AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes #39-08 dated 6 October 2008

Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS

British Intelligence Agency MI6 Launches Recruitment Drive on Facebook. In a bid to recruit the next generation of spies, UK's Secret Intelligence Service MI6 has launched a series of online adverts on the social networking website Facebook.

The advertisements are aimed at attracting potential spies from all kinds of backgrounds.

While the intelligence agency had traditionally been recruiting members from the country's elite universities, this time it has targeted the popular social networking site.

MI6, which recruited students from leading universities up to 2006, had been trying to reach the common people via newspaper and radio adverts since then.

And now, the spy agency claims that it wants its officers to "reflect the society" they serve.

Its adverts on Facebook have already generated a lot of interest.

MI6 has launched three adverts, which pop up when users of the social networking site contact one another.

One of the adverts, aimed at those with a university background, reads: "Graduates of all ages can develop long-term careers as operational officers, collecting and analyzing global intelligence."

There is another ad that targets people who are bored with their jobs, reading: "Time for a career change? MI6 can use your skills. Join us as an operational officer collecting and analysing global intelligence to protect the UK."

And the third advert offers potential applicants a powerful place in global history.

It says: "A career in world events? Help influence world events, protect the UK. Operational officer roles collecting and analysing global intelligence." (ANI)  [ThaIndian/28September2008] 

Nigerian Government Drops Espionage Charges. The Nigerian government has withdrawn espionage charges against American/Nigerian Judith Asuni and others.

Two Germans, Florian Orpitz (35) and Andy Lehmann (26), and a Nigerian, Danjuma Sa'idu, were charged along with Asuni by the government on an allegation of spying on Nigeria.

Director of Public Prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Salihu Aliyu, told newsmen that the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), Michael Aondoakaa, gave a go-ahead for the withdrawal of the charges.

In the charge, the defendants were alleged to have conspired to commit felony and entered the vicinity of protected places in Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt for a purpose prejudicial to the security of the country.

They were also alleged to have taken photographs of things situated in the protected places, contrary to the Official Secrets Act.

Specifically, they were alleged to have taken photographs and video shots of pipelines, refineries, petroleum installations, ships and other things situated in the protected places.  [LeadershipNigeria/28September2008] 

Study Says Russian Espionage Activities Focus o Political Information. A report by Matti Lauha, commissioned by the Finnish Security Police (SUPO) states that Russian foreign intelligence still concentrates on politics and military secrets in its espionage activities. It does not focus on advancing Russia's economic interests, as has previously been assumed.

According to Lauha's report, the main goals of Russian espionage activities around the world are strategic, rather than being economically motivated. Foreign policy decision-making machinery, the armed forces, and other security forces are the primary targets in Europe as well as in the United States, the report establishes.

Even in the realm of economic and technological espionage Russia seeks to gain information on inventions related to military technology, and on economic decision-making.

The main geographic targets of Russia's espionage are the countries on its western border, plus the United States and Canada, and within Asia Japan is a particular focus. 

As cover, Russia mostly uses its embassies, consulates, and other establishments that provide diplomatic immunity. Typical cover professions for Russian spies are researcher, reporter, or businessman. [HelsinginSanomat/1October2008] 

Ex-CIA Man Casts Doubt on Hmong Trial. A former CIA operative who advised a venerable Hmong leader, General Vang Pao, on a plan to put military pressure on Laos is expressing doubts that the aging general played a role in a plot against the Laotian regime, as American prosecutors alleged in an indictment last year.

Michael Spak, an ex-CIA officer, told the New York Sun General Pao is an "old man" and "not full of piss and vinegar."

Mr. Spak said his meeting with General Vang Pao in January 2004 lasted three or four hours and involved presenting the general with a plan to set up a "military wing" that would press the Laotian government to stop massacring and hunting members of the Hmong tribes. 

Mr. Spak said the general was thankful for the suggestions but indicated he wasn't interested in a military campaign. 

Despite the tepid response, Mr. Spak, who says he retired in 1996 after 15 years as a CIA operations officer, said he decided to run the idea of some use of force past a colleague to gauge the agency's interest. He said he never got back to the general and never got anything more than a thank-you note from one of the general's aides.

Last year, General Vang Pao and 10 other men were indicted in federal court in Sacramento after an undercover sting operation allegedly snared them seeking missiles and explosives to carry out a coup in Laos. They face firearms and terrorism-related charges, as well a charge of violating the Neutrality Act by seeking to overthrow a country at peace with America. No trial is expected before next year.

A spokesman for the CIA, Paul Gimigliano, said yesterday that the Justice Department was correct to deny any participation by the CIA in the alleged plot against the Laotian regime. He said he could not immediately confirm or deny Mr. Spak's claimed role at the agency.

Mr. Spak said he got a call in June from the CIA's Office of General Counsel asking for the name of the CIA official he contacted after the 2004 meeting. Mr. Spak said he told the attorney he'd be happy to give the name, but only in the presence of the prosecution and the defense. The CIA lawyer said that wasn't feasible.

Mr. Spak stressed that his idea was to put military pressure on the Laotian government, not to topple it. The ex-CIA officer said he does not believe the agency played a role in the plot allegedly broken up last year, but that officials may have been too hasty and too sweeping in their denials. [Gerstein/NewYorkSun/29September2008] 

Pakistan Changes ISI Chief. Pakistan has appointed a new chief for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Directorate, months after U.S. officials had questioned the reliability of the military's premier spy agency in the war against terrorism. A military statement announced a major overhaul of Pakistan's top brass by army chief General Ashfaq Kayani.

The reshuffle will be closely scrutinized by the intelligence community in the United States and neighbors in the region.

Lieutenant-General Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, formerly head of military operations, has been appointed Director-General of the ISI, replacing Lieutenant-General Nadeem Taj.

Kayani, who had been ISI chief until a year ago, also replaced four of the nine corps commanders and appointed a new chief of general staff.

Often referred to by critics as a "state within a state", the ISI is feared by neighboring Afghanistan and India, as well as Pakistan's civilian politicians whose governments have been overthrown by military coups.

The ISI helped the United States eliminate hundreds of al Qaeda fighters after the 2001 attacks on U.S. cities. But U.S. officials suspect that some Pakistani agents still view the Afghan Taliban and some jihadi groups as long term assets to gain leverage in Afghanistan and Indian Kashmir.

U.S. fears that the ISI might be playing a double-game came to a head after a suicide bomber killed 58 people outside India's embassy in Kabul in July.

The United States has privately urged Pakistan's six-month-old civilian government to exert more control over the ISI, according to officials who requested anonymity.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's government made a botched attempt to bring the ISI under the ambit of the Interior Ministry in July, but backed off to avoid a backlash within the army. [Cameron-Moore/Reuters/30September2008] 

Former CIA Executive Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Government. The former No. 3 official at the CIA pleaded guilty to defrauding the government, closing an investigation that linked the nation's preeminent spy service to the corruption scandal involving former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

In admitting that he abused his rank to steer lucrative contracts to cronies, Kyle Dustin "Dusty" Foggo, the agency's onetime executive director, became one of the highest-ranking officials in CIA history to be convicted of criminal charges.

But the deal also involved major concessions from prosecutors, who allowed Foggo to admit guilt to a single fraud charge, wiping out 27 additional counts that included money laundering and conspiracy. Foggo, 53, faces up to 20 years in custody and a $250,000 fine, but prosecutors indicated that they would recommend he serve no more than 37 months.

Foggo, who served as a procurement officer in Germany before being named to manage most of the agency's day-to-day operations, was accused of directing millions of dollars in business to a longtime friend, Brent Wilkes, who is serving a 12-year sentence after being convicted of bribing Cunningham.

Prosecutors said Foggo and Cunningham helped steer an estimated $100 million in contracts to Wilkes' firms. Cunningham, a Republican from Rancho Santa Fe, is serving eight years in prison after pleading guilty in 2005 to taking $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors and evading more than $1 million in taxes.

Foggo admitted to allowing Wilkes to conceal their close relationship by using shell companies and false cover stories to obscure Wilkes' interest in the CIA contracts, they said. In one instance, Foggo was accused of helping Wilkes win a $3-million contract to supply bottled water to CIA personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Prosecutors said that in addition to the promise of a lucrative job, Foggo received lavish gifts from Wilkes, including meals, private jet flights, a Hawaiian vacation and a weeklong stay valued at $44,000 at a Scottish castle.

Many in the agency were stunned when Goss selected Foggo for the agency's third-ranking position. Foggo had never served as a case officer or an analyst - the jobs that typically garner the most respect within the CIA. But as a procurement officer at a secret CIA post in Frankfurt, Germany, he was in a position to cultivate contacts with members of Congress and other influential officials who visited during overseas trips to war zones. Goss had served as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee before being named CIA director. [Miller/LATimes/30September2008] 

South African Commission Calls for Debate on Intelligence. There is not enough debate on intelligence issues in South Africa, according to a special ministerial review commission.

"This is not a healthy state of affairs in a democracy," it said in a statement accompanying the official release of its 303-page report on intelligence policy.

"Parliament, government and civil society groups should take steps to raise awareness and facilitate discussion on intelligence."

The commission's remarks come in the wake of a reported attempt by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) last week to block the document's release into the public domain. [IOL/30September2008] 

Tech, Florida Professors Model Spy Plane After Prehistoric Reptile. A prehistoric flying reptile from South America may take to the skies again, resurrected as a robotic spy plane.

Texas Tech paleontologist Sankar Chatterjee and University of Florida aeronautical engineer Rick Lind have designed a military drone after a Brazilian pterodactyl called the Tapejara wellnhoferi. The flying dinosaur, about the size of a Canada goose, had a large, thin rudder-like sail on its head that functioned as a sensory organ, Chatterjee has found.

Using a similar sensory rudder, Chatterjee and Lind's 30-inch drone will hopefully be able to fly over combat zones and collect information to send to military commanders.

It's the first dinosaur-inspired aircraft, according to its creators.

Lind and other University of Florida professors are currently designing an unmanned aerial vehicle inspired by hummingbirds, he said. There's a demand for drones as small as 3 inches, Lind said. Some engineers have turned to insects for inspiration, Chatterjee said.

A team of students from the University of Florida will begin building the aircraft this fall and should be done in about four months, Lind said.

The Department of Defense is currently reviewing Chatterjee and Lind's design.  [Hartz/LubbockOnline/2October2008] 

Neuroscience Wake-Up Call. Iran and China are developing the ability to use sophisticated neuroscience, while U.S. intelligence officials find themselves ill prepared to monitor scientific advances that could threaten U.S. interests, a new report commissioned by the Pentagon says. The report for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) calls on U.S. intelligence officials to closely monitor global advances in neuroscience.

Although a handful of emerging nations are said by experts to be gaining capacity to conduct neuroscience research, the study by 16 scientists under the auspices of the National Research Council (NRC), a nonprofit institution that provides advice on science and technology, focuses on just two.

The panel searched for evidence of research into cognitive neuroscience and biotechnology, specifically for military uses, for both countries.

Though the report paints China and Iran as rising science powers in fields such as biotechnology, it offers no evidence that either is currently steering neuroscience work to military ends.

Nonetheless, many experts see the report as a wake-up call for U.S. intelligence.

"Technological advancements in specific fields of neuroscience have implications for U.S. national security and should therefore be monitored consistently by the intelligence community," the scientists write.

The report looks at trends during the next two decades, but experts say the global neuroscience race has heated up, with about 500 global companies trying to develop brain-targeting drugs and devices, according to NeuroInsights, an industry group.

Like biotechnology, neuroscience and neurotechnology - the engineering of devices and drugs targeting the brain and nervous system - have therapeutic and military uses. Officials with the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency openly talk of next-generation wish lists that include pills that decrease fear or enhance cognition in soldiers and devices that connect human thoughts with devices such as prosthetic limbs and unmanned aircraft.

Meanwhile, such nations as India, Brazil, China and Iran are increasing their capabilities in fields related to neuroscience - a fact that worries U.S. intelligence officials concerned with threats involving "neuroweapons" that act on the brain and nervous system.

The NRC panel, consisting of 16 scientists given classified and unclassified briefings from about two-dozen U.S. institutions doing neuroscience, looked abroad for emerging science threats.

The panel used open-source journals and Internet documents to show that China and Iran are growing their capacity to conduct sophisticated science. Yet despite receiving classified briefings from U.S. officials tasked with preventing "foreign technology surprises," the panel came up with no proof that Tehran or Beijing is engaging in classified military work dealing with neuroscience or technology.  [Hearn/WashingtonTimes/2October2008] 

Ex-Official Reports U.S. Efforts Still Falling Short. U.S. government efforts to counter foreign spies remains fragmented and weak, despite a series of highly damaging spy cases, said a report by a former high-ranking counterintelligence official.

Michelle Van Cleave, the former U.S. national counterintelligence executive, stated in the report that the FBI, CIA and other federal counterspy units lack both a needed focus and strategy for thwarting the growing foreign intelligence threat.

"Our counterintelligence capabilities are in decay. Instead of leadership and strategic coherence, the [director of national intelligence's] office has given us more bureaucracy," Miss Van Cleave said in an interview.

"Hostile intelligence activities are a national security challenge of the first order," Miss Van Cleave said. "The new administration will need to go back to first principles and be willing to make some major changes, in order to build a genuine strategic counterintelligence capability for the United States."

Release of the report follows a recent letter to Congress from former FBI agent Terry D. Turchie, a counterintelligence official posted to an Energy Department nuclear weapons laboratory, warning of "potentially catastrophic consequences" as the result of a downgrading of counterintelligence at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Reforms that focused on intelligence rather than counterintelligence "opened the way for major security breaches involving [Department of Energy] installations and personnel in the future," said the Sept. 1 letter to Rep. John D. Dingell, Michigan Democrat and chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The 88-page report was authored by Miss Van Cleave for the private Project on National Security Reform, a nonprofit and nonpartisan group that, according to its Web site, works to modernize and improve U.S. national security.

The National Counterintelligence Executive office was set up in 2001 in the aftermath of the devastating cases of FBI agent Robert Hanssen and CIA officer Aldrich Ames, who both spied for Russia and compromised CIA-recruited agents, many of whom were executed. The office reports to the director of national intelligence.

The office, which Miss Van Cleave headed from 2003 to 2006, was established to coordinate efforts by the FBI, CIA and other agencies to stop foreign spying.

But she stated in the report that bureaucratic walls and differing missions have prevented the federal government from launching a strategic effort against foreign intelligence agencies.

Miss Van Cleave's report said that "strategic integration" of agencies that monitor spying are hampered by "individual agency priorities."

On the FBI, the report noted that the FBI is skilled at enforcing counterespionage and related laws but is not "organized, trained or equipped to collect or analyze intelligence on the extensive foreign intelligence presence in the United States beyond those personnel here under official or journalistic cover, or to develop or execute offensive operations to mislead, deny or otherwise exploit foreign intelligence activities against the United States." [Gertz/Times/30September2008] 

Section II - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE

Parliamentary Panel Gives Legal Opinion on UK Participation in CIA Extraordinary Renditions. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition (APPG) released a legal opinion which examines UK governmental liability under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the UK Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) for its participation in the CIA extraordinary rendition program. The opinion states that a human rights violation under both the ECHR and the HRA would occur where "an individual in British detention in Iraq is handed over to US military personnel despite substantial grounds for considering that there is a real risk of that person being subjected to torture or inhuman and degrading treatment." The opinion also determined that US assurances that suspects handed over by the UK would not be tortured would not be sufficient to absolve the UK of its obligations under the ECHR and the HRA:

The United States Government has registered reservations to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention Against Torture stipulating that it considers itself bound by the prohibition of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment only to the extent that it is prohibited by the Fifth, Eighth and/or Fourteenth Amendments to the US Constitution and, moreover, the reservation also sets out a definition of torture that is narrower than that accepted by courts in the United Kingdom (in particular, in referring to an act intended to inflict severe physical pain and suffering). An undertaking not to engage in inhuman and degrading treatment or torture would not therefore necessarily be sufficient to discharge the United Kingdom's obligations under the ECHR... The US military, which would be responsible for the detention of detainees handed-over by the British military authorities, are known to have applied "enhanced interrogation techniques" to those within their custody believed to have intelligence value. These techniques are capable of amounting to inhuman and degrading treatment and torture in domestic law. In A (No. 2), Lord Hope, in considering what conduct is capable of amounting to torture, stated that some of the interrogation techniques authorized for use in Guantanamo Bay, "would shock the conscience if they were ever to be authorized for use in our own country" (A (No.2) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [...]. Lord Bingham stated that the interrogation techniques used by British authorities in Northern Ireland during the troubles, which were categorized as "inhuman and degrading" by the ECtHR in Ireland v United Kingdom (1978) 2 EHRR 25, would today be regarded as torture [...] 

The APPG was convened in December 2005 to call for a formal inquiry into whether the British government violated international law by aiding the CIA rendition flights. In July, the UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee called "deplorable" what it termed "false US assurances" about extraordinary rendition flights through the UK Indian Ocean territory of Diego Garcia. In July 2007, the UK Intelligence and Security Committee said it had found no evidence of direct UK involvement in the operation of the extraordinary rendition flights through UK airspace, and said that the United States' lack of regard for UK concerns in the war on terror had "serious implications for the working of the relationship between the US and UK intelligence and security agencies." In August 2006, the former head of the British domestic spy agency MI5 refused to testify before a joint parliamentary human rights committee investigating UK anti-terrorism practices. [Gilmore/JuristLaw/30September2008] 

How Do We Tackle Political Cyber-Crime? In view of the cyber-warfare dimension to the Russia-Georgia conflict, and the Chinese cyber-espionage ongoing against the west since c.2003 how concerned should we in the UK be about state-sponsored hacking?

Politically motivated computer crime has been growing steadily since the late 1980s. The threat comes from both nation-states and individuals or groups with political agendas. Governments, businesses and individuals can all be affected by state-sponsored online attacks or espionage and, as demonstrated in the 2007 cyber attacks against Estonia, significant disruption to public services such as banking and communications are possible.

The UK, like most developed countries, is highly dependent on its information infrastructure and as a major world power (both financially and politically) is a potential target. This threat was recently recognized by the UK government in the 2008 National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom which states "the security and intelligence agencies will continue to protect the United Kingdom against covert activity by foreign intelligence organizations aimed at political, economic and security targets, including cyber-attack."

The threat is not limited to state secrets or the military but extends to commercial and economic interests and, therefore, industries such as finance, high technology, bio technology and telecommunications.

While the threats of cyber war and cyber espionage are very real, it can be difficult to quantify. There are several reasons for this. First, identifying the true source of an attack is difficult because most attackers use a chain of connections between themselves and their target. For example, a "hacker" somewhere in Europe may use a computer system in China to attack a system in the UK. Inexperienced investigators are often misled when they attribute an attack to the most immediate link.

Secondly, it is very difficult to establish motive in online attacks.

As with all cyber crime there is no "silver bullet" solution to preventing politically motivated computer crime. However, basic security precautions and awareness can significantly mitigate the potential impact. [ComputerWeekly/29September2008] 

Section III - COMMENTARY

FBI On Track With Its Intelligence Mission, by John Miller. The article "FBI Wrestling With Remake as Intelligence Agency" (U.S. News, Sept. 16) implies that the Federal Bureau of Investigation lacks determination or direction on tackling its intelligence mission. In reality, the FBI's Strategic Execution Team has employed the best practices from the private and public sectors to identify what was working well in our intelligence efforts and how we could strengthen those efforts. We have standardized the intelligence work roles and processes across all field offices. We have added several weeks of updated hands-on training for field-office personnel, developed new policies and handbooks for field intelligence, and tasked the field offices to use these tools in new assessments of the potential threats in their areas.

The field offices also need to know what they don't know and have a plan to fill in those gaps. To improve the number and quality of our human sources, we created special squads in every field office that will focus entirely on developing human sources and intelligence collection. In addition, we launched an effort to recruit, train and enhance the roles of intelligence analysts.

All of this progress in the field is vetted personally by Director Robert Mueller on a regular basis over a classified video link. These sessions reinforce the need for leadership in the field and accountability. Some of the critics quoted in the Journal's piece seemed unaware of all this. We thought it would be useful to let them and your readers know.

John Miller - Assistant Director - Federal Bureau of Investigation [Miller/ImperialValleyNews/29September2008] 

Section V - BOOKS AND COMING EVENTS

Books

Nathan Hale: The Life and Death of America's First Spy, By M. William Phelps. Nathan Hale - Revolutionary soldier, America's first spy, and the state hero of Connecticut - is best known for his patriotic last words, "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country." But did he really say them? Much of his life has been lost to history, and it has been nearly impossible to know the real Nathan Hale. Now, M. William Phelps' comprehensive biography - the first in a century - gets the entire story of this fearless young soldier, who set the standard for patriotism.

This book uses Hale's own writings, letters from his friends, and a new journal discovered in 2000 to follow him from his childhood in rural Connecticut to his untimely death at the hands of British soldiers - the first account of his capture and time behind enemy lines. The son of a preacher, Hale attended Yale along with his brother, Enoch. He was an extremely popular student, mischievous but hard-working, and a favorite of the girls in New Haven. It was during his years at Yale that Nathan honed the intellect, loyalty, and camaraderie that would last until his death.

Though he was a devout Christian, Hale decided against his father's wishes that he become a clergyman after graduation, and took a position as a schoolteacher. Devoted to education, he became one of the first educators to offer lessons to women. But times were changing in New England, as evidenced by the Boston Tea Party, and Hale knew his time to defend America was not far off. When General George Washington needed troops for the coming war, Hale wasted no time enlisting in the army.

At just 19 years old, Nathan Hale was already leading a company of men through battle in New England and Long Island, New York. He was proud to be in uniform, and willing to do anything that was asked of him to serve his country. So when Washington made a personal request that Hale traverse into British territory and spy for the colonial army, he easily complied. Posing as a civilian schoolmaster, Yale degree in hand, Hale made his way to Huntington, Long Island before being captured and sentenced to the gallows.

But what of Nathan Hales storied last words? They are, in fact, a paraphrase. The most misremembered moment in Hale's life is his last, as he proclaimed, "I am so satisfied with the cause in which I have engaged that my only regret is that I have not more lives than one to offer in its service." The most enduring memory of Nathan Hale is him being misquoted.

M. William Phelps' Nathan Hale separates myth from fact in the previously-untold life of this young rebel, the first man to freely give his life for America. [Newsblaze/5Sept2008]

COMING EVENTS

EVENTS IN COMING TWO MONTHS....

06 October 2008 - Boston, MA - The New England chapter of CIRA [CIA Retirees Association] meets at Hampshire House, Beacon Street. For further information contact AFIO member Dick Gay raguay@adelphia.net

09 October 2008 - San Francisco, CA - The AFIO Jim Quesada Chapter hosts Roger S. Dong, Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired) and President of James Quesada Chapter. Col. Dong will be making a presentation on the economic, political and military developments in China and will conduct a "town meeting" to discuss the ramifications of the growing power of China and what the United States might do to respond to this 21st Century challenge. Col. Dong was a China specialist for the USAF and the Department of Defense for 32 years and served as a Defense Attach� in Taiwan and an Assistant Air Attach� (Air Liaison Officer) in Hong Kong. He has lectured at the World Affairs Council, Economic Round Table and many community service organizations on the subject "China, our 21st Century Challenge."  The meeting will be held at United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco (between Sloat and Wawona). 11:30 AM no host cocktails; noon - luncheon. $25 member rate with advance reservation and payment; $35 non-member rate or at door. E-mail RSVP to Mariko Kawaguchi (please indicate meat or fish) no later than 5PM 9/28/08: mariko@cataphora.com or mail check made out to "AFIO" to:  Mariko Kawaguchi, P.O. Box 117578 Burlingame, CA 94011. (650) 622-9840 X608.

14 Oct 2008 - Tampa, FL - The Suncoast AFIO Chapter meets in the MacDill Room at the MacDill AFB. The AFIO Suncoast Chapter meets to hear SA Chris Davis, ASAC FBI on FBI Intel Gathering and Analysis, and other topics. Event is at the MacDill AFB Officers' Club to hear Special Agent Christopher Davis as our guest speaker. Special Agent Christopher Davis is the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Davis will be speaking on what the FBI does as it relates to Intelligence gathering and analysis, working with other intelligence agencies, the current threats and counter-activities, and how this affects citizens in Florida and the Tampa Bay area. Social hour starts at 11:00 am with lunch at 12:00 and our speaker will begin at 12:30. Our October luncheon entr�e will be an Octoberfest celebration of Pork Chop with red cabbage and potato salad, concluded with German Chocolate cake, and gratuity inclusive for $15.00.. For further information email garyg@suncoastafio.org 

16 October 2008, 5:30 - 7:30 pm - Miami, FL - The Ted Shackley Miami AFIO Chapter invites all to a Welcome Complimentary Cocktail Party at the ground floor of the Miami Capital Grille, 444 Brickell Ave. See old friends, meet new ones, and enjoy a special presentation to be announced in aforthcoming invitation. Complimentary valet parking provided. The event is free to members and those members-to-be, ready to send in their applications. Friends will be welcomed as our guest. The invitation, however, is non-transferrable and is open only to members who RSVP'd to: trsmiami@aol.com Office: 305-341-4946

Saturday, 18 October 2008, 2 p.m. - Kennebunk, ME - The Maine Chapter of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers will meet to hear speaker on "Immigration Law and Policy since 9/11"The event takes place at the Kennebunk Free Library, 112 Main Street, Kennebunk. Our guest speaker will be Attorney Cynthia Arn of the Portland law firm of Landis & Arn, P.A. Attorney Arn is a graduate of Wellesley College and the University of Maine School of Law. She has practiced immigration law on a full time basis since 1988. She will speak on immigration law and policy and changes in the law since 9/11. The meeting is open to the public. For information call 207 364-8964.

Tuesday, 21 October 2008, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC - Iran: An Intelligence Failure in the Making? at the International Spy Museum. WHAT: “Iran is one of the greatest threats in the world today. Getting the intelligence right is absolutely critical, not only on Iran's capability but its intent.”— Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.)
Our troubled relationship with this Middle Eastern powerhouse operates under the cloud of broken diplomatic relations, deepening concern about its regional aspirations, its involvement in international terrorism, and its nuclear ambitions. Explore the strategic and intelligence challenges posed by Iran in this timely panel. Is Iran a new Persian Empire or on the brink of collapse? Are there lessons from the Cold War that can help us deal with Iran now? Are we once again facing a situation where the current intelligence is inadequate to inform policy makers or that policymakers will again seek only the intelligence they want, or manufacture it? Join former CIA senior operations officer Robert Baer, author of The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower; Keith Crane, senior economist with the RAND Corporation and co-author of Iran’s Political, Demographic, and Economic Vulnerabilities; and David Thaler, senior analyst with the RAND Corporation and co-author of The Muslim World after 9/11 for a lively and insightful discussion. Co-sponsored by the RAND Corporation. Location: International Spy Museum, 800 F St NW, Washington, DC at Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station
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 purchase tickets in person at the International Spy Museum.

22 - 25 October 2008 - McLean, VA - AFIO National Intelligence Symposium -

AFIO 2008 Fall Intelligence Symposium - 22-25 October
Threats to U.S. Security
Technology Theft, Insider Threats, Economic Espionage
and International Organized Crime

SYMPOSIUM AGENDA and RESERVATION:
Agenda is here and you can make secure reservations here

Three Days: Day 1 [10/23] at MITRE Corporation; Day 2 [10/24] at U.S. Department of State:
Day 3 [10/25] at Sheraton-Premiere Hotel
Wednesday, October 22: heavy hors d'oeuvres and early registration for hotel-based attendees,
Thursday morning, October 23: Chapter workshop/breakfast;
Thursday, October 23: MITRE Corporation;
Friday, October 24: U.S. State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research [INR];
Friday evening, October 24: Awards Banquet, Saturday morning, October 25: General membership meeting.
The program ends 11 a.m. Saturday October 25 leaving time for exploring local area Museums [International Spy Museum, the newly reopened Newseum, the new National Museum of Crime and Punishment, National Cryptologic Museum, Air & Space] and to make plans to return home.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS available now at special AFIO Event Rate:
Make your Sheraton-Premiere Hotel reservations here while low-rate window remains open.

Thursday, 23 October 2008, 12 noon - 1 pm - Washington, DC - The Lost Spy: An American In Stalin's Secret Service, at the International Spy Museum
When former New York intellectual Isaiah Oggins was brutally murdered in 1947 on Stalin’s orders, he became a forgotten Cold War footnote. Then in 1992, Boris Yeltsin handed over a deeply censored dossier to the White House which awakened interest in Oggins’ life and his death. In The Lost Spy, Andrew Meier at last reveals the truth: Oggins was one of the first Americans to spy for the Soviets. Based on six years of international detective work, Meier traces the rise and fall of this brilliant Columbia University graduate sent to run a safe house in Berlin and spy on the Romanovs in Paris and the Japanese in Manchuria. The author will reflect on the motivations of the American spy and the reason for Oggins’ hideous death by poisoning in a KGB laboratory.
Location: International Spy Museum, 800 F St NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station, TICKETS: FREE. No registration required.

October 27-29, 2008 - The Techno Forensics Conference - NIST Headquarters, Gaithersburg Maryland. Former KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin and Georgian Ambassador to the U.S. Vasil Sikharulidze to Keynote InfraGard Day on the 28th. 
AFIO member Donald Withers and TheTrainingCo., producers of the annual Techno Forensics Conference at NIST Headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD, has made our AFIO members a special FREE offer to attend this year's Techno Forensics Conference being held on October 27 - 29, 2008.   The first 100 members to register for the conference online will be allowed to register for FREE as a conference VIP. You MUST be registered for the conference prior to date in order to gain access through the main gate at NIST. Parking is free.  This will be the fourth year for Techno Forensics and the agenda has just been posted. This year will feature an InfraGard Day and will be hosted by the Maryland Chapter of the FBI’s InfraGard program. There will be some of the top practitioners in the world in the fields of e-Discovery, Digital Forensics and Information Security and Technical Business Continuity Planning. 
The registration price is currently listed at $895 on the website. Select that price but enter "0" for amount paid and enter "AFIO VIP" in the Promotional Code Section of the form. For any members who hold a CISSP or a CISA certification, this conference also provides 20 CEU hours.
Here's a link to the conference agenda. There will be more to come so visit often for agenda updates:
http://www.techsec.com/html/ForensicsAgenda08.html 
To register for one of the FREE VIP seats, visit the following online registration page.
https://www.techsec.com/conferences/register.cgi?c=TF-2008
Any questions, call Don Withers at 410.703.0332

Tuesday, 28 October 2008, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC - "Spy Magic: Disguise, Deception, Illusion and Espionage" at the International Spy Museum. WHAT: “If I could stand in the focus of powerful footlights and deceive attentive and undisturbed onlookers…Then I could most certainly…deceive German observers a mile away or more.”—Jasper Maskelyne
Magicians, like spies, excel at the art of misdirection and deception. Join Jonna and Tony Mendez, both former CIA chiefs of disguise, as they explore how magic and illusion have been used through the centuries to deceive the enemy. This survey ranges from the warfare philosophy of Sun Tzu to the CIA’s consultations with illusionists who helped them overcome the challenges of operating in denied areas of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Go inside well known World War II deception operations Mincemeat and Bodyguard and discover the trickery of war-time magician Jasper Maskelyne. Then it’s on to the Cold War and the Mendezes’ own work in the mean streets of Moscow which required a special blend of conjuring and chemistry. Using historical footage and film re-enactments, the Mendezes will enlighten the audience on the use of stage management and misdirection against the opposition
WHERE: International Spy Museum, 800 F St NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station.
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 purchase tickets in person at the International Spy Museum.

Thursday, Friday 6 -7 November 2008, 7:30 am to 6 pm - Washington, DC - "Issues for the New Administration" the theme of the18th Annual Review of the Field of National Security Law Conference by the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Law and National Security

The registration fee is $170.00 per day or $325.00 for both days. Additionally there will be a charge of $60.00 per person for the reception/dinner on Thursday evening, November 5. Student prices are outlined on the registration form.
Location: Renaissance Washington DC Hotel, Renaissance Ballroom, 999 9th St NW, Washington, DC
Selected Topics and Speakers include:
Thursday, November 6: The Nature, Scope and Scale of National Security Threats Inside and Outside the United States with Suzanne E. Spaulding, Joel F. Brenner [NCIX], David Kay [IAEA/UNSCOM], Joseph Billy, Jr. [FBI].
Managing the Intelligence Enterprise with M. E. “Spike” Bowman [NCIX], Wyndee Parker [HPSCI], William C. Banks [Syracuse], Michael J. Heimbach [FBI], James R. Locher III.
A Sustainable Legal Regime for Foreign and Domestic Intelligence with Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker [U of Pacific], Lara M. Flint [Senate], John Rizzo [CIA], James A. Baker [OIPR], James McPherson.
Luncheon – Keynote Speaker: Hon. Sheldon Whitehouse, Senate, RI
The War in Georgia and the Future of U.S./Russian Relations with John Norton Moore [UVA], Hon. Sergey I. Kislyak [Amb Russia], Gen. Wesley K. Clark, Hon. James F. Collins [Carnegie], Hon. Lawrence Eagleburger, Dimitri K. Simes [Nixon Center].
Challenges for the Private Sector in National Security with Judith Miller [Bechtel], Angeline G. Chen [Lockheed], Raymond A. Mislock [DuPont], Alan J. Kreczko [former NSC], Scott Charney [Microsoft].
Dinner – Keynote Speaker: Hon. Michael McConnell, DNI
Friday, November 7, 2008 - Due Process and Issues Surrounding Detention: Considerations for the New Administration with Harvey Rishikof [NWC], Kate Martin [CNSS], CDR Glenn M. Sulmasy, USCG Academy, Matthew Waxman [Columbia], Benjamin Wittes [Brookings].
Prosecution by Military Commission: A Question for the Next Administration with Scott L. Silliman [Duke], John D. Altenburg, Jr., Charles D. Swift [Emory], Jameel Jaffer [ACLU], David B. Rivkin [Baker Hostetler].
Luncheon – Keynote: Hon David B. Sentelle, Chief Judge, US Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit
Ethical Issues for National Security Lawyers with Albert C. Harvey, James E. Baker [Georgetown], Kathleen Clark [Wash Univ], John D. Hutson [Franklin Pierce], Alberto J. Mora [USN].
For complete program and further information: http://www.abanet.org/natsecurity/events/conference/program.shtml

Sunday, 9 November 2008, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Washington, DC - Parade of Trabants at the International Spy Museum. The ugly duckling of East Germany’s roadways finally gets its day. To celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall Trabant collectors will caravan to DC, parking their cars on F Street, NW in front of the Museum. When the Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989 thousands of East Germans rushed to reunite with friends and family. Their typical mode of transportation? The Trabant. What was once the most common vehicle in East Germany, despite its poor performance and smoky two-stroke engine, was their automotive liberator. The Trabant is now an affectionately regarded symbol of East Germany and of the fall of communism. It is even featured in the International Spy Museum’s permanent exhibit within an East German streetscape. The Trabant has become a genuine collectors' car with a devoted following. Incredibly, it seems that this tiny car, often inaccurately described as having a cardboard body, has captured the hearts of car lovers all over the world.
Trabants are quite rare in the US, but on 9 November 2008, a caravan of the communist-bloc cars will converge on the International Spy Museum to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The public will have the unique opportunity to not only view nine of the cars, which will be parked in front of the Museum, but also have the chance to win a ride in a Trabant. While the cars are on display, experts will be on hand in front of the Museum on F Street, NW, to answer questions about Trabants, the Cold War, and Communism, while the local German band, Blaskapelle Alte Kameraden, creates a festive atmosphere. This event is free-of-charge.
Experts who will be available: Peter Earnest, Museum Executive Director; Dr. Thomas Boghardt, Museum historian and author; and Trabant Collectors. German music will be played. Where: International Spy Museum, 800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC. No charge to attend.

12 -13 November 2008 - Fair Lakes, VA - The NMIA hosts a Symposium on "Preparing the Intelligence Professional of the Future: Meeting the Challenge."  The event is being held at Northrup Grumman Center, Fair Lakes, VA. The conference, sponsored jointly by the Office of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (OUSDI) and NMIA [National Military Intelligence Association], will feature presentations from a variety of organizations and speakers on intelligence education and training. Under Secretary of Defense (USDI) James R. Clapper, Jr., will be providing the keynote address. Ellen McCarthy, Director Human Capital and Security Office, USDI, panel to discuss future military training and professional development. DoD Training Transformation. Reese Marsden, OUSDI, military service training program with service training academy representatives. Dave Kogar and Mieke Eoyang, SSCI and HPSCI, congressional perspective. Steve Fowler, Director Training and Education, CINTT Corp, panel on distance learning. DIA and Sherman Kent School, virtual intelligence simulation. Dr. Mark Lowenthal, representing the Intelligence and Security Association, will be speaking on what is needed to meet future needs of the IC. HUMINT and CI training, industry approaches, and the new ODNI-sponsored A-Space and RASER are other topics. The symposium will conclude with a discussion by DIA-designate LTG Ronald L. Burgess, Jr.
Further information at http://www.nmia.org/upcomingevents/2008nmiafallsymposium.html 

Thursday, 13 November 2008, 7 pm - 10 pm - Washington, DC - DINNER WITH A SPY: An Evening with Milt Bearden - at Spy Museum.

When Milt Bearden started at the CIA in 1964, he had little notion that his service around the world in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South Asia would lead him to become the most highly decorated operations officers in its senior service, a respected author, and a Hollywood advisor. His 30 years of service spanned the height of the Cold War to the demise of the Soviet Union and included leading the CIA covert war supporting the Afghan resistance in their fight against the Soviet army. This conflict, recently portrayed in Charlie Wilson’s War, is just one of the films for which Bearden has served as an advisor. His long time friendship with Robert DeNiro influenced 2006’s The Good Shepherd—an intense account of the early days of the Agency. Be one of only 20 guests at Zola for a three-course meal where you’ll talk with Bearden about his extraordinary career and cinematic connections and enjoy the dialogue between this insider and CIA veteran International Spy Museum executive director Peter Earnest. Please call 202.654.0932 or write kray@spymuseum.org to register or with special dietary needs.
WHERE: International Spy Museum, 800 F St NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station.
TICKETS: $250 includes three-course dinner with wines.  Space is extremely limited – 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 purchase tickets in person at the International Spy Museum.

17 November 2008 - Ft Meade, MD - The National Cryptologic Museum Foundation hosts their Annual Membership meeting. Further information to appear here in coming weeks. Or visit the NCMF website at http://www.nationalcryptologicmuseumfoundation.com/

Monday, 17 November 2008, 6:30 p.m. - Washington, DC - Rose Mary Sheldon [co-author with Thijs Voskuilen] on "The Secret History of History" at the International Spy Museum
OPERATION MESSIAH: APOSTLE PAUL, AGENT PROVOCATEUR?

WHAT: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.”—Galatians
Was the self-proclaimed successor to Jesus actually working for the Roman administration in Palestine and other parts of the Empire? Col. Rose Mary Sheldon, co-author [with Thijs Voskuilen] of Operation Messiah: St. Paul, Roman Intelligence and the Birth of Christianity, challenges the idea that Apostle Paul was a true follower of Jesus much less a saint. Drawing from Paul's biography and his own letters, Sheldon finds numerous clues to suggest that the former persecutor never left the ranks of the Roman government but instead went undercover by feigning conversion en route to Damascus. Voskuilen and Sheldon's shocking theories about Paul's real purpose in promoting Jesus as the Messiah will give you a startling new perspective on the dramatic and turbulent early days of Christianity. Thijs Voskuilen is unable to join Dr. Sheldon to make this a joint presentation.
WHERE: International Spy Museum, 800 F St NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station. 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 purchase tickets in person at the International Spy Museum.

20 November 2008 - Colorado Springs, CO - AFIO Rocky Mountain Chapter meets to hear Sheriff Terry Maketa on "Law Enforcement and Intelligence." Sheriff Maketa is Sheriff of El Paso County, Colorado. The program starts at 11 a.m. with the program starting at noon. Event takes place at the Falcon Club (Old Officers' Club) Inquiries and reservations to Riverwear53@aol.com

Tuesday, 2 December 2008 - New York, NY - AFIO NY Metro Chapter meeting features speaker Gordon Chang, author of NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN and THE COMING COLLAPSE OF CHINA.
Meeting location - 4 Columbus Circle in the NYC showroom of the office furniture manufacturer - Steelcase. Attractive, spacious, modern space overlooking Central Park.
58th Street and 8th Avenue. Buffet dinner and open bar: $40.00 per person 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM Registration. Meeting starts 6:00 PM. For inquiries or to register email afiometro@yahoo.com

03 December 2008 - Ft Meade, MD - The National Cryptologic Museum Foundation conducts special Pearl Harbor Remembrance Program. Program will review the attack from the Japanese perspective and a Japanese historian will be part of this fascinating reexamination of history. Further information to appear here in coming weeks. Visit the NCMF website at http://www.nationalcryptologicmuseumfoundation.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 200, McLean, VA 22101. Voice: (703) 790-0320; Fax: (703) 991-1278; Email: afio@afio.com

Click here to return to top.