AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes #04-15 dated 27 January 2015

[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. IMPORTANT: AFIO does not "vet" or endorse research inquiries, career announcements, 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, and should verify the source independently before supplying any resume, career data, or personal information.]
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CONTENTS

Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Section II - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE

Section III - COMMENTARY

Section IV -  Jobs, Books, and Upcoming Events

Jobs

Books

Obituaries

Upcoming AFIO Events

Other Upcoming Events

For Additional AFIO and other Events two+ months or more... Calendar of Events 

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

The Assets now available for viewing, at your leisure, on NETFLIX.

The Assets on Netflix

The counterespionage miniseries, presented here in 9 episodes, is based on the successful hunt for CIA traitor Aldrich Ames. It is based on the real life events of CIA counter-intelligence officer Sandy Grimes (Jodie Whittaker). 1985 is the backdrop to the final showdown of the Cold War when Sandy and her partner Jeanne Vertefeuille (Harriet Walter) vow to find the mole that turns out to be the most notorious traitor in US History [before Edward Snowden]: Aldrich Ames (Paul Rhys). Sandy is in a race against time to save the Soviet intelligence officers from being caught and killed. Living her own double life at home, this beautiful wife and mother vows to stop at nothing until she uncovers the truth. The Assets looks inside the personal stories as told by the keepers of the nation’s secrets: the CIA.

The Assets is based on the book Circle of Treason: A CIA Account of Traitor Aldrich Ames and the Men He Betrayed by Sandy Grimes and Jeanne Vertefeuille. Morgan Hertzan, Rudy Bednar and Andrew Chapman executive produce the series. The Assets is produced by Lincoln Square Productions.

 

Have you registered for AFIO's Luncheon?

Friday, 30 January 2015

" Cyber Attacks, Sony, North Korea, Kandahar, Taliban,
Ambivalence IDing enemies, what's next?"

AFIO luncheon guests will hear
Todd Ratcliffe.
the FBI's Cyber Division Section Chief, and
Robert L. Grenier
former CIA Station Chief Islamabad and head of CIA's Counterterrorism Center.
Tysons Corner, VA

   
<Robert Grenier, former CIA 11 a.m. speaker: Former Station Chief Islamabad, and CIA Counterterrorism Center Director Robert L. Grenier discusses dealing with warlords, Taliban dissidents, and Pakistani Intelligence in front of him while facing equally lethal challenges behind his own lines. Hear more about his 88 Days to Kandahar: A CIA Diary being released the week of this event.
   
< 1 p.m. speaker: Todd Ratcliffe, the FBI's Cyber Division Section Chief. He is responsible for conducting the FBI�s mission to protect the US from cyber-based attacks and high technology crimes. He will discuss current issues including NK, Sony, and looming cyber concerns. His remarks will be OFF THE RECORD.
<Grenier Book - 88 Days to Kandahar
Timing:Check-in for badge pickup at 10:30 a.m.; Robert Grenier begins his presentation at 11 a.m.; Lunch served at noon;Todd Ratcliffe begins presentation at 1 p.m. Event closes at 2 p.m.
Morning presentation is on the record; Ratcliffe's remarks are Off The Record.
The latest intelligence books, and many others, on display and for sale throughout event.
EVENT LOCATION: The Crowne Plaza, 1960 Chain Bridge Rd, Tysons Corner, VA, across from Tysons II Mall.
Driving directions here or use this link: http://tinyurl.com/boey9vf

ABOUT GRENIER'S forthcoming book: The First American-Afghan War, a CIA war, was approved by President George W. Bush and directed by Grenier, the CIA station chief in Islamabad. Forging separate alliances with warlords, Taliban dissidents, and Pakistani Intelligence, Grenier launched the �southern campaign,� orchestrating the final defeat of the Taliban and Hamid Karzai�s rise to power in eighty-eight chaotic days.
In his gripping narrative, we meet: General Tommy Franks, who bridled at CIA control of �his� war; General �Jafar Amin,� a gruff Pakistani intelligence officer who saved Grenier from committing career suicide; Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan�s brilliant ambassador to the US, who tried to warn her government of the al-Qa�ida threat; �Mark,� the CIA operator who guided Gul Agha Shirzai to bloody victory over the Taliban; General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani, a cautious man who became the most powerful man in Pakistan, struggling with Grenier�s demands while trying to protect his country; and Hamid Karzai, the puzzling anti-Taliban insurgent, a man of courage, petulance, and vacillating moods.
Grenier�s enemies out in front prove only slightly more lethal than the ones behind his own lines. This first war is won despite Washington bureaucrats who divert resources, deny military support, and try to undermine the only Afghan allies capable of winning. Later, as he directed the CIA�s role in the Iraq War, Grenier watched the initial victory squandered. His last command was of CIA�s Counterterrorism Center (CTC), as Bush-era terrorism policies were being repudiated, as the Taliban re-emerged in Afghanistan, and as Pakistan descended into fratricidal violence.
 

Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Former CIA Agent Jeffrey Sterling Convicted for Leaking Information to New York Times Reporter. A jury has convicted a former CIA officer of leaking classified details of an operation to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions to a New York Times reporter.

Jurors convicted 47-year-old Jeffrey Sterling, of O'Fallon, Missouri, of all nine counts he faced in federal court on Monday.

Prosecutors said Sterling disclosed the mission to journalist James Risen to get back at the CIA for perceived mistreatment.

Sterling was the handler for a Russian-born CIA asset nicknamed Merlin, who was at the center of an operation to funnel deliberately flawed nuclear-weapons blueprints to the Iranians. [Read more: HuffingtonPost/26January2015]

FBI Funding Sweden 'Terror' Research. Research grants to fund the study of controversial interrogation methods at the University of Gothenburg have come from America's Federal Bureau of Investigation, it has emerged.

The Department of Psychology at the university has been given five million kronor ($600,000) for projects looking into interview and interrogation techniques, as part of research aimed at stopping future terror attacks in Sweden and beyond.

One aspect of the research involves looking closely at how to find out if an interviewee is lying or telling the truth about their intentions.

The revelations emerged on Monday, with Swedish broadcaster SVT questioning the university about how advisable it was to have the FBI as a financial backer. [Read more: TheLocal/26January2015]

Argentina to Dissolve Intelligence Agency. President Cristina Kirchner has announced plans to dissolve Argentina's intelligence agency and replace it with a new intelligence institution.

The announcement of replacing Argentina's Intelligence Secretariat with a new Federal Intelligence Agency comes after federal prosecutor Alberto Nisman was found dead in Argentina.

Nisman accused President Kirchner of a coverup related to the 1994 bombing of the Asociaci�n Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) Jewish center in which 85 people died.

In a television address, Kirchner said a draft bill dissolving the intelligence agency will be sent to Congress before her weekend trip to China. New appointments will be made by the president but require the approval of Congress. [Read more: UPI/27January2015]

FBI Arrests Alleged Russian Spy in New York. Federal agents on Monday arrested an alleged Russian spy in New York accused of trying to recruit sources and collect economic intelligence while working as a Manhattan banker, officials said.

US prosecutors named the alleged covert intelligence agent as Evgeny Buryakov, 39. He appeared before Judge Sarah Netburn in a Manhattan federal court on Monday, a court official said.

Prosecutors said he was assisted in covert espionage by Russian spies Igor Sporyshev, 40, and Victor Podobnyy, 27, who had been attached to the Russian trade and UN missions in New York.

Sporyshev and Podobnyy were protected by diplomatic immunity and have since left the United States, so have not been arrested. They are charged in absentia, officials said. [Read more: Matthew/AFP/27January2015]

CIA's Top Spy Steps Down. The director of the CIA's National Clandestine Service, the storied home of the agency's most secretive intelligence operations, has announced that he plans to retire, The Daily Beast has learned.

CIA spokesman Dean Boyd confirmed that the director announced his retirement "after a long and distinguished career at CIA. We thank him for this profound and lasting contributions to both CIA and to our nation's security."

As a practice, the CIA doesn't identify the head of the clandestine service by name. But Frank Archibald was outed in a Twitter post in 2013, and details of his biography were known to some journalists. Archibald, who was 57 when he took the job that year, reportedly served tours in Pakistan and Africa and also headed the CIA's Latin America division. The Associated Press reported that Archibald "once ran the covert action that helped remove Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic from power."

Archibald's retirement comes at a transitional moment for the CIA. The agency's director, John Brennan, is considering major changes to the agency's structure, including the possible creation of new intelligence centers and doing away with the traditional division of CIA into its analysis group and the clandestine service. [Read more: Harris/TheDailyBeast/23January2015]

Head of Romanian Intelligence Service Resigns. George Maior, head of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) has stepped down today. Maior handed in his resignation to Romanian president Klaus Iohannis , according to a press release of the Presidential Administration.

"The director of the Romanian Intelligence Service, Mr. George Maior, handed in his resignation from the helm of the Romanian Intelligence Service, on Tuesday, January 27, and mister Klaus Iohannis accepted it," according to the press release.

At the beginning of this month, the Romanian president said he was analyzing the option of appointing new directors at the head of SRI and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE), according to Adevarul Live.

After Maior's resignation, Prime-Minister Victor Ponta said SRI should not return under political control. [Read more: BusinessReview/27January2015]

Top Cuban Diplomat in US Negotiations Is Known as Former Intelligence Officer. The Cuban foreign ministry official overseeing discussions with US diplomats in Havana Wednesday may be Cuba's next ambassador to the United States, experts said.

Josefina de la Caridad Vidal Ferreiro favors wearing pearls and is fluent in at least four languages - Spanish, English, French and Russian. The former Cuban intelligence officer earned a doctorate in international relations at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

And with a firm sword, she has defended communism and socialism for several decades. Before becoming the chief of the Cuban foreign ministry's North American affairs office, Vidal worked in Paris, New York and Washington, DC. 

"Cuba cannot be asked to give up its form of government as a condition to re-establish normal relations with the United States," Vidal said in 2009 during an interview with the Canadian press. "That position is a non-starter." [Read more: Torres/Local10/21January2015]

Spy Agency in Britain Falls Victim to a Prankster. At a time when Western leaders are clamoring for greater powers to conduct covert surveillance, a prankster in Britain has turned the tables, obtaining a private cellphone number for a top intelligence chief and apparently telephoning the prime minister in his name, British officials acknowledged on Monday.

The unidentified prankster then called a tabloid newspaper on Sunday to boast. He told the tabloid, The Sun, that he had been high on alcohol and drugs when he persuaded GCHQ, the British electronic surveillance agency, to give him a cellphone number for its director, Robert Hannigan.

"I've just made complete monkeys out of GCHQ; I've got the mobile number of the director," the caller, who was not identified by name, told the newspaper, referring to the Government Communications Headquarters agency, which collaborates closely with the National Security Agency in the United States. GCHQ also works with Britain's domestic and overseas intelligence services.

"I'm definitely going to do it again," he said, the newspaper reported. "It was so easy." [Read more: Cowell/NYTimes/26January2015]

Section II - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE

Ex-Spies Infiltrate Hollywood as Espionage TV Shows and Movies Multiply. The place in Brooklyn looks like a CIA safehouse. Red brick office building with peeling metal awning. No sign. Inside, writers are plotting out the popular Cold War espionage show The Americans - one of an assortment of Hollywood spy or national security dramas being driven by ex-spies.

The show's creator and co-head writer Joe Weisberg is a former CIA officer who never fathomed he would one day sit in an office with Soviet propaganda posters and a cut-out figure of President Ronald Reagan, concocting television fiction.

"When I left the CIA, if you were going to ask me, 'Would you write about espionage?' I'd say, 'Absolutely not. It would be a betrayal,' " said Weisberg, 49, a spy-turned-novelist who got tapped by Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles to write television scripts. "I had never heard of CAA before. Now that's like the CIA to me. It's this huge thing in my life."

The career afterlife of a CIA official has typically followed well-known paths: Work for a private military contractor. Launch an "intelligence-driven" LLC. Join a law firm. Consult for the CIA. Write a memoir. But the hunger for espionage on TV and movies in recent years is cracking open new career opportunities for ex-CIA personnel with a flair for drama. [Read more: Shapira/WashingtonPost/24January2015]

The Congressional Gold Medal Proposed For Charlie Wilson And Company. What possibly could bring together Rep. Gene Green (D-Tx), Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Tx), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Tx), Rep. Kay Granger (R-Tx), Rep. Rosa DeLaura (D-Ct), Rep. John K. Delaney (D-Md), Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hi), the Honorable Annise Parker and Houston's First Lady Kathy Hubbard, a representative of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx) and the interest of Rep. Ted Poe (R-Tx)?

What indeed? They came to honor three American heroes, one Republican, one Democrat, and one independent, for their vital role in winning the Cold War: Joanne King Herring, and, posthumously, CIA operative Gustav Avrakatos and Rep. Charlie Wilson.

As the late, iconic, journalist George Crile observed in his chronicle of that victory Charlie Wilson's War: "America...won the Cold War, a triumph every bit as significant as the victory over Nazi Germany, yet there had been no V-Day celebrations, no ticker-tape parades, no Douglas MacArthur to publicly celebrate. Life in the capital seemed to roll on as if there never had been a Cold War."

The lack of a moment of celebration of the end of the Cold War cheated America out of an opportunity to reorient itself. Silence submerged the lessons of an epic epoch. A Gold Medal for Joanne, Gust and Charlie might help resolve that. [Read more: Benko/Forbes/26January2015]

Covert CIA Mission to Arm Syrian Rebels Goes Awry. It didn't take long for rebel commanders in Syria who lined up to join a Central Intelligence Agency weapons and training program to start scratching their heads.

After the program was launched in mid-2013, CIA officers secretly analyzed cellphone calls and email messages of commanders to make sure they were really in charge of the men they claimed to lead. Commanders were then interviewed, sometimes for days.

Those who made the cut, earning the label "trusted commanders," signed written agreements, submitted payroll information about their fighters and detailed their battlefield strategy. Only then did they get help, and it was far less than they were counting on.

Some weapons shipments were so small that commanders had to ration ammunition. One of the US's favorite trusted commanders got the equivalent of 16 bullets a month per fighter. Rebel leaders were told they had to hand over old antitank missile launchers to get new ones - and couldn't get shells for captured tanks. When they appealed last summer for ammo to battle fighters linked to al Qaeda, the US said no. [Read more: Entous/WallStreetJournal/26January2015]

Putin's 'Mafia State' Under Examination in UK Inquest Into Spy's Radioactive Death. It took Alexander Litvinenko 23 painful days to die. It has taken another agonizing 2,987 days for the British government to open a public inquiry into his murder, a process that cannot deliver justice to the victim, his widow Marina or son Anatoly, but may at least provide an official account of events leading up to his death. As he lay dying after ingesting radioactive polonium-210, Litvinenko blamed the Kremlin. The Kremlin rejected blame. Britain for eight years dragged its heels, reluctant to push for answers that might complicate its relations with Russia.

Yet the evidence expected to unfold at the High Court in London over the next 10 weeks is likely to reveal not only an intricate web of relationships between spies and diplomats, Kremlin loyalists and dissidents, but also a startlingly simple truth. Russia, in the era of Vladimir Putin, has rarely proven susceptible to diplomacy.

That realization may finally have helped to sway Britain's Home Secretary Theresa May from her 2013 refusal to hold a public inquiry. An inquest into Litvinenko's death had already been abandoned apparently for fear of causing a breach with Moscow. In a letter explaining her decision to block the inquiry the coroner had recommended in its place, May cited concerns over the potential impact on "international relations." Last summer, however, May revealed a change of heart. Her announcement of a public inquiry came less than a week after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, an act Ukraine (and much of the rest of the world) attributed to pro-Russian separatists. Russia accused Ukraine. Whitehall sources told the BBC that the timing of the May's announcement was "a coincidence." That may be true, but Britain has substantially toughened its stance toward Russia since then, as have other Western countries including the US where on Monday an alleged Russian spy was arrested in New York.

Litvinenko's strange tale speaks to a world in which the public handshakes between country leaders count for little. [Read more: Mayer/Time/27January2015]

Section III - COMMENTARY

We Can't Expect Intelligence Services to Prevent Every Terrorist Attack. The recent events in Paris have once again cast doubts on the ability of French intelligence to provide national security.

Following the attacks, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls did not hesitate to admit to a lapse in security. The two Kouachi brothers, responsible for killing 12 people, were well known to French intelligence agents and for a time closely tracked. Yet they managed to slip through.

This is particularly troubling since the French domestic intelligence services (DGSI) were reformed in 2008 and again in 2014 following the attacks carried by Mohamed Merah, a French citizen who gunned down several French soldiers and Jewish schoolchildren in three separate incidents.

The apparent recurrence of intelligence failures in France and elsewhere has long been debated by security experts, and ultimately begs the question: what can be expected from intelligence services? [Read more: VanPuyvelde/TheConversation/26January2015]

Forty Years Since the Start of the Church Committee. On the 27th January 1975 the US Senate created the �Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with respect to the Intelligence Agencies'. Known as the Church Committee in reference to its chair, Democrat Idaho Senator Frank Church, it held public hearings in order to investigate alleged abuses by the US intelligence agencies. The committee would go on to publish 14 reports concerning violations of the rights of US citizens by the FBI and CIA.

The origins of the focus on the intelligence services came in 1973. The Senate investigation into the Watergate Scandal revealed that the White House had used the CIA and FBI to carry out �domestic security operations' which made very liberal interpretation of what was constitutionally acceptable. A year later, the New York Times journalist Seymour Hersh published an expose revealing an ongoing CIA spy operation which was in violation of the organisation's charter.

Hersh's December 22nd article created a storm, suggesting that the CIA was involved in spying on US citizens. Congress and the White House were forced to respond, to alleviate the growing crisis of confidence in government agencies that had been brewing since Vietnam and Watergate. President Gerald Ford fanned the flames of CIA conspiracy theories when he implied that the organisation could also have been behind plots to assassinate foreign leaders.

President Ford established the Rockefeller Commission early in January 1975, in an attempt to anticipate a Congressional investigation. His move failed, and Congress created the Church Committee to launch a public investigation a few weeks later. Decades later, it is the results of the Church Committee that have become the most well known. [Read more: Worthington/NewHistorian/26January2015]

Bring in the CIA: Intelligence Services are Vital, but Argentina's Needs Serious Reform. A tip for students, journalists et al. If you need reliable and - normally updated - information on the "history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues" of any country in the world, visit https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/. It might not suffice for a thesis, but it covers a bit more than the basics, which is often enough.

And - if you have some spare time - you can navigate through other sections of the website.

It offers information that could prove useful at a time when the tragic death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman and the frightening experience of the now-exiled Dami�n Pachter are showing - in fact, confirming - the need of a much delayed profound and extensive overhaul of this country's intelligence service. Starting, given the current state of affairs, with the control of its activities, governance and use of funds.

The CIA's website explains that "the 1980 Intelligence Oversight Act charged the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) with authorizing the programmes of the intelligence agencies and overseeing their activities" [Read more: Federman/BuenosAiresHerald/26January2015]

Section IV -Jobs, Books, Obituaries and Upcoming Events

Jobs

Get your Actors' Equity Card, Start Living Off Your Residuals - TV Project seeks former intel pros. We're looking to cast a handful of former intelligence personnel as our on-camera experts for a TV project we're developing. The basic premise of the show is that our team would look at past military events, disasters, and other catastrophic events, leading up to today, to see if there are patterns. They would then analyze those patterns to see if it's possible to develop a method of predicting upcoming catastrophic events. Obviously this is for a potential TV show so all of the information would be approached in a manner that was interesting for an audience to watch. The cast doesn't necessarily have to have specific experience in "predicting events" but rather have the background to say, "Because of my intelligence experience, and what I've seen out in the world, this is something I'm interested in exploring." 

Because this project is still in the really stages of development there are no other details. Once we find and secure a cast, we will flesh out the concept further to reflect their specific backgrounds, personalities, and areas of expertise. Essentially the people on the show will dictate the direction of the show. 

TO APPLY EMAIL: All submissions will be kept confidential and there is no commitment required at this point. Anyone that is curious about the project and thinks it might be a fun opportunity to participate in an interesting TV show should email me directly at frank@gogoluckey.com with the following information:

1) Name
2) Age
3) City/State They Live In
4) A Recent Photo 
5) A Brief Bio/Resume Reflecting Their Intelligence Experience

If you're interested in some of our past projects please go to www.gogoluckey.com. We have a new series about to premiere on History Channel called Legend Of The Superstition Mountains and season 2 of our popular Hangar 1: The UFO Files on H2. 

Thank you so much for your assistance. Hopefully some of your members are interested and a good fit for this project. 

Books

Book Review: America's Great Game. History professor Hugh Wilford has presented the story of US relations with the Middle East, primarily during the Eisenhower administration, by focusing on the role of America's clandestine operations during that period. The basic features of the official relationship and even of some of CIA's covert activities have been well known for some time. But Wilford has uncovered a wealth of detail about what CIA operatives did and how President Eisenhower and Foster and Allen Dulles supported them.

Although Wilford failed to get access to CIA files for this book, he found rich treasures of information on CIA activities in the Middle East in the personal papers of some participants, and even in their own kiss-and-tell books. Wilford's main focus is on three key players, namely Kim and Archie Roosevelt and Miles Copeland, and he and quotes many of their own words, and comments by others about them.

Kim and Archie were cousins and they were grandsons of President Theodore Roosevelt, and that family gave them entry into an elite world. Allen Dulles and other prominent American Republicans were family friends, and the Roosevelt name opened doors in the Middle East. Both wrote about their adventures. The third prominent player in Wilford's narrative was Miles Copeland, who came from a humbler background but he too developed into a senior CIA operative by virtue of his intelligence, charm and ambition. Copeland also wrote and spoke publicly about his CIA activities but Wilford notes that historians must be careful to check his writings against other sources because Copeland was prone to invent stories for dramatic effect and self-promotion. (I had heard about this from CIA friends at the time and was pleased that Wilford picked it up. Those friends also confirmed that Wilford basically got the facts right, with the exception of some details.)

Wilford argues that Kim and Archie Roosevelt were not only inspired by T.R. to a life of active adventure, but that they were also brought up at Groton and Harvard to seek a patriotic role in public service. Kim was inspired, too, by Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim (Kipling himself was a friend of his father's), that was set against the background of what was called the "great game", a rivalry between the British and Russian empires. And Copeland was fascinated by game theory, then in vogue, and applied it to international relations, later writing a book and creating a board game he called The Game of Nations; thus Wilford's title. [Read more: Rugh/AmericanDiplomacy/January2015]

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Obituaries

Spy Master John Starnes Helped Nurture Canada's Cold War Intelligence System. John Starnes was destined to be part of the "greatest generation" - the men and women whose fortunes would be shaped by the Second World War. Fortune treated him well, if unexpectedly, leading him down two parallel career paths, one that would bring a distinguished public career in Canada's diplomatic service; the other, more secretive, would mark Mr. Starnes as one of a pioneering generation of Canadian officials who created and nurtured Canada's Cold War intelligence system.

Following the Second World War, he went back and forth between diplomatic and intelligence roles, serving in France and Germany, as well as the Middle East during the Six-Day War. He returned to Canada to become the first civilian director of the RCMP's Security Service just in time for the October Crisis of 1970. In retirement, he became a spy novelist, attracting the attention of fellow writer John le Carr�. Mr. Starnes died last month at the age of 96.

John Kennett Starnes was born in Montreal in 1918, to Henry Kennett Starnes and his wife, Altha Ella (n�e McCrea). He was part of a prosperous Montreal business family with political careers on both sides of the family tree.

Mr. Starnes was educated at Montreal's Selwyn House and Trinity College School, in Port Hope, Ont., followed by studies at L'Institut Sillig in Switzerland, the University of Munich and Bishop's University. [Read more: Wark/Globe&Mail/25January2015]

Mark Mansfield, the (Almost) Public Face of a Secretive Agency, Dies at 56. As the chief spokesman for the CIA, Mark Mansfield was not the first to refer to his position as "the ultimate oxymoron." He became the not-quite-public face of a secretive agency, tasked with the job of neither confirming nor denying anything publicly.

"Hardly a day passed when I didn't see the humor in - and incongruity of - doing this sort of work for an espionage organization that, by necessity and in order to be successful, must keep certain matters secret," he once said.

Mr. Mansfield, 56, died Jan. 21 at a hospital in Miami. The cause was complications from diabetes and kidney disease, said his daughter, Lauren Mansfield.

Mr. Mansfield joined the agency in 1982 as an editor with the CIA's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. He rose through the ranks of the public affairs office before serving as its director from 2006 to 2009. [Read more: Bernstein/WashingtonPost/23January2015]

AFIO EDUCATIONAL EVENTS IN COMING TWO MONTHS....

Friday, 30 January 2015 - Tysons Corner, VA - AFIO's first 2015 luncheon features the FBI's Cyber Section Chief, Todd Ratcliffe, and Former Station Chief Islamabad/CIA CT Center Director Robert L. Grenier

Todd Ratcliffe, the FBI's Cyber Division Section Chief, responsible for leading the FBI�s mission to protect the US from cyber-based attacks and high technology crimes, will discuss -- OFF THE RECORD -- current issues including NK, Sony, and other looming cyber concerns. Morning speaker: Former Station Chief Islamabad, and CIA Counterterrorism Center Director Robert L. Grenier discusses dealing with warlords, Taliban dissidents, and Pakistani Intelligence in front of him... while facing equally lethal challenges behind his own lines. Hear more about his 88 Days to Kandahar: A CIA Diary being released the week of this event.
Timing: Check-in for badge pickup at 10:30 a.m.; Grenier begins presentation at 11 a.m.; Lunch served at noon; Ratcliffe begins presentation at 1:05 pm. Event closes at 2 p.m.
Morning presentation is on the record; Ratcliffe's remarks are Off The Record.
The latest intelligence books, and many others, on display and for sale throughout event.

EVENT LOCATION: The Crowne Plaza, 1960 Chain Bridge Rd, Tysons Corner, VA Driving directions here or use this link: http://tinyurl.com/boey9vf

Saturday, 7 February 2015, 11:30 am - Melbourne, FL - The Florida Satellite Chapter AFIO hears Gene Poteat, AFIO President-Emeritus, on �The Unusual and Amusing Experiences I�ve Encountered in My CIA Career.�

Immediate AFIO National Past President (and now President emeritus) S. Eugene Poteat will discuss �The Unusual and Amusing Experiences I�ve Encountered in My CIA Career.� All who know him know that Gene has a keen sense of both the unusual and the amusing, and his presentation promises to be both entertaining and informative. In addition, this meeting will mark both the retirement of Chapter president Bobbie (aka Barbara) Keith and the inauguration of a new FSC Chapter president. For information and reservations, contact Barbara Keith at bobbie6769@juno.com or call 321.777.5561. Event location: Indian River Colony Club At Ease Club.

Saturday, 7 February 2015, 11 am - Orange Park, FL - AFIO North Florida Chapter hosts meeting featuring Ted Bischof.

Our guest speaker will be Mr. Ted Bischof. You may remember him as our speaker in November 2009, and this time he'll be expanding on some exciting subjects only briefly touched upon back then. More details on Mr. Bischof and his presentation to follow in the newsletter, which I hope will hit the internet sometime next week. General Webb will be conducting his (in)famous "Lightning Round," so please send him any topics or subject matter you might want discussed at wwebb@comcast.net right away. Location: Country Club of Orange Park. Questions and reservations: Quiel Begonia at qbegonia@comcast.net call (904) 545-9549. Cost will be $24 each, pay the Country Club at the luncheon.

Tuesday, 10 February 2015 - MacDill AFB, FL - AFIO Suncoast Chapter hosts Patrick Guarnieri speaking on "intelligence applications of brain enhancement."

Our Meeting features our own Chapter member Patrick Guarnieri, speaking on the latest developments and innovative approaches to modify and enhance brain function which have drawn the attention and interest of the intelligence community and the military. Patrick Guarnieri served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969. He later earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree, Masters of Business Administration, and Law Degree. He is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Strategic Security. He practiced law for twenty years until 2001 when he became the Chairman of the National Conference on Homeland Security; an organization that worked with the White House and Congress to assist in the formation and organization of the Department of Homeland Security, Northern Command and numerous other security related projects. He now teaches at the University of South Florida in the National and Competitive Intelligence Programand trains the military in advanced operations augmentation. He is also the President of the National Association of HPA Professionals, which directs its attention to Human Process Augmentation that will be discussed in today’s presentation.
Patrick will be discussing the latest developments and innovative approaches to modify and enhance brain function which have drawn the attention and interest of the intelligence community and the military. He will also introduce us to the first major revision (Generation II) of Meyers-Briggs/DISC since the typologies were originally developed and will describe how the government foresees its utility.

LOCATION: MacDill AFB Surf’s Edge Club, 7315 Bayshore Blvd, MacDill AFB, FL 33621. Please RSVP to the Chapter Secretary for yourself and include the names and email addresses of any guests. Email or call Michael Shapiro at sectysuncoastafio@att.net. You will receive a confirmation via email. If you do not, contact the Chapter Secretary to confirm your registration. Check-in at noon; opening ceremonies, lunch and business meeting at 1230 hours, followed by our speaker.
FEE: 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.

Wednesday, 11 February 2015, 11:30AM - Scottsdale, AZ - The AFIO Arizona Chapter hosts Gilbert Orrantia, Director of Arizona Department of Homeland Security

Director Gilbert M. Orrantia became the Director of the Arizona Department of Homeland Security in June, 2009. Prior to heading Arizona’s Homeland Security efforts at the State, he served in the FBI for 26 years. Mr. Orrantia brings a national and global perspective on counterterrorism that is gained from vast counterterrorism experience including the supervision of an FBI counterterrorism squad in Phoenix and serving eight years as a Supervisory Special Agent. For four years he helped lead the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Phoenix, Arizona located at Arizona’s fusion center, known as the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC). Recognized as an expert in investigations of terrorism, drugs and violent crimes, Mr. Orrantia’s successful FBI law enforcement career is reflected in the numerous awards and commendations he received. Among them are two of the FBI’s highest commendations: the Medal of Valor and the FBI Star. These awards were made to Mr. Orrantia for his role in the deadliest firefight in FBI history;- a gun battle known as the “Miami Shootout” in which two fellow FBI agents were killed. Mr. Orrantia has lectured to members of the FBI Academy at Quantico, VA on officer safety and survival and continues to share his expertise in surviving a deadly encounter with numerous law enforcement agencies. Director Orrantia currently serves on the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association Homeland Security Advisors Council and also serves as a Tri-Chair of the National Homeland Security Consortium. In April of 2013, he was appointed by Governor Jan Brewer to serve as Co-Chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Human Trafficking. Mr. Orrantia, a native Arizonan who is fluent in Spanish, was raised in Mesa, Arizona. He is a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education.
LOCATION: McCormick Ranch Golf Course, 7505 McCormick Parkway, Scottsdale AZ 85258 ~ Phone 480.948.0260)
RSVP to Simone at simone@4smartphone.net or simone@afioaz.org or call and leave a message on 602.570.6016
WE WILL NEED YOUR 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.
Fee $20 for AFIO members; $22 for guests.

13 February 2015, 1:30 - 3 pm - Los Angeles, CA - AFIO Los Angeles Chapter Meets to conduct Election of New Officers

AFIO-LA will conduct its 2015 Annual Chapter Meeting on February 13, 2015 (Friday) from 1.30 PM-3 PM at Alejo's Restaurant in Playa del Rey, the address is listed below. We will be conducting our re-election of chapter officers along with an open discussion of our agenda for the new year of 2015. This meeting is open only to current updated dues chapter members, lunch will be served, if you are interested in running for any of the chapter officer positions or attending this meeting please RSVP via email (AFIO_LA@yahoo.com) by February 6, 2015.
Location: Alejo's Italian Restaurant, 8343 Lincoln Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Agenda: Election of Officers: President & Treasurer; Treasurer's Financial Report; Upcoming Events & Focus for 2015; Open Discussion.

Other Upcoming Events

Wednesday, 28 January 2015, 10am-7pm - Washington DC - Special Screening of NBC's Allegiance, New Spy Series, at the International Spy Museum

You're invited to a Special Advance Screening of NBC's gripping new spy drama Allegiance! Reception begins at 6:15PM
Featuring a Q&A panel with:
Peter Earnest, former CIA operative & SPY Museum Executive Director
Oleg Kalugin, former KGB clandestine operative
Mark Stout, former CIA intelligence analyst
Tickets: free! Space is limited, advance RSVP is required. Visit www.spymuseum.org

Wednesday, 04 February (also 11 Feb., 18 Feb., and 25 Feb.) 2015, 10:15am - Washington DC - Spy Seminar Series. Hot Spies/Cool Cases: 50 Shades of Espionage at the International Spy Museum.

Spy thrillers are filled with seductive agents who get what they want through the power of persuasion—between the sheets. Does this actually happen? Are there “Romeo spies” and “honey traps”? Is sexpionage a reality? In this series, former intelligence officers and historians share the stories of five magnetic and charming spies who used the bedroom as their base of operations.

Wednesday, 4 February 2014 - "The Swingers"
Wednesday, 11 February 2014 - "The Profumo Affair"
Wednesday, 18 February 2014 - "Stalin’s Romeo Spy"
Wednesday 25 February 2014 - "Codename Cynthia"

Details on all dates above are here.

Friday, 6 February 2015 - Chantilly, VA - The ATIA (Adv. Technical Intelligence Assn.) hosts a Future Directions Workshop for Industry (TS/SI/TK/USONLY) on Supporting the ODNI IC S&T Stratplan.

As many of you know, the The ODNI Director of Science and Technology (DS&T) has committed to ensuring that the Intelligence Community’s (IC’s) science and technology (S&T) investment portfolio aligns with capability needs and takes advantage of promising S&T development opportunities. Industry is expected to be a critical part of this effort. To support this objective, the FY2015-2019 IC S&T Investment Landscape was published and, later ODNI-RFI-14-02 was released. To date, nearly 2200 potential solutions to Landscape needs have been received in response.

This is extremely important to industry and ATIA has been developing a "New Science" workshop to be held on February 6, 2015, to build on DS&T's efforts and to solicit the views of industry on future directions in intelligence science and technology. Based on industry responses to date, six (6) initial "cluster" areas have been identified. Our objective will be to use those six as early focal points to generate industry-led roadmaps from which to inform the IC in the preparation of its S&T plans for the development of important next-generation capabilities.

We're moving quickly to respond to the government's initiative hence the February 6 date for an initial workshop. Our objective is to follow-up on industry's initial response but also facilitate and expand the dialogue on this important undertaking.

LOCATION: TASC Westfields I, Room WF-1415, 4801 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly, VA 20151

REGISTER or MORE INFO: https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/?eventid=1670610

QUESTIONS: James B. Longley, Jr., Executive Director, ATIA, 207-846-4158 (ME Voice/Msg/Fax); 202-255-8841 (Cell); 703-812-4662 (DC Voice/Msg/Fax); JBLongley@aol.com; http://ATIA-Assn.org

Wednesday, 11 February 2014, 8:30 A.M. � 4:30 P.M - Washington, DC - The Journal of National Security Law & Policy Annual Symposium

Hold the date! Conference theme: Trials and Terrorism: The Implications of Trying National Security Cases in Article III Courts.
The symposium will feature the following three panels:
Panel 1, �Terror Suspects: Pretrial Considerations in Civilian Terrorism Investigations,� will provide an overview of international terrorism cases from investigation to indictment.
Panel 2, �Courtroom Challenges: The Evidentiary and Trial Management Issues that Arise During Terrorism Trials� will focus on the evidentiary and procedural challenges that arise during the trial of defendants charged with terrorism offenses and the implications these potential precedents could set.
Panel 3, �Convicted Terrorists: Sentencing Considerations and Their Implications on Foreign and Domestic Policy,� will focus on the factors that impact the sentencing phase of terrorism trials.
Location: Georgetown University Law School, Washington, DC
REGISTRATION: Will be available at http://jnslp.com/symposium/ in early 2015.

To attend click here and then submit the form on the page that opens, or email events@cato.org, fax (202) 371-0841, or call (202) 789-5229 by 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2014.

17 February 2015, 11:30 am - 2 pm - McLean, VA - DIAA's DIF meets to hear Russell Rochte on "Media Wars."

Mr. Russell C. Rochte, Jr. will speak on “Media Wars.” at the Defense Intelligence Forum, a gathering of the Defense Intelligence Alumni Association.
He will discuss recent academic studies which point out Al Q’aida and Associated Movements attempts to wage media wars. USA strengths and weaknesses against these wars will be discussed. He will suggest both a strategy and a body of tactics for both short-term and long-term success in the “war of ideas” via television media.
Mr. Rochte is a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) and has been a member of the faculty of the National Intelligence University since 2005. He teaches courses in information operations, information power, foreign info ops, globalization, and propaganda/propaganda analysis to graduate and undergraduate students from across the US Intelligence Community. He also lectures by request several times yearly to audiences at the National Defense University; the NATO School at Oberammergau, Germany; Johns Hopkins University; the USMC Command & Staff College; and by invitation at a variety of events, both in CONUS and abroad.
Mr. Rochte graduated in 1980 from the University of Michigan as the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Distinguished Military Graduate, and received a regular Army commission as a second Lieutenant in the US Army Signal Corps. He retired from the US Army in 2005 as a Lieutenant Colonel, after more than 25 years of active commissioned service. From June 2003 until his retirement, he taught information operations and information assurance courses on campus and on-line as a Professor of Systems Management at the Information Resources Management College of the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan (BA) and Troy State (MS), and has completed additional post-graduate work in information assurance, systematic theology, and American history.
Location: Pulcinella Restaurant, 6852 Old Dominion Drive, McLean, VA. Generous, free parking.
Fee: Pay at the door with a check for $29.00 payable to DIAA, Inc. Checks are preferred, but will accept cash; however, credit card payments are discouraged.
This forum will follow a modified Chatham House rule. You may use the information, but with the exception of speaker's name and subject, you may make no attribution. Everything will be off the record.
RSVP: Make reservations by 17 February 2015 by email to diforum@diaalumni.org. Include names, telephone numbers, and email addresses. For each attendee, choose among chicken cacciatore, tilapia puttanesca, lasagna, sausage with peppers, or fettuccini with portabella for your luncheon selection. Please include your luncheon selection to reduce the wait time for your food!!!

Tues-Wed, 24-25 March 2015 - Washington, DC - International Conference on Exercises, Gaming, and Simulations for Intelligence and National Security, Communication, Culture & Technology Program (CCTP)

Dates and times: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 8:30 AM - Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 7:00 PM (EDT)
This international conference, between the Center for Intelligence Services and Democratic Systems at Rey Juan Carlos University and the School of Continuing Studies at Georgetown University will enhance the role of experiential learning methods and techniques showcasing original simulations, exercises, and games applied to national security intelligence, competitive intelligence, and foreign affairs. The conference will bring together ideas, concepts and demonstrations that can further train and educate military, law enforcement, and national security professionals.
A sample of conference topics include:  Scenario-based approach for developing the links between analysis and reporting;  Computational Simulation In Intelligence Analysis;  The Induction Game and Intelligence Education;  Gaming and Modeling Before a Crisis;  Use of Gaming and Exercise as Part of an Engagement Strategy;  Gaming the Nexus between Intelligence and Policy;  Concrete Tabletop Exercises for Cognitive Skill Development in Analysts;  Serious gaming & how to create visionary practitioners and policy makers;  Balancing Realism and Playability in the Intelligence Classroom;  Structured Analytic Techniques for Cyber Security through Role Playing; Cyber-Attack and Ethics Simulations;  Virtual Training Systems and Survival Humanistic Factors;
Discounted hotel accommodations, questions or comments should be directed to Dr. Jan Goldman jg28@georgetown.edu or Dr. Ruben Arcos Martin, ruben.arcos@urjc.es (outside North America)
Registration and Information is available here.

26 April to 3 May 2015 - Berlin and Vienna - ESPIONAGE IN EUROPE: Now and Then - a New York Times Journey with AFIO Member/former CIA Officer, Jon Wiant.

Reserve now to travel on this exciting eight day intelligence excursion. "Espionage in Europe: Now and Then" is a journey focused on history & context. From the Cold War to present day government phone-hacking. Berlin and Vienna are two of Europe's capital cities that have seen more than their fair share of activity. Explore how, why and who was involved, the back stories and realization that it will never go away.
Join us on a unique tour to Berlin and Vienna, to learn about both underground goings on and those taking place in plain site, how World War II shaped Cold War intelligence operations and why our espionage bases in Berlin and Vienna became the dangerous front lines of our conflict with the Soviet Union. The Times-selected expert accompanying this trip is Prof. Jon A Wiant, retired Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, former White House director of intelligence policy and former member of the CIA. To hear more about this tour, listen to Jon Wiant speak, during a recent webinar.
Cost: $7,450 pp, +$1,000 single supplement. Deposit $500. Itinerary: 8 days, 7 nights. Activity Level: More active trips involving hiking over moderately strenuous and varied terrain, usually — but not always — with vehicle support and at elevations most often below 10,000 feet, or trips with significant hiking days, wilderness camping, or other mandatory activity. On some trips, you can elect to skip a day’s hike, depending on logistics. Questions? Call 855-698-7979.

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