AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes #05-09 dated 10 February 2009

Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Kosovo Appoints First Intelligence Agency Chief. Kosovo named a former senior police officer as the chief of its new Intelligence Service, after months of delays blamed on clientelism and political horse-trading with foreign intelligence agencies.

The Intelligence Agency is one of the central security institutions of the new country, which declared independence from Serbia last February. Analysts say Kosovo needs firm leadership at that post to fight the smuggling and organized crime gangs that operate on the territory, and be prepared for possible organized outbreaks of violence in Serbian minority areas.

Bashkim Smakaj, 32, is seen as a consensus candidate between the parties in the coalition government, the Democratic Party of Kosovo of Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and the Democratic League of Kosovo of President Fatmir Sejdiu.

Smakaj, who holds a degree in biology and another in political science, had been heading the strategic planning unit of Kosovo Police. In his first statement as head of the Agency, he said that he was "honored by this nomination."

Smakaj will serve a 5-year mandate in accordance with a special law on intelligence agency, adopted as part of a raft of legislation at the time of Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on February 27, 2008.

Kosovo's initial plan was for the Agency to start functioning last summer, but the appointment of the 'chief spy' kept being delayed. The opposition criticized the government strongly over the delay, accusing it of wanting to place its own people at a body that should be beyond party politics. [Gashi/BalkanInsight/2February2009] 

Pentagon Report Calls for Narrower Focus in Afghanistan. A classified Pentagon report urges President Obama to shift US military strategy in Afghanistan, deemphasizing democracy-building and concentrating more on targeting Taliban and Al Qaeda sanctuaries inside Pakistan with the aid of Pakistani military forces.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has seen the report prepared by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but it has not yet been presented to the White House.

The recommendations are one element of a broad policy reassessment underway along with recommendations to be considered by the White House from the commander of the US Central Command, General David Petraeus, and other military leaders.

A senior defense official said that it will probably take several weeks before the Obama administration rolls out its long-term strategy for Afghanistan.

The Joint Chiefs' plan reflects growing worries that the US military was taking on more than it could handle in Afghanistan by pursuing the Bush administration's broad goal of nurturing a thriving democratic government.

Instead, the plan calls for a more narrowly focused effort to root out militant strongholds along the Pakistani border and inside the neighboring country, according to officials who confirmed the essence of the report. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plan publicly.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs noted the ongoing "comprehensive reviews" of Afghan policy, but did not say when they would be made public.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman would not comment on the details of the Joint Chiefs' report, but acknowledged that the US relationship with Pakistan is a critical component for success in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reported that Afghan authorities announced that they had broken up a suicide bombing cell responsible for a string of attacks in the capital, including a massive explosion last month that killed an American serviceman and wounded five other US soldiers.

A spokesman for Afghanistan's main intelligence service said that the 17 men arrested in Kabul were believed to be affiliated with a Pakistan-based militant group known as the Haqqani network and that the cell's ringleader was a Pakistani national. [Burns&Jelinek/Boston.Com/2February2009] 

France's Ex-Spy Boss Snubs Court in France-Angola Arms Case. A former French intelligence chief is refusing to testify as a defense witness in a major trial over arms trafficking to Angola in the 1990s, according to his lawyer.

The arms trafficking trial, which includes 42 defendants, began in October after seven years of international investigations into a case the French have dubbed "Angolagate."

Yves Bertrand, director of the Renseignements Generaux intelligence agency from 1992-2004, was called to appear after judges seized his diaries that allegedly contained details of dirty dealings by politicians. Two key suspects say Bertrand was witness to meetings under question in the investigation.

In a letter to the court viewed by The Associated Press, Bertrand insists he was "not witness to any of the events blamed on the defendants."

His lawyer, Basile Ader, said Bertrand will not appear as scheduled at Wednesday's proceedings.

The chief suspects, French tycoon Pierre Falcone and Israeli billionaire Arkady Gaydamak, are accused of trafficking Soviet-made arms to Angola's government during a civil war in the 1990s. Both deny breaking the law.

The other suspects include former President Francois Mitterrand's son Jean-Christophe and top officials accused of receiving bribes from Falcone's company in exchange for political favors. [MSNBC/4February2009] 

Spies Form Virtual Units on The Fly to Track Terror. When a cell of 10 Islamic militants stole into the Indian port city of Mumbai in November and began to unleash a fusillade of hell on two hotels, a train depot in rush hour and a Jewish center, US spooks scrambled to make sense of it all. 

About 20 analysts from across the globe immediately convened - not in the same room, but on two classified Web sites called Intellipedia and A-space. 

The first Mumbai entry was posted by a watch officer at the National Counterterrorism Center at the onset of the attacks.

Within a few minutes, analysts from across America's 16 spy agencies familiar with extremists in India and Pakistan logged on to A-space - a discussion site accessible to only a few thousand US intelligence analysts with the highest security clearances - to weigh who the attackers might be.

Analysts posted realtime satellite imagery and video depicting the carnage outside the Taj Mahal Hotel, which showed a sluggish response by Indian security forces. They also uploaded the first news photos of one young terrorist in Mumbai's rail station who was later nabbed alive - noting how professionally he carried his weapons, and how he was dressed as blandly Western as the 9/11 hijackers 7 1/2 years ago.

The ad hoc group of analysts, who did not all know each other - including at least one in a Far East military outpost - quickly agreed that a claim of responsibility by the unheard of "Deccan Mujahadeen" was malarkey. It was really the handiwork of Pakistan's Al Qaeda-affiliated Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The Mumbai strikes were the first big test of the new system of collaboration using social networking tools put in place last fall by Directorate of National Intelligence chief technology czar Michael Wertheimer and his crew of savvy young spooks from the Myspace Generation. There are also Top Secret elements modeled on YouTube and Flicker.

While about 20 analysts were active in assembling, discussing and dissecting incoming intelligence and news reports on the mayhem which unfolded over three days, other simply watched and read. The sites logged more than 7,000 page views.

To avoid a repeat of politically-tainted intel on Iraq prior to the 2003 US invasion, policymakers and politicos are strictly banned from getting access to Intellipedia and A-space. But about half of America's 9,000 intel analysts have signed up to use it, officials said.

Besides tossing around theories with other analysts, the users - who cannot post anonymously - plunge into secret databases previously off-limits to other spy agencies, though intel from the most sensitive human assets is verboten, he said. "What used to take months is taking days. Analysts now compare notes from across the continent - or oceans - about targets such as Chinese submarines and North Korean and Iranian 

nuclear facilities. But the biggest and most heavily-trafficked A-space page is devoted to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where the US is battling the Taliban and hunting Al Qaeda leadership, one source said. 

Another page set up to collect intel on potential threats to President Obama's Inauguration events also attracted interest, when assets such as GoogleEarth imagery and other information feeds were added. [Meek/NYDailyNews/2February2009] 

Controversial Ex-CIA Director Named to Spy Panel. National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair has asked former CIA Director John Deutch, who was stripped of his security clearance nearly a decade ago for mishandling classified information, to sit on an advisory panel on spy satellites.

Deutch, CIA director from May 1995 to December 1996 in the Clinton administration, stored and processed hundreds of files of highly classified material on unprotected home computers that he and family members also used to connect to the Internet, according to an internal CIA investigation. The Defense Department's inspector general found similar conduct during Deutch's prior service at the Pentagon.

Deutch was stripped of his security clearances by CIA Director George Tenet in 1999. As a former deputy defense secretary, Deutch also had Pentagon clearances, but he voluntarily gave them up.

He had agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling government secrets, but President Clinton pardoned him shortly before leaving office in January 2001 and before the Justice Department could file the case against him.

Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee raised concerns about the appointment at the confirmation hearing Thursday of Leon Panetta to become CIA director.

A Senate Intelligence Committee official said Deutch's security clearances were reinstated in 2007 by the Bush administration. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not an official spokesman for the committee.

Panetta later said preventing leaks of classified information can be difficult to do but that he would work with the attorney general to ensure cases don't "fall into a black hole." [Hess/AP/5February2009] 

Pakistani Nuclear Spy Freed. The Pakistani supreme court has lifted the house arrest of the controversial nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan. His lawyer says the supreme court has concluded that Mr. Khan was never involved in criminal activities.

In Pakistan, the scientist is known as the father of the Islamic nuclear bomb. He was instrumental in the development of Pakistan's first nuclear weapon, which was tested in 1998.

In 2004, he was placed under house arrest at the insistence of the United States, which accuses him of espionage. Mr. Khan has admitted passing on vital information to Libya, Iran and North Korea.

In the early 1980s, he worked at a Dutch uranium enrichment factory, where he allegedly stole secret information. He was convicted of espionage in 1983, but acquitted on appeal because of a procedural error. [RadioNetherlands/6February2009] 

Court Vacates Sentence of Filipino in Spy Case. A federal appeals court has vacated the sentence of a former Philippine National Police officer imprisoned for obtaining secret U.S. documents.

Michael Ray Aquino pleaded guilty in Newark in 2006 to unauthorized possession of classified documents and has been serving a six-year, four-month sentence.

The U.S. District Court ruling published concludes that the sentence was based on a mistaken interpretation of federal guidelines. Aquino will be resentenced at a time to be determined.

Aquino acknowledged accepting the documents from a former Marine who once worked as an aide to vice presidents Al Gore and Dick Cheney before becoming an FBI intelligence analyst at Fort Monmouth. Leandro Aragoncillo is serving a 10-year sentence. [Newsday/6February2009]

Uranium Enrichment Facility Employee Pleads Guilty to Espionage. Roy Lynn Oakley, 67, a resident of Harriman, Tenn., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Knoxville, to count one of an indictment charging him with unlawful disclosure of Restricted Data under the Atomic Energy Act, according to documents obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police's Terrorism Committee.

The guilty plea was announced today by Matthew G. Olsen, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and James R. Dedrick, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Oakley had been scheduled to start trial today, but appeared instead before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas A. Varlan, to enter his plea of guilty. Oakley had formerly been employed as a laborer and escort by Bechtel Jacobs at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The ETTP, formerly known as Y-25, had previously been operated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as a facility to produce highly enriched uranium.

According to the plea agreement, while employed at the ETTP in 2006 through 2007, Oakley had a security clearance that permitted him to have access to classified and protected materials, including instruments, appliances and information relating to the gaseous diffusion process for enriching uranium. Some of the materials and information to which Oakley had access were classified as "Restricted Data" under the Atomic Energy Act, any disclosure of which was illegal. While he worked at the ETTP, Oakley had been instructed and informed that this Restricted Data could not be disclosed.

The plea agreement further states that based on the investigation the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) determined that Oakley may have been in possession of protected materials that belonged to the DOE and was offering to sell the materials to a foreign government. The FBI initiated an undercover investigation and, in January 2007, the FBI contacted Oakley using an undercover agent assuming the role of an agent of a foreign government.

In recorded calls and during a face-to-face meeting with the FBI undercover agent, Oakley stated that he had taken certain parts of uranium enrichment fuel rods or tubes and other associated hardware items from the ETTP work site and that he wanted to sell these materials for $200,000 to the foreign government. Once Oakley handed over the pieces of tubes and associated items to the undercover FBI agent and received $200,000 in cash, he was confronted by agents of the FBI and admitted to his efforts to sell these materials to a foreign government.

The materials Oakley had tried to sell to a foreign government were, in fact, pieces of equipment known as "barrier" and associated hardware items that play a crucial role in the production of highly enriched uranium, a special nuclear material, through the gaseous diffusion process.

The maximum penalty for violation of the Atomic Energy Act by disclosing Restricted Data is a maximum of ten years imprisonment and a criminal fine of $250,000. A sentencing hearing has been set before Judge Varlan for May 14, 2009, at 10:00 a.m., in U.S. District Court in Knoxville.

The indictment was the result of an investigation by the FBI, DOE's Oak Ridge Counterintelligence Field Office, and DOE's Headquarters Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. William Mackie from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Trial Attorney Anthony P. Garcia, from the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department's National Security Division, represented the United States in this case. [Kouri/MensDailyNews/7February2009] 

Britain Under Attack From 20 Foreign Spy Agencies Including France and Germany. Russia and China have been identified as having the most active spy networks operating in the UK but it is understood that some European countries are also involved in espionage attacks against Britain. Details of the spy plots were revealed in a government security document obtained by The Sunday Telegraph which states that Britain is "high priority espionage target" for 20 foreign intelligence agencies.

Security sources have revealed that the list of foreign agencies operating within the UK includes Iran, Syria, North Korea and Serbia, as well as some members of the European Union, such as France and Germany, who have traditionally been regarded as allies.

The document, marked "restricted", warns that foreign spies are trying to steal secrets related to the military, optics, communications, genetics and aviation industries.

The report, which was drawn up by an Army intelligence cell inside Whitehall, warns that it is too easy to "lose sight" of the threat from traditional espionage and become solely focused on attacks by al Qaeda.

The document, which has been distributed to all government departments, states: "Whilst our primary threat would seem to come from International Terrorism, it is important that we do not lose sight of another omnipresent threat. Espionage against UK interests continues to come from many quarters."

A Whitehall source told The Sunday Telegraph that Russia uses its massive spy network as an "extension of state power" in an attempt to "further its own military and economic base".

The source said: "If a country, such as Russia or Iran, can steal a piece of software which will save it seven years in research and development then it will do so without any hesitation. Russian agents will target anybody that they believe could be useful to them. Spying is hard-wired into the country's DNA. They have been at it for centuries and they are simply not going to stop because the Cold War has ended."

The source added that Britain's European neighbors, including Germany and France, were also engaged in industrial and political espionage within the UK.

Many senior figures in Britain's intelligence community are frustrated by the activities of Russian spies which they claim is detracting from the fight against al-Qaeda and international terrorism.

In a speech in November 2007, Jonathan Evans, the director general of MI5, said that foreign intelligence services were active in the UK, with the Russians at the forefront of covert operations.

He said: "Despite the Cold War ending nearly two decades ago, my service is still expending resources to defend the UK against unreconstructed attempts by Russia, China and others, to spy on us.

Patrick Mercer, the chairman of the House of Commons counter-terrorist subcommittee, said the document served as a warning to Britain that the Cold War espionage threat had not gone away. [Rayment/Telegraph/8February2009] 

Spies Want to Scan Your Iris From Afar. There's software that's smart enough to recognize people by their faces, or by their irises. But those algorithms are finicky. To work properly, subjects usually have to be willing to play along - looking straight into the camera, when the light is just right. 

The new uber-geek arm of American spy agencies, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, is looking to change that. Researchers there want to do iris and face-scans from far away, and "under uncontrolled acquisition conditions." So they're launching a new project, "Biometrics Exploitation Science and Technology" (BEST) to find new ways to get this face and eye data, even when the subject is moving and the lighting is all wrong. "The minimum objective is to exceed by a factor of three what is commercially available today, with recognition performance similar to that achieved with the cooperative or conditioned individual under controlled acquisition," a recent announcement to industry notes.

A recent meeting in Virginia to discuss the project drew more than 130 researchers and executives. Many were from well-established defense contractors, like General Electric, Harris, Batelle, and Raytheon. Others were from less conventional firms. Take Conway, New Hampshire's Animetrics Inc., which is trotting out a "portable face recognition" program for the iPhone, called iFace. In addition to wooing spies, the company has a commercial edition of the software. "iFace Celebrity Edition.... match[es] you to your most similar celebrity," the company promises. "The elegant simplicity of the iPhone makes this application both easy to use and very fun... The iFace output of the top celebrities who resemble your face will be popular among social networkers." There's no mention of whether the celebrity-matching game was played at the spy agency's confab. [Wired/8February2009] 

British Secret Police Unit Set Up to Spy on British 'Domestic Extremists.' A secret police intelligence unit has been set up to spy on Left-wing and Right-wing political groups.

The Confidential Intelligence Unit (CIU) has the power to operate across the UK and will mount surveillance and run informers on 'domestic extremists'. Its job is to build up a detailed picture of radical campaigners.

Targets will include environmental groups involved in direct action such as Plane Stupid, whose supporters invaded the runway at Stansted Airport in December.

The unit also aims to identify the ring-leaders behind violent demonstrations such as the recent anti-Israel protests in London, and to infiltrate neo-Nazi groups, animal liberation groups and organisations behind unlawful industrial action such as secondary picketing.

The CIU's role will be similar to the 'counter subversion' functions formerly carried out by MI5.

The so-called reds under the bed operations focused on trade unionists and peace campaigners but were abandoned by MI5 to concentrate on Islamic terrorism.

The unit is being set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) and will be based at Scotland Yard in Central London.

An internal police job advertisement for the 'Head of Confidential Intelligence Unit', obtained by The Mail on Sunday, reveals key details of its wide-ranging powers. [Lewis/UKDailyMail/9February2009] 

Judge Holds CIA Officer Without Bail on Fears the Man Might Sell Secrets - "Credit Card Therapy Run Amok". A CIA officer accused of putting more than $100,000 in personal charges on stolen Agency credit cards is being held without bail because a federal judge fears he might sell state secrets to cover financial losses, court documents said. 
Steven J. Levan, 48, of Arlington, is expected to enter a plea today in Alexandria's federal court. He is charged with fraud after allegedly stealing several credit cards that belonged to the CIA and other agencies and charging about $107,000, court documents said.

The CIA has paid the 16-year veteran's charges "in order to maintain the means by which the Agency protects the identity of certain of its employees," a U.S. Postal Inspector wrote in a sworn statement.

Among the list of charges were $7,446 at a hotel in McLean in September and $709 at a McLean jewelry store in May, the statement said.

"It is undeniable that Mr. Levan recently has suffered from severe financial strain, and as a result the government alleges he took several credit cards that belonged to the CIA," his attorney Michael Nachmanoff wrote as he argued that Levan be released on bail. Levan has been held without bail since his Jan. 9 arrest because Judge Thomas Rawles Jones Jr. said there was a "danger that Mr. Levan might decide to sell information to foreign states in order to make money," Nachmanoff wrote, calling the claim "rank speculation."

Federal judges have acted differently in a recent, high-profile case involving CIA agents. In September, Kyle Foggo pleaded guilty to bilking millions of dollars through phony contracts while he held the third-highest post in the agency. Foggo, however, is still out on bail as he awaits sentencing. Nachmanoff argued that Levan, a member of the Army Reserves who went to college at the Virginia Military Institute and received a master's degree from the Naval War College, has made no effort to profit by selling confidential information.

Levan also has reason not to flee the charges, Nachmanoff said. Levan's wife, from whom he is separated, and two children, ages 12 and 10, live in Burke. Calls to the CIA and Nachmanoff were not returned Thursday. Court documents indicate Levan has been fired from his job as a CIA case officer.  [Klopott/DCExaminer/6February2009]

Israel Suspends Flights to Antalya Over CIA Notice. Israel has suspended its flights to Antalya over a coded message sent to Israeli and Turkish officials by the CIA about preparations by an al-Qaeda terrorist in Turkey to launch a bloody attack against Israeli passengers.

The CIA sent the coded message to Israeli and Turkish officials around three weeks ago, warning them about preparations by an al-Qaeda member to carry out a deadly attack against Israeli passengers at Turkish airports. The message stated that the terrorist infiltrated Turkey from a Middle Eastern country with the objective of retaliating against Israel's recent assault on the Gaza Strip. The terrorist was to launch the attack at the Istanbul Atat�rk Airport, the Adnan Menderes Airport in Izmir or the Antalya Airport, according to the message, which also notes that the terrorist is using a fake passport.

Upon receiving the CIA message, Israel decided to halt its flights to Antalya. Sources said Israel's decision to suspend flights to Turkey's southern city had nothing to do with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strong reaction to Israeli violence against Gazans. Erdogan reacted harshly to the offensive on various occasions and called on Israel to declare a cease-fire.

A leading Israeli daily reported on Wednesday that security officials have instructed Israeli airlines not to fly to the Turkish resort city of Antalya because local authorities were no longer allowing armed Israeli security personnel to arrive at the airport.

The airlines were instructed to halt all services to Antalya until the matter is sorted out, a report by the Israeli daily Haaretz said, while noting that Israeli charter airlines had already reduced the number of flights to Antalya as a result of the worsening financial crisis and the Turkish government's strong disapproval of Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip.

In the meantime, the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and police departments nationwide were ordered to step up security against the prospect of a terrorist attack in the country. Airports in three Turkish cities have tightened security measures.  [Today'sZaman/6February2009]

Section II - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE

The Recent Past and Future of Intelligence Politicization. How can we characterize the politicization of intelligence in the Bush years? And what are the portents for the integrity of intelligence in the Obama era? Before trying to answer those questions, it bears noting that it's almost impossible to find any serious student of intelligence who believes that intelligence, the intelligence cycle, or the intelligence community is, or has ever been, immune from politicization.

The Bush 43 years did see an effusion of intelligence action and analysis produced not by traditional intelligence community elements, but by special units with "unique" methodologies, whose product came to opposite conclusions of those of career specialists. So too, though, did the Reagan years, as anyone who remembers phantom MiGs in Nicaragua and the U.S.S.R. as the mastermind of international terrorism is aware. Even if evidence of direct arm-twisting pressure on analysts during the Bush years is hard to come by, analysts undeniably existed in an environment where political intentions were clear. But is that any different than the still-controversial Robert Gates interregnum at the Directorate of Intelligence under Bill Casey in the Reagan administration?

As one veteran intelligence officer puts it, "It's not a question of whether there will be politicization, but what the degree and flavor is from administration to administration, and within an administration." The real question is how politicization is defined, and once defined or delineated, how politicization actually affects intelligence either narrowly, writ large, or somewhere in between.

Answer this question is not as easy as it might seem. Indeed, for many, it's the stuff of the esoteric and arcane, in part because, from citizens to policymakers, most people believe that things "are supposed to work a certain way." Stephen Marrin, an AFIO member/scholar at Mercyhurst College and himself a former CIA analyst, describes this as the "standard model of the intersection between intelligence analysis and policymaking." At its best, the model holds the process should work more or less as follows: The appropriate agencies gather the best intelligence in the smartest way, connect the dots and analyze with nuance but succinctness; their independence is respected by the policymaker; the policymaker asks thoughtful questions about process and product and then, edified, makes responsible policy decisions - including perhaps even changing his or her previous positions.

Unfortunately, a review of pertinent intelligence history shows few situations when intelligence analysis changed policymaker judgment when the analysis conflicted with policy preferences. Part of the reason for this, according to Marrin, is that a policymaker's decision-making is based on "data and analysis" as opposed to "concepts, theories or mindsets that affect their interpretation and use of raw intelligence data as well as analysis." One cannot, in other words, expect the politician to err on the side of adopting a career analyst's mindset - provided he understands it. Nor can one cast the rejection of intelligence in that context as politicization.

In trying to figure out what politicization and its gradations are, a review of expert opinion essentially reveals a variation on a theme. To some, politicization is the result of an organic breakdown of analytic tradecraft. As Loch Johnson has put it, it's an analyst succumbing to temptation, "putting a spin on or 'cooking' intelligence to serve the political beliefs of an intelligence manager or policy official - the danger of 'intelligence to please.'"

Richard Betts casts it as a more extrinsic phenomenon, as the "imposition of partisan or ideological criteria on intelligence work" - something more likely to come from outside an agency than within, and that can affect processes of both collection and analysis.

Harry Ransome says politicization occurs "when intelligence estimates are influenced by imbedded policy positions. When preferred policies dominate decision-making, overt or subtle pressures are applied on intelligence systems, resulting in self-fulfilling prophecies, or in 'intelligence to please' that distorts reality."

RAND's Gregory Treverton has held that ex-CIA official John Gannon's definition - "the willful distortion of analysis to satisfy the demands of intelligence bosses or policymakers" - is a good start, but that it really should be "broadened to encompass commitments to perspectives or conclusions, in the process of intelligence analysis or interaction with policy, that suppress other evidence of views, or blind people to them." Under that rubric, Treverton sees intelligence politicization as having "at least five different if overlapping meanings," any of which can be at work simultaneously. 

Citing the Robb-Silberman Commission and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence reports on WMD, Treverton echoes their conclusion that the most obvious kind of politicization - direct pressure - was absent, though he does add that some analysts did feel pressure to produce the 'right' answer - that Saddam Hussein had WMD." 

The other forms of politicization are more subtle. In its "question asking" form, how narrowly questions are asked, and how often, counts. When policymakers simply asked, "Does Saddam have WMD?" and "Are there links between Iraq and al-Qaeda?" - and repeated those questions over and over again - critical analytical considerations, such as how much threat, to whom, and over what time frame, got lost. If a particular analytic shop in the intelligence community comes to a static view on an issue and dissenting analysts are suppressed or ignored at that level, it's politicization of the "house line" variety. In the case of Iraq-WMD intelligence, this was manifest as the tendency of analysts to, having once chronically underestimated everything, overestimate everything. Then there's a simple form politicization that consists of a "shared mindset" between the intelligence and policy communities on issues that go unquestioned.

Last but not least, there's "cherry picking," where policy types pluck select favorite assessments from a bunch. 

But perhaps the most interesting recent effort at delineating politicization is by a professor at the Naval War College. Joshua Rovner's Lucian Pye Award-winning MIT doctoral thesis, "Intelligence-Policy Relations and the Problems of Politicization," is due out in book form later this year. If his first draft is any indication, it may very well provide scholars and practitioners with a more expansive framework for a post-mortem on intelligence politicization in the Bush years, as well as for figuring out how to retool the system to apply the lessons learned.

In a 2005 paper entitled "Pathologies of Intelligence-Policy Relations," Rovner also created a typology of the same name. Rovner's first pathology is "Excessive Harmony," in which the views of intelligence and policy types organically align, and no one challenges each other. Another is "Irrelevance," which has two variations: intelligence personnel consciously isolate themselves from policymakers to the point of marginalization; or policymakers either altogether "ignore the messenger" or cherry-pick.

The third pathology is "Politicization," which, as always, "conjures images of ideologically driven decision-makers twisting arms in the intelligence community to rationalize ill-fated policies that are not in the national interest." But, "this pathology is more complex; rarely do we find clear examples of direct manipulation of intelligence analysts by policymakers who need them to deliver products that support preferred policies." He says, "there are at least eight different types of politicization," which cover the complex interaction between the micro- and macro-manifestations of intelligence, policy, and politics:

- Direct Manipulation: Policymakers and staff pressure intelligence to produce specific findings. Alternately, they appoint malleable analysts.

- Indirect Manipulation: Insecure analysts provide intelligence intended to support policy decisions. This may occur if analysts suspect that their managers want to see certain findings.

- Embedded Assumptions: Widely held strategic assumptions and social norms constrain analysis.

- Intelligence Subverts Policy: Intelligence analysis publicly undermines policy decisions. Alternately, policymakers ignore intelligence because they fear subversion.

- Intelligence Parochialism: Analysts tailor findings for personal or professional gain. This can cause either "intelligence to please" or subversion, depending on the analyst's goals.

- Bureaucratic Parochialism: Bureaucracies tailor intelligence findings to support their own interests.

- Partisan Intelligence: Political parties use intelligence issues for partisan gain, usually by accusing rivals of mismanaging intelligence.

- Intelligence as Scapegoat: Policymakers deride intelligence when it does not support policy decisions. In addition, intelligence is blamed for failure to predict events like surprise attacks. 

Some in the operational community familiar with Rovner's work find particularly resonant his argument that direct manipulation occurs through "manipulation-by-appointment" at lower levels.

One intelligence officer said this concept is "useful applied not just to the analyst-policymaker relationship, which is what so much of politicization study seems to focus on, but on how institutional ethos is politicized by who's put where when and how," he adds. "I could be wrong, but if you're going to tell me that things Porter Goss said and did at the agency were not 'politicization' and politicization done in a maybe unprecedented way, and that none of that trickled down or had lateral affects, I would disagree."

In terms of intelligence ethos, it would seem clear that President Obama's preeminent intention has been to send a message not so much about analysis, but operations; in particular, the darker arts practiced by the CIA. None of Obama's key players bear the taint of Bush Administration torture policies. The Washington conventional wisdom has been that Blair, per his brief stint as a liaison at CIA and as a consumer of intelligence as commander of Pacific Command, understands intelligence. The same is said of Panetta from a different angle: Between his knowledge of the budgetary process, running the White House and appreciation for what a president should expect from the CIA, everything augurs well.

There is, of course, the question of how the players will mesh. Some observers expect a collegial and complementary relationship; others do not, and are placing their bets accordingly. Whatever the case, most old hands don't regard Blair or Panetta as lining up for a repeat of the intelligence community-policymaker dynamics of the Bush years.

But some still question whether Obama and both his intelligence-producing and intelligence-consuming appointees truly appreciate the complexities of the intelligence community and process. Mark Lowenthal, a veteran CIA and State Department analyst, notes that over the course of a 30-year career, no policymaker he interacted with ever asked him to explain the basics of the intelligence cycle and the processes that produce different analytic products, or even what the limits of intelligence are. 

The Naval War College's Rovner echoes Lowenthal's sentiment. "I would tell the president that he's got to get to know the intelligence community and learn what it can and can't provide," says Rovner. "It's really important to understand the capabilities of what intelligence can provide, but the limits as well. Intelligence agencies are not soothsayers and can't predict the future - there is inherent ambiguity and uncertainty in world events.

The National Security Archives' John Prados - a scholar more well-acquainted than most with primary source documents of Bush-era politicization - makes a more basic suggestion. "If you look at the documents of the Bush administration, the conclusion you cannot help but come to is that the Power Point should be abolished, because so many of those documents are not analysis, but a bullet-by-bullet sort of shorthand, which jumps over and bridges all the contradictions and uncertainties, and jumps to conclusions," he says. "So he should say that he wants to hear the real arguments and not the summaries. He should make sure that those under him aren't giving him intelligence they think he wants to hear. And I would tell him to be mindful of expressions of excessive certainty. That's the one thing... I saw a man on the campaign trail who was confident he could find solutions on some level. To be confident you have to be confident that a solution exists. I'm not sure he gets that there is no 'slam dunk' - it's metaphysical in a lot of ways." [Vest/WorldPoliticsReview/2February2009] 

Farewell Statement to Employees by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Mike Hayden. Our Agency has chosen a quotation from the New Testament to underscore its core mission: "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."

Today, though, the Old Testament offers relevant guidance: "To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven." It is the season and the time for Jeanine and me to say farewell to you, the wonderful men and women of the Central Intelligence Agency. We have been here for nearly three years and consider ourselves privileged to have been a part of you and your work. I have been especially honored to represent your achievements to audiences beyond our fence line: the President, the Cabinet, the Congress and - when possible - the American public.

You have been given the most difficult of tasks - to go where others cannot go and to accomplish what others cannot accomplish - and you have consistently fulfilled these missions with patriotism, sacrifice and professional excellence. You have also carried out your duties with integrity and in a manner that respects American law and reflects America's values. The Nation could ask no more.

Jeanine and I will be near the Lady Liberty mural in the main lobby from ten until noon today - or however long we have to be there to say a personal good-bye to anyone who cares to come by. You may catch a glimpse of me later in the week but that will largely be me moving out. That's physically moving out. We will be with you spiritually and emotionally for as long as you will have us. With Deepest Respect,

Mike Hayden
18th Director of CIA [CIA/9February2009] 

Section III - COMMENTARY

The Dangers of Our Weak Counterintelligence Efforts, by Douglas Farah. A vitally important description of one of the nation's vulnerabilities - the failure of counterintelligence - was buried in the Washington Post's Outlook section yesterday. It is worth revisiting.

The author, Michelle Van Cleave, headed the Bush administration's first congressionally mandated national counterintelligence executive, a vital mission, she writes that today, "is on life support."

It is a problem that spans the recent administrations, and one the Obama administration should address forcefully as it looks to reshape the intelligence community. The litany of reasons for the current situation, however, are familiar, including:

- lack of centralized thinking and action on the issue

- stovepiping of information

- lack of coherent policy

The lack of attention is borne out by the fact that Van Cleave was the first national head of counterintelligence, appointed only in 2003.

Counterintelligence has to have true national leadership, and is too important to be left to the hodgepodge of agencies that currently carry out bits and pieces of the policy.

Why? As Van Cleave correctly notes, the Chinese have managed to steal EVERY nuclear weapons design the U.S. has, allowing them not only to leapfrog generations and billions of dollars in development, but also to identify every vulnerability in the current systems.

Russia no longer needs to rely solely on KGB thugs to carry out much of its espionage. It simply carries out the best business intelligence gathering operations through front companies, and hires lobbyists to collect other information of interest.

Most tellingly, the Islamist world is heavily invested in the United States through shell corporations and the governments that host and sponsor terrorists, from Hezbollah and al Qaeda. [Farah/counterterrorismblog.org/9February2009] 

Speaking With the Enemy, by Donald P. Gregg. When former Vice President Dick Cheney warned last week that terrorists will be emboldened by President Barack Obama's decision to close Guant�namo and to ban harsh interrogation techniques, I was reminded of a story.

During wartime service in Vietnam with the C.I.A. from 1970 to 1972, I was in charge of intelligence operations in the 10 provinces surrounding Saigon. One of my tasks was to prevent rocket attacks on Saigon's port.

Keeping Saigon safe required human intelligence, most often from captured prisoners. I had a running debate about how North Vietnamese prisoners should be treated with the South Vietnamese colonel who conducted interrogations. This colonel routinely tortured prisoners, producing a flood of information, much of it totally false. I argued for better treatment, and pressed for key prisoners to be turned over to the C.I.A., where humane interrogation methods were the rule, and more accurate intelligence the result.

The colonel finally relented and turned over a battered prisoner to me, saying, "This man knows a lot but he will not talk to me." We treated the prisoner's wounds, reunited him with his family and allowed him to make his first visit to Saigon. Surprised by the city's affluence, he said he would tell us anything we asked. The result was a flood of actionable intelligence that allowed us to disrupt planned operations, including rocket attacks against Saigon.

Admittedly, it would be hard to make a story from nearly 40 years ago into a definitive case study. But there is a useful reminder here. The key to successful interrogation is for the interrogator - even as he controls the situation - to recognize a prisoner's humanity, to understand his culture, background and language. Torture makes this impossible.

There's a sad twist here. Mr. Cheney forgets that the Bush administration followed this approach with some success. A high-value prisoner subjected to patient interrogation by an Arabic-speaking F.B.I. agent yielded highly useful information, including the final word on Iraq's weapons programs.

His name was Saddam Hussein. 

Donald P. Gregg, the national security adviser to Vice President George H. W. Bush from 1982 to 1988 and ambassador to Korea from 1989 to 1993, worked for the C.I.A. for 30 years. He is the chairman of the Korea Society. [Gregg/NYTImes/7February2009]

Section IV - SPECIAL AWARDS, READING, OBITUARIES AND COMING EVENTS

Special Awards and Appointments

FBI's Community Leadership Award announced for Dr. Beverly A. Goldstein, an officer of the AFIO Ohio Chapter, for a 2008 Intelligence Symposium held with the Beachwood School System.
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S! AFIO would like to commend member Beverly A. Goldstein for receiving the FBI's Community Leadership Award. According to a letter sent to Dr. Goldstein by the FBI,

"It's a fact: the FBI can only conduct investigations and protect the American people from crime and acts of extremism if it has the support and understanding of the American people. That's why the Special Agents in Charge of each of our 56 Field Offices work so closely with their communities and community organizations.

So what happens when these Special Agents in Charge get such tremendous support from people in their communities that they want to specially recognize them?

They nominate them for a Director's Community Leadership Award.

This special award, presented on behalf of the Director of the FBI, was formally created in 1990 as a way to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and violence in America. They have recognized citizens around the country for their service above and beyond the call of duty to help keep America and its kids safe."

Dr. Goldstein received the award for her National Security program which was presented at Beachwood Schools Foundation in February 2008. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Goldstein, who will receive the award at the FBI Ceremony on 20 March 2009. 

"Bev, This is truly something for all of us to be proud of. It was your vision and hard work that turned a concept into a reality.  Thank you for all of your efforts that will now result in this honor for you, the Foundation, and all of Beachwood!  --  Brian Weiss

Melissa Hathaway, the author of the article, Cyber Security - An Economic and National Security Crisis, in AFIO's latest Intelligencer, has just been named by President Obama to head a review of the nation's cybersecurity to examine how federal agencies use technology to protect secrets and data.  Hathaway will carry the title of Acting Senior Director for Cyberspace, in both the National Security and Homeland Security Councils.  She will head the effort to examine all the government plans, programs and activities underway to manage large amounts of data -- including passport applications, tax records, personal tax returns and national security documents.  A failure or attack on this infrastructure could harm the country by shutting down the nation's airlines or shutting down the stock market. [Poteat/WashPost p A3]

Reading

A Necessary Engagement, by Emile Nakhleh. In "A Necessary Engagement," the CIA's former point man on Islam makes a weak case for a renewal of American public diplomacy in the Muslim world. Offering a balance between in-depth analysis, personal memoir, and foreign policy remedies, the book proposes new theories into the public discussion of long-term U.S.-Muslim relations. And one has to ask are we being lulled into silence or acquiescence by Muslim spokespersons like Nakhleh or is the new theory a genuine bid for a new level of friendship? If the latter, where are the voices of those peace-loving, anti-terrorist Muslims here in the U.S.? Why no outcry from them for the violence to stop? Could it be more likely that they are silently complicit, hoping the outcome is in their favor? The author is silent on this point. President Obama has discovered that trying to give respect to this group might be a leap from which no one returns....a one-way deal with you showing what you'll do for them; and their showing that you can never do enough to appease constant wounds and unrelenting demands.

Nakhleh argues that an engagement with the Muslim world benefits the national interest of the United States and urges the Obama administration to discard the terrorism prism through which the country -- understandably -- has viewed political Islam since 9/11 [after all, they attacked us and killed more than 3,000 Americans] and focus instead on the common interests of America and mainstream Muslims. Mainstream Muslims who have failed to speak out against terrorism, ever. At the same time, one has to wonder if we being asked to look elsewhere while further machinations are conducted here in the country to undercut our impression of Muslim intolerance, or is this a genuine outreach for peaceful co-existence? Nakhleh investigates recent U.S. policy toward Islamic nations and offers the Obama administration a ten-point plan for rebuilding America's relationship with the Muslim world - much of it based on capitulation by the U.S. to Muslim "religious and legal sensitivities" that ignore the rights of women and the freedom of religion expected of groups within the U.S. Primitive Muslim Shariah law is not far behind once we follow any of these precepts. "A Necessary Engagement" is a tract of what we can do for them, not how they can get along with us. The author suggests that winning over Arabs and Muslims requires a thorough knowledge of Arab and Muslim cultures and languages [any who know the culture but disagree with it are quickly labeled as "uninformed" until they start mouthing the correct pro-Muslim verbiage] within our intelligence community -- but does not ask them to do likewise to Americans and the West -- setting up a one-sided standard that few in the West can expect to meet or tolerate -- as well as a long-term American commitment of personnel and resources towards a group that has consistently violated most agreements and unrelentingly allows small, violent splinter groups of terrorists to set the agenda. While the success of these efforts Nakhleh tells us will be incremental (yes, to such an extent an electron microscope is needed to see any progress), the author believes that the current low standing of the United States in most Arab and Muslim countries can be reversed. But much of it sounds one-sided after being attacked by the very intolerant people who led to 9/11 and all that followed. Sounds more like the palaver one would expect from CAIR and other flaks for pro-Muslim groups than an objective, assessment by a former U.S. Government employee.

Stressing that effective public diplomacy must be a serious, coordinated effort pursued at the highest political levels, "A Necessary Engagement" charts a one-sided course for future ties between the United States and the Islamic world if the West can shut its eyes to a snake coiling itself ever further up around its body until it can completely strangled us into silence using our own laws and liberal tolerance for anything that chooses to cloak itself as religion. .

Emile Nakhleh was a senior intelligence service officer and director of the Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program in the Directorate of Intelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency. He holds a PhD in international relations and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. [Bancroft / PrincetonUniversityPress/28January2009]

Obituaries

Mae Ness Ryan, 88, born May 14, 1920 in Barton, North Dakota, died Sunday, January 25, 2009 in Melbourne, Florida after a 40 year bout with cancer. A remarkable and truly loved woman, she was an Eye Witness to History following Pearl Harbor, she entered Civil Service in the Treasury Department, transferring to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), forerunner of the CIA, and served in Italy in World War II. At the end of the war she was sent to Nurenberg, Germany to manage OSS persons at the war crime trials of the Nazi leaders. At the trials end she returned to the USA only to be recruited to join the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and in 1950 sent to Japan during the Korean War. There she met her future husband, John J. (Pat) Ryan, the USAF pilot of the CIA aircraft. In 1952 she was transferred to Frankfurt, Germany during the Cold War. In 1954 she married Pat and moved to England where she entered a new world. She bore a son, Timothy, and four years later returned to the states in Texas. In 1962 she was back in Germany as Pat became the Assistant Air Attach� in Bonn. For four years she raised their son, and at the same time represented her country attending official functions, entertaining persons of many foreign lands and undergoing her first cancer operation. In 1966, they returned to the US on assignment to Tacoma, Washington where she became surrogate mother to the families of Pats 550 strong flying unit. In 1972 on Pats retirement, Mae accepted a position as office manager of a dental clinic. In 1990, both retired and moved to Melbourne into the Indian River Colony Club, where she made a new life with many new friends on the golf course and other activities. She also wrote her story of her life as an eyewitness to history in A Woman Ahead of her Time which will be published in early February. Mae leaves behind a loving family, her beloved husband of 54 years, Pat; son and daughter-in-law, Tim and Lora; grandsons, Patrick and William of Annandale, VA; granddaughter, Kate of Los Angeles, CA; her family The Whalens, Tom and Cathy and their families of Minneapolis; and her families-in-law, The Kirschlings of New Jersey. To all of her IRCC friends, thank you for all you have done for her over the past 19 years. A Memorial Service will be held at 12:30 p.m., Friday, February 13th, at IRCC in the Colony Hall. She will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. [FloridaToday/1February2009]

COMING EVENTS

EVENTS IN COMING TWO MONTHS....

Wednesday, 11 February 2009 - Albuquerque, NM - The Tom Smith New Mexico Chapter meets at 1130 hours in the “back room” at the Calico Caf� / Vernon’s Steak House, right next to the historic old El Camino Motel, about � mile north of Osuna on the west side of 4th Street. Speaker TBA. Inquiries and registration to JOE YARDUMIAN at jjyard@q.com

Thursday, 12 February 2009, 11:30 a.m. - Scottsdale, AZ - AFIO Arizona Chapter features David Low, NIO, on Counter-Terrorism. DAVID LOW, recently retired as the National Intelligence Officer (NIO) for Transitional Threats with the National Intelligence Council (NIC). The National Intelligence Council is a unique body of the most senior experts charged with providing strategic intelligence assessments. In this position Mr. Low was the senior advisor to the Director of National Intelligence on global terrorism issues. NEW LOCATION: McCORMICK RANCH GOLF COURSE 7505 McCormick Parkway, Scottsdale AZ 85258 ~ Phone 480.948.0260)
Mr. Low shaped the post 9/11 analytical framework, provided leadership to the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) on terrorism analysis, and produced National Intelligence Estimates and other strategic assessments on terrorism which he coordinated with all sixteen agencies within the IC. He is now a consultant with the NIC and Oxford Analytica. (http://www.oxan.com)
RSVP: WE WILL NEED FOR EVERY MEETING an RSVP no later than 72 hours ahead of time; in the past, not reserving or cancelling without prior notice (72 hours prior to the meeting) created much grief for those of us organizing the meeting and dealing with the personnel! At this new location, we can also be charged for the no-shows and please remember, we are a small organization with a humble coffer! We would therefore APPRECIATE that you all respond to this email to confirm your presence (or not).
Our meeting fees will be as follows: • $20.00 for AFIO members, • $22.00 for guests
For reservations or questions, please email Simone sl@4smartphone.net or simone@afioaz.org or call and leave a message on 602.570.6016
Art Kerns, President of the AZ Chapter, mailto: nyu1972@aol.com or sl@4smartphone.net

Wednesday, 18 February 2009, 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. - Washington, DC - OPEN HOUSE at The Institute of World Politics in downtown Washington, DC provides an outstanding selection of M.A. graduate and Certificate programs. The latest - Strategic Intelligence Studies. One less excuse for not picking up the phone or mousing over to www.iwp.edu to make major steps in your career. Some of the majors are: • Strategic Intelligence Studies • Statecraft and National Security Affairs • Statecraft and World Politics • National Security Affairs • Intelligence • American Foreign Policy • International Politics • Public Diplomacy and Political Warfare • Democracy Building • Comparative Political Culture • Counterintelligence.
Can't make up your mind? Do some reconnaissance. For information on the upcoming or future Open Houses, call 202.462.2101, ext. 319 or visit: www.iwp.edu

Wednesday, 18 February 2009, 6:00 p.m. - Nellis AFB, NV - The AFIO Las Vegas Chapter Meeting features "The Real History of the Civil Air Transport / Air America" The featured speaker for the evening will be Mr. L. Michael Kandt, General Secretary Air America Association. Mr. Kandt will speak on the "The Real History and Accomplishments of the Civil Air Transport/Air America" Mr. Kandt will have on display two prints of original oil paintings that represent events during operations in Laos.
Place: The Officers' Club at Nellis Air Force Base.
Dinner: The Officers' Club has an excellent, informal dinner venue along with a selection of snacks. You are welcome to arrive early and join us in the "Check Six" bar area. Water will be provided during the meeting, but you may also purchase beverages and food at the bar and bring them to the meeting. Once again, please feel free to bring your spouse and/or guest(s) to dinner as well as our meeting.
For further information or to register email Eppley, Christine J. [eppley@nv.doe.gov] or call her at 702-295-0073

19 February 2009 – San Francisco, CA – The AFIO Jim Quesada Chapter hosts Dave Townsend, of Computer Forensics. Mr. Townsend is a recognized authority on computer forensics and cyber crime investigations, with more than 20 years of police & detective experience, including many high profile assignments with the Silicon Valley High Tech Crimes Task Force and the FBI REACT Task Force. His presentation will cover the growing threat of cyber-terrorism, including procedures used by persons attacking computer systems, data or infrastructure, criminal use of internet and digital communications and protection techniques used by law enforcement. RSVP required. 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. E-mail RSVP to Mariko Kawaguchi (please indicate meat or fish) no later than 5PM 2/10/09: mariko@cataphora.com or mail check made out to "AFIO" to: Mariko Kawaguchi, P.O. Box 117578 Burlingame, CA 94011. (650) 622-9840 X608

20 -21 February 2009 - Baltimore, MD - Ethics in the Intelligence Community 2009 - The 4th Annual Conference of the International Intelligence Ethics Association
List of topics: • The Foundations of Ethics in Intelligence; • The Ethics of Intelligence Assassinations: The Israeli Experience; • The Application of Stakeholder Analysis to Covert Action; • Legitimizing Intelligence Ethics: A Comparison to Ethics in Business; • Surreptitious Physical Searches: An Ethics of Privacy; • Many Spheres of Harm: What's Wrong with Intelligence Collection; • The Ethical Implications of the Downing Street Memos; • The Role of Ethics Reform in Turkey's Bid to Join the EU; • Evolution of British Intelligence & Counter-Terrorism: Northern Ireland, 1969 - 1998.; Location: The Johns Hopkins University at Mt. Washington Conference Center Baltimore, Maryland.
Register now and save $50.00. This year, on-line registration is available and encouraged by all attendees. You can reserve your space at the conference and get a hotel room at the same time!
Registration Fees: Individual - Institution - $450; Individual - $375; Student - $250
For more information about registration fees, including fees for early and late registration, go to http://intelligence-ethics.org/conference/09/index.html.
Registration fees include continental breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Friday, and continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday.
Lodging: The Mt. Washington Conference Center has 48 guestrooms for conference attendees. Single rooms with a queen-size bed and double rooms with two double beds are available.
The room rate is $150 per night. If you have any questions, please feel free to contract them at conference2009@intelligence-ethics.org.

21 February 2009 - Kennebunk, ME - " Middle East Peace and the Mitchell Mission" the theme of the AFIO Maine Chapter Meeting.
Will the latest efforts for peace between Palestinians and Israelis succeed?  Can the cease fire with Hamas be solidified? Portland attorney, and acquainance of George Mitchell, will be guest at this meeting of the Maine Chapter of AFIO to discuss the ambitious push for peace. Schwartz  recently hosted a TV talk show on the mission.  The show is scheduled for several repeat broadcasts due to popular demand.  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 call 207-364-8964.

Wednesday, 25 February 2009 - Arlington, VA - The Defense Intelligence Forum meets at the Alpine Restaurant, 4770 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207. Speaker will be Ms. Sharon A. Houy on the way ahead for the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Defense Intelligence Enterprise. Ms. Houy is the DIA Associate Deputy Director. She leads agency and combatant command efforts to create a more agile, professional Defense intelligence enterprise. She chairs the DIA-Command Executive Board, which addresses combatant command transition issues and develops enterprise goals and objectives. She has served as DIA representative to the National Security Agency, Chief of the Counterproliferation and Technology Office, Vice Deputy Director for Production, and Research Director for Military Assessments. Pay at the door with a check for $29 made payable to DIAA, Inc Social hour starts at 1130, lunch at 1200 RSVP by 18 February by email to diforum@verizon.net
In your response, give your name and the names of your guests. For each, choose chicken, veal, or salmon. Include also your telephone number and email address.
Pay at the door with a check for $29 per person. Make checks payable to DIAA, Inc. WE DON’T TAKE CASH! If you don’t have a check, you’ll have to have the restaurant charge your credit or debit card $29 and present the restaurant’s copy when you check in for lunch. (Don’t let the waiter keep the restaurant’s copy.)

26 February 2009, Noon to 1 pm - Washington, DC - The Spy Within: Larry Chin and China’s Penetration of the CIA
In October 1982, the FBI received chilling information from the CIA—the Agency had learned China was running a spy inside US intelligence, but the spy’s identity, where he worked and for how long, and what information he was passing was unknown. Over the next three years, investigators worked frantically to identify the mole, to discover the secrets he’d betrayed and the agents he’d endangered, and to collect the evidence to prosecute him for his betrayal. The investigation ultimately revealed that for more than thirty years, Larry Chin, the CIA’s leading Chinese linguist, had been a top Chinese penetration of the Agency. In the first book to explore Chin’s betrayal, Tod Hoffman uses exclusive interviews, previously unreleased documents, and his own practical expertise as a former spy-catcher for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to spin a captivating cat-and-mouse tale. Join Hoffman as he discusses the untold story of one of America’s biggest spy cases.
International Spy Museum, 800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station
TICKETS: No registration required. Free.

4 March 2009, 6:30 p.m. - Washington, DC - Josephine Baker: Singer, Dancer, Spy - A discussion at Spy Museum
“I am ready to give the Parisians my life.”—Josephine Baker
From Broadway to the Rue Fontaine, the extraordinary Josephine Baker was the toast of the international nightclub circuit. Born in the United States, the talented African American singer-dancer moved to France to escape racism in America and became an enormous star. She triumphed at the Folies Berg�re and enjoyed the acclaim of European society. Her affection for France was so great that when World War II broke out, she volunteered to spy for her adopted country. Her caf� society fame enabled her to rub shoulders with those in the know, from high-ranking Japanese officials to Italian bureaucrats, and report back what she heard. She heroically stayed in France after the invasion working closely with the French Resistance to undermine the Nazi occupation. Her espionage exploits are just one chapter in Baker’s extraordinary life. Join Jonna Mendez, former CIA chief of disguise, as she reveals Baker’s intelligence work and places it in the context of her exciting and celebrated life.
International Spy Museum, 800 F Street, 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.

5 - 6 March 2009 - Houston, TX - "Terrorism, Crime & Business" Symposium - Understanding the Fundamental Legal and Security Liability Issues for American Business. A conference sponsored by St. Mary's University., School of Law, Center for Terrorism Law. Four Main Symposium Themes: • An overview of the aims and objectives of the global terror threat posed by al-Qa’eda-styled terror groups, sub-State terror groups, and “lone-wolf” terrorists.
• An analysis of the specific threats to American business sectors that are deemed part of the nation’s “critical infrastructure,” i.e., energy, petrochemical, electric utilities, communication, transportation, health, banking and finance, agriculture, water and shipping. • An understanding of the varied legal issues associated with terrorism and criminal negligence claims against businesses that have suffered a terror attack or serious criminal act in cyberspace or the physical world. • A comprehensive review of how to develop appropriate physical security methods.
SPEAKERS and LOCATION: The symposium will be held at the Federal Reserve Bank, 1801 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. The registration fee is $300.00, which includes breakout refreshments, a hosted lunch,
and extensive printed materials, e.g., Terrorism Law: Materials, Cases, Comments (5th Ed. 2009). Participants may qualify for Continuing Legal Education Credits (CLE). For registration information and details, contact Ms. Faithe Campbell at (210) 431-2219; fcampbell@stmarytx.edu. Additional information is also available at the Center for Terrorism Law website: www.stmarytx.edu/ctl.

Wednesday, 11 March 2009 - Albuquerque, NM - The New Mexico Chapter of AFIO meets at the FBI Crest Academy. Inquiries and registration to JOE YARDUMIAN at jjyard@q.com

25 - 27 March 2009 - Raleigh, NC - "Sexspionage" The 6th annual Raleigh Spy Conference salutes lady spies - and their counterparts on the other side - with expert speakers delivering riveting tales of Sexspionage, the new term characterizing the current emphasis on gender in the murky world of international intrigue. Sexspionage Subject for Sixth Raleigh Spy Conference
Lady spies have played a crucial role in espionage for centuries, from ancient civilizations through the Biblical era, world wars, the Cold War and today's sophisticated environment of modern espionage. As the flood of newly declassified documents over the past 15 years attests, female operatives were responsible for many of the most daring intelligent operations of the modern era - while others played a notorious role working against the US. And the role of sex in spy adventures has taken center stage though the ages.
Brian Kelley, popular former conference speaker and retired CIA operations officer, returns to Raleigh with a special presentation highlighted by videotaped, jailhouse interviews of convicted spies and their wives (the spouses of former FBI agents Earl Pitts and Richard Miller along with the former wife of CIA officer, Jim Nicholson); wives who were complicit in their husband's espionage (Barbara Walker, Anne Henderson Pollard and Rosario Ames) along with an interview of the former Soviet citizen who seduced FBI agent Richard Miller on behalf of the KGB.
Ron Olive, retired special agent from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and author of the definitive book "Capturing Jonathan Pollard: How One of the Most Notorious Spies in American History was Brought to Justice", that uncovered the complicit role of Pollard's wife Anne. He will present a power point presentation on the role of the Pollards and the incredible damage they did to our national security.
I.C. Smith, former FBI Special Agent in charge, will return to Raleigh to present the inside story of Katrina Leung, known inside the FBI as "Parlor Maid", who managed to seduce her two FBI case agents and thus compromising them during the course of this twenty year operation. She was first used by the FBI as a double agent, then "doubled back" or "tripled" by Chinese intelligence against the FBI and later becoming the only known "quadruple" (re-doubled back against the Chinese by the FBI) agent yet exposed. The intelligence which the FBI derived from the Parlor Maid case went to four US presidents.
Terry Crowdy, British espionage writer and researcher will offer the role of female spies and tales of seduction from antiquity, the Christian era to modern lady spies at work today. Crowdy's book "The Enemy Within" is considered one of the top surveys of espionage.
Jerrold L. Schecter is a historian and journalist with extensive first-hand experience in Russia, Ukraine, Japan, China and Southeast Asia. He began his career with the Wall Street Journal and then spent 18 years with Time Magazine. He was a foreign correspondent covering Indo-China based in the Hong Kong bureau (1960-1963); a Nieman Fellow at Harvard (1963-1964); bureau chief in Tokyo (1964-1968) and Moscow (1968-1970); White House correspondent (1971-1973) and diplomatic editor (1973-1977). While based in Moscow he was instrumental in the acquisition of Nikita Khrushchev's memoirs and their preparation for publication.
Nigel West, the keynote speaker is an old friend of the Raleigh Spy Conference. The former Member of Parliament - and a leading expert on modern espionage - is the author of the forthcoming "Historical Dictionary of Sexspionage," will be released at this special conference. West is a popular and engaging speaker sure to offer telling insights and entertaining stories on this intriguing subject.
Click here to view the Raleigh schedule of events.
Event Locations and Accommodations in Raleigh, North Carolina USA
Information about Raleigh, North Carolina USA can be found at www.visitRaleigh.com.
For map of downtown Raleigh area: click here
For an interactive map of Raleigh area: click here .
Conference Venue: The 6th Raleigh Spy Conference will be held at the NC Museum of History. 5 East Edenton Street (between Salisbury and Wilmington Streets) in downtown Raleigh, NC 27601 ph: 919-807-7900
Costs - Full registration for all sessions and one ticket to the Spy Gala: $250
Veterans, members of the military and the intelligence community: $175
Seniors over 62, teachers and students: $145.
Special discount for ladies! Only $125 for the entire conference package.
Registration: You can register online or call 919-831-0999.
Download Raleigh Spy Conference registration form, complete, and mail, fax or email while space remains: Registration Form Spy 09.pdf.

26 March 2009, 12:30 pm - Beverly Hills, CA - The AFIO Los Angeles Chapter luncheon features Dr. Gregory Treverton speaking on "Domestic Intelligence." Treverton is current director of the RAND Corporation's Center for Global Risk and Security, who recently held the position of Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council (NIC), overseeing the writing of America's National Intelligence Estimates (NIEs). Dr. Treverton's recent work examines terrorism, intelligence, and law enforcement, with a special interest in new forms of public-private partnership. The meeting will take place on the campus of Loyola Marymount University. Lunch will be provided for $15, for attendance reservations please email by no later than 3/20/09: AFIO_LA@yahoo.com check made out to "L.A. Area AFIO" mailed to Arthur Brooks 272 Lasky Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Wednesday, 1 April 2009, noon – 1 pm - Deceiving Hitler: The Masterman Memorandum: A Special Briefing at the International Spy Museum
As Britain entered its second winter of World War II, nightly German Blitzes rained fire on its cities and the threat of invasion had not yet passed. Yet wartime recruit and Oxford University Professor, J.C. Masterman, had the confidence and foresight to predict a time when the tables could be turned against the Nazis. Since the outbreak of war, the British Security Service MI5 had been collecting a group of double agents. The Germans appeared to trust these spies and pressed them for more information. This presented an enormous challenge for MI5—how to preserve the credibility of the double agents without giving away vital war secrets? In a secret memorandum of 1940, Masterman presented an amazing solution. Author of Deceiving Hitler, Terry Crowdy will reveal the content of the now declassified memorandum and explore to what extent the Allies were able to realize Masterman's plan to pull off an elaborate hoax on Hitler.
Free; No registration required! International Spy Museum, 800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station

Thursday, 2 April 2009, noon – 1 pm - Washington, DC - The Brenner Assignment: The Untold Story of the Most Daring Spy Mission of World War II - an Author Presentation at the International Spy Museum
The low-lying Brenner Pass between Austria and Italy has been a strategic target for centuries.  In 1944 a small team of American special operatives was charged with cutting off Nazi access to the Pass by any means possible.  In The Brenner Assignment, Patrick O'Donnell reveals for the first time the facts behind this daring covert operation and the brave men and women behind it.  Join him as he brings to life the courageous American Captains, Hall and Chappell, the heroic Italian partisans including Ettore Davare and the seductive Italian Countess Isabel, and the fiendish Gestapo head Major August Schiffer, in a story as dramatic as a Hollywood film but true—and with the highest of possible stakes.
Free; No registration required!  International Spy Museum, 800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station.

Tuesday, 14 April 2009, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC - "America on a Need to Know Basis: Secrecy in a Free Society" at the International Spy Museum.
Some Americans wrestle with the concept of government secrecy, but the less vocal majority (and less litigious) quickly recognize that some loss of privacy outweighs living lives of fear of terror, rampant criminal acts, and constant public danger: safety afforded by good surveillance and secrecy. How much secrecy is too much and when does classification become control without bounds? Moderator Shelby Coffey III, senior fellow of the Freedom Forum and former editor and executive vice president of the Los Angeles Times, engages a panel of experts in an exploration of these crucial questions. Join Thomas S. Blanton, executive director of the National Security Archive; Peter Earnest, former chief of the CIA office responsible for FOIA, privacy, and litigation issues in the clandestine service; Ronald Goldfarb, author of In Confidence: When to Protect Secrecy and When to Require Disclosure: and Mike Levin, former chief of information policy at the National Security Agency; for a lively exchange of views on the inherent tension between the public’s right to knowledge and the government’s duty to safeguard vital national security information. Tickets: $15. www.spymuseum.org International Spy Museum, 800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC, Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station.

20 - 24 April 2009 - Las Vegas, NV - The International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts Annual Conference. The International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts and the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit, host their Annual Conference at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The theme will be “Criminal Intelligence: Improving the Odds”. Internationally recognized speakers who are at the forefront of the war on crime and terrorism and those who are leaders in the intelligence community will be on hand to provide up-to-date information. Private security personnel are invited to attend non-law enforcement sensitive training at the nonmember rate. Speakers and workshops will involve training related to: criminal intelligence; international and domestic terrorism; legal issues in criminal intelligence; organized crime and gangs; and information sharing among law enforcement. See the LEIU website for updated confirmed speaker information. Seminar-related Activities: • Hosted Banquet – April 23, 2009; • Additional Activities TBA. For more information, please visit the LEIU website at http://leiu-homepage.org/events/index.php

24 - 26 April 2009 - Nashua, NH - The Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association New England Chapter (NCVA-NE) will hold its Spring Mini-Reunion at the Radisson Hotel Nashua.
The hotel is located at 11 Tara Boulevard, Nashua, New Hampshire 03062. For information, please call (518) 664-8032 or visit their website at http://ncva-ne.org. Local individuals who served with the U.S. Naval Security Group or with its counterpart in NETWARCOM are eligible and welcome to attend the mini-reunion. New members are welcome.
Point of Contact: Vic Knorowski, NCVA-NE Publicity Chair. 8 Eagle Lane, Mechanicville, New York 12118 (518) 664-8032

30 April 2009, 8 am–6:30 pm - Gettysburg, PA - Spy City Tours™ Special - Intelligence in the Civil War: Gettysburg as a Case Study [International Spy Museum Special Event]
Why was Lee surprised at Gettysburg?  Why did Meade stand and fight on 3 July?  How did Lee describe his defeat?  Explore the dawn of modern American military intelligence with distinguished former CIA officers, Frans Bax and Barry Stevenson on this thought-provoking bus and walking tour of the Gettysburg battlefield.  Developed for new and senior U.S. intelligence officers to illustrate the essentials of their craft through in-depth analysis of the three-day battle, participants will explore the use of intelligence for decision-making by Union General Meade and how a lack of timely, accurate intelligence undermined Confederate General Lee’s capabilities.  Key decisions and choices made by the military leaders on the battlefield will be explored in depth.  The tour includes information on the development and use of intelligence in the American Civil War and will be of interest to students of the battle and lay people alike.  Lunch at the historic Cashtown Inn is included.
Tickets: $180  To register:  call 1-800-454-5768 and mention program #18181 or visitwww.elderhostel.org/dayofdiscovery.

2 May 2009 - Washington, DC - The OSS Society William J. Donovan Award Dinner Honors General David H. Petraeus, USA, Commander, United States Central Command at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 1330 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC. Black Tie/Dress Mess. Cocktails, $150 pp. 6:30 p.m., Dinner 7:30 p.m. For further information or to register call 703-356-6667 or visit oss@osssociety.org

13 June 2009 - Boston, MA - AFIO Boston Pops Committee commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. Join AFIO Boston-based members at the Boston Pops in celebrating our nations triumphant achievement. Historic footage of the lunar landing provided by NASA will accompany a program of stirring patriotic music including Holst’s The Planets. Honor one of Americas proudest moments in space exploration with a spectacular Pops concert.  The AFIO Pops Committee has relocated the event back to Boston for our seventh annual Pops social event. Conductor Keith Lockhart will lead the Pops at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, MA 02115. Further details will be announce soon.
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For Additional Events two+ months or greater....view our online Calendar of Events

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