AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes #23-08 dated 16 June 2008
_____________________________________________________

25 July 2008 - AFIO National SUMMER Luncheon -10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tysons Corner, Virginia

11 a.m. Speaker - Robert Wallace, Former Director of CIA's Office of Technical Service
author of SPYCRAFT: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda

and

1 p.m. Speaker - Frances Fragos Townsend, Esq., former White House Assistant, HomelandSecurity/Counterterrorism,
current member of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board [PIAB],
speaking on Current and Emerging Threats

Ms. Townsend's remarks are
OFF THE RECORD
to encourage frank & spirited Q&A.

EVENT LOCATION: The Crowne Plaza [formerly the Holiday Inn]
1960 Chain Bridge Road � McLean, Virginia 22102
Space limited. Make reservations on this secure page.

THE SIXTH ANNUAL AFIO SOCIAL EVENT
The Boston Pops at the Wolf Trap Park in Vienna, Virginia!
Tuesday, 19 August 2008 � Vienna, VA
This year we have moved the annual social from Boston's Symphony Hall to the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
The concert choice will once again be the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra.
Contact Mr. Wass at wassinrichland@aol.com and use "AFIO Social" in subject line if you would like to attend the pre-concert AFIO social at Wolf Trap.  Reservations are now being taken however since we have limited seats available, we recommend contacting us before purchasing your concert tickets.
For those who plan on attending the concert and social at Wolf Trap [located at 1645 Trap Rd, Vienna, Virginia 22182], you must purchase concert tickets directly through Wolf Trap for seating choices.  We are not doing group reserved seating this year except the sets of tickets that are offered on the AFIO Auction website www.afio.cmarket.com

RSVP requested before July 19.  Wolf Trap Box Office - (703) 255-1868 to purchase tickets. http://www.wolftrap.org No portion of your purchase constitutes a donation to AFIO; therefore this is strictly a social event.

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: dh and 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 - COMMENTARY

Section V - ANNOUNCEMENTS, CAREERS, OBITUARIES AND COMING EVENTS

Announcements

Careers

Obituaries

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

New Venezuelan Intelligence Law Will Be Revised. In a surprise announcement, Venezuela's President Chavez said that the recently implemented law on the National Intelligence System contained several "errors" and would be revised. The law had received much criticism from the opposition and from human rights groups, for violating constitutional guarantees.

Chavez said that after listening to the criticisms about the law from a variety of individuals, he decided to install a commission to review and revise the new law. 

One of the most strongly criticized aspects of the law was article 16, which stated that community groups and individuals could be forced to collaborate with the intelligence services and that if they didn't, could face prison penalties. [Wilpert/Venezuelananalysis/8June2008] 

US Think Tank Says Pakistan Helped Taliban Insurgents. Pakistani intelligence agents and paramilitary forces have helped train Taliban insurgents and have given them information about American troop movements in Afghanistan, said a report by US think tank RAND Corp. The study also warned that the U.S. will face "crippling, long-term consequences" in Afghanistan if Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan are not eliminated.

It echoes recent statements by American generals, who have increased their warnings that militant safe havens in Pakistan are threatening efforts in Afghanistan. The study was funded by the U.S. Defense Department.

Pakistan's top military spokesman rejected the findings.

The study, "Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan," found some active and former officials in Pakistan's intelligence service and the Frontier Corps - a Pakistani paramilitary force deployed along the Afghan border - provided direct assistance to Taliban militants and helped secure medical care for wounded fighters.

It said NATO officials have uncovered several instances of Pakistani intelligence agents providing information to Taliban fighters, even "tipping off Taliban forces about the location and movement of Afghan and coalition forces, which undermined several U.S. and NATO anti-Taliban military operations." No timeframes were given.

The report said Pakistan's intelligence service and other government agencies provided Taliban and other insurgents with training at camps in Pakistan, as well as intelligence, financial assistance and help crossing the border.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pleaded with the world community to address the issue of militant sanctuaries in Pakistan. Afghan intelligence officials say young, uneducated males are recruited in the border tribal areas to become suicide bombers and fighters. After battles or attacks in Afghanistan, militants flow back into Pakistan to rest and rearm, officials say.

Pakistan - which supported the Taliban regime in Afghanistan before the Sept. 11 attacks - denied it is supporting the insurgents, but acknowledged the problem of militant infiltration.

The study said that besides the Taliban, other major militant groups find sanctuary in Pakistan. These include al-Qaida, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's radical Hezb-i-Islami group and the Haqqani network, led by Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son, Siraj.

The report also called on the U.S. and its allies to help build the Afghan security forces, particularly the police, and to improve the quality of local governments, especially in rural regions.

It also claimed that Afghanistan's police are incompetent and "almost uniformly corrupt," echoing frequent criticism of the police by international officials here. [Straziuso/AP/9June2008] 

Former EADS Engineer, Alleged Russian Spy, Goes on Trial in Germany. A German engineer who worked for EADS's Eurocopter unit went on trial on charges of selling information to a Russian intelligence agent. The suspect - identified only as Werner Franz G. (44) - is accused of providing "predominantly civil but also military" information to an "agent of a Russian intelligence service."

According to German prosecutors, the mechanical engineer is accused of receiving 13,000 euros ($20,000) in exchange for documents, handbooks and other information for "technical products," the court said, adding that the information concerned "primarily civilian-use helicopters."

Werner Franz G. is accused of repeated meetings with the intelligence contact in Germany and Austria arranged primarily through anonymous e-mail accounts. Prosecutors charged the man with activity as a foreign agent on March 3 and at the time said he had admitted to the charges. [Axisglobe/8June2008] 

German Sues for CIA Extraditions. A German citizen has gone to court in an attempt to force his government to seek the extradition of 13 suspected CIA agents who allegedly kidnapped him.

Khaled al-Masri says he was abducted in December 2003, flown to a US detention center in Afghanistan and tortured. Mr. Masri was released in May 2004 after his captors allegedly told him he had been mistaken for someone else.

In September, the justice ministry decided not to pursue arrest warrants issued for the suspected CIA agents. A spokeswoman, Eva Schmierer, said the ministry had been told by Washington that any extradition would jeopardize "American national interests".

The new civil suit launched by German and US civil rights lawyers representing Mr. Masri seeks to force the German government to reconsider the extradition requests it issued in January 2007.

In October the US Supreme Court dismissed Mr. Masri's appeal against the ruling of lower courts not to hear his case on national security grounds. [BBC/9June2008] 

Walesa Upset Over New Spy Allegations.  Poland's Solidarity founder Lech Walesa lashed out at the country's president over claims that Mr. Walesa spied for the communist-era secret police.

In a statement published in Polish newspapers, Walesa denounced President Lech Kaczynski's accusation as absurd. 

Walesa was cleared of such charges by a court in 2000, but the allegations still surface. [ChicagoTribune/9June2008] 

Late U.S. Tipoff Hurts UN Syria Atom Probe. U.N. inspectors set to examine a Syrian site for signs of a secret nuclear reactor project may not find much, in part because of tardy intelligence-sharing by Washington, according to their director.

But Mohamed ElBaradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he still expected "absolute transparency" from Syria and the IAEA would insist on access to other sites which might be linked to the alleged reactor.

The IAEA began an investigation after receiving U.S. intelligence material in April, seven months after the purported reactor was destroyed in an Israeli air strike and seven years after Washington said the project began.

Syria denies the allegations. Satellite pictures taken since the bombing show the site was bulldozed and swept clean in a possible cover-up, according to nuclear analysts. Damascus has also rebuffed IAEA requests for wider access, diplomats say.

ElBaradei said no one had passed on suspicious information to the IAEA until well after the Israeli bombing "even though there were concerns as much as a year beforehand.

Analysts say Washington chose not to release intelligence earlier because of the risk this might prompt Syria to retaliate against Israel, igniting a new Middle East war.

Damascus says Israel's target was a disused military building, whereas the United States says it was a camouflaged reactor designed to yield plutonium for atomic bombs.

ElBaradei also said Iran was evading "pressing questions" about intelligence reports that it clandestinely researched ways of devising a nuclear weapon. [Heinrich/Reuters/9June2008] 

Boeing Delays Spy Plane Delivery. Boeing, the second-largest US defence contractor, said a $US1 billion ($1.06 billion) program to supply Australia with six surveillance planes is now delayed until 2010, after saying last week the planes would be delivered next year.

The first two planes fitted with electronic warfare systems will be delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force in early 2010, according to Boeing spokesman David Sloan. The other four will be ready by the end of that year, he said, attributing the delay to "systems integration'' challenges.

The Wedgetail program, named after an eagle native to Australia, consists of 737-700 Boeing airplanes fitted with Northrop Grumman surveillance radar and target identification systems made by BAE Systems. The planes can track targets in the air and sea.

Boeing's international airborne surveillance program also has contracts to build four aircraft for Turkey, where it is dubbed "Peace Eagle,'' and four for South Korea. The Turkish plane contract is valued at about $US1 billion and South Korea's is valued at $US1.59 billion, Mr. Sloan said.

Delivery of the first two Wedgetail aircraft and the flight test schedule were delayed because "integration tasks were more complex than we had scoped, but now we have our arms around it,'' Pete Neal, operations manager for Boeing's Early Warning and Control business, told reporters last week in Seattle.

The Wedgetail plane is fitted with a 6000-pound electronic radar and can carry more fuel than a normal 737-700, which allows it to fly for about nine hours. It can be refueled midair by tankers and can stay aloft longer if necessary, Mr. Neal said. The plane's radar and surveillance equipment supply target information to fighter aircraft and to ground stations. [Bloomberg/11June2008] 

Top Secret: CIA Explains its Wikipedia-Like National Security Project. When some in the CIA began pitching Intellipedia, a Wikipedia-like project for its analysts and spies, they were met with some fierce critics.

Despite the early challenges, the CIA now has users on its top secret, secret and sensitive unclassified networks reading and editing a central wiki that has been enhanced with a YouTube-like video channel, a Flickr-like photo-sharing feature, content tagging, blogs and RSS feeds.

Underscoring how vital Intellipedia has become to the agency, the CIA has been providing briefings about data posted on the wiki since October 2007. 

Intellipedia is built with the same open-source software as Wikipedia, and anyone with access on the various networks can read the posts. Only those users verified as authentic users can edit the content.

The Defense Intelligence Agency is also using Intellipedia at the Defense Department.

Intellipedia has several important distinctions from Wikipedia. First, Intellipedia is not limited to being an encyclopedia. Rather, users can create their own pages to be used within workgroups or teams so they can debate and collaborate around issues. [Computerworld/11June2008] 

US Rejects German Extradition Request for 13 CIA Agents in Al-Masri Abduction Case. The United States is refusing a German extradition request for CIA agents who are accused of masterminding the kidnapping of a Lebanese born German citizen in December 2003.

The US Department said it would not agree to authorize such an extradition, citing "national security interests." 

Despite that refusal, German officials say they have issued an international arrest warrant for the CIA operatives who kidnapped Khaled Al-Masri in the Macedonian capital Skopje on New Year's eve 2003.

Al-Masri was flown to a jail in Afghanistan where he was interrogated, beaten and brutally tortured during a five-month ordeal.

The victim was freed in Albania in May 2004 after the CIA found out that they had abducted the wrong person. [Mathaba/10June2008] 

Chinese Suspected in Capitol Hacking Cases. Hackers believed to be operating from China have broken into computers in Congress, apparently in search of information on Chinese dissidents, two GOP lawmakers said Wednesday.

The hackers were not identified, but one of the lawmakers, Rep. Christopher H. Smith of New Jersey, a senior Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he thought all signs pointed to the Chinese government.

Federal authorities have been increasingly concerned in recent years about the Chinese government's aggressive deployment of scientists, engineers, foreign businessmen, students and others to sweep up U.S. technology and information. Protecting the United States against cyber attacks and high-tech crimes is the FBI's third priority, behind combating terrorism and public corruption.

The extent of the intrusions on Capitol Hill, which officials said began in August 2006, was unclear, although Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), whose office had four computers affected, said that other members of Congress were targeted, as well as at least one congressional committee. "They got everything," Wolf said at a news briefing, describing the attack on his office systems.

Wolf said that after one of the attacks, a car with license plates belonging to Chinese officials went to the home of a Chinese dissident in the Washington suburbs and took photographs of it.

The Chinese government had no immediate comment on the allegations. Wolf said an FBI inquiry confirmed the hacking incidents. The bureau declined to comment. [Schmitt/LosAngelesTimes/12June2008]

Section II - TERRORISM

US Intel Recruits Immigrants from Mideast to Bridge Culture Gap in War on Terror. The U.S. intelligence community is recruiting immigrants in the war against Al Qaida.

Officials said the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency and other intelligence and law enforcement units have been quietly reaching out to Arab, Iranian and Pakistani immigrants in the United States. They said the CIA has convened representatives of the immigrant community to promote recruitment to the U.S. intelligence community.

Officials said the immigrants were sought as translators and analysts in Arabic, Farsi and Pashtu. They said some of the most promising recruits would be offered jobs as operational officers and directed to infiltrate Al Qaida cells.

On May 16, the U.S. intelligence community, with 100,000 employees, invited more than a dozen immigrant representatives to win their support for the recruitment drive. But officials and immigrant representatives said many new arrivals in the United States feared deportation as well as retaliation by their native countries.

Officials said the U.S. intelligence community has been hampered by a shortage of translators and analysts in languages used by Al Qaida. They said many American-born personnel were often stumped by slang, references to the Koran and dialects.

In contrast, the children of immigrants were said to be suitable for fast-track language instruction. Officials said children of immigrants could learn their parents' language within 16 weeks. Those without close immigrant relatives would need at least 63 weeks.

In 2008, the U.S. intelligence community shelved a ban on first-generation Americans with direct family ties abroad. But officials said the screening of immigrant recruits could take several years.

National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell has proposed that the security clearance process be limited to 60 days. McConnell stressed to immigrant representatives that the intelligence community was becoming more sensitive to Islam. [WorldTribune/9June2008] 

MI5 Chief Speaks Out of Terror Law Row. The head of MI5 has made a rare public statement to speak about Gordon Brown's plan to raise the limit on detaining terror suspects to 42 days. Jonathan Evans, the director general of the Security Service, has insisted that his agency neither supports nor opposes the Prime Minister's plan, which faces a knife-edge Commons vote on the issue.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, admitted at the weekend that MI5 had not recommended the 42-day plan. That has led to some speculation that the Security Service, which monitors domestic terrorist threats, was privately opposed to the move.

The terror law plan has been opposed by civil liberties groups, opposition parties and a significant number of Labour MPs. Those opponents have now been joined by Scotland's chief law officer. Eilish Angiolini, the Lord Advocate, said she is not aware of any case where an extension of the period beyond 28 days would have been required. 

The Prime Minister faces a legal challenge to his plans even if he gets the controversial legislation through the Commons. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) warned it would seek judicial review if the 42-day extension was passed. The Government's new super-equalities watchdog has obtained legal advice which states that "there is little evidential basis for the alleged necessity of the scheme."  [Kirkup&Porter/Telegraph/10June2008]

Asian Gains Seen in Terror Fight. The deadliest terrorist networks in Southeast Asia have suffered significant setbacks in the past three years, weakened by aggressive policing, improved intelligence, enhanced military operations and an erosion of public support, government officials and counterterrorism specialists say.

Three years after the region's last major strike - the attacks on three restaurants in Bali that killed three suicide bombers and 19 other people - American and Asian intelligence analysts say financial and logistical support from Al Qaeda to other groups in the region has long dried up, and the most lethal are scrambling for survival.

Indonesia and the Philippines, which have faced the most serious terrorist threat in the region, have taken sharply different approaches to combat it. Each has achieved some success, offering lessons to American and allied counterterrorism efforts worldwide. 

Senior American officials, government authorities in the region and counterterrorism specialists say that the most serious threats are on the wane - in contrast to American intelligence assessments that Al Qaeda in the Pakistani tribal areas is resurgent and that regional affiliates like Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb are gaining strength.

The United States and Australia, in particular, have played major roles in helping Southeast Asian countries combat terrorist threats in the region.

More than 500 American personnel, including experts from the military Special Operations Forces, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Agency for International Development, are training and working with Philippine counterterrorism forces from a base in Zamboanga, a city in Mindanao.

The Pentagon recently awarded the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia a total of $27 million in coastal surveillance stations equipped with special radar, heat-detecting cameras and computers to help disrupt terrorists plying the Sulawesi sea lanes, according to documents sent to Congress. The Philippines also received nearly $6 million in night-vision goggles, body armor, helmets and radios.

In Indonesia, the Australian police provided sophisticated electronic surveillance capabilities that allowed local security forces to locate within days several militants who carried out an even deadlier bombing in Bali in 2002. The Australians are still helping the Indonesian police monitor telephone traffic, and, along with American officials, have helped train Indonesian lawyers, prosecutors and judges.

In contrast to the Philippines, where the United States is backing a more militarized approach, Indonesia has taken a different tack, in which terrorist suspects are treated well and encouraged to defect or to share information.

Indonesia explains that its friendly handling of detainees will make its government seem less of an enemy of Islam. The Indonesian police are skillful interrogators, their Western counterparts say, and there have been no credible reports of torture being used in Indonesia to break the rings or win the prosecutions.

At the same time, the Indonesian government has been sentencing some prominent captives to long prison terms. Zarkasih, who uses one name and is believed to have been the leader of Jemaah Islamiyah from 2005 until his arrest last year, was sentenced in April to 15 years in prison. Abu Dujana, a deputy who led the group's military arm and was also arrested last year, was also sentenced to 15 years.

Azhari Husin, one of the most feared bomb makers in Asia, was killed by Indonesia's elite antiterrorism unit in 2005, but his second in command, Noordin Top, is still at large, American intelligence officials said.

In the Philippines, the government and the Pentagon say that the threat of the Abu Sayyaf has substantially diminished over the past few years, noting that several of the group's top officers, including its leader, Khaddfy Janjanlani, have been killed and its ranks have dwindled to about 200 from more than 1,000 in 2001, according to terrorism experts.

But there are clear indications the group can still do damage. In the attack on the Philippine air base on May 29, a cellphone-detonated bomb was apparently concealed in a bag belonging to a civilian commuter waiting to hitch a ride on a C-130 cargo plane outside Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga, police officials said.

The Philippine government blamed Abu Sayyaf as well as elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a separatist group that has been fighting for an Islamic state in Mindanao for decades and that has been involved in peace talks with Manila.

It was not the first time that the Front had been accused of colluding with Abu Sayyaf. In the past, accusations that it had helped the group, as well as Jemaah Islamiyah, had threatened the peace negotiations, with the Front remaining adamant that it had nothing to do with these terrorists. It had said it would withdraw from the negotiations if the government continued its accusations.

An American-supported "civil action" campaign in the Philippines, involving building infrastructure for social services in communities and financing medical missions, has gained some praise. But in general, the government's campaign against Abu Sayyaf has been dominated by a heavy military approach that is often seen as broadly categorizing all Muslims together as a threat, which terror experts and analysts fear could backfire.

Lumping the Islamic Front with Abu Sayyaf will inflame those Filipino Muslims who are seeking self-determination through a peace effort, and make it harder for the Front to cooperate in fighting terrorism, said Abhoud Syed Lingga, the executive director of the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies, a research organization on Islamic issues in Cotabato City, in Mindanao. [Schmidt/NewYorkTimes/9June2008] 

Section III - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE  

Russian "Merchant of Death" Still Held in Thailand. For more than a decade and a half, Viktor Bout has been fueling the most savage wars and terrorist operations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East with guns, bombs, tanks, missiles, and munitions. Notorious as the "Merchant of Death," his scores of Russian cargo planes have ferried untold tons of armaments from Russia and Ukraine to bloody conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, the Philippines, Afghanistan, and the Balkans. Sometimes Bout has armed both sides (or multiple sides) in these frequently genocidal rampages, operating through a constantly changing array of shell companies based in Russia and the United Arab Emirates. He is said to be the "inspiration" for the arms dealer portrayed by Nicolas Cage in the 2005 film Lord of War.

On March 6, Viktor Bout was arrested by Thai police in Bangkok, in a sting operation set up by U.S. DEA agents. An indictment announced by the U.S. Justice Department on May 6 charges Bout with conspiring to kill Americans and conspiring to sell missiles, arms, and munitions to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a communist narco-terror group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who for years provided sanctuary to Bout, reportedly has been putting pressure on Thailand not to honor the United States' extradition request for Bout. And according to a March 14 report by Bill Gertz in the Washington Times, "Russia's government is quietly seeking [U.S.] State Department help in pressuring Thailand authorities into releasing arms dealer Viktor Bout from custody." Putin's reason for doing so is transparent: exposure of Bout's key role in supplying Moscow's ongoing global terror network would clearly undermine the carefully contrived image of Russia as our indispensable "partner" in the war on terror. Bout, who often is referred to in media accounts as a "Russian businessman" and a "former Soviet military officer," is almost certainly an officer of the Russian GRU (military intelligence) and/or the KGB-FSB, as has been reported by intelligence analysts over the years. [TheNewAmerican/10June2008] 

Section IV - COMMENTARY

Get Rid of Duplicate Government 'Intelligence', by Harry Jones.  Every once in a while, someone puts something into print that is so obvious that you wonder why it hadn't been said publicly before.

James Bamford, author of "The Puzzle Palace" and "Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency," does that in the June issue of Harper's. In the current confusion of U.S. intelligence work, cluttered by failures, contradictions, and memoirs of George Tenet, he states a solution so perfect in its clarity that it is hard to look away. He argues that we should reinstate the office of the director of Central Intelligence and abolish the director of National Intelligence. My last job at the State Department was liaison to the CIA, and I would polish Bamford's gem of an idea by adding the subject of money.

Money is power in Washington. Congressional appropriations and authorization committees have enormous power because they control funding. The "problem" of intelligence, if that is the right word, is that, in the past, we had an intelligence "czar," the director of Central Intelligence, who did not control the intelligence budget.

Most of this budget goes to the Department of Defense, since most agencies in what is called the U.S. intelligence community are part of Defense - most obviously the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the intelligence departments of each military service. Outside of Defense, there is the CIA, the relatively small but good Bureau of Intelligence and Research at State, parts of the FBI, Treasury, and Energy.

In theory, the director of Central Intelligence decided how the money was to be used and what intelligence work was to be done. In practice, Defense pretty much did as it pleased, adding most of the intelligence budget to the hundreds of billions it gets in its own budget. Beyond that, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld created yet another intelligence office in the Pentagon to produce findings more to its liking, which Bamford believes encourages military actions.

Meanwhile, the government's solution to our perceived intelligence problems was to create a new bureaucracy over all existing agencies, including the CIA but, again, deny it power over the intelligence budget.

Thus, the new intelligence "czar" is just as powerless as the old. The office of the director of National Intelligence exists by taking personnel and offices from existing agencies - sometimes renaming the offices and taking credit for "new" intelligence accomplishments - while burdening the agencies beneath it with endless requests for briefings and support for meetings and trips. It occupies vast amounts of space in other agencies, and its requests for money and more personnel are incessant.

Although many people have gotten absurdly quick promotions to senior levels by transferring to the top-heavy office of the director of National Intelligence, morale does not seem high. Nor is it especially high at the CIA, where a corps of elite professionals seemingly takes the blame for every foreign-policy failure of the past six years. To add to the confusion, the entire system seems to be going military, with a retired admiral as director of National Intelligence and a four-star Air Force general as director of the CIA.

How can this be fixed? Abolish the office of the director of National Intelligence and the office of the undersecretary of Defense for intelligence; reinstitute the director of Central Intelligence as the ultimate intelligence authority; and give the office control over the intelligence budget. Millions will be saved overnight, as well as the funding for large and lavish new office space planned for the director of National Intelligence.

As Bamford writes, the first step to avoiding costly and unnecessary military operations "will be shifting the center of gravity away from the Pentagon and back to the CIA. This would by no means eliminate all of the problems that have plagued the intelligence community over the course of the Bush administration. But the country would at least face fewer wars, its intelligence would be more independent and less biased toward the military, and the CIA chief would again reign over the community, eliminating a thick Defense Department layer of bureaucracy."

CIA Director Michael Hayden may be a military man, but he is an experienced intelligence officer and a good manager, possibly the best CIA director in many years. As for the office of the director of National Intelligence? Believe me, no one will miss it.

Harry Jones is a retired diplomat who lives in Fredericksburg. He is an adviser to the CIA. [jones/fredericksburg.com/8june2008]

Section V - ANNOUNCEMENTS, CAREERS, OBITUARIES AND COMING EVENTS

Announcements

"Intelligence Failures and Cultural Misperceptions: Asia, 1945 till the present" - Conference organised by the Netherlands Intelligence Studies Association (NISA) and the Centre for Terrorism and Counterterrorism (CTC), Leyden University, Campus The Hague - 26-27 September 2008
Netherlands Defence College
Brasserskade 227a, 2497 NX The Hague

With the organisation of this conference, NISA and CTC wish to contribute to the discussion on intelligence failures and cultural misperceptions in Asia, with a focus on counterinsurgency and counterterrorism. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have clearly shown the shortcomings of intelligence collection and analysis on the part of the United States and its allies. Quite a few of these shortcomings are the result of cultural misperceptions. For western intelligence agencies, Asia is a continent they often find difficult to understand, with in many cases serious consequences. Presentations at this conference will discuss the following topics, among others: counterinsurgency and counterterrorism campaigns in Asia during the Cold War; western perceptions of particular countries in the region and their influence on intelligence operations; the limitations of intelligence in the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Conference Fee: Standard Fee: � 125 Student Fee: � 65 (proof of status required)
Fee covers registration and meals.
For registration, payment in advance is required by transferring the amount to: bank account number 725980 of Stichting Inlichtingenstudies Nederland Amsterdam
IBAN: NL16PSTB0000725980
BIC: PSTBNL21
To Register:
For registration please use the electronic form at www.nisa-intelligence.nl
When unable to register electronically, download the form and send your application to: 
Dr. Ben de Jong
University of Amsterdam
P.C. Hoofthuis
Spuistraat 134, room 650
1012 VB Amsterdam
Email: b.m.dejong@uva.nl
Phone: (0)20-5252268 (work);
(0)20-6443200 (home).

SCIP Chapter Events:  The Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP) has a number of upcoming chapter events. Please visit their website at www.scip.org for more information.

Careers

ISR Assessments Analyst: McMunn Associates, Inc. has an immediate requirement for a senior analyst to assist in the development of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR); and Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (PED) assessments in support of the Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) and the OPNAV Staff. Successful candidate will serve as a scenario developer and Research, ISR, and PED Subject Matter Expert. Interfacing extensively with OPNAV, Fleet, and Intelligence Community personnel, you will develop realistic scenarios representing a variety of Major Combatant Operations (MCO), Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), and Irregular Warfare evolutions that require robust Navy ISR support for operational success. You will then work with a Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis Team to model the scenarios against future ISR systems in order to assess the Measures of Performance and Effectiveness (MOP/MOE) of those systems against the scenario. As required, you will also thoroughly evaluate PED issues associated with select evolutions. PED architectures will similarly be addressed and modeled when required. Finally, you will capture assessment results in comprehensive briefings and written products that will be provided to senior decision makers in order to support decisions effecting Navy ISR procurement and associated PED modifications. 

Desired Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 
* Current TS/SCI clearance with the U.S. Government.
* Absolute minimum of 15 years recent ISR experience as demonstrated by service as a civilian or military intelligence officer or senior non-commissioned officer (E-8/E-9) with intelligence NEC/MOS.
* Extensive all-source analytical and collection management experience. 
* Deep understanding of current/future National, Theater, and Tactical ISR platforms, their capabilities, limitations, and employment - particularly in a maritime environment.
* Fluency in all-source Processing, Exploitation, & Dissemination architectures, particularly as they relate to executing Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) missions.
* Familiarity with modeling, simulation, and analysis techniques.
* Demonstrated ability to apply advanced analytical concepts and methodologies.
* Expert ability to develop and present briefings regarding complex assessment findings/analysis.
* Ability to work both independently and with groups; under pressure, with abbreviated time-lines, and with rapidly evolving priorities.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 

* Understanding of Navy Assessment/Procurement processes.
* Detailed understanding and hands-on experience with Navy modeling, simulation, and analysis techniques.
* Bachelor's/Master's degree

Geographic Location: San Diego, CA
Job Location: On-site in Government facility
Work Schedule: Full-time position; normal working hours
Salary Range: Highly competitive total compensation package. Salary negotiable based on experience and qualifications. 
Travel Requirement: Up to maximum of 25% (defined as 25% of your time traveling) to coordinate scenario development efforts
POC is Molly Ryan, mryan@mcmunn-associates, Inc or 703-481-6100 ext. 103

Obituaries  

Mary A. George. Mary Atkinson George, 71, who lived the life of a diplomat's wife during the Cold War era and who was known for her entertaining and ability to cope under difficult circumstances, died May 31 at Sibley Memorial Hospital of complications from surgery.

Three years after joining the Central Intelligence Agency in 1957, she married Clair E. George, an early recruit to the agency. She left the CIA to accompany him to posts in the U.S. embassies in Paris; Bamako, Mali; and New Delhi.

While briefly living in Beirut in 1975, she and her two young daughters were airlifted out at the beginning of the Lebanese civil war. Her final overseas post with her husband was in Athens, where he replaced assassinated CIA station chief Richard Welch.

Mrs. George knew how to establish households in dangerous circumstances, which made her a valued resource to other State Department and CIA families, her husband said.

"She had some rough patches," he said, "but she took to" the life of a diplomat's spouse. 

"She was the consummate diplomat's wife in a different era, when the wife's job was to be gracious and to entertain," said a daughter, Leslie George Miranda.

Mrs. George, known for her energetic personality and deep laughter, enjoyed entertaining. In a February Forbes magazine article, columnist James Brady recalled Cold War days in Paris with the Georges.

"He and Mary George in Paris regularly served cocktails to Iron Curtain and African diplomats, organized a New York black-tie party for a score of us at a local bistro, where we all danced and sang and tossed party favors at midnight," Brady wrote.

Mrs. George was born in Charlottesville and graduated from the Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Del., and Centenary College in New Jersey.

She was active in the Chevy Chase Club and charitable organizations. Her two favorite hobbies were bridge and tennis.

Mrs. George also loved dancing and could do styles as varied as ballroom dancing and the jitterbug.

Survivors, in addition to her daughter, of the District, and her husband of 48 years, of Bethesda; include another daughter, Ann George Davies of Wayne, Pa.; a brother; and three grandchildren. [Lamb/washingtonpost/13June2008] 

James F. Hyland. Master Sergeant (Ret.) James Francis Hyland, 86, of Nassau Lake, died after a brief illness June 12, 2008 at the Hospice Inn at St. Peter's. 

James was dedicated to his country and to military service. He served for 36 years, first as an underage member of the 113th Infantry, 44th Infantry Division and New Jersey National Guard. He enlisted in the U.S. Army September of 1939 and served in the Infantry, Artillery, Armor and Special Forces (ABN). He was a Naval Air crewman, aerial photo image interpreter, military parachutist, operations and intelligence specialist and an intelligence analyst. James was present on December 22, 1937 as a member of the New Jersey National Guard when the first tube of the Lincoln Tunnel (N.J.) was opened. He was a member of the U.S. Army security detail when President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated his library at Hyde Park, N.Y. While stationed at Ft. Shafter, some weeks prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he was a member of a small U.S. Army detachment assigned the "classified" mission to help locate the Japanese Imperial Fleet known to be on the move. Then on December 7, 1941, he and a buddy stood on the edge of Pearl Harbor virtually helpless, except for their 1903 standard issue Springfield rifles, as they witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

At the time of his death, James was working on a memoir, "Kids from South Chelsea." 

James was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a member of the Tibbets Cadets, a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers/NE and the American Legion Post 8162. Upon retiring from the Watevliet Arsenal, James became a volunteer at the Watervliet Arsenal Museum and then president of the WVA Historical Society. 

James is survived by his wife of 64 years, G. Vivian (Vi) (Bolster); by his three devoted children, Lynn M. Hyland of Albany, N.Y., Janis L. Hyland of Rochester, N.Y. and Ted Francis Hyland of Albany; by his grandson, Tyler M. Hyland of Schodack; two sisters, Betty J. Damron and Ann M. Collins, both of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and one brother, Robert E. Hyland of East Hampton, L.I., N.Y.; and many nieces and nephews; as well as lifelong friends of the family, including Tyler's mom, Sue Hyland. [AlbanyTimesUnion/13June2008] 

COMING EVENTS

EVENTS IN COMING TWO MONTHS....

Wednesday, 18 June 2008, 11:30 a.m. - Phoenix, AZ - AFIO Phoenix luncheon features Victor Ostrovsky, 'former Mossad' officer -- yes or no?  Victor Ostrovsky (born in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian-born Israel-raised former Mossad officer and author of 2 nonfiction books on Mossad and two fictional spy novels.
Ostrovsky was raised in Israel and joined the Israeli Defense Forces just before turning eighteen. By the time he was recruited to the Mossad, Ostrovsky was a Lieutenant commander in charge of the Navy weapon testing department. >From 1982 to 1984 he was a cadet in the Mossad academy and a collections officer (katsa) from October 1984 to March 1986.
In 1990, he published By Way of Deception, his account of his time in the Mossad. Ostrovsky refused to use a pen name, stating that if he wanted to hide, he wouldn�t have written the book, which he believed was a necessary act to stop corruption within the agency.
Some critics, such as Benny Morris and author David Wise have charged that the book is essentially a novel written by a professional novelist, and that a junior employee would never have learned so many operational secrets. Some view these allegations as ill-informed speculation by outsiders. It is expected, that intelligence organizations practice strict compartmentalization of confidential, or secretive information. Rather, Ostrovsky holds in his two non-fiction books, that the Mossad consists of a very small number of case officers, who freely share information with one another. Furthermore, he claims that while at headquarters, he had liberal access to the computer system, which is not compartmentalized for "katsas".
Ostrovsky was credited as being a Mossad case officer by the Israeli government through failed, possibly inept, attempts in the Canadian and the U.S. courts to stop the publication of his book, which may have enhanced his reputation and his book's sales. According to Ostrovsky, the book pointed out mistakes and unnecessarily malicious intent in Mossad operations. And by referring to Mossad officers only by their first name and agents by code names, Ostrovsky maintains he never placed anyone in danger.
Many of Ostrovsky's claims have not been verified from other sources, nor have they been refuted. Arguments continue to rage over the credibility of his accounts.
We hope we will see many of you, and please note that this will be our last meeting of the season. We will start again in September.
Location: Hilton Garden Inn in Phoenix, (One block West of Central Avenue on Clarendon and one block South of Indian School Road). Do not miss this exciting program.
For reservations or concerns, please email Simone at sl@4smartphone.net or call 480.368.0374

23 - 25 June 2008 - Monterey, CA - The International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE) hosts 4th Annual Conference. The conference takes place at the Naval Postgraduate School. The event is sponsored by Lockheed Martin. The theme: Creating Intelligence Studies Education Programs and Academic Standards." Speakers will include: Richards Heuer, Maureen Baginski, Joe Finder, Amy Zegart, Guillermo Holtzmann, and Ernest May. Fee: $400. Checks to IAFIE Conference, POB 10508, Erie, PA 16514. Or email register@iafie.org.

26 June 2008 � San Francisco, CA � The AFIO Jim Quesada Chapter hosts Robert J. Heibel, former FBI Deputy Chief of Counterterrorism and current Executive Director of the Mercyhurst College Institute for Intelligence Studies. Mr. Heibel�s presentation will cover second careers after retirement from the intelligence community, particularly in education, and the impact a person can have. He will use the unique Intelligence Studies program at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA as an example. 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 meat or fish) no later than 5PM 6/15/08: mariko@cataphora.com, (650) 743-2873.

26 June 2008, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm - Boston, MA - CIRA New England Chapter Summer Luncheon Meeting at the Hampshire House on Beacon St. See www.hampshirehouse.com Guest speaker, Albert Lefebvre, Esq. former US agent inserted behind both French and Viet Minh lines in French-Indochina War. Open to CIA retirees and spouses. For more info contact Dick Gay, VP CIRA/NE at raguay@roadrunner.com Tel 207-374-2169

28 June 08 - Kennebunk, ME. The Maine Chapter of AFIO will host Tyler Drumheller speaking on "Intelligence Reform and the Future of Intelligence" at the June meeting. Drumheller retired from CIA in 2005 after a long career as an intelligence officer. During his career he served in Western Europe and Africa. Among positions held was senior operations officer for Western Europe and four years in Vienna as Chief of Clandestine Operations for Europe. Drumheller is also author of a forthcoming book on the outlook for intelligence. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at 2:00 p.m. at the Kennebunk Free Library, 112 Main Street, Kennebunk. For information contact David Austin at 207 -364-8964 or email Lcda@midmaine.com.

Monday, 21 July 2008, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC - "Hot Topics, The FBI at 100: Beyond the Turf Wars" at the Spy Museum.
In 1970, J. Edgar Hoover cabled FBI field offices �to discontinue all contact with the local CIA office.�  But twenty years later a new era of collegiality began with the Ames case.  Former DCI George Tenet considered this to be �the jumping-off point in taking cooperation between the FBI and CIA seriously.�  Join two intelligence insiders as they discuss the murky truth and myth of Agency-Bureau relations�past, present, and future.  In 1974, Ray Batvinis was assigned to the new untested role of Washington Field Office liaison with the local CIA base.  As liaison, and throughout his 25 year FBI career, Batvinis worked closely with the CIA in joint counterintelligence training at FBI headquarters and in the field, and on a wide variety of specialized case management issues.  He is joined by Burton Gerber, a 39-year veteran of the CIA, where he served as chief of station in three Communist nations and led the Agency's Soviet and European operations for eight years.  He is currently a Professor in the Practice of Intelligence at the Georgetown University Center for Peace and Security Studies.  The perspective of these experts will reveal the truth behind the turf wars. Tickets: $15; Advance Registration required. Tickets are non-refundable and do not include admission to the International Spy Museum. To register, call 202-393-7798; order online at www.spymuseum.org or in person at the International Spy Museum.

25 July 2008, 10:30 am to 2 pm - Tysons Corner, VA - AFIO National SUMMER Luncheon
Frances Fragos Townsend, former White House Assistant, Homeland Security/Counterterrorism, current member of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board [PIAB], speaking on Current and Emerging Threats. Morning speaker is Robert W. Wallace, former Director of CIA's Office of Technical Service author of SPYCRAFT: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda.

Ms. Townsend served as Assistant to President George W. Bush for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and chaired the Homeland Security Council from May 2004 until January 2008.  She previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism from May 2003 to May 2004. Ms. Townsend is currently providing consulting services and advice to corporate entities on Global Strategic Engagement and Risk as well as Crisis and Contingency planning. Ms. Townsend is a Contributor for CNN and has regularly appeared on network and cable television as a counterterrorism, national and homeland security expert. She has received numerous awards for her public service accomplishments. Ms. Townsend is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the President�s Intelligence Advisory Board. Mr. Wallace, a 32-year CIA veteran, served as Deputy Director and Director of the CIA's Office of Technical Service and directed the office's global response to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States.

Thursday, 31 July 2008, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC - "Elite Surveillance Team" at the Spy Museum.
Can you spot an enemy spy or elude hostile surveillance? At the International Spy Museum Elite Surveillance Team (SPY/EST) under the leadership of former CIA officer Tony Mendez, you'll learn how to establish your own surveillance zone, design surveillance detection runs (SDRs), and then work with and against your teammates to test your skills. SPY/EST will meet at least quarterly and then work together as a team to further develop and perfect a surveillance zone and their own SDRs using the guidelines prepared by Mendez for training actual intelligence agents. Tickets: $180; Advance Registration required. Tickets are non-refundable and do not include admission to the International Spy Museum. *Includes four meetings with Mendez within membership year and guidelines on developing Surveillance Detection Runs. To register, call 202-654-0932 or email kray@spymuseum.org.

Thursday, 14 August 2008, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC - "Spies on Screen: Rendezvous" - David Kahn at the Spy Museum.
The 1935 film, Rendezvous, stars William Powell, a Washington, DC newspaperman turned code breaker during World War I. In his attempts to find a stolen code book, he must handle a ring of German spies, an assassination, and an attractive military mistress with sinister intentions. After the film, David Kahn, a leading expert in the history of cryptology and author of The Codebreakers, will discuss the historical basis for this romanticized account of high states WW I code-breaking. Tickets: $15; Advance Registration required. Tickets are non-refundable and do not include admission to the International Spy Museum. To register, call 202.393.7798; order online at http://www.spymuseum.org. 

Sunday, 17 August 2008, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm - Summit Point, WV - "Drive To Survive: Anti Terrorist Driver Training" at BSR, 2026 Summit Point Rd., Summit Point, WV 25446.
For over thirty years BSR has trained the people whose lives depend on top-notch evasive driving - from hostage rescue personnel to counterterrorist units. As the recognized leader in vehicle anti-terrorist training for military and governmental application worldwide, BSR has developed a state-of-the-art program. Now they have custom-designed an exclusive one-day opportunity for SPY highlighting the best of their longer courses. The BSR Shenandoah Valley training center has acres of paved and dirt road circuits, skid pads, an off-road training arena, and instructors who have firsthand experience driving for their lives. Tickets: $1,200 (includes 6% WV sales tax); Advance Registration required. Phone registration only for this program, call 202.654.0932.

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 200, McLean, VA 22101. Voice: (703) 790-0320; Fax: (703) 991-1278; Email: afio@afio.com

Click here to return to top.