, the experience has been a financial disaster. The Chinese government won't let him back in to sell or retrieve his investments, a prohibition that has led to one of his partners' taking advantage of Song's absence to "absorb" his share.

Upset and feeling betrayed by their own government, Song and Cheng Jew-yuan, 53, another businessman who says he unwittingly engaged in activities that later led to accusations of spying, hired a lawyer and went public with their concerns.

In early March, the Military Intelligence Bureau granted Song $70,000 for four years of his life, the loss of his business and the suffering of his wife and children. And it gave $100,000 to Cheng, who says he lost his food-processing business in China, along with assets in Taiwan that his family had to sell so they could bribe Chinese officials for his release.

Both men say they remain unsatisfied. Song, who says he lives in fear of intelligence officials, is without a job. His friends and relatives avoid him. The Taiwanese government treats him warily, apparently fearful he was turned into a double agent by China. [Magnier/LosAngelesTimes/3May2008] 

Section IV - BOOK REVIEWS, OBITUARY, REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE AND COMING EVENTS

Book Review

"Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs From Communism to Al-Qaeda" (Dutton, 549 pages, $29.95), by Robert Wallace, H. Keith Melton, and Henry R. Schlesinger describes activities of the often overlooked technical activities of the CIA.

"'Spycraft' is a history of the CIA's fusion of technical innovation with classic tradecraft, and, equally, a call to young men and women with similar talents to enlist in the battle against America's new enemies," according to George Tenet, former head of the CIA.

The authors are Robert Wallace, former director of the CIA's Office of Technical Services, historian H. Keith Melton, and Henry R. Schlesinger, contributing editor of Popular Science magazine.

An Asian head of state 40 years ago used to let cats wander freely through strategic meetings. So, to listen in, CIA techs created "Acoustic kitty." They anesthetized a full grown gray and white female, put a mike in her ear canal, an antenna wire along her spine and wove a transmitter with power supply into her chest fur. Her equipment worked, but her American handler couldn't control her movements well in a foreign country. The idea was dropped.

Rats - they had to be dead - were considered good for secret messages; outsiders were unlikely to pick them up.

"Some were freeze-dried and vacuum-packed in tin cans," the book says. "Material intended for the agent was wrapped in aluminum foil and inserted inside the created cavity, and the animal stitched back together.... Before the carcass was deployed, it might be doused in Tabasco sauce as a deterrent to hungry cats roaming the streets."

The authors tell of personal drama, too. One episode goes back to the defeat in 2001 of Taliban forces in Afghanistan where they protected Osama bin Laden - forces now staging a dangerous resurgence.

A six-man CIA bomb disposal team arrived in Kandahar from Washington with 5,000 pounds of equipment and a duffel bag containing $1 million in cash. They were lodged in the governor's palace, days after the allies had driven out Mullah Omar, Osama bin Laden's protector. Four hours after their arrival, team leader "Mark" got word from a local informant that the earthen roof of the palace was booby trapped.

It was the last day of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. Celebrations in the palace were to start at sundown, another four hours away. Counterterrorism officer "Frank," one of the team, climbed to the roof, despite danger from snipers and the booby trap itself. He used thermal-imaging equipment to find where four holes had been dug in the earth covering the roof, with a narrow trench connecting them.

But the new Afghan commander of the palace declined to halt preparation for the festivities.

"Mark" then climbed to the roof for deeper exploration. He found detonators, ammunition and a wire connecting them just under the earthen surface. The wire led out of the palace.

An Afghan de-mining team later removed over 2,200 pounds of explosives, including 55 tank rounds and more than 100 anti-tank mines. [Hartman/AP/1May2008] 

Obituary

AFIO extends sympathy to the family of former Houston Chapter President Roland V. Carnaby, and to his friends and chapter members, over his untimely and inexplicable death. A man gifted with remarkable people skills and charm, Roland called upon his wide range of contacts -- particularly those in the Houston and Federal law enforcement communities -- to support an impressive speaker series and other local activities in the Houston chapter he reactivated a few years ago.
Mr. Carnaby underscores the achievements and energy associate members bring to the association to assist in the educational mission of AFIO. Funeral arrangements -- when announced -- will be conveyed to his chapter members.

Request for Assistance

Volunteers Needed for Intelligence Class.  Dr. Jon D. Holstine, an associate faculty member at The Washington Center, where he has taught a class on the American intelligence community since 1997, is introducing a second course beginning with the Summer 2008 term. Entitled "Trouble Spots of the World: Analyzing Threats and Prospects. A Training Seminar in Foreign Intelligence Development," the course will combine an introduction to analysis and exploration of likely troublesome countries/regions in Latin America and Asia. The first meeting will be on Monday evening, June 2, 2008, at from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. He is seeking two or three volunteers to provide expertise and encouragement to members of the class. 

Dr. Holstine would like to enlist individuals with experience in those areas to l) help students in the identification of "targets" at the first meeting which will be the subjects of a substantial paper on the rough order of a National Intelligence Estimate, and 2) to respond to the papers at the end of the class, ten weeks later. Students are upperclassmen from colleges and universities throughout the United States; all are full - time interns at various USG agencies or other organizations or companies in Washington. (For further information on The Washington Center, which is located at 1333 16th St NW in Washington, its website is www.TWC.edu) In recent years an increasing number of students who have taken Dr. Holstine's class have expressed an interest in joining the intelligence community. This is intended as a skills class, with attention to the discipline of analysis and emphasis on clear writing. For further information, those curious or interested are invited to contact Dr. Holstine at intelnet@cox.net or 703-329-7019

AFIO 2008 SPY AUCTION is seeking sponsors and donation of items. Can you assist us with this?
 The Second AFIO Spy Auction is fast approaching. This is the right moment to donate appropriate items to the 2008 Auction, receive a great tax-deduction, benefit numerous AFIO programs....and enjoy extra space on your shelves and in your office or home.
Please help by donating books, gift items, historic photos, documents or even your services [legal, accounting, career advisory, investigatory] that would be of interest to AFIO Members or the public. Donors receive a tax-deduction receipt for the value their donated items received when auctioned. Items that do not sell are noted with a donation receipt for the property, but specific valuation is left to the donor and their own appraisers.
 We request items be submitted before May 15, 2008, to give us time to insert them into the auction but will still take donated items throughout the auction.
Sponsorship's Available
Platinum - $750  (name/logo, website link, featured sponsor in auction plus additional benefits - contact AFIO for details)
Gold - $500  (name/logo with your website link)
Silver - $250  (Name/logo only)
Although the auction does not open until June 1st and you will not be able to bid at this time, you are welcome to visit the auction site at www.afio.cmarket.com
Send inquiries to WassinRichland@aol.com (use AFIO Auction in subject line)
Mail items to be sold at this auction to AFIO Auction, 6723 Whittier Ave Ste 303A, McLean, VA 22101.

Editor sought for The Papers of George Catlett Marshall. The George C. Marshall Foundation invites applications by qualified AFIO candidates to serve as editor of The Papers of George Catlett Marshall. The new editor will succeed Dr. Larry I. Bland, who served as editor for 30 years until his sudden death in November ’07. Volumes 1 through 5 were completed by Dr. Bland and associate editor Sharon R. Stevens. Volume 6, which covers Marshall’s career as Secretary of State (including the Marshall Plan) through his service as president of the American Red Cross (1949), remains unfinished. The new editor will finish volume 6, then complete the project with volume 7, which will cover Marshall’s tenure as secretary of defense, the receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize and retirement until his death in 1959.
The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. with a concentration in military history and/or diplomatic history in the mid – twentieth century. The ideal candidate will also have extensive experience in documentary editing.
For information about the Marshall Foundation, visit the website at www.marshallfoundation.org
Interested applicants should submit a letter of application, including salary requirements, current c.v. and list of references to Alice Lee, leeaj@marshallfoundation.org

COMING EVENTS

EVENTS IN COMING TWO MONTHS....

8 May 2008 - San Francisco - AFIO Jim Quesada Chapter Meeting on "Covert Action in the Cold War." The AFIO Jim Quesada Chapter hosts Tristan Abbey, AFIO SF chapter scholarship winner. Mr. Abbey graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in History with honors. His topic will be on covert action in the early cold war and will include a reappraisal of the CIA's involvement in the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadegh in Iran in 1953 and a broader critique of how historians have often interpreted covert action in the period.
The meeting will be held at United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94116 (between Sloat and Wawona). 11:30 AM no host cocktails; noon - luncheon. $25 member rate with advance reservation; $35 non-member rate or at door. RSVP to Mariko Kawaguchi (please indicate roast cross rig of beef bordelaise or fresh fish of the day) no later than 5PM 4/30/08: mariko@cataphora.com, (650) 622-9840 X608 or send a check to P.O. Box 117578, Burlingame, CA 94011. 

15 May 2008 11:30 a.m. - Colorado Springs, CO - The AFIO Rocky Mountain Chapter meeting features Elba Seilhan, an Intelligence Analyst who has served tours in Iraq, the Horn of Africa.
Speaker Seilhan was on then MG Petreaus's G2 staff when he was CG of the 101st. The meeting will be held at the Air Force Academy Officer's Club, Falcon Room. RSVP to Tom Van Wormer at 719-570-8505 or robsmom@divide.net. The buffet fee is only $10.00.

16 - 18 May 2008 - Bar Harbor, ME - The Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association hosts mini-reunion. The NCVA of New England will hold a mini-reunion at the Bar Harbor Regency, Bar Harbor, Maine.  The reunion is open to all personnel that worked for the US NAVSECGRU or its successor organization in NETWARCOM. Contact Vic Knorowski at 518-664-8032 or visit http://ncva-ne.org for information.

17 May 2008 - Kennebunkport, ME - The Maine Chapter hosts Deborah Russell just back from Iraq assignment. The chapter will meet at the Kennebunk Free Library in Kennebunk at 2:00 p.m. Our speaker will be Deborah Russell who recently returned from Kuwait where she served as a law enforcement officer. For further information or to register contact David Austin at lcda@midmaine.com

Sunday, 18 May 2008, Washington, DC - KidSpy� Festival -Tradecraft Try-Its at the International Spy Museum. Does your child have what it takes to be a spy? Now's the chance to find out and provide a fascinating session at the Spy Museum! Here's the brief on their upcoming Sunday event:
Ever tried to beat a lie-detector, break a top secret coded message, write in invisible ink or practice the ancient martial art of Ninjitsu? You can try all this and more at the Museum's first ever Spy Fest. Mini-missions, trade-craft demonstrations and trade-craft try-its will allow KidSpy agents and their "handlers" to get an insider's perspective into the shadow world of spying. Join John Sullivan, a polygraph examiner with the CIA for 31 years, as he demonstrates how to conduct a polygraph exam. Forensic scientists from the FBI will be on hand as well to present workshops on handwriting and fingerprint analysis while an expert demonstrates the techniques of Ninjitsu.
Ages: 7+ with an adult. KidSpy workshops are specifically designed for the age range listed. If a child is not age appropriate, The International Spy Museum will be unable to accommodate them.
TIMES: Three Sessions! 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM or 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM or 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Where: International Spy Museum, 800 F St NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station
Tickets: $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; or purchase tickets in person at the International Spy Museum

Tuesday, 20 May 2008 - Arlington, VA - Professor Sadik Al-Azm will speak on “Islam, Secularization, and the Latitudes of Intellectual Freedom” at the National Intelligence Forum luncheon - the name for a joint project of the Defense Intelligence Alumni Association and the Defense Intel College. The event is being held at Dan & Brads, Arlington Hilton, 950 N Stafford St. Arlington, VA 22203, at Ballston METRO station (Parking at Ballston Common Mall for 3 Hours @ $1) Pay at the door with a CHECK for $26 made payable to DIAA, Inc. Social hour starts at 1130, lunch at 1215, program at 1300. Professor Sadik Al-Azm's presentation is co-sponsored by the Costandi Institute and Holland Associates. The Defense Intelligence Alumni Association and the National Defense Intelligence College Foundation sponsor jointly what is called "the National Intelligence Forum." To encourage candor, the forum does not allow media, notes, recordings, or attribution. RSVP by 14 May by email to events@niefoundation.org with your name and names of guests, association, phone number, and e-mail address.


Wednesday, 21 May 2008, 11:30 a.m. - Phoenix, AZ - The AFIO Arizona Chapter luncheon will hear "Inside the Terrorist Mind: The Unconscious Reality of Those Who Would Destroy Us" by guest speaker Barry Austin Goodfield, Ph.D., Senior professor at Henley-Putnam University, an online intelligence university composed of ex-CIA and Secret Service officials. The event takes place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Phoenix, (One block West of Central Avenue on Clarendon and one block South of Indian School Road). For reservations or concerns, please call Simone Lopes at 480.368.0374

Wednesday, 21 May 2008 - Tampa, FL - The AFIO Suncoast Chapter hears from Blackwater Founder/CEO Erik D. Prince. The Chapter is hosting an ad hoc joint meeting with Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA). Erik D. Prince, Founder and CEO of Blackwater, will be our guest speaker, with particularly interesting topics, so mark your calendars now. The meeting will be at the MacDill AFB Surf’s Edge Club in Tampa, Fl. For further information email garyg@suncoastafio.org.

Wednesday, 28 May 2008 - Washington, DC - Institute of World Politics Open House. The IWP invites you to join them this evening for their monthly open house program to learn more about the programs and career opportunities through graduate study at IWP. Each program begins at approximately 5:30 pm and concludes by 8:00 pm. RSVPs are strongly encouraged, and preferences are easily requested by visiting the IWP home page at www.iwp.edu. The Institute is located at 1521 16th Street NW, Washington, DC, eight blocks north of the White House and three blocks east of the Dupont Circle metro station (red line). IWP enrolls new students during the spring, summer, and fall terms. Make sure you're one of them.

Tuesday, 3 June 2008, 6:30PM - Washington, DC - From the Secret Files of the International Spy Museum(tm) Spycraft 101: CIA Spytech From Communism to Al-Qaeda.
Rubber airplanes, messages hidden inside dead rats, and subminiature cameras hidden inside ballpoint pens...a few of the real-life devices created by CIA's Office of Technical Service (OTS). These and other clever technical devices are featured in Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs from Communism to Al-Qaeda, by the former director of OTS Bob Wallace teams up with espionage gadget collector H. Keith Melton to discuss the operations of OTS...from the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the war on terror. Rare OTS devices including concealments, microdots, and disguises will be on display.
Where: International Spy Museum, 800 F St NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station
Tickets: $20; Advance Registration required. Tickets are non-refundable and do not include admission to other the Museum exhibits. To register, call Ticketmaster at 800.551.SEAT or the Museum at 202.393.7798; order online at ticketmaster.com; or purchase tickets in person at the Museum.

Thursday, 5 June 2008 - Washington, DC - "Seduced By Secrets: Inside the Stasi's Spy-Tech World" by Kristie Macrakis at International Spy Museum. No Charge.
The Stasi, the East German Ministry for State Security, was one of the most effective and feared spy agencies in history. As it stole secrets from abroad and developed gadgets at home, the Stasi overestimated the power of secrets to solve problems and created an insular spy culture more intent on securing its power than protecting national security. Now for the first time, their technical methods and sources are revealed. In Seduced by Secrets, historian Kristie Macrakis recreates the Stasi's clandestine world of technology through biographies of agents, defectors, and officers and by visualizing their James Bond-like techniques and gadgets. Join the author for this eye opening look at a very frightening and very real wilderness of mirrors.
International Spy Museum, 800 F St NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station

7 June 2008 - Northampton, MA - AFIO New England Spring meeting features Dr. Kristie Macrakis on East German Espionage. The meeting will be held at the Hotel Northampton at 36 King Str., Northampton, MA, 413-584-3100.  A full description of services as well as directions to the hotel, are available on-line at http://www.hotelnorthampton.com. 
Our schedule is as follows: Registration & gathering, 11:00 - 1200, Luncheon at 1200 followed by our speaker, Kristie Macrakis, Ph.D. who will speak on East German Espionage, with adjournment at 2:30PM.
Note, as this meeting is a one day event we have not made any arrangements with the Hotel Northampton for a reduced room rate. For additional information contact afionechapter@gmail.com
Luncheon reservations must be made by May 27th with: Mr. Arthur Hulnick, 216 Summit Avenue # E102, Brookline, MA 02446, 617-739-7074 or hlnk@aol.com.  Advance reservations are $25.00 per person, $30.00 at the door - per person.

21 June 2008 - Kennebunkport, ME - The Maine Chapter hosts Tyler Drumheller, for CIA. The Maine Chapter meets at the Kennebunk Free Library in Kennebunk at 2:00 p.m. Our speaker will be Tyler Drumheller, recently retired after a career of service to our country as a Central Intelligence Agency operations officer. For further information or to register contact David Austin at lcda@midmaine.com

For Additional Events two+ months or greater....view our online Calendar of Events

-----------------------------------------------------------------------  

Disclaimers and Removal Instructions

Weekly Intelligence Notes (WINs) are commentaries on Intelligence and related national security matters, based on open media sources, selected, interpreted, edited and produced for non-profit educational uses by members and WIN subscribers. 

REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS: We do not wish to add clutter to inboxes. To discontinue receiving the WINs: 

a)  IF YOU ARE A MEMBER -- click here: UNSUBSCRIBE and supply your full name and email address where you receive the WINs. Click SEND, you will be removed from list.  If this link doesn't open a blank email, create one on your own and send to afio@afio.com with the words:  REMOVE FROM WINs as the subject, and provide your full name and email address where you are currently receiving them.

 b) IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER, and you received this message, someone forwarded this newsletter to you [contrary to AFIO policies]. Forward to afio@afio.com the entire WIN or message you received and we will remove the sender from our membership and distribution lists. The problem will be solved for both of us.

CONTENTS of this WIN [HTML version recipients - Click title to jump to story or section, Click Article Title to return to Contents. This feature does not work for Plaintext Edition or for some AOL recipients]. If you wish to change to HTML format, let us know at afio@afio.com. The HTML feature also does not work for those who access their e-mail using web mail...however NON-HTML recipients may view the latest edition each week in HTML at this link: https://www.afio.com/pages/currentwin.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

WINs are protected by copyright laws and intellectual property laws, and may not be reproduced or re-sent without specific permission from the Producer. Opinions expressed in the WINs are solely those of the editor(s) or author(s) listed with each article. AFIO Members Support the AFIO Mission - sponsor new members! CHECK THE AFIO WEBSITE at www.afio.com for back issues of the WINs, information about AFIO, conference agenda and registrations materials, and membership applications and much more!

(c) 2008, AFIO, 6723 Whittier Ave, Suite 303A, McLean, VA 22101. Voice: (703) 790-0320; Fax: (703) 991-1278; Email: afio@afio.com

Click here to return to top.