Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS

German Spy Agency Says ISIS Sending Fighters Disguised as Refugees. Islamic State militants have slipped into Europe disguised as refugees, the head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency (BfV) said on Friday, a day after security forces thwarted a potential IS attack in Berlin.

Hans-Georg Maassen said the terrorist attacks in Paris last November had shown that Islamic State was deliberately planting terrorists among the refugees flowing into Europe.

"Then we have repeatedly seen that terrorists ... have slipped in camouflaged or disguised as refugees. This is a fact that the security agencies are facing," Maassen told ZDF television.

"We are trying to recognize and identify whether there are still more IS fighters or terrorists from IS that have slipped in," he added. [Read more: Reuters/5February2016]

Swiss Alliance Seeks Less Intrusive Intelligence Service. An alliance of leftwing politicians and representatives of civil rights groups has handed in more than 56,000 valid signatures to force a nationwide vote on a reform of intelligence law aimed at boosting the powers of the intelligence service, the Federal Chancellery announced on Thursday.

Parliament approved the law last year giving the Swiss intelligence service greater powers to monitor private communications in Switzerland, but critics have pushed through a referendum to challenge the decision by collecting at least 50,000 signatures within 100 days.

The change in law undermines people's freedom and democracy by giving intelligence services too much power to monitor private communications over the internet and telephones or to bug private homes, the alliance argues. The change in law also makes it possible that someone Googling certain key words or terms might come to the attention of authorities. 

The government has yet to set a date for a nationwide ballot on the issue. [Read more: SwissInfo/4February2016]

US Defense Intelligence Chief Predicts Increased ISIS Attacks. Islamic State is likely to step up "the pace and lethality" of its attacks in the months ahead as it seeks to fan the flames of international conflict, the director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency said on Monday.

Speaking to a security conference, Marine Corps Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart linked his warning to the militant group's establishment of "emerging branches" in Mali, Tunisia, Somalia, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

He also said he would not be surprised if Islamic State, which has created a self-proclaimed Caliphate across swaths of Syria and Iraq, extended its operations from the Sinai Peninsula deeper into Egypt.

"Last year, Daesh remained entrenched on Iraqi and Syrian battlefields and expanded globally to Libya, Sinai, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the Caucasus," Stewart said, using a derisive Arabic acronym for Islamic State. [Read more: Landay/Reuters/8February2016]

Belgium to Double Spending on Police and Intelligence. The Belgian government announced police and intelligence changes on Friday intended to address criticism of its failure to properly monitor or arrest the Islamic State-inspired extremists who used the country to plot the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris.

Three of the Paris attackers, including the suspected ringleader, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, were residents of the immigrant district of Molenbeek in the capital, Brussels. At least one of the attackers, Salah Abdeslam, remains at large, having eluded Belgian authorities after re-entering the country, which remains on high alert.

The evident failures of Belgium's police and intelligence service set off intense soul-searching about how to overcome the linguistic and political barriers to more coherent and effective policing in the country, famously divided among French, Dutch and German speakers.

Flemish politicians in the north of the country have been most vocal in blaming divisions and bad cooperation among the policing zones for the lack of law and order in Brussels' poorer neighborhoods. [Read more: Schreuer/NYTimes/5February2016]

Homegrown Extremists Top Terrorist Threat List, Clapper Says. Homegrown extremists probably will "continue to pose the most significant Sunni terrorist threat to the US homeland in 2016," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in a summary for Congress of the perils facing the nation globally.

Threats from Islamic State, or ISIL, are likely to "continue to involve those who draw inspiration from the group's highly sophisticated media without direct guidance from ISIL leadership" as well as "individuals in the United States or abroad who receive direct guidance and specific direction" from the terrorists, Clapper said.

Clapper's far-ranging prepared testimony also cited Iran's support for terrorism and the development of offensive cybersecurity capabilities by Russia, China and North Korea. His summary of the annual "Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community" was obtained by Bloomberg News in advance of delivery Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Clapper's assessment of other world trouble spots: [Read more: Cappacio&Strohm/Bloomberg/8February2016]

Intel Agencies Had Hints of ISIS Plot Before Paris Attacks, Source Says. Intelligence obtained by Western security agencies before the November 13 Paris attacks indicated as many as 60 ISIS fighters had been deployed by the group to Europe to carry out attacks on five cities and had already reached European soil, a senior European counterterrorism source told CNN.

The intelligence indicated the target cities included Paris, London, Berlin and a major population center in Belgium, according to the source. It also indicated Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, the head of ISIS' external operations efforts, was the key figure behind the ambitious plan, the source said. There was no indication the plan was to attack the cities simultaneously.

The source cautioned the threat stream was based on intelligence which was fragmentary and difficult to verify, and it was too vague to act on. In addition, there was no specific intelligence prior to the Paris attack on any moving parts of the plot.

"In terms of ambition, it also just pointed towards something we already knew. ISIS had hardly made it a secret it sought to target Europe," said the senior European counterterrorism source. [Read more: CNN/8February2016]

Hacker Publishes Personal Info of 20,000 FBI Agents. While America was getting ready to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, a hacker promised he would dump online a list of more than 20,000 agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and 9,000 Department of Homeland Security officers.

Right after the big game's kickoff, the cybercriminal carried out part of his promise, publishing a list of 9,000 DHS employees. On Monday, less than 24 hours later, the hacker, who wishes to remain anonymous, has fulfilled the remaining part of his promise. 

"Long Live Palestine, Long Live Gaza," reads a message at the top of the dump, which also included the hashtag "#FreePalestine."

The hacker provided Motherboard with a copy of the data on Sunday. The list includes names, email addresses (many of which are non-public) and job descriptions, such as task force deputy director, security specialist, special agent, and many more. The list also includes roughly 1,000 FBI employees in an intelligence analysis role. [Read more: Franceschi-Bicchierai/Motherboard/8February2016]

Putin Names Korobov as New Military Intelligence Chief. President Vladimir Putin has appointed Lieutenant General Igor Korobov to head the Russian military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, following the death of his predecessor in early January.

A spokesman for the Defense Ministry said on February 2 that GRU deputy head Korobov had been promoted by a presidential decree to lead the highly secretive spy agency.

Korobov's predecessor, Igor Sergun, died on January 3 at the age of 58.

He had held the position since 2011. [Read more: RadioFreeEurope/2February2016]

South Korea: Park Names Intelligence Aide as No. 2 Official in Spy Agency. President Park Geun-hye named an intelligence aid to be the No. 2 official in South Korea's spy agency, an official said Friday.

Kim Jin-sub, an official handling intelligence at the presidential office, was nominated to lead overseas intelligence at the National Intelligence Service, said Kim Sung-woo, chief presidential press secretary.

The NIS said overseas intelligence also covers North Korea, a key focus of South Korea's intelligence community.

Kim "is the right person who can faithfully carry out" his job with his knowledge on and capability in national security, the press secretary said. [Read more: Yonhap/5February2016]

Section II - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE

NSA Reorganization to Combine Offense, Defense. The National Security Agency is about to launch its most ambitious reorganization in years, bringing together teams charged with gathering intelligence around the world with those tasked with defending US secrets.

The plan, which the agency calls NSA21, is expected to be detailed publicly next week. A congressman who has been briefed and a former intelligence official described the outlines to The Baltimore Sun.

The new organization is to be called the Directorate of Operations. Combining the agency's offensive and defensive missions - formally called signals intelligence and information assurance - is designed to boost capabilities on both sides, pulling together information to supercharge eavesdropping efforts while helping to fend off hackers.

The plans already are drawing concern from privacy activists, who say documents leaked by former contractor Edward Snowden showed that attack routinely took priority over defense even under the old arrangement, potentially leaving Internet users vulnerable as the NSA leaves security flaws open so it can keep harvesting information. [Read more: Duncan/BaltimoreSun/7February2016]

An Interview With CIA Spies: The Susskind Open End File. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) section of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) hosts the transcript of a 1965 interview with three US spies that the CIA kept on file. David Susskind interviewed the three agents on his television series Open End. The episode was titled, "The Deadly Game of Spying".

The three spies interviewed included:

- Peter Tompkins: Author of A Spy in Rome depicts his personal espionage experiences in German-occupied Italy during World War II.
- Ladislas Farago: Involved in intelligence throughout the US and Europe, wrote several books.
- Christopher Felix (pseudonym): Was a US government agent working in American intelligence operations and the author of a book.

Also participating as a guest was Flora Lewis, a New York correspondent with the Washington Post. Lewis also wrote a book; her book was about American master spy, Noel Field. [Read more: Painter/TopSecretWriters/8February2016]

New Local FBI Chief Vows Collaborative Approach. The new head of the FBI in Boston vowed to take a collaborative approach to law enforcement, partnering with local authorities and other federal agencies to combat drug activity, gun crimes, and terrorism - what he considers his agency's top priority.

"There's virtually nothing we can do in the FBI that's not done in a task-force concept," Harold H. Shaw said in an interview with the Globe. "The critical element is partnerships."

Shaw, who arrived in the Boston division in October, cited his experience as a counter-terrorism agent in New York, where a joint terrorism task force was formed 30 years ago.

"The tricks of the trade I learned were from the task-force partners who were doing it a lot longer than I was," he said. [Read more: Valencia/BostonGlobe/8February2016]

New Microchip Could Increase Military Intelligence Powers Exponentially. A new microchip could change life on the battlefield for US troops by bringing the massive data crunching power of multi-computer neural networks - a dream of the 1970s and 80s - into handheld devices. The chip, announced by a team of researchers from MIT and funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, could enable a smartphone-sized device to perform deep-learning functions.

What can the military do with deep learning? Effectively executing complex operations in places like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan is no longer just a matter of guts and glory. It's also dependent on accessing and processing information in real time. The military has an abundance of data but always claims a shortage of useful intelligence. Consider that in 2011, during the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, the US Air Force was processing 1,500 hours of full-motion video and 1,500 still images taken from aerial drones every day.

When satellites or drones collect high-resolution photographs or video, it's human operators that have to do the job of classifying all the objects in that footage. Did someone just move a missile launcher within range of a forward operating base, or is that just a strangely-shaped pile of debris? Is that white van the same one that was on that street during last month's IED attack? Or is it a different one? Is that bearded insurgent Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or just a regular radical? [Read more: Tucker/DefenseOne/4February2016]

Nuclear Secrets Spear-Phisher Pleads Guilty. The US penchant for listing the maximum possible prison sentences that alleged offenders might end up serving, assuming they are guilty and end up convicted, doesn't please everyone.

Even if most offenders get nowhere near the maximum theoretical sentence, there's something discomfiting about reading that a cybercrook could face "247 years in prison."

Germany blocked extradition of Ercan Findikoğlu back in 2014 over a sentence of that biologically improbable length; the dispute was eventually settled and Findikoğlu was sent to face the music in the USA.

Latvia similarly blocked the extradition of Deniss Čalovskis, author of the infamous Gozi malware that stole online banking credentials, whose charge sheet officially listed his maximum penalty as 67 years. [Read more: Ducklin/NakedSecurity/4February2016]

Soviet Politburo Discussed Billion-Dollar Spy. The top leaders of the Soviet Union discussed the case of controversial CIA spy Adolf Tolkachev during the Politburo meeting on September 25, 1986, according to the transcript published today in the Russian original and in English translation by the National Security Archive at George Washington University (www.nsarchive.org).

According to the transcript, Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev asked about people serving sentences for "crimes that Western propaganda classifies as political." Then-KGB chief V.M. Chebrikov then told his comrades that there were 240 individuals at that time in the USSR serving sentences for these "especially dangerous state crimes." Chebrikov said espionage was the most dangerous, the punishment was "execution or 15 years of incarceration," and, "Yesterday, Tolkachev's sentence was carried out" [execution].

In response, Gorbachev remarked, "American intelligence paid him generously. He was caught with two million rubles." And Chebrikov affirmed, "This agent handed over very important military-technical secrets to the enemy."

The Politburo discussion adds new evidence to the best-selling account of the Tolkachev case written by Pulitzer-Prize-winner David E. Hoffman, The Billion Dollar Spy: A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal (New York: Doubleday, 2015), http://www.davidehoffman.com/. 

The Politburo document directly contradicts allegations by former CIA historian Benjamin B. Fischer that Tolkachev "was the perpetrator of an elaborate KGB hoax" (International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Volume 24, Number 2, 2011, pp. 422-425), or "a figment of the KGB's creation and the CIA's imagination" (Letter to the Editor, Washington Times, July 30, 2015, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/30/letter-to-the-editor-riveting-review-of-the-billio/). [Read more: NationalSecurityArchive/5February2016]

Section III - COMMENTARY

Argentinean Intelligence Challenges. President Mauricio Macri has appointed his trusted friend Gustavo Arribas as chief of the Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI). Arribas is a notary public who has been very successful in the million-dollar market of soccer player transfers, but he seems to have no experience whatsoever in the intelligence business. Unless, of course, he is an intelligence officer with the most solid cover of all time and a good deal of latitude. Which does not seem to be the case.

The president's decision could be criticized on the grounds that - in this day and age - intelligence is too sensitive an area to appoint somebody who is not qualified and lacks the experience to handle the job. Especially when one of this government's stated objectives is to combat drug traffickers. This kind of battle is unthinkable without an adequate intelligence service that is able to engage and cooperate with, as well as have the trust of, its counterparts in other countries. This does not seem to be the case at present.

Arribas' appointment appears to be at odds with the criteria of excellence which seems to have guided other ministerial appointments. In fact one might disagree with the politics of Susana Malcorra in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Jorge Triaca in the Labour Ministry or Alfonso Prat-Gay as Economy minister, but their level of excellence is undeniable. So, unless one is prepared to accept that Macri was having a bad day when he chose Arriba, the explanation has to be found elsewhere. [Read more: Federman/BuenosAiresHerald/8February2016]

License to Kill: The Kremlin's Long History of Assassinating Opponents. The Kremlin has never been afraid to assassinate its political opponents. In 1940, a Soviet agent murdered Leon Trotsky with an ice pick in Mexico City. In the 1950s, KGB agents poisoned the Ukrainian nationalist leaders Stepan Bandera and Lev Rebet in Munich. In 1978, Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian 'migr' broadcaster, was killed, supposedly by a poisoned pellet fired from an umbrella, on Waterloo Bridge in central London. New archival research suggests that the Soviet KGB ordered his murder.

Under President Vladimir Putin, the Russian state has continued in the same vein. Putin's time in office began with a bloodbath. In 1999, a wave of apartment-block bombings killed more than 300 people in three Russian cities. The government blamed the attacks on Chechen terrorists, providing a pretext for a war in the breakaway republic and boosting Putin's reputation as a tough leader. But from the start, critics poked holes in the official version of events.

The most prominent among those critics have paid a heavy price. In 2003, the investigative journalist Yuri Shchekochikhin died of a mysterious illness and the liberal politician Sergei Yushenkov was shot dead. They had both been investigating allegations that the Russian state security service, the FSB, had orchestrated the bombings to increase support for Putin and the war. 

Meanwhile, many St. Petersburg liberals, who knew that Putin, while working in the city's municipal administration, had been deeply involved in corrupt import-export, property, and licensing deals, also had unusually poor life expectancies. The liberal lawmaker Galina Starovoitova was shot in November 1998. Anatoly Sobchak, the city's former mayor, died unexpectedly just after his onetime subordinate became president. [Read more: Lucas/ForeignAffairs/26January2016]

Section IV - ADMIN:  Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

AFIO EDUCATIONAL EVENTS IN COMING TWO MONTHS....

Wednesday, 10 February 2016, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. - Albuquerque, NM - AFIO New Mexico Chapter hosts special election meeting.

The AFIO NM Chapter is holding the important Election Meeting to nominate and election new officers. It is imperative that all members attend to help shape and direct the chapter for the coming years.
Location: 'The Egg & I' Restaurant, 6909 Menaul Blvd (East of Louisiana), Albuquerque, NM. Questions or to explore accepting an elected position in the chapter, contact Pete Bostwick (505) 898-2649 foreigndevil@yahoo.com or Mike Ford (505) 294-6133 Secpro39@yahoo.com

Saturday, 13 February 2016, 11:30am - 2:30pm - Melbourne, FL - AFIO Florida Satellite Chapter Luncheon features Gene Poteat, discussing 'Women in Espionage"

The Florida Satellite Chapter is pleased again to welcome former CIA official, AFIO President-emeritus and our good friend, Gene Poteat. Gene's topic for the occasion, 'Women in Espionage' will examine the roles women have played in the second oldest profession from Joshua's Rahab of Jericho, to Putin's Anna Chapman of New York and Moscow, and a great many in between. Meeting will be at the At Ease Club of the Indian River Colony Club, 1936 Freedom Drive, Melbourne, FL 32940.
For information and reservations, please contact FSC Chapter President at afiofsc@afio.com no later than 9 Feb.

Saturday, 13 February 2016, 11 am to 3 pm - Orange Park, FL - AFIO North Florida Chapter hosts Arden Brey, a Navy Photoanalyst

The guest speaker is tentatively Mr. Arden Brey, a former Navy photoanalyst, who had experience during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, and further adventures after that. A current bio of Brey was supplied to all member today.
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. Remember that family and guests and potential members are cordially invited.

Thursday, 25 February 2016, 5:30 PM - Atlanta, GA - AFIO Atlanta Chapter event features Mark Riebling on Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler.

The AFIO Atlanta Chapter, the Harvard Club of Georgia, the UC Berkeley Alumni Club of Georgia, and the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Atlanta invite you and a guest to an evening with AFIO member Mark Riebling. Mr. Riebling is a path-breaking writer on secret intelligence. His 1994 book Wedge: The Secret War Between the FBI and CIA all but predicted 9/11. Indeed, Riebling's analysis of security failures influenced post-9/11 intelligence reforms to a significant degree. Deputy US Attorney Andrew C. McCarthy―who prosecuted the 1993 World Trade Center bombing―wrote in The Wall Street Journal in 2006 that "Riebling's analysis has now become conventional wisdom, accepted on all sides.' Mr. Riebling will discuss his recent bestseller Church of Spies: The Pope's Secret War Against Hitler. The event will be moderated by Prof. Nathan A. Sales, a leading light among legal scholars focused on emerging national security issues. He teaches at Syracuse University College of Law.

Please see event details below, and use link to register. AFIO members and guests pay no fee to attend this special event. Questions? Contact Brian J. Hooper, President, AFIO Atlanta Chapter at brian@afioatlanta.com or call him at 404.879.2440

5:30 - 6:30 pm:  Cocktail Reception; 6:30 - 7:30 pm:  Presentation by Mark Riebling, followed by Q&A; 7:30 - 8:30 pm: Cocktail Reception.

WHERE: Womble Carlyle; Skyline Room (25th Floor); Atlantic Station, BB&T Building; 271 17th Street, NW, Suite 2500; Atlanta, GA 30363-1017.

RSVP by Feb. 18 by clicking on the registration button above.
*Event is limited to first 100 registrants. NOTE:  Attendees receive two (2) hours complimentary parking in the Atlantic Station parking deck. Nominal cost for additional hours. For updated information visit the chapter website.

25 February 2016, 12:30-2 PM - Los Angeles, CA - The Los Angeles AFIO Chapter holds special election meeting.

The Los Angeles AFIO Chapter will hold a special meeting on February 25, 2016 for the election of chapter officers.
Location: L.A.P.D.-ARTC, 5651 W Manchester Ave RM.1F, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
RSVP: afio_la@yahoo.com

Monday, 29 February 2016 - San Francisco, CA - The AFIO San Francisco Andre LeGallo Chapter hosts Barry Eisler, a former CIA DO Case Officer, and Gen. Michael Hayden, former Director of NSA and CIA, and PDDNI.

Barry Eisler, attorney, former CIA Case Officer in the Directorate of Operations and author and Gen. Michael Hayden, Former Director of NSA/CIA and Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence. Mr. Eisler will discuss his novel, The God's Eye View and privacy and surveillance in the 21st century. Gen. Michael Hayden will discuss "American Intelligence in the Age of Terror."

Join us for this unique behind-the-scenes look at America's anti-terror efforts. Venue: Peninsula location - address will be sent to registrants in two weeks: 11:30am buffet lunch; meeting at noon.

Member Registration until 2/1/16: open registration starting 2/1/16: Register here. Questions?: contact Mariko Kawaguchi, Board Secretary at afiosf@aol.com or Mariko Kawaguchi, c/o AFIO, PO Box 117578, Burlingame, CA 94011.

Friday, 18 March 2016, 10:30am - 2pm - Tysons, VA - AFIO National Spring Luncheon features Gen. Michael V. Hayden, former director, CIA and NSA, discussing "Playing to the Edge" and David Priess, author and former CIA analyst and briefer, on The President's Book of Secrets

Michael Hayden at this luncheon will provide a high-level master narrative of America's intelligence wars. He is the only person to helm both CIA and NSA, at a time of heinous new threats and major change. For General Michael Hayden, playing to the edge means playing so close to the line that you get chalk dust on your cleats. Otherwise, by playing back, you may protect yourself, but you will be less successful in protecting America. "Play to the edge" was Hayden's guiding principle when he ran the National Security Agency, and it remained so when he ran CIA.  In his view, many shortsighted and uninformed people are quick to criticize, and this book will give them much to chew on but little easy comfort; it is an unapologetic insider's look told from the perspective of the people who faced awesome responsibilities head on, in the moment.

David Priess, author and former CIA analyst, manager, and intelligence briefer, is the author of The President's Book of Secrets which will be released at this event.
Every day, the President receives a report revealing the most sensitive intelligence reporting and analysis of world events: the President's Daily Brief, or PDB. CIA spies, the NSA's listening posts, and the nation's reconnaissance satellites steal secrets for it, while America's enemies send undercover agents to try to unearth its classified content. No major foreign policy decisions are made without it. Yet the PDB's stories have gone untold―until now. The Priess book contains original input from more than 100 interviews with former intelligence leaders and policymakers--including all of the living former Presidents and Vice Presidents ​and the vast majority of living former CIA Directors, DDIs, National Security Advisors, and Secretaries of State and Defense. This new work also incorporates previously unpublished material from various Presidential libraries.

Register here while space remains.

Sheraton Tysons Hotel, 8661 Leesburg Pike, Tysons, VA 22182. Phone: (703) 448-1234. Driving directions at this link.

Monday, 21 March 2016, 5:30 - 8 pm - New York, NY - The AFIO NY Metro Chapter Meeting features a presentation by Paddy Hayes, Irish author of newly released "Queen of Spies: Daphne Park, Britain's Cold War Spy Master."

Irish Author Paddy Hayes discusses Queen of Spies, his new book about Daphne Park (1921 - 2010) top British spy during the Cold War. Baroness Park of Monmouth (OBE) (CMG) spent her youth on the African plains and eventually became Chief of Western Hemisphere operations for the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). A fascinating successful career and book, very well reviewed!
LOCATION: Society of Illustrators building 128 East 63rd Street Between Park and Lexington Avenues in Manhattan
TIME: Registration Starts 5:30 PM. Meeting Starts 6 PM.
COST: $50/person Cash or check only.
REGISTER: Strongly suggested, not required. Phone Jerry Goodwin 646-717-3776 or Email: afiometro@gmail.com.

Other Upcoming Events

Wednesday, 10 February 2016, 6:30pm - Washington, DC - Anonymous Heroes: African American Spies of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War at the International Spy Museum

As historians look more closely at espionage history, the significance of African American intelligence contributions to the American cause in the Revolution and the Union victory in the Civil War is finally coming into focus.

Retired CIA Intelligence Officer Ken Daigler, author of Spies, Patriots, and Traitors: America in the Revolutionary War, numerous articles on Civil War espionage, and the CIA publication on African American spying for the Union "Black Dispatches," will discuss the intelligence roles played by African Americans in both conflicts. He will identify the individuals involved in various intelligence operations, describe how they operated, explain what they accomplished, and place their brave efforts within the larger context of significant victories for the American patriots and the Union Army.

Tickets: $12. Visit www.spymuseum.org

Tuesday, 23 February 2016 4:30 - 5:30 pm - Washington, DC - Intelligence as a Career Path: Black History Month After School Program featuring Malcolm Nance at the Spy Museum

Meet counterterrorism expert & author Malcolm Nance. He’s been undercover in terrorist hotspots, passed hostile border crossings in disguise, submitted to waterboarding, and now he’s prepared to share his life experiences with students. Malcolm W. Nance is a counterterrorism and terrorism intelligence expert with wide-ranging field and combat experience.
A frequent guest commentator on breaking news, he’s the author of The Terrorist Recognition Handbook among other books. Drawing on his experience as a 20-year veteran of the US intelligence community’s Combating Terrorist program, he’s been a consultant for the US government on special operations, homeland security, and intelligence. As a master Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) instructor, he can handle any tricky situation including testifying before the US Congress and speaking to teenagers.
Middle and High School Students only. In partnership with the Greater Washington Urban League.
Tickets: Free! Advance registration required. Register at www.spymuseum.org

Thursday, 25 February 2016, 6:30pm - Washington, DC - "United States of Jihad" with Peter Bergen at the International Spy Museum

The tragic, ISIS-inspired attack in San Bernardino was a harsh reminder that 'homegrown' terrorism is a real and present danger. CNN national security analyst and New York Times bestselling author Peter Bergen has been chronicling Islamist terrorism through groundbreaking reporting on the Middle East, al-Qaeda, and homeland security for more than twenty years. His new book United States of Jihad: Investigating America's Homegrown Terrorists, gives an unprecedented look at the factors that lead to the radicalization of American citizens and offers expert insights into the shape of the threat confronting us. Join Bergen as he shares the forces that have led Americans like Anwar al-Awlaki, Samir Kahn, the Tsarnaev brothers, and so many others down the path to terrorism and investigates the effectiveness of counterterrorism strategies from the FBI's efforts to those of Imam Magid, who is spearheading an effort to reach fundamentalist youths before it is too late.
United States of Jihad will be available for sale and signing at the event.

Tickets: $10. Visit www.spymuseum.org Please RSVP to lzaris@spymuseum.org.

Friday, 26 February 2016, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. - Washington, DC - True World Ops hosts book signing with investigative reporter Bryan Denson, author of The Spy's Son.

True World Ops hosts a book-signing with journalist Bryan Denson, author of The Spy's Son, the true story of the highest ranking CIA officer ever convicted of espionage and the son he trained to spy for Russia.

Event location: Martin's Tavern, Washington, DC. No fee. RSVP here.

Wednesday, 11 May 2016 - Washington, DC - Night of Heroes Gala - The PenFed Foundation 2016 Gala

PUT THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR and then Join the PenFed Foundation, our partners and friends, Wednesday, 11 May 2016, as we honor those who lead the way in supporting our military and veterans. All proceeds benefit the PenFed Foundation, helping members of the military secure the financial future they deserve.
DINNER ★ HERO AWARDS PRESENTATION ★ LIVE AUCTION
Consider having your corporation or foundation be a sponsor for this worthwhile event. SPONSORSHIP LEVELS are as follows:
$100,000 Circle of Honor; $50,000 Legendary Hero; $25,000 Distinguished Hero; $10,000 Inspirational Hero; $5,000 Patriotic Hero; $1,000 Individual Sponsor
More details coming soon. More info here.
Location: Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center, Washington, DC.

Disclaimers and Removal Instructions

Weekly Intelligence Notes (WINs) are commentaries on Intelligence and related national security matters, based on open media sources, selected, interpreted, edited and produced for non-profit educational uses by members and WIN subscribers. 

REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS: We do not wish to add clutter to inboxes. To discontinue receiving the WINs: 

a)  IF YOU ARE A MEMBER -- click here: UNSUBSCRIBE and supply your full name and email address where you receive the WINs. Click SEND, you will be removed from list.  If this link doesn't open a blank email, create one on your own and send to afio@afio.com with the words:  REMOVE FROM WINs as the subject, and provide your full name and email address where you are currently receiving them.

 b) IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER, and you received this message, someone forwarded this newsletter to you [contrary to AFIO policies]. Forward to afio@afio.com the entire WIN or message you received and we will remove the sender from our membership and distribution lists. The problem will be solved for both of us.

CONTENTS of this WIN [HTML version recipients - Click title to jump to story or section, Click Article Title to return to Contents. This feature does not work for Plaintext Edition or for some AOL recipients]. If you wish to change to HTML format, let us know at afio@afio.com. The HTML feature also does not work for those who access their e-mail using web mail...however NON-HTML recipients may view the latest edition each week in HTML at this link: https://www.afio.com/pages/currentwin.htm

WINs are protected by copyright laws and intellectual property laws, and may not be reproduced or re-sent without specific permission from the Producer. Opinions expressed in the WINs are solely those of the editor's) or author's) listed with each article. AFIO Members Support the AFIO Mission - sponsor new members! CHECK THE AFIO WEBSITE at www.afio.com for back issues of the WINs, information about AFIO, conference agenda and registrations materials, and membership applications and much more!

(c) 2000, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. Please note AFIO's new address: AFIO, 7600 Leesburg Pike, Suite 470 East, Falls Church, VA 22043-2004. Voice: (703) 790-0320; Fax: (703) 991-1278; Email: afio@afio.com

Click here to return to top.