AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes #39-12 dated 9 October 2012 [Editors' Note: The WIN editors attempt
to include a wide range of articles and commentary in the Weekly Notes
to inform and educate our readers. However, the views expressed in the
articles are purely those of the authors, and in no way reflect support
or endorsement from the WIN editors or the AFIO officers and staff. We
welcome comments from the WIN readers on any and all articles and
commentary.]
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CONTENTS Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Section II - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE
Section IV - Educational Opportunities, Research Requests, and Coming Events
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Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Sensitive Documents Left Behind at U.S. Diplomatic Post in Libya. More than three weeks after attacks in this city killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans, sensitive documents remained only loosely secured in the wreckage of the U.S. mission on Wednesday, offering visitors easy access to delicate information about American operations in Libya.
Documents detailing weapons collection efforts, emergency evacuation protocols, the full internal itinerary of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens's trip and the personnel records of Libyans who were contracted to secure the mission were among the items scattered across the floors of the looted compound when a Washington Post reporter and an interpreter visited Wednesday.
The discovery further complicates efforts by the Obama administration to respond to what has rapidly become a major foreign-policy issue just weeks before the election. Republicans have accused Obama of having left U.S. diplomatic compounds in Muslim-majority nations insufficiently protected on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and have questioned the security preparations ahead of assaults on embassies in Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia and Sudan. Capitol Hill critics have also pressed for an explanation for the slow pace of the investigation that has followed the attack in Benghazi.
Although the gates to the Benghazi compound were locked several days after the attacks, looters and curiosity-seekers were free to roam in the initial chaotic aftermath, and many documents may have disappeared. [Read more:
Birnbaum/WashingtonPost/3October2012]
Germany: Man Charged as Spy for Syria. A 48-year-old man with dual German-Lebanese citizenship has been charged with spying for the Syrian intelligence service from 2007 until his arrest in February, the federal prosecutor's office said Friday. The suspect, who was identified only as Mahmoud El A., is accused of spying on Syrian opposition members living in Germany, according to prosecutors. After antigovernment protests began in Syria in early 2011, the suspect intensified his contacts with his intelligence agency handler in Berlin, reporting on gatherings of exiled opponents of the Syrian government and taking photographs of demonstrators, prosecutors said.
[Homola/NYTimes/5October2012]
Secret Spy Telescopes' New Role: Helping Nasa Hunt for Life Beyond Solar System. Officials at Nasa have been given an unexpected gift by American spy chiefs: a pair of space telescopes, each as large as the Hubble observatory.
The huge instruments were designed by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), a secretive intelligence agency, to peer down on sites in the Middle East and former Soviet Union. However, the project was cancelled and now Nasa has been presented with the leftover instruments. One group of astronomers has already begun work on plans to use a telescope to help in the hunt for life on other worlds.
"This is a gift that we have to take advantage of," said Dr Matt Mountain, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. "These are very large telescopes, and from their design specifications they appear ideal for carrying out large surveys of the heavens, including searches for Earth-like worlds orbiting stars near our solar system."
The two telescopes donated by the NRO have mirrors 2.4 metres in diameter - the same as the Hubble observatory's - and from space they could spot "a dime sitting on top of the Washington Monument", according to a Nasa official.
The satellites appear to have been part of a massive spy satellite project that was axed several years ago after lengthy delays and vast cost overruns. [Read more:
McKie/TheObserver/6October2012]
Revolt of the Spooks. Weeks before the presidential election, President Barack Obama's administration faces mounting opposition from within the ranks of U.S. intelligence agencies over what career officers say is a "cover up" of intelligence information about terrorism in North Africa.
Intelligence held back from senior officials and the public includes numerous classified reports revealing clear Iranian support for jihadists throughout the tumultuous North Africa and Middle East region, as well as notably widespread al Qaeda penetration into Egypt and Libya in the months before the deadly Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
"The Iranian strategy is two-fold: upping the ante for the Obama administration's economic sanctions against Iran and perceived cyber operations against Iran's nuclear weapons program by conducting terror attacks on soft U.S. targets and cyber attacks against U.S. financial interests," said one official, speaking confidentially.
The Iranian effort also seeks to take the international community's spotlight off Iran's support for its Syrian ally.
Two House Republicans, Reps. Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) and Jason Chaffetz (R., Utah), stated in a letter sent this week to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that officials "with direct knowledge of events in Libya" revealed that the Benghazi attack was part of a string of terror attacks and not a spontaneous uprising against an anti-Muslim video produced in the U.S. The lawmakers have scheduled congressional hearings for Oct. 10.
Susan Phalen, spokeswoman for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Mich.), said the panel is "reviewing all relevant intelligence and the actions of the [intelligence community], as would be expected of the oversight committee."
But she noted: "At this point in time it does not appear that there was an intelligence failure." [Read more:
Gertz/WashingtonFreeBeacon/5October2012]
Arizona Agencies Cited in Senate Investigation of Counterterrorism Centers. Arizona police agencies were among those singled out in a two-year Senate probe that reported "widespread deficiencies" in a Homeland Security Department program that officials touted for years as a centerpiece in U.S. counterterrorism efforts.
The report found that the local-federal "fusion centers" that were supposed to aid the federal government in terrorism prevention instead produced intelligence that was "oftentimes shoddy" and "unrelated to terrorism," and it said federal officials could not adequately track millions of dollars directed to the centers.
Included in the questionable spending was money to Arizona law enforcement agencies that was used to buy sport utility vehicles and to outfit the "wire room," a surveillance monitoring room at the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center, the state's fusion center.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a written statement that the committee's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations "found a remarkable degree of ineffectiveness, ineptitude and waste" in the program.
But Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday the subcommittee's report is "wrong and misleading by omission." Napolitano said she firmly believes fusion centers provide "a big service to the community" by augmenting existing counterterrorism efforts. [Read more:
Batlle/CronkiteNews/5October2012]
FBI: Workers Hid Scheme to Sell Russia Electronics. An FBI agent testified Friday that employees at a Houston company were coached to hide information about the cutting-edge microelectronics the firm was buying from U.S. manufacturers and later illegally reselling to Russian military and intelligence agencies.
U.S. authorities have arrested Alexander Fishenko, owner of Arc Electronics Inc., and seven of his employees, including Alexander Posobilov, who was the company's director of procurement. They are accused of being involved in a scheme to illicitly sell military technology to Russia, starting in 2008.
U.S. Magistrate Judge George Hanks Jr. denied bail for Posobilov, 58, following a detention hearing Friday. Hanks agreed with prosecutors that Posobilov, a Russian immigrant who later became a U.S. citizen, was a flight risk.
A detention hearing for Fishenko and three of his workers was postponed until Wednesday. Two employees will have their hearings Tuesday. One employee was granted bail of $250,000 on Friday. [Read more: AP/5October2012]
French Spy Held Captive in Somalia Pleads for Release. Three years after he was abducted in Somalia, French secret agent Denis Allex made a rare video appearance pleading with French President Fran�ois Hollande for his release. Little is known about one of France's murkiest hostage situations.
Looking pale and gaunt after three years of captivity, a French secret agent who was abducted in 2009 by Islamist militants in Somalia issued an emotional plea to French President Fran�ois Hollande to secure his release, in a videotaped statement posted on jihadist forums this week.
The slickly produced video clip titled "Message to Fran�ois Hollande" features a bearded Denis Allex reading out a statement in his native French. The four-minute video also offers English subtitles.
"I record this message, which I direct to you personally in the month of July 2012, 3 years after my abduction, 3 years away from my family, my wife and my children; 3 years of solitude," reads the English transcript of his statement. [Read more:
Jacinto/France24/6October2012]
GCHQ Chief Expresses Regret at Treatment of Alan Turing. The head of GCHQ has spoken with regret of the treatment of Alan Turing, the second world war codebreaker and mathematical genius, who killed himself in 1954, two years after being convicted of homosexuality, which was then a criminal offence.
In a rare speech to mark the centenary of Turing's birth, Iain Lobban said the unique people the country needed were often mavericks, and it was his job to set them to work in the world of secret intelligence, "not to tell them how to live their lives".
Lobban told an audience in Leeds that Turing was a national asset whose death robbed the country of "one of our greatest minds". He said more people like Turing were needed if Britain was to stay ahead of the challenges and dangers posed from cyberspace.
"We can't rewrite the past," he said. "We can't wish mid-20th century Britain into a different society with different attitudes. We can be glad that we live in a more tolerant age. And we should remember that the cost of intolerance towards Alan Turing was his loss to the nation."
In 2009 the then prime minister, Gordon Brown, apologised for the treatment and vilification Turing received. [Read more: TheGuardian/4October2012]
Bethesda Intelligence Campus Plan Advances. The National Capital Planning Commission has approved final details of the first phase of a $300 million intelligence campus being developed at the former National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency headquarters in Bethesda though additional details and plans still need to be worked out there.
NCPC Executive Director Marcel Acosta signed off on final portions of the project's first phase Sept. 28 including landscaping, site security and lighting for the multi-building project at 4600 Sangamore Road. The commission previously voted July 12 to approve the project on the condition that Acosta review the additional details.
The Army Corps of Engineers is working with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) to develop the 40-acre site following National Geospatial-Intelligence's relocation to Fort Belvoir in September 2011. [Read more:
Sernovitz/WashingtonBusinessJournal/8October2012]
Section II - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE
A Gathering of Spies: Notes From The Raleigh Spy Conference. Who ever heard of a 'Spy Conference'? Aren't those meetings supposed to happen on darkened, rainy street corners? Aren't the participants forbidden to use their real names, and make contacts which last only long enough to pass along secret, coded messages? No Film Noir has a moment where participants 'break character,' the film stops, and actors mingle to discuss fantastic escapes, stolen documents, or lost persons...do they? What would a visitor to a 'Spy Conference' expect to find there, anyway? More intriguing, who would go to such a conference?
Just such a conference exists. Indeed so far as I can make out, it occurs only once a year for the general public. The "8th Raleigh Spy Conference," happened this past August. It is the imaginative creation of Mr. Bernie Reeves, the editor and publisher of the hip, but professional and thoughtful current events, politics, and arts Metro Magazine of Raleigh, North Carolina. Its remit is "From the Triangle to the Coast," and it covers everything from architecture to zoology (there is a great natural history museum in Raleigh) with equal gusto.
Reeves, through a host of chance encounters turned opportunities, met and befriended several former CIA professionals. As a man who can be counted on to win a friend, he came up with an idea to introduce the general American public to an often vilified and little understood part of our society, the secret world of spy and counterspy. To this end the Association of Former Intelligence Officers joined in. Their vast experience and contacts in the world of secret intelligence raised this conference to a major factor in public awareness. After all, we spend billions on the subject of espionage and counterterrorism, so why not try to learn what really happens in that mysterious world?
Or can we? Do we have a 'need to know'? Reeves is quick to point out that secrecy, and the need to know, are still hallmarks of the espionage world. Yet, in the interest of history, or context, or to make available to a free and democratic people the fruits of efforts done on their behalf by elected governments, information from this twilight world has become more and more available thorough declassification and publication. [Read more:
Davis/SoHoJournal/October2012]
CIA and Amazon Founder Greedily Eye D-Wave's Quantum Computer. Situated in the verdant North American northwest, Canada's University of British Columbia proved the fertile breeding ground for the first major "quantum computing" startup. Calling itself "D-Wave", the company launched in 1999 with an odd assortment of professors and graduate students. One of those students - who at the time was just graduating with his Ph.D - was Geordie Rose. Today Mr. Rose, one of the company co-founders, is the company's chief technology officer (CTO) and is fighting a battle to convince venture capitalists (VCs) that his company is dealing in reality, not peddling digital snake oil.
Despite the fact that the company was spawned out of a leader in the academic world's quantum computing push, skepticism from the research community has been long simmering on at least three grounds.
First, there's a war over terminology - today's theoretical quantum computers share some elements (such as reliance on entanglement) with D-Wave's quBits, but physically are very different. That leads to the second criticism - that D-Wave's empirical development process has created a situation in which they don't know exactly what is going on inside their chip, and thus cannot properly describe potential differences with alternative designs (e.g single atom quBit). Lastly, many complain that D-Wave's algorithms aren't yet even as fast as classical transistor-based logic.
But D-Wave is forging ahead. It recently raised $30M USD in a new wave of funding. Among the high-profile donors were Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) founder and CEO Jeff Bezos and U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) venture capital branch, In-Q-Tel. For Mr. Bezos, the interest is likely applying quantum chips in search and other internet applications, while the CIA's interest most likely focuses on code-breaking/encryption. [Read more:
Mick/DailyTech/7October2012]
British Spy Agency Feeling Shaken, Not Stirred. He may have held a license to kill for 50 years - but in the chiseled form of actor Daniel Craig, James Bond has never looked better. If only the same could be said for his real-life counterparts.
Friday has been named James Bond Day to mark half a century to the day since Sean Connery first brandished his Walther PPK revolver onscreen, and movie theaters worldwide will screen "Skyfall," 007's latest big-screen outing, in coming weeks.
But while the rest of the world revels in hoary old Bond clich�s, staff in the corridors of MI6 - the organization whose officers and agents are charged with safeguarding Britain from foreign threats - are likely to be too shaken and stirred by their own problems to join the fun.
Hit by a series of allegations that threatens to disrupt its clandestine operations, the British spy agency - officially known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) - is currently undergoing one of the most troubling periods of its hundred-year existence.
The economic downturn is also playing a role. Budget squeezes are hampering recruitment as salaries dwindle to levels that would see Bond forced to trade his Aston Martin for more modest wheels.
Like all espionage agencies, MI6 is no stranger to trouble. At the height of the Cold War, it was thrown into crisis by the exposure of a string of Soviet double agents - events gloomily novelized in John Le Carr�'s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Criticism, allegations and conspiracy theories have dogged it ever since. [Read more:
Neild/GlobalPost/5October2012]
The Strange Story of Klaus Fuchs, the Red Spy in the Manhattan Project. Klaus Fuchs was just one of the many eccentrics chosen to work on the Manhattan Project. People remembered him as being serious, quiet, and earnest. He was also a spy - whose eventual capture lead to both the Red Scare and the arrest of the Rosenbergs.
Learn the strange history of the atomic spy - and how Richard Feynman was mixed up in it.
When choosing scientists for the Manhattan Project, the organizers of the project were in a bind. They were up against an enemy who had captured supplies of many of the materials necessary to make a bomb, that had been a Mecca for brilliant physicists before the war, and that still retained a great deal of talent. They were making a huge investment of time and money during a period where every dollar and second counted. They needed the best talent. But they also needed to think about security. "The best talent" was often paired with idiosyncratic politics and personalities.
For example, Richard Feynman, though not disloyal, had a disregard for security protocol, and at times had a love of breaking into places just to show that he could. This was a headache, and a worry, for the military. In fact, it had got around the facility that Richard Feynman had sat up one night drinking with another scientist, and had loudly announced that clearly, he was the person in the room most likely to be a spy.
Feynman, for once, was wrong. It was the other scientist who was the spy. [Read more:
Inglis-Arkell/IO9/5October2012]
Private Army Formed to Fight Somali Pirates Leaves Troubled Legacy. It seemed like a simple idea: In the chaos that is Somalia, create a sophisticated, highly trained fighting force that could finally defeat the pirates terrorizing the shipping lanes off the Somali coast.
But the creation of the Puntland Maritime Police Force was anything but simple. It involved dozens of South African mercenaries and the shadowy security firm that employed them, millions of dollars in secret payments by the United Arab Emirates, a former clandestine officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, and Erik Prince, the billionaire former head of Blackwater Worldwide who was residing at the time in the emirates.
And its fate makes the story of the pirate hunters for hire a case study in the inherent dangers in the outsourced wars in Somalia, where the United States and other countries have relied on proxy forces and armed private contractors to battle pirates and, increasingly, Islamic militants.
That strategy has had some success, including a recent offensive by Kenyan and African Union troops to push the militant group Al Shabab from its stronghold in the port city of Kismayu.
But with the antipiracy army now abandoned by its sponsors, the hundreds of half-trained and well-armed members of the Puntland Maritime Police Force have been left to fend for themselves at a desert camp carved out of the sand, perhaps to join up with the pirates or Qaeda-linked militants or to sell themselves to the highest bidder in Somalia's clan wars - yet another dangerous element in the Somali mix. [Read more: Mazzetti&Schmitt/NYTimes/4October2012]
The Danish Biker and the Trail that Led to al Qaeda's Most Wanted. A 36-year-old Dane called Morten Storm says he was the man who led the CIA to Anwar al Awlaki, the al Qaeda cleric killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen last year. And he says he did it with a computer thumb-drive that secretly contained a tracking device.
Among the evidence he's produced: recorded telephone conversations, passport stamps showing multiple trips to Yemen, correspondence with Awlaki, and a recording of a conversation with an unidentified American - who acknowledges his role in the pursuit of Awlaki.
The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten has published details of his story over the past few days, after reviewing documents and tapes of the conversations Storm provided. The Danish Intelligence Service PET won't confirm or deny Storm's account; CNN has yet to reach American officials for comment.
Storm appears to have led a life of many parts - committed jihadist, family man and outdoor sports enthusiast.
In fact, he helped run a UK-based enterprise called Storm Outdoors - on which his instructor's profile speaks of his time "living with the Beduins in the Deserts in the North of Yemen."
There is firm evidence that Storm, a former biker and petty criminal, moved within jihadist circles after converting to Islam in the late 1990s - becoming known as Murad Storm.
One video clearly shows him at a rally of militant Islamists in London in 2005, listening to a speech by the extremist preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed. According to Jyllands-Posten, Storm was by then on the radar of the PET because of his links with Islamist militants.
The following year, he says, he changed sides, becoming a double-agent run by the PET. [Read more: CNN/9October2012]
Pentagon Revamps Intelligence Efforts.
If there is one thing U.S. military commanders don't like, it's a surprise on the battlefield.
Generally it means bad things are happening.
So the Defense Intelligence Agency - which is responsible for gathering military intelligence - is undertaking a new effort to keep that from happening. A new classified DIA project is aimed at reinvigorating the military's ability to understand global events and threats before they become crises that impact U.S. troops and interests.
The new process involves convening special classified panels of experts inside the Pentagon from both the military and intelligence communities to look at particular problems.
By ensuring everyone is looking at the same set of intelligence indicators and warnings, and then sharing that information, the hope is the broader "warnings" will get to commanders and key administration policymakers. When those panels then reach their conclusions on a potential threat or warning, they also assess in a traditional sense, with a level of confidence and certainty that can help back up their conclusions.
The concept is known as "Strategic Warning." The idea has been around for decades, but interest has been renewed as a vital tool to anticipate problems in the wake of unfolding global events such as the Arab Spring, the new government in North Korea and continuing threats from Iran, according to defense officials.
The DIA plan centers around trying to warn commanders and policymakers when certain things are happening. It could be a change in a situation already being watched by the military and intelligence community, such as a new nuclear development in Iran. Or it could be the emergence of an underlying trend such as the Arab Spring that has significant widespread impact. [Read more:
Starr/CNN/8October2012]
Do It For The Living: We Need the Truth About Benghazi. On December 30, 2009 a suicide bomber dispatched by Al Qaida detonated the explosive vest he was wearing inside of the CIA's Khost Base near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Seven CIA officers, including close friends of mine, were killed. A number of others were wounded.
On October 19, 2010, the CIA announced the results of its inquiry into the causes of this tragedy. The issues were legion. How in an area known to be so dangerous, in the midst of a struggle against such a ruthless foe, was an individual brought unsearched into such a sensitive facility? Why was he put in immediate proximity to virtually the entire complement of the Base? Who had approved the handling of this case in this fashion? The number of gross errors in the tradecraft used in high-risk environments that would have had to occur to produce such a result was staggering.
Despite this, the CIA's review, after acknowledging some errors were made, concluded that no disciplinary action of any kind should be taken against anyone. No one would be relieved. No one would be removed from service. In the words of then CIA Director Leon Panetta, all of the decisions made that lead to the Khost debacle were "reasonable" and based on the findings of the task force and the independent review, responsibility could not "be assigned to any particular individual or group".
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the bureaucratic language of Washington I will translate. "There are far too many senior officers with their fingerprints on this op to dig any further. Close the file." [Read more:
Faddis/ANDMagazine/October2012]
The Shadowy World Of Selling Software Bugs - And How It Makes Us All Less Safe. "Pssst, wanna buy some software bugs?" It's not talked about much, but selling software vulnerabilities is big business. And the practice has surprising implications for software security - and even national security.
It turns out government agencies are willing to pay six figures for exclusive details on exploitable flaws in software and operating systems, and there are plenty of companies and bug brokers ready to sell to the highest bidder. But with so much backdoor trading, who is watching to make sure the bad guys - from criminals to terrorists or hostile nations - do not get this valuable information?
The answer is no one. [Read more: Gonsalves/ReadWriteWeb/4October2012]
Social Media, the US Intelligence Community, and Continued Failures. After creating a Facebook "Fan Page," I felt quasi-obligated to inform some present and former intelligence officer friends of mine about the new initiative. The page is strictly meant to serve as a national security platform without any political twist - true open source collection and analysis in one easy to find location. The blow-back received was incomprehensible.
For many years, when social media first came out, numerous organizations within the intelligence community quickly jumped on the bandwagon of "never go on social media" as if it were the boogie man or something. In some regards they are correct with their logic - hundreds, if not thousands, of real boogie men do prowl social media.
That's right. All walks of life enter the virtual world of social media and that includes criminals and terrorists. In fact, as many of us know, terrorist love to communicate through social media. So wouldn't it make sense that intelligence officers started to get more involved in such virtual platforms? Many are and in fact, many organizations are pushing the issue to get more officers on such sites. Unfortunately, many still vehemently object. [Read more:
Patton/CanadaFreePress/7October2012]
Section IV - Educational Opportunities, Research Requests, and Coming
Events
[IMPORTANT: AFIO does not "vet" or endorse these research inquiries or job offers. Reasonable-sounding inquiries and career offerings are published as a service to our members, and for researchers, educators, and subscribers. You are urged to exercise your usual caution and good judgment when responding or supplying any information.]
Saturday, 10 November 2012, 9-11 am - Columbia, MD - Johns Hopkins University presents information session on their new 2013 "M.S. in Intelligence Analysis" program.
I want AFIO members to know about our upcoming Cohort VII for the M.S. in Intelligence Analysis, a leadership-focused program for active intelligence analysts. The program was designed by renowned Johns Hopkins University faculty and distinguished intelligence community leaders to build creativity, strengthen strategic capabilities for collecting, analyzing and presenting data, and improve communication among intelligence professionals and decision-makers. Our next class starts January 12, 2013.
Information about the program is available online at www.psl.jhu.edu including the curriculum and descriptions of each course. All of the necessary administrative materials including application and financial aid forms are there as well.
We seek to develop quality applicants from within the community.There will be an upcoming information session at the JHU Columbia campus Saturday, November 10, 9-11 AM, 6740 Alexander Bell Drive.
For further information contact: Bascom D. Talley, Faculty Coordinator,
Intelligence Analysis Program, Division of Public Safety Leadership,
Johns Hopkins University, School of Education
6740 Alexander Bell Drive Suite 350,
Columbia, MD 21046;
410.516.9891 direct;
202.321.2424 cell. Or email Carol Herrmann at cherrmann@jhu.edu
Research Requests [Please note: AFIO publishes reasonable research requests. But there is no anonymity on the internet. We encourage members to participate to assist researchers but do not be led to provide answers regarding sensitive techniques or operational knowledge that may, or may not, be declassified. Always remain cautious and circumspect in your responses and willingness to participate. Ulterior motives of any study is always a possibility, as is false-flagging to encourage answers that would otherwise never be elicited.]
Assistance with Research Project on Intelligence Analysis. Wanted: 30 former US intelligence analysts to participate in an on-line PhD research project. This will require one hour of your time and is anonymous. The purpose is to better understand the analytic process and identify potential areas for improving analytic tradecraft. Instead of relying on simple laboratory experiments with undergraduates to inform analytic tradecraft (as most social science research does), we aim to study the experts themselves in a realistic analytic exercise about an explosion on a battleship.
This web exercise works best in Mozilla Firefox. Please maximize your browser to full screen and go to:
web address: http://besspuvathingal.com/experiment/
login: exptdbd
password: iowa
If you have questions or would like to be added to a list to receive research findings, please contact:
Bess Puvathingal, M.A.
Temple University
EDUCATIONAL EVENTS IN COMING TWO MONTHS....
MANY Spy Museum Events in September, October, and beyond, with full details are listed on the AFIO Website at www.afio.com. The titles for some of these are in detail below and online.
Tuesday, 9 October 2012, 1130 - 1400 - MacDill AFB, FL - FBI Special Agent discusses Cuba's Wasp Network at the Florida Suncoast Chapter Meeting
Patrick Laflin was a Special Agent with the FBI for
over thirty years with extensive investigative and analytical experience
in Foreign
Counter-intelligence. He is a subject matter expert on the Cuban
Intelligence Service and assisted in the arrest of fifteen Cuban spies
and illegal officers from Cuba's "Wasp Network" based in Florida during
the 1990s.
He retired from the FBI in December, 2005, only to return the
following year as the Domain Coordinator for the Tampa Division. The
FBI's
Domain Program fosters outreach and partnership with public and
private entities to protect the national and economic security of the
United
States through the exchange of information.
Bringing his field experience to life for us, he will be relating the
story of Cuban Spies in Florida. Since we all understand the motivations
for
spying, he will focus on case studies. He will be speaking for a bit
over an hour, but we're sure his gripping stories will make the time
fly.
Meeting and luncheon at the MacDill AFB Surf's Edge Club, 7315 Bayshore Boulevard, MacDill AFB, FL 33621.
Please RSVP no later than Wednesday, October 3, for yourself and
include the names of any guests. Email or call the Chapter Secretary.
Check-in at 1130 hours; opening ceremonies, lunch and business meeting
at noon, followed by our
speaker. Note that our meetings have moved to a new facility, the
Surf's Edge Club, where the luncheon cost is $20.
You must present your $20 check payable to "Suncoast Chapter, AFIO"
(or cash) at check-in to cover the luncheon. If you make a reservation,
don't cancel
and get a cancellation confirmation by the response deadline and then
don't show up, you will be responsible for the cost of the luncheon.
Note that the base is now enforcing a handscan registration for those
with ID cards so, if you haven't been on-base recently, you should look
into this or
allow some extra time when you arrive for the meeting.
Should you not have a 'bumper sticker' or ID card for access to
MacDill AFB, please so state in your RSVP. If
you have not already submitted information required for the Gate
Access List, be sure to include your license number, name on drivers
license and state of
issue for yourself and for any guests you are bringing on base.
Anyone with special AFIO Gate Access should proceed to the Bayshore Gate. If you need directions, please let us know.
The main gate will send you to the visitor's center and they will not
be able to help you enter the base, only
give you directions to the Bayshore Gate. The cash wine and soda bar
will open at 1100 hours for those that wish to come early to socialize.
Inquiries to Michael Shapiro Secretary,
Florida Suncoast Chapter of AFIO at (813) 832-1164 or at mfshapiro@att.net or visit www.suncoastafio.org
Wednesday, 10 October 2012, 11:30 am - Scottsdale, AZ - AFIO Arizona Chapter Luncheon features an FBI SSA discussing "The FBI'S WMD information needs, procedures, and structure - and Domestic Terrorism."
Andrew Braun, Supervisory Special Agent (SSA), FBI Phoenix Division,
Joint Terrorism Task Force – Weapons of Mass Destruction – Domestic
Terrorism.
Presentation will provide a "behind the curtain" view of the FBI's
operating pictures as it exists in 2012. It will outline FBI
investigative background, direction, strategic operations initiatives,
capabilities and collection efforts.
RSVP no later than 72 hours ahead of time; in the past, not reserving
or canceling without prior notice (72 hours prior to the meeting)
created much grief for those of us organizing the meeting and dealing
with the personnel!
WE ARE 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
LOCATION: McCormick Ranch Golf Course, 7505 McCormick Parkway, Scottsdale AZ 85258 ~ Phone 480.948.0260
For reservations or questions, please email Simone –simone@4smartphone.net or simone@afioaz.org. To call please leave a message on 602.570.6016
Wednesday, 10 October 2012, noon - Washington, DC - Castro's Secrets: The CIA and Cuba's Intelligence Machine - a author book presentation at the International Spy Museum
In Castro's Secrets, Brian Latell, former
National Intelligence Officer for Latin America and long-time Cuba
analyst, offers a strikingly original image of Fidel Castro as Cuba's
supreme spymaster. Latell exposes many long-buried secrets of Castro's
lengthy reign, including numerous assassinations and assassination
attempts against foreign leaders. In writing this book, Latell spoke
with many high-level defectors from Cuba's powerful intelligence and
security services; some had never told their stories on the record
before. Latell also probed dispassionately into the CIA's most
deplorable plots against Cuba, including previously obscure schemes to
assassinate Castro and presents shocking new conclusions about what
Castro actually knew of Lee Harvey Oswald prior to the assassination of
John F. Kennedy.
Join the author for an informal chat and book signing.
Free! For further information or directions visit www.spymuseum.org
16 October 2012, 11:30 am - McLean, VA - DIA Forum hears Col Jore on "Mexico Looks to the Future."
The Defense Intelligence Forum meets at Pulcinella Restaurant to
hear Col (ret) Jeffrey D. Jore, USA, will speak on "Mexico Looks to the
Future." Specifically, Col Jore will provide a prospective on how Mexico
views its relationship with the U.S. and some thoughts on the incoming
government of newly elected Mexican President Pena Niete. As a Latin
American Foreign Area Officer, Jeff Jore has spent over 30 years
studying our relationships with Hispanic countries and is a recognized
expert on Latin America. In addition to serving as Defense Attach�
(DATT) to Mexico, Jeff Jore has served as DATT to Surinam, Army DATT to
Spain and Argentina and Ass't Army DATT to Guatemala. Additionally, he
was an exchange officer with the Venezuelan Army. Col Jore also served
as the Director, Foreign Intelligence (DAMI-FI), Army Staff, G-2. He is
member of Defense Attach� Hall of Fame and currently serving as the SIO
in the Latin American Division of the Office of Attach� Operations,
DCHC, DIA.
Event is on the record.
Location: Pulcinella Restaurant, 6852 Old Dominion Drive, Mclean, VA.
Pay at the door with a check for $29.00 payable to DIAA, Inc Registration starts at 11:30AM, lunch at 12:00 PM.
Make reservations by 15 October 2012 by email to diforum@diaalumni.org.
Include names, telephone numbers, and email addresses. For each
attendee, choose among choose among chicken cacciatore, tilapia
puttanesca, Lasagna, sausage with peppers, or fettuccini with portabella
for your luncheon selection. Checks are preferred, but will accept
cash; however, credit card payments are discouraged.
Tuesday,
16 October 2012 - Annapolis, MD The US Naval Institute and US Naval
Academy co-host "The History and Future Challenges of Cyber Power."
The symposium will be held at the Alumni Hall on the Academy Yard in
Annapolis, Maryland. Gen James Cartwright, USMC (Ret.), Former Vice
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will begin the session as the
morning keynote. The program will include a luncheon keynote address by
Kevin Mitnick and two panels:
Combating Cyber Warfare: The Evolution of Alliances Between the Public and Private Sectors
Forging the Links for Cyber Operations: Command, Control, and Policy
The keynote speakers and panelists will include renowned active-duty
and civilian experts and leaders in the field ranging from preeminent
historians to those on the cutting edge of cyber power in the armed
forces, government, the private sector, and academia.
To register or for additional information visit http://www.usnihistoryconference.org.
Wednesday, 17 October 2012, 6:30 – 8:30 pm - Washington, DC - "Minute-by-Minute: The Role of Intelligence in the Cuban Missile Crisis: A Hands-on Simulation" at the International Spy Museum. Event features AFIO President Gene Poteat.
For two weeks in October 1962, the world held its breath while President Kennedy and Premier Khruschev navigated one of the most intense showdowns of the Cold War. Marking the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, this hands-on workshop offers participants an insider view into this pivotal event in history. Experience the drama surrounding the Soviet attempt to secretly place ballistic missiles in Cuba. Learn how raw intelligence, analysis, and back channel exchanges enabled, or in some cases hindered, Kennedy as he sought to avert a nuclear war. Step into the shoes of a CIA analyst in October 1962 through a simulation using declassified U-2 photographs and documents to make recommendations to President Kennedy at various stages of the crisis. Following the simulation, Eugene Poteat, a retired senior CIA Scientific Intelligence Officer will speak about overhead reconnaissance and its role in the Cuban Missile Crisis and his personal experience during this tense time. Tickets: $15. To register visit www.spymuseum.org
Wednesday, 17 October 2012, 0915 - 1500 - Laurel, MD - The Annual NCMF General Membership Meeting
HOLD DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR: The event takes place at the JHU/APL Kossiakoff Center in Laurel, Maryland.
Registration and breakfast are from 0800-0900. The morning session will open with outgoing NCMF President, Mr. Eugene Becker, who will introduce the new NCMF President, Mr. Richard Schaeffer, to the membership. At 0915, NSA Deputy Director, Mr. Chris Inglis, will give the opening remarks. The remainder of the morning will feature DIA Director, Lt Gen Michael Flynn, who has been invited to be keynote speaker and Mr. Patrick Weadon, who will give an update on the National Cryptologic Museum. Lunch will be served from 1200-1300.
The afternoon session will be held from 1300-1500 and features Joel Brenner, author of America the Vulnerable: Inside the New Threat Matrix of Digital Espionage, Crime and Warfare who has been invited to speak on the cyber security threat to the
civilian sector. The afternoon also features a panel of SCE senior
commanders, chaired by Billy Bingham, Brig Gen, Ret., discussing cyber and how it pertains to their overall mission. Rod Isler, Maj Gen, Ret., will close the program with an update on the New Museum Project. Program agenda is at www.cryptologicfoundation.org. Fee: $20pp NCMF members; $40pp nonmembers.
Registration: email or mail your name, name of any guests, telephone #, to cryptmf@aol.com. Credit cards accepted are Amex, MasterCard, Visa. If you have questions, email cryptmf@aol.com
20 October 2012, 2:30 pm - Kennebunk, ME - "The Truth Behind CIA's Detention and Interrogation Program" the subject of the Maine Chapter Meeting.
With his twenty-six years of experience in CIA's Directorate of Operations and Directorate of Science and Technology, James Cotsana is well qualified to speak on the issue. As a department chief at the Counterintelligence Center he established and oversaw a highly successful program focused on identifying and disrupting terrorist plans and plots while identifying methods of operation. Jim has served in senior positions with CIA in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. He served as an infantry officer in Vietnam. Now fully retired, he volunteers with Hospice House in Concord, N.H. and the Concord-Merrimack SPCA. The meeting will be held Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 2:30 p.m.( Please note change in meeting time) at the Brick Store Museum Program Center, 2 Dane Street, Kennebunk, ME. and is open to the public. For information call: 207-967-4298
23 October 2012 - San Francisco, CA - The AFIO Jim Quesada Chapter hosts CIA Officer Richard Holm.
Richard Holm, former CIA, will be speaking about his newly published autobiography, The Craft We Chose: My Life in the CIA. The discussion will be followed by a book signing. The meeting will be held at the World Affairs Council, 312 Sutter Street, SF from 2:15PM - 4:00PM. RSVP is mandatory. E-mail RSVP to Mariko Kawaguchi at afiosf@aol.com and mail a check made out to "AFIO" to: Mariko Kawaguchi, P.O. Box 117578, Burlingame, CA 94011. Members and students: $15; non-members $20.
Thursday, 25 October 2012, 4:30 pm - Washington, DC - "Is Russia a Major Threat to America?" - Andrei Illarionov answers the question.
Andrei Illarionov is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute's Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity. From 2000 to December 2005 he was the chief economic adviser of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Illarionov also served as the president's personal representative (sherpa) in the G-8. He is one of Russia's most forceful and articulate advocates of an open society and democratic capitalism, and has been a long-time friend of the Cato Institute. Illarionov received his Ph.D. from St. Petersburg University in 1987. From 1993 to 1994 Illarionov served as chief economic adviser to the prime minister of the Russian Federation, Viktor Chernomyrdin. He resigned in February 1994 to protest changes in the government's economic policy. In July 1994 Illarionov founded the Institute of Economic Analysis and became its director. Illarionov has coauthored several economic programs for Russian governments and has written three books and more than 300 articles on Russian economic and social policies.
Important note: Attendance at all IWP events requires an RSVP in advance. In addition, prospective attendees must receive an e-mail confirmation from IWP indicating that seating will be available for them at the event. For security reasons, a government-issued ID that matches your name on the confirmed attendee list must be presented at the door for admission to any event. Event Location: The Institute of World Politics, 1521 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20036.
REGISTRATIONS to kbridges@iwp.edu.
25-27 October 2012 - Gregynog Hall, Wales , UK - The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Fifty Year Retrospective Assessment - A Cambridge UK Intelligence Seminar!
Call for Papers. Delegate registration. Places now available! First come first served!
This autumn sees the fiftieth anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis,
the quintessential Cold War crisis which Arthur Schleslinger, Jr.
termed 'the most dangerous moment in human history'. In order to
mark this seminal event the Centre for Intelligence and International
Security Studies (CIISS) at Aberystwyth University and the Cambridge
Intelligence Group (seminar), University of Cambridge are hosting a
major international conference at Gregynog Hall (http://www.wales.ac.uk/en/UniversityConferenceCentre/GregynogHall.aspx)
in the idyllic setting of rural Wales. The conference will seek
to address the legacies and lessons of the Cuban Missile Crisis
by means of a number of papers and roundtable discussions. The
conference will feature contributions from a number of the most eminent
international scholars of nuclear history, intelligence, espionage,
political science and the Cold War. The continuing relevance of
the lessons of 1962 cannot be overstated and this
multidisciplinary conference will be of interest to intelligence
professionals, historians, political scientists, sociologists, and
policymakers.
Speakers include:
• Professor Christopher Andrew (University of Cambridge, official historian of MI5)
• Professor Len Scott (CIISS, Aberystwyth University)
• Dr. Michael S. Goodman (King's College London, Official Historian of the UK JIC)
• H. Keith Melton (Intelligence specialist)
• Professor Don Munton (University of Northern British Columbia)
Book now to avoid disappointment! (http://www.wales.ac.uk/en/UniversityConferenceCentre/GregynogHall.aspx)
Gold Pass CMC2012: Full-board and Conference Fee (including Conference Dinner and Wine receptions): �325 all inclusive
In order to be considered as a presenter please provide a 300 word
abstract and your institutional affiliation to: David
Gioe (dvg21@cam.ac.uk) Cambridge Intelligence Seminar, University of Cambridge.
Please return all booking forms to:
Dr. Kris Stoddart (kds@aber.ac.uk) Centre for Intelligence and International Security Studies, Aberystwyth University
For further information please e-mail kds@aber.ac.uk or David Gioe, (dvg21@cam.ac.uk) Cambridge Intelligence Seminar, University of Cambridge
27 October 2012, 6 - 10 pm - Washington, DC - The OSS Society Donovan Award Dinner Honors Former SECDEF Robert M. Gates
The 2012 William J. Donovan Award Dinner is scheduled and honors former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Event location: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 1150 22nd St NW, Washington DC. Black Tie/Mess Dress. Registration and additional information is available here. Tickets $225 per person; Sponsorships range from $1000 to $25000. Review and complete the following PDF.
Saturday, 27 October 2012, 9:30 am - Fairfax, VA - Book Signing / Conference - The Cold War Museum hosts "Cuban Missile Crisis - 50 Years Later" - at George Mason University
Cuban Missile Crisis Conference and Book Signing with Sergei
Khrushchev. The Cold War Museum in conjunction with the Department of
History & Art History at George Mason University (GMU) will convene a
distinguished panel of historians, authors, and first hand participants
to discuss and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile
Crisis. This FREE half day program will be held in the Harris Theater
on the main campus of GMU, 4400 University Drive in Fairfax, Virginia.
Seating is limited. Pre registration required. Program starts at 10:00
a.m. Immediately following the conference there will be a book signing
reception.
Sergei Khrushchev, son of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and author
of "Nikita Khrushchev and the creation of a superpower" will provide the
keynote address. Martin J. Sherwin, Pulitzer Prize winning author on
Robert J. Oppenheimer and GMU History Professor, Michael Dobbs,
Washington Post Reporter and author of "One Minute to Midnight," and
Svetlana Savranskaya, editor of "The Soviet Cuban Missile Crisis" and
National Security Archive's Director for Russian Archives and Institutes
will conduct a roundtable discussion following Khrushchev's remarks.
U-2 pilot Colonel Buddy Brown (USAF, Ret) and F8U-1P Crusaders pilot
Lt. Commander Tad Riley (USN, Ret) who overflew Cuban SA-2 missile sites
during the crisis will discuss their mission objectives and
recollections. Photographic interpreter, Dino Brugioni, author of
"Eyeball to Eyeball", who briefed President Kennedy on the photos taken
over Cuba, will provide a dramatic first hand account of the behind the
scene activities of the Kennedy administration during those tense
thirteen days in October 1962.
Immediately following the conference, there will be a book signing and
sale with Sergei Khrushchev ("Nikita Khrushchev and the Creation of a
Superpower"), Dino Brugioni ("Eyeball to Eyeball"), Michael Dobbs ("One
Minute to Midnight"), Ken Jack (co-author "Blue Moon over Cuba: Aerial
Reconnaissance during the Cuban Missile Crisis"), Norman Polmar and John
D. Gresham ("DEFCON 2: Standing on the Brink of Nuclear War During the
Cuban Missile Crisis"), Svetlana Savranskaya (editor "The Soviet Cuban
Missile Crisis"), Harvey Simon ("The Madman Theory"), and David Stokes
("Camelot's Cousin").
To Register: http://www.planetreg.com/E831629318444
Saturday, 3 November 2012, noon - Indian Harbour Beach, FL - "Briefing Candidates and Presidents-Elect" the topic at the AFIO Florida Satellite Chapter meeting
Dennis Bowden, former CIA analyst and Managing
Editor of the President’s Daily Brief will discuss "Mutual
Introductions: Briefing Candidates and Presidents-Elect."
Where: At the Eau Gallie Yacht Club.
For those who may not be familiar with the PDB, it is frequently
described as the world’s smallest newspaper, a CIA product that is put
together each night from all-source intelligence so that a CIA analyst
can brief the president the following morning.
CIA briefings are also available to candidates and presidents-elect.
There are many anecdotes about the way in which individual presidents
have received their PDBs, some of them quite amusing and others less so,
and we hope that our speaker will share some of the better of these
with us.
To register or for more information contact Donna Czarnecki, donnacz12@aol.com.
Seattle, Washington Area Members and Guests - CIA & Naval Museum Event to put on your calendars
Saturday, 03 November 2012, 11 am - 12:30 pm - Keyport, WA - An Underwater Ice Station Zebra, featuring Historian, CIA Officer David Waltrop. This is a no-cost CIA Historic Document Release Event at the Naval Undersea Museum.
The Trieste II Deep Sea Vehicle I (DSV-1),
the U.S. Navy's most advanced deep sea submersible, surfaced about 350
miles northeast of the Hawaiian Islands in the pre-dawn hours of 26
April 1972 after having salvaged a mysterious item from 16,400 feet
below the Pacific Ocean. Publically known as a nondescript "data
package," the full story of this little known Cold War operation has
remained hidden behind secrecy, rumor, and speculation. With access to
sources from three agencies, An Underwater Ice Station Zebra reveals how
the CIA and U.S. Navy undertook a dangerous mission, never before
attempted, in the deepest undersea expedition of its time – twenty-eight
months before CIA's better known salvage involving the Hughes Glomar
Explorer. Presentation by David W. Waltrop, program
manager in the CIA Historical Collections Division, who served
previously as the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) deputy-chief
historian, editor of NRO's quarterly publication, and curator of the
Defense Intelligence Agency.
LOCATION: Naval Undersea Museum, 1 Garnett Way, Keyport, WA
98345 [for GPS or Google Maps use: Jenson Road, Poulsbo, WA 98345],
Phone: (360) 396-4148. The Museum is located 28 miles from downtown
Seattle.
REGISTRATION NOT REQUIRED. Just show up and enjoy this important presentation. For more information visit the Museum website at http://www.navalunderseamuseum.org/. There is no fee to attend.
Wednesday,
7 November 2012, 8-9 am - Tysons Corner, VA - SPYPEDIA's Global
Terrorism Espionage and Cybersecurity is hosting FREE Monthly Briefings
(G-TEC Briefing)
Location: Microsoft Store, Tysons Corner Center Mall, Level 2, Parking Area: P5, Tysons Corner, Virginia.
To Register: 703 642-7450 or email contact@cicentre.com
Seating is limited; Reservations required.
Friday, 9 November 2012, 9:30 am - 5:30 pm (reception to follow) - Washington, DC - FAS hosts 2012 Symposium on Preventing Catastrophic Threats and Awards Ceremony
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) hosts this
important 2012 Symposium at the National Press Club Ballroom, 429 14th
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20045
The next President of the United States and his national security team
will need to make urgent decisions about protecting the nation from
catastrophic attacks. To advise the next administration, just three days
after the election, FAS will host a symposium featuring distinguished
experts on policy and technological aspects of conventional, nuclear,
biological, and chemical weapons, bio-technology, nuclear safety,
electricity generation, distribution, and storage, and cyber security.
At the symposium, these experts will present their recommendations for
preventing and reducing risks from catastrophic threats.
The event will also feature an awards ceremony luncheon to honor
outstanding people who have made a distinctive contribution to national
security. Dr. John Ahearne will be honored with the 2012 Richard L. Garwin Award, Dr. Sidney Drell will be honored with the 2012 Public Service Award and Dr. Stanford Ovshinsky will be honored with the 2012 Hans Bethe Award. Dr. Drell will share
the honor of the Public Service Award with Dr. Henry Kissinger, Senator
Sam Nunn, Dr. William J. Perry, and Mr. George P. Shultz.
Sponsorship Opportunities: Please contact Katie Colten at kcolten@fas.org or 202-454-4694 for more information, or visit www.fas.org
Saturday 10 November 2012, 10 am-4 pm - Washington, DC - The Sixth Annual Parade of Trabants at the International Spy Museum
The ONLY Trabant Rally in the United States!
Where were you when the Wall fell? The Berlin Wall is long gone, but
one Cold War icon is still chugging away—the Trabant. Despite their
questionable performance and smoky two-stroke engines, these little cars
are now affectionately regarded as a symbol of East Germany and the
fall of Communism. Trabants are a rarity here, but on November 10 some
of the finest examples in the US will chug their way to the
International Spy Museum to celebrate our Sixth Annual Parade of
Trabants. Drop in to view the vintage cars, which will be parked in
front of the Museum on F Street, NW, and enter a raffle to win a ride in
a Trabant. While the cars are on display, experts will be on hand to
answer questions about Trabants, the Cold War, and Communism, while the
Blaskapelle Alte Kameraden German Band provides festive music. Stasi
training films will reveal the East German Secret Police's techniques,
and you can check out our own Checkpoint Charlie.
International Spy Museum, 800 F Street, NW Washington, DC Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail Station
TICKETS: Free No registration required! For further information or directions visit www.spymuseum.org
Tuesday, 27 November 2012, noon – Washington, DC - Author presentation: "The Zimmermann Telegram: Intelligence, Diplomacy, and America's Entry into World War I" at the International Spy Museum
In January 1917, British naval intelligence intercepted what became
the most important telegram in all of American history. It was a daring
proposition from Germany's foreign secretary, Arthur Zimmermann,
offering German support to Mexico for regaining Texas, New Mexico, and
Arizona in exchange for a Mexican attack on America. Five weeks later,
America entered World War I. Former SPY historian Thomas Boghardt returns to talk about his remarkable new account of the Zimmerman
Telegram. He has tapped fresh sources to provide the definitive account
of the origins and impact of this German scheme. Boghardt also
corrects longstanding misunderstandings about how the telegram was sent
and enciphered and provides a new account of how British intelligence
was able to decipher it.
Join the author for an informal chat and book signing. Free! No
registration required. TICKETS: Free No registration required! For
further information or directions visit www.spymuseum.org
Wednesday, 28 November 2012, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC – "Bond Villains: The Reality Behind The Evil" at the International Spy Museum
"Goodbye, Mr. Bond!" – Auric Goldfinger, Goldfinger (1964)
What makes James Bond, codename 007, the greatest secret agent ever? Is it because he can fly airplanes, even space shuttles, drive fast cars, and defuse missiles with seconds to spare all while seducing ladies and maintaining his cool? Or is it because he has matched his skills against, and defeated, some of the most despicable and extraordinary villains ever imagined? For over fifty years, James Bond villains have fascinated us with their shocking schemes, lavish lairs, and horrid henchmen. Yet, these evil geniuses have also evolved. From the crazed scientist Dr. No in 1962, to the mysterious Raoul Silva in this year's Skyfall, Bond villains have reflected changing public fears and anxieties. Join intelligence historians, Dr. Alexis Albion, Dr Christopher Moran, and Dr. Mark Stout, as they revisit the Cold War and its aftermath to explore the connections between Bond villains and the era in which they first wowed audiences. Delving into espionage history, and illuminating the remarkable overlap between spy fact and spy fiction, the speakers will detail the real-life role models for these dastardly evil-doers. Moreover, they will consider to what extent Bond's adventures have mirrored, or responded to, developments in the real world of intelligence.
Tickets: $9. TICKETS and for further information or directions visit www.spymuseum.org
Thursday, 29 November 2012, 6:30 pm - Washington, DC – "Secrecy and the State: US, UK, and You" at the International Spy Museum
"Secrecy and deception will always create problems in a free society." Roger Hilsman, Former State Department intelligence chief, 1967.
What level of government secrecy is warranted? What level is overkill? Are decisions hard and fast or arbitrary? With the deluge of information revealed by Wikileaks, the parameters of state secrecy have been brought into clearer focus. This panel of experts will explore secrecy on both sides of the Atlantic detailing the tensions between secret keepers, whistleblowers, and ordinary citizens. Join Dr. Christopher Moran, Warwick University, author of Classified: Secrecy and State in Modern Britain, a fascinating account of the British state's long obsession with secrecy and the ways it sought to prevent information about its cover activities from entering the public domain; John Heley, former CIA officer and editor of the President's Daily Brief, who has been directly involved in providing current intelligence for eight presidents; and Steven Aftergood, director of the American Federation of Scientists and a prominent critic of U.S. government secrecy policy.
Tickets: $9. TICKETS and for further information or directions visit www.spymuseum.org
29-30 November 2012 - Bloomington, IN - CHANGING NATIONAL SECURITY PRIORITIES: 2013-2020, theme of 2-day conference
Indiana University is hosting a two-day conference on
Changing National Security Priorities: 2013-2020, which will include a
number of current and former USG officials and the Honorable Mary Beth
Long, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Internaional Affairs, as
the keynote speaker.
Other Speakers of note:
•Tyler Drumheller, former CIA Chief of European Operations
•Robert Jones, SAC, FBI Indianapolis
•Fulton Armstrong, former National Intelligence Officer for Latin America
•Jeff Tunis, retired career foreign service officer
For details: Questions to conference organizer, Gene Coyle.
Monday, 3 December 2012, 5:30 pm - 8 pm - New York, NY - AFIO New York Chapter Meeting Features ESPIONAGE IN GOTHAM
Speaker: Bob Wallace - CIA 32 years, retired. Author Topic: "Two Centuries of Espionage in Gotham" (based on new book: Spy Sites in New York City).
Book reveals NYC as a city of
mystery, adventure and intrigue - a hub of espionage - nearly 200
sites where spies lived, plotted and operated. Location: "Society of
Illustrators" 128 East 63rd Street (between Park & Lexington).
5:30 PM Registration 6:00 PM Meeting Start.
Cost: $45/person. Cash or check at the door only. Buffet dinner and
cash bar. Reservations: Strongly suggested, not required. 646-717-3776 or email: afiometro@gmail.com
Friday, 7 December 2012, 09:30 am - 2 pm - Tysons Corner, VA - AFIO WINTER Luncheon - Film Screening on DCI William Colby; Presentation on The Internal IC Hunt and Unmasking of CIA Traitor Aldrich Ames
Place on your calendar. A very special day. In the a.m. we will have an introduction and screening of Carl Colby's [Jedburgh Films] acclaimed - controversial to some - documentary: THE MAN NOBODY KNEW: In Search of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby. Please note: Event is starting one hour earlier than usual. Film and Q&A starts at 10 am, concludes at noon. 3 course luncheon. 1 p.m. speaker will be Sandy Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille, two former CIA officials [26 yrs and 38 yrs, respectively] - the principals behind the dogged search and unmasking of the spy in their midst, described in their just released book: Circle of Treason: A CIA Account of Traitor Aldrich Ames and the Men He Betrayed. Registration will open October 1. Link will be provided here.
Wednesday, 12 December 2012, 8:30 am - 4 pm - Washington, DC - Jamestown Foundation 6th Annual Terrorism Conference
The conference theme of the Jamestown Foundation's 6th Annual
Terrorism Conference is "The Periphery and the Core: the Evolution of AQ
and Its Affiliates."
Location: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Root Room, 1779 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC
The conference will feature the following speakers: Bruce Riedel,
Bruce Hoffman, David Kilcullen, and Former CIA Director Michael Hayden.
**More details and registration information to follow** Website: www.jamestown.org
Phone: 202-483-8888. Jamestown Foundation, 1111 16th St NW Suite 320, Washington, DC 20036.
For Additional Events two+ months or greater....view our online Calendar of Events
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