AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes

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WIN CREDITS FOR THIS ISSUE: The WIN editors thank the following special contributors: ec, po, mh, km, gh, mk, rd, fm, kc, jm, mr, jg, th, ed, and fwr. They have contributed one or more stories used in this issue.

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.

CAVEATS: 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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Holiday Gifts for intelligence officers, colleagues, recruitments, agents, advisors, and family

The AFIO Store has following new items ready for quick shipment:

NEW: Long and Short-Sleeved Shirts with embroidered AFIO Logo

Show your support for AFIO with our new Polo Shirts! Be the first to buy these new, high quality, subtle heathered grey shirts of shrink and wrinkle resistant fine cotton with a soft yet substantial feel. They feature a detailed embroidered AFIO seal. Buy a shirt for yourself and consider as gifts for colleagues, family, and friends, to make an early start on your holiday shopping! Only $45 each including shipping.
Sizes of (M) men or (W) women shirts; Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL, and XXXL. At this time all orders will arrive as Short Sleeve shirts.
You may pay by check or credit card. Complete your order online here or mail an order along with payment to: AFIO, 7600 Leesburg Pike, Ste 470 East, Falls Church, VA 22043-2004. Phone orders at 703-790-0320. If interested in other shirt colors or sleeve lengths, contact Annette at: annettej@afio.com.

NEW: Mug with color glazed logo. Made in America. (We left all that lead glaze and hidden toxins for those mugs made in China being sold by other organizations).

This handsome large, heavy USA-made ceramic mug is dishwasher-safe with a glazed seal. $35 per mug includes shipping. Order this and other store items online here.

CIA Employee Activity Association (Gift Shop)
A source for special, unusual gifts which make lasting memories

Are you getting ready for Christmas or other end of year holidays? Beat the crowds and turn up with some fascinating gifts your recipients will proudly display and keep. Where? Right here on the EAA store website. Many new items have been added. To find those new items click here on "What's New" or on the tool bar when viewing the webpage.
We're sure your family and friends will be happy with the unique gifts you can get nowhere else. If you don't find exactly what you're looking for, more items are being stocked in coming weeks.

If you see something you like, buy now because many of these are available in small quantities and when an item sells out, it's gone forever. If it is something you or they would really like, buy two.
All current AFIO members have the opportunity to join the CIA Employee Activity Association. If you have not already done so, login and read the requirements and modest one-time fee. [To view the instructions at this link you will need your membership login info found on your latest AFIO membership card.]

The International Spy Museum is launching an inaugural volunteer program before moving to the new L'Enfant Plaza location in 2019. Our volunteers will be the first to experience this new and expanded vision of SPY and will provide a vital role in establishing a robust team dedicated to serving and engaging guests. Click image below to view full page. To find out more, please visit HERE.

This is the final WIN for 2018.
Weekly Notes resume Tuesday, 8 January 2019.

FIRST NOTICE:

1 February 2019 - Tysons, VA - First AFIO luncheon of 2019 features Larry Loftis, author of Code Name: Lise, and David Major, Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent, discussing "The Truth About Edward Snowden: The Man Who Conned the World."

MAJOR Presentation starts at 1 p.m.: Edward Snowden is a polarizing figure in the world today. Known by millions and the press as a champion of freedom and a self-appointed 'whistleblower' exposing IC activities which some saw as a violation of the civil rights of Americans. These are some of the myths surround Snowden's claims, and promoted by anti-IC minions in the press and nonprofit world. Almost all information in the public domain about Snowden is false; the vast majority of the "Snowden narrative" crafted, skewed, and provided by Snowden himself and swallowed whole by his media fans, never verified. Snowden has repeatedly lied about himself, his supposed expertise, the NSA, and his motivations. David Major will expose the truth about the man, his background, and the duplicity of his claims. These are essential corrections of the Snowden Myth which professionals need to know to counter continuing false claims made by Snowden and his supporters.

LOFTIS Presentation starts at 11 a.m.: Code Name: Lise—The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy, by Larry Loftis recounts the story of Odette Sansom (1912-1995), a Frenchwoman living in England, wife of an Englishman and mother of 3 daughters, who was recruited into Britain's Special Operations Executive to conduct espionage in France during World War II with her commander, and yet-to-be second husband, Peter Churchill. Leaving her daughters in a convent school and with relatives, she joined the rigorous training program, becoming proficient with a wide range of weapons, learning the fine points of spycraft, and perfecting her new identity with the code name Lise. In France she proved herself fearless. Hunted by the Germans, in 1943, Odette and Peter were captured, imprisoned, and tortured. Loftis describes Odette's ordeal in grisly detail. Two lies saved her: She pretended that she and Peter were married (they would be after the war) and that Peter was related to Winston Churchill. In defeat, the Gestapo hoped to use her as a bargaining chip.

Register now for AFIO National's first luncheon of 2019. Register here.

Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton, 1960 Chain Bridge Rd, Tysons Corner, VA 22182 Phone: (703) 893-2100. Directions at this link.

NOTICES

These days we receive a vast number of fund-raising emails and letters. The annoyance factor is one reason AFIO rarely asks for contributions; instead, we run a lean outfit and rely on dues, subscriptions, and occasional donations.
As 2019 approaches, members are asked if they wish to make a contribution to help our outreach and educational activities in the coming year. Gifts are U.S. tax-deductible.

AFIO provides members and guests with outstanding double-speaker events and symposia, meeting opportunities, one-on-one career guidance, weekly and quarterly publications, reviews and notices few get elsewhere — an effort that entails more time and expense than dues covers. If you enjoy the benefits of membership, we invite you to make a donation before the close of 2018.
Our work is made possible through the support of members, subscribers, board, volunteer officers, and donors — you! Clicking on the images above will take you to a donation page for a speedy charitable gift.
AFIO warmly thanks you for any support you wish to provide!

MEMBERS — ELECTIONS CONTINUE FOR NATIONAL BOARD 2019-2022
Please Cast Your Vote
AFIO National Board Elections have started for terms running 2019 thru 2022.
Printed ballots were also sent to all members with the Fall 2018 edition of Intelligencer journal.
The list of candidates and their bios appears on the online ballot accessed via link below.

Current member — cast vote securely online NOW.
Vote Here
Election closes 11:59 pm EST 31 December 2018

New and Forthcoming Books of the Week

Iran Rising: The Survival and Future of the Islamic Republic
by Amin Saikal
(Princeton University Press, Feb 2019)

"Timely and insightful, Iran Rising provides the only comprehensive account of a great twentieth-century revolution that was widely expected to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions. But the Iranian regime has in fact endured as it has evolved, and Amin Saikal takes us through the twists and turns with a deeply informed and balanced mastery."―James P. Piscatori, author

"Scholarly portrait of a nation that resists easy categorization—and containment. . . . Useful reading for students of contemporary geopolitics, in which Iran has proven a constant, often destabilizing presence." (Kirkus)

"Amin Saikal's lucid analysis of this sophisticated, resilient, multifaceted, sometimes alarming but always fascinating country is comprehensive, balanced, and deeply informative. While fully alive to the governing regime's shortcomings, he makes clear how dangerously counterproductive to regional peace and security is the Trump administration's unremitting determination to bring it down."―Gareth Evans, former Australian Foreign Minister and president emeritus of the International Crisis Group

"A deft, accessible, and in-depth account of the Islamic Republic, Iran Rising helps us to better understand an important country that continues to defy easy classification."―Mehran Kamrava, author

Book may be ordered here.

Long Shot: The Inside Story of the Snipers Who Broke ISIS
by Azad
(Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Feb 2019)

Under his nom de guerre, which means "freedom" in Kurdish, the author recounts his wartime experiences as a sniper in this gripping memoir. As a teen in 2002, the Kurdish-Iranian Azad deserted from the Iranian army to avoid being forced to fight against his fellow Kurds; he was granted asylum and citizenship in the U.K. and worked as a journalist. When the Syrian civil war broke out a decade later, he moved there to serve as a social worker; after ISIS made incursions into Kurdish territory, he volunteered to join the People's Protection Units, or YPG, the mostly-Kurdish volunteer militia, and was trained and equipped to be a sniper. Between September 2014 and January 2015, 2,000 Kurdish people fought 12,000 ISIS fighters in the areas surrounding Kobanî, defeating ISIS and creating the autonomous Kurdish province of Rojava. Azad shot 250 enemy soldiers; his sniper team, he writes, killed almost one-sixth of the enemy forces, "street by street, house by house, and man by man." While many sniper memoirs focus on the almost spiritual aspects of the craft, Azad takes a humbler, more earthbound stance: "Any competent soldier can learn the basics of sniping in an hour." He is more passionate in discussing the progressive ideals of the YPG and Rojava. His story, elegantly told, will resonate long after the final ISIS fighter falls. — Publishers Weekly

Book may be ordered here.

Kill Caesar!: Assassination in the Early Roman Empire
by Rose Mary Sheldon PhD
(Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Oct 2018)

Why were Rome's first emperors—the good, the bad, and the ugly—so vulnerable to conspiracies and assassination? As the first historian to investigate this intriguing question of imperial (in) security, Rose Mary Sheldon has given us an expert analysis that is both compelling and eye-opening. ―Adrienne Mayor, author

Exploring the history of internal security under the first Roman dynasty, this groundbreaking book answers the enduring question: If there were 9,000 men guarding the emperor, how were three-quarters of Rome's leaders assassinated? VMI Professor Sheldon traces the evolution of internal security mechanisms under the Julio-Claudians, evaluating the system that Augustus first developed to protect the imperial family and the stability of his dynasty. Yet in spite of the intensive precautions taken, there were multiple attempts on his life. Like all emperors, Augustus had a number of competing constituencies—the senate, the army, his extended family, the provincials, and the populace of Rome—but were they all equally threatening? Indeed, the biggest threat would come from those closest to the emperor—his family and the aristocracy. Even Roman imperial women were deeply involved in instigating regime change.By the fourth emperor, Caligula, the Praetorian Guards were already participating in assassinations, and the army too was becoming more politicized. Sheldon weighs the accuracy of ancient sources: Does the image of the emperor presented to us represent reality or what the people who killed him wanted us to think? Were Caligula and Nero really crazy, or did senatorial historians portray them that way to justify their murder? Was Claudius really the fool found drooling behind a curtain and made emperor, or was he in on the plot from the beginning? These and other fascinating questions are answered as Dr. Sheldon concludes that the repeated problem of "killing Caesar" reflected the empire's larger dynamics and turmoil.

Book may be ordered here.

Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Seychelles Sets Up New National Intelligence Agency to Fight Crime. The Seychelles' National Assembly has approved the setting up of an intelligence agency to coordinate the gathering of information with the aim of addressing the level of crime in the island nation.

A proposed bill was presented to the Assembly - the island nation's legislative body - last week by the Jean-Paul Adam on behalf of the government.

"It is essential to reinforce the national capacity to use intelligence to break the network that has both national and international aspects and it is important that we put all our effort to address it," said Adam in his presentation.

Work on the proposed bill was carried out by the Bills Committee in the National Assembly in collaboration with other local partners in June. [Read more: Laurence/SeychellesNewsAgency/17December2018]

Somalia Converts High Security Prison to Intelligence Training Facility. The Federal Government of Somalia, FGS, has converted a maximum security prison into a training facility as part of reforming its national intelligence apparatus.

The news was relayed by Director of Communications at the office of the president, Abdinur Mohamed. He said the conversion of the Godka Jilacow Prison was part of genuine reforms on the part of government.

His Twitter post making the announcement said officials of the National Intelligence and Security Agency, NISA, were to be trained at the facility with human rights being a core aspect of the training.

The Godka Jilacow prison, located in the capital, Mogadishu, has before the current move, served as an interrogation center for NISA, which had its offices close to it. It is believed to be where many suspected militants are being held. [Read more: AfricaNews/16December2018]

Russia Expels Slovak Diplomat In Spy Dispute. Russia has declared a Slovak military diplomat persona non grata following Bratislava's expulsion of a Russian diplomat suspected of spying last month.

Calling Slovakia's move an "unfriendly act," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on December 13 that the diplomat in the Slovak Embassy in Moscow had been given two days to leave the country.

Earlier this month, the Slovak government said it had expelled a member of the military attache's office at the Russian Embassy in Bratislava in late November after information provided by Slovakia's Military Intelligence Service indicated he "conducted intelligence-gathering activities" against the interests of the country and NATO. [Read more: RadioFreeEurope/13December2018]

Iran's Intelligence Minister Meets with Azeri Leader. The top Iranian intelligence official had talks with Aliyev during a trip to the Republic of Azerbaijan on Friday.

In the gathering, the Azeri leader hailed the growing ties between Tehran and Baku, saying reciprocal visits by the presidents and senior officials would play an important role in strengthening ties between the two neighbors.

Pointing to the historical commonalities between Iran and Azerbaijan, Aliyev said the two "friendly and brotherly" nations enjoy close ties and the documents signed by the two sides are being implemented successfully.

He also expressed hope that the Iranian intelligence minister's trip would help broaden relations between the two neighbors. [Read more: TasnimNewsAgency/15December2018]

DOD on Track to Take Over Background Checks. The Defense Department is on track to absorb the National Background Investigations Bureau ahead of an anticipated executive order demanding the shift by the end of fiscal 2019, officials told Congress.

The Department of Defense is "going into this clear eyed," Garry Reid, the director for defense intelligence for the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Office, told Congress during a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing Dec. 12, but it also understands "this is a significant undertaking."

NBIB is slated to transfer functions, resources, infrastructure and personnel to DOD over nine months, starting Jan. 1 and ending Sept. 30, 2019.

Subcommittee Ranking Member Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said he was "skeptical of DOD's ability to absorb" the NBIB, but officials ticked off recent successes as evidence that they were ready for the transition once an executive order hits. [Read more: Williams/DefenseSystems/14December2018]

Gap Continues to Widen Between Trump and Intelligence Community on Key Issues. President Trump continues to reject the judgments of U.S. spy agencies on major foreign policy fronts, creating a dynamic in which intelligence analysts frequently see troubling gaps between the president's public statements and the facts laid out for him in daily briefings on world events, current and former U.S. officials said.

The pattern has become a source of mounting concern to senior U.S. intelligence officials who had hoped that Trump, as he settled into office, would become less hostile to their work and more receptive to the information that spy agencies spend billions of dollars and sometimes put lives at risk gathering.

Instead, presidential distrust that once seemed confined mainly to the intelligence community's assessments about Russia's interference in the 2016 election has spread across a range of global issues. Among them are North Korea's willingness to abandon its nuclear weapons program, Iran's nuclear and regional ambitions, the existence and implications of global climate change, and the role of the Saudi crown prince in the killing of a dissident journalist.

"There is extraordinary frustration," a U.S. intelligence official said. The CIA and other agencies continue to devote enormous "time, energy and resources" to ensuring that accurate intelligence is delivered to Trump, the official said, but his seeming imperviousness to such material often renders "all of that a waste." [Read more: Miller/WashingtonPost/11December2018]

National Intelligence Museum Slated for Kincora Receives $10M Lead Gift. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society has announced a $10 million lead gift to the upcoming National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations from The Starr Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the U.S.

The museum is slated to open at Kincora, an in-progress 424-acre mixed-use development near the intersection of Route 28 and Route 7, in 2021. The project's overall capital cost is tabbed at $81 million.

With the museum, the nonprofit OSS Society aims to honor the intelligence community and educate the public about the importance of strategic intelligence and special operations, according to organization officials.

The planned facility's design was inspired by the spearhead, a symbol used by the intelligence and special operations communities since World War II. It was conceived by renowned architect Curtis Fentress and will be visible from the flight path of Dulles International Airport. [Read more: LoudonTimesMirror/18December2018]

Section II - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE

Putin's Stasi Identity Card Discovered in German Archives. The identity card, issued more than three decades ago by East Germany's Stasi secret police, would be of little interest were it not for the name of the man staring out: Vladimir Putin.

The card was issued in 1986 when Putin was a mid-ranking KGB spy stationed in Dresden in communist East Germany, then under Russian occupation. It has lain in archives since at least 1990, when the two Germanys were reunified.

Found in archives by US historian Douglas Selvage, the card was trumpeted on Tuesday by Bild newspaper as evidence Russia's now long-serving president was also working for the hated East German security service, wound up in 1990.

Bearing the serial number B 217590, the card bears Putin's signature next to the black-and-white photograph of a tie-clad young man. On the reverse side, quarterly stamps show it remained in use to the final quarter of 1989, when spreading protests precipitated East Germany's final collapse. [Read more: Reuters/11December2018]

New Pre-Publication Review Policy is Coming. Two years ago, the House Intelligence Committee asked the Director of National Intelligence to improve the government's controversial policy on reviewing books, articles and speeches by current and former intelligence employees prior to their publication, so as to make the process more uniform, timely and fair.

That has still not been accomplished, but a new policy is on the way, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

"An IC-wide policy on prepublication review is being formulated and is forthcoming," wrote ODNI FOIA Chief Sally A. Nicholson on November 20. "However, it is not completed as of today's date." [Read more: Aftergood/SecrecyNews/12December2018]

Skulking Around in Northern Virginia's Woodlands. Julia Child cooked more than boeuf bourguignon. She cooked up secret intelligence. Before becoming a master French chef and television personality, Child worked in secret intelligence research for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of today's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Julia McWilliams met her husband-to-be, OSS officer Paul Child, while working in Asia. The couple's employer, the super-secret OSS, got its start in a dense swath of Northern Virginia woodlands in what is today's Prince William Forest Park. Spy training in a forested compound 30 miles south of Alexandria is but one chapter of this national park's intriguing history.

Mobilizing the country for World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt believed that the federal government had to strengthen its strategic intelligence. After Japan's 1942 attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, he created the OSS and appointed General William J. Donovan as its director. From 1942 to 1945, aspiring spies trained for the OSS in the dense woods of what was then called Chopawamsic Recreational Demonstration Area, a top-secret operation in a then top-secret place. The OSS training was so clandestine that some people said that OSS stood for "Oh, So Secret." Most of OSS's operations were classified until the government opened the records in the 1990s.

Eventually there were 13,000 OSSers worldwide running intelligence networks, training resistance groups in Europe and Asia, and saving thousands of Allied Powers' prisoners of war. In addition to Julia Child, other notable OSSers were Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., actor Sterling Hayden, and future CIA directors William Colby and William Casey. [Read more: Zebra/12December2018]

FBI Statement Before the Senate Judiciary Committee - China's Non-Traditional Espionage Against the United States: The Threat and Potential Policy Responses. Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Feinstein, members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today, and thank you for highlighting the threat from Chinese espionage.

It is impossible to overstate the differences between the American and Chinese systems. China is an authoritarian, one-party state where the Chinese Communist Party reigns supreme. At the Chinese Communist Party's direction, the Chinese government dominates every facet of Chinese life, through actions such as central economic planning, Internet and media censorship, and leveraging intrusive technologies.

The Chinese government is attempting to acquire or steal, not only the plans and intentions of the United States government, but also the ideas and innovations of the very people that make our economy so incredibly successful. The Chinese government understands a core lesson of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union: economic strength is the foundation of national power. The competition between the United States and China will be greatly influenced, if not ultimately decided, on the strength of our economies.

The Chinese government means to compete with us in every way possible, playing by the rules at times, bending them at others, and breaking them when necessary to ensure their success. They also aim to rewrite the rules to shape the world in their image, and they have already made progress on this front. The rules they write seek to guarantee the dominance of their businesses and root Chinese national power in the very fabric of an international system. [Read more: FBI/12December2018]

Section III - COMMENTARY

Manufacturing Spies: Iran's Campaign Against 'Infiltration'. Around two weeks ago, in a move that caught many by surprise, Iran's security forces arrested Iranian-Australian academic Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi, a widely respected population researcher at the University of Melbourne, as she was leaving Iran. They also summoned her colleague, Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi, who is a professor of demography at the University of Tehran and director of Iran's National Institute of Population Research, for questioning.

Iran's state news agency IRNA said Hosseini-Chavoshi and Abbasi-Shavazi, who had previously conducted research on population growth and fertility in Iran, were charged with "espionage" and intrusion "in the area of population control". Iranian media reported that the scientists were allegedly producing false statistics about the rate of fertility in Iran in an attempt to obscure its "population crisis".

Population control has become a sensitive issue in Iran since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for population increase in a key speech in 2012, deeming Iran's decades-long, state-sponsored birth control policy a "mistake". Under his leadership, the state is now encouraging Iranians to have as many children as possible in a bid to increase the country's population from around 81 to 150- 200 million in the near future. [Read more: Behravesh/Aljazeera/16December2018]

The Elusive (but Definite) Monetary Value of a Security Clearance. It is virtually impossible to place a specific monetary value on a security clearance because of the variables at play: the particulars of a job; government versus contractor; experience level; and location. Given a similar cleared position in government and the private sector, the private sector will generally - if not always - offer a higher salary. And some jobs simply have no commercial analogue. There is no civilian equivalent to a covert case officer at the Central Intelligence Agency. So when placing a monetary value on a clearance, you are limited to averages and percentages. It is a rock solid fact, however, that holding a security clearance means a higher salary.

"I call security clearances the Willy Wonka golden ticket," says Mark Zaid, a Washington D.C. national security attorney who regularly handles security clearances. "It opens incredible doors that otherwise would never be opened, and they typically have a bigger pot of gold at the end of the rainbow than non-cleared positions."

Part of the challenge of placing a specific dollar value on a security clearance is the precipitous fall that accompanies losing a clearance. For federal employees within the Intelligence Community (IC), the loss of a clearance is a virtual guarantee of being terminated. Almost every IC position, with minimal exceptions, requires a security clearance. Things are a little better at the State Department. [Read more: Brown/ClearanceJobs/13December2018]

Stopping Data Breaches Will Require Help from Governments. Not a month goes by without a major corporation suffering a cyber attack. Often state-sponsored, these breaches are insidious, difficult to detect, and may implicate personal information relating to millions of individuals. Clearly, the current approaches to safeguarding sensitive data are insufficient. We need to reorient expectations for the role of the private sector in cybersecurity. As the risk of cyberattacks has become better appreciated, we see an increasingly punitive focus on holding corporate America solely responsible.

Multiple, overlapping laws at the national and state level require companies to have "reasonable" security, a concept that is largely undefined and elusive, especially given that threats and available defensive measures constantly evolve. And regulatory enforcement actions and lawsuits in the wake of cyberattacks declare any exploited security vulnerability to be de facto "unreasonable," without a meaningful assessment of the company's overall security program or acknowledgement that the company has been the victim of a crime.

This approach is premised on an unreasonable expectation that every company in the United States has the resources and capability to defend itself against even the most sophisticated cyber actor. We should move away from laws that focus on finding companies at fault, rather than as victims of criminal cyber activity. This framework is neither fair nor effective in improving our collective cybersecurity. [Read more: Jain&Ropple/HarvardBusinessReview/14December2018]

Restoring U.S. Intelligence After the Trump Presidency. The recent midterm elections served as a reminder - comforting to many - that the Trump presidency will end. The next president will be challenged to heal a fractured society, return integrity to public service and restore essential government institutions. We will not have a full accounting of how U.S. intelligence fared during the Trump years until a credible investigation is undertaken or survivors emerge to document their experiences. The next president will confront three realities:

- The U.S. needs a well functioning Intelligence Community (IC) to warn of threats, inform a rational policymaking process and influence events abroad in its favor;
- U.S. intelligence has been weakened by the deliberate actions of a U.S. president, and still greater harm is foreseeable as the incumbent's power ebbs and his sense of personal vulnerability increases;
- The next chief executive must act quickly to restore strategic focus, core capabilities and democratic legitimacy to the IC.

There is no historic precedent for President Trump's assault on civilian institutions within the branch of government he leads, institutions which exist to warn of unseen dangers and inform his most difficult decisions. [Read more: Slick/Lawfare/17December2018]

Section IV - Research Request, Obituaries

Research Request

Seeking Reminiscences of those who worked with George HW Bush when he was CIA Director in 1976? AFIO is considering adding select, brief reminiscences of those who worked in 1976 with George HW Bush when he served as Director/CIA. If you have cleared comments or articles you wish to share with us for possible republication in Intelligencer journal, please direct those items to afio@afio.com. Thank you.

Obituaries

Don Borrmann, Senior Cryptologist with NSA, worked for CIA

Donald Alan Borrmann, 96, died 26 October 2018 in Lexington, KY. Don attended the University of Michigan where he majored in Aeronautical Engineering. During WWII he volunteered for military service and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. after graduating from Signal Corp Officer Candidate School. He saw active duty in the Far East during the war. After his military service, he began service with the Army Security Agency which became part of the National Security Agency (NSA). He was a Senior Cryptologist and served in many positions, and in special assignments with the CIA and Department of Defense, and overseas assignments as a Foreign Service Attache‚ from the State Department to Norway and England. In 2002, Don was awarded the Knowlton Award by the Army Intelligence and Security Command for technical intelligence activities conducted in China during the period of the surrender of Japanese forces there at the close of World War II. He was a long-standing NSA employee. He enjoyed tennis and golf and was a professional ski instructor. He and his wife enjoyed spending time at their second home in the Blue Ridge mountains. Don was a member of AFIO, the Phoenix Society, the Army Signal Corps OCS Association, the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation, the Professional Ski Instructors of America, the Goodwin Society, the Burgesses Society of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and other associations. His wife predeceased him. He is survived by a nephew and other family.

Ervin Erdman, NSA Intelligence Analyst and DOD Manager

Ervin E. Erdman Maj, USA Ret, 95, died of cancer 22 November 2018 in The Villages, FL. Major Erdman was raised in Chicago, IL. In December 1941, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the Army during WWII, and served as a combat infantryman. As a Private, he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantry Badge for action at Buna and Sanananda battle in New Guinea. Later in Australia he served in General MacArthur's Guard, telling stories of Mrs. MacArthur bringing him milk and cookies while he was on duty. In China, he served as personal bodyguard for General Gillem, the Theater Commander, and later as a CID investigator. After returning to the US, he studied Arabic at the Army DLI (Defense Language Institute) in Monterey, CA. After being commissioned, he served in Germany as an operations intelligence officer during the Russian Army invasion of Hungary and the Mideast Conflicts. He then finished his career serving 2 years in Cyprus with a British Regiment. He served in the military for 24 years, retiring from the Army, and immediately joining the National Security Agency, where he served an additional 27 years in multiple cryptologic disciplines, retiring in 1993. Survivors include his wife of 22 years, Nikki Gregory Erdman, a daughter, and other family.

David Hoag, Military Counterintelligence Officer

David Spencer Hoag, 78, died 3 December 2018 of pulmonary disease. Born in Buffalo, NY, his family moved to Northern Virginia for the majority of his life. He attended St. Johns College High School and graduated from Wakefield High School in Arlington. Shortly after the Berlin Wall was built, he enlisted in the Army where he received counter-intelligence training. In the summer of 1962 he moved to Monterey, CA to attend Army Language School. In 1963, he went to Vietnam. At the completion of his tour, he returned to Washington, DC. Completing his military obligation, he joined the Department of Army as a civilian intelligence analyst and spent six years in Germany defending America's interests during the Cold War, while also earning his BA (Cum Laude) from the University of Maryland. Returning to the US he worked in counter-intelligence until he left to go into real estate. David had a 25-year career as a Real Estate Broker in Northern Virginia and was a founding partner in the House of Brokers Real Estate Corporation and was active in several realtor associations. Leaving real estate, he spent several years working for OmniSec International Investigations, Inc. After 9/11 he returned to government service as a civilian contractor. As a patriot and untiring professional he served national security elements on critical issues for over a decade. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne, two daughters, and other family.

Mike McBride, CIA Senior Career Operations Officer

Michael McBride, 77, died 16 November 2018 in Chevy Chase, MD of respiratory failure. He grew up across the US and overseas with his Army officer father, mother, and two brothers. He graduated from Princeton University, and joined CIA where he served a long (35+ years) as an operations officer. His career took his family on great adventures, serving multiple tours in Europe and Asia. Through these experiences, he instilled in his family a sense of adventure and intellect, broadening their perspectives through local culture - travel, cuisine, language, and literature. His charisma and intelligence made a great natural leader - from president of his high school class to senior officer/leader at the CIA. Mike succeeded in many conventional ways but it was his character, warmth, charm, humor, and wisdom his family and colleagues remember best. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Lee Williams McBride, two daughters, and other family.

Bob Shearer, CIA Tradecraft Instructor and Operations Officer

Robert B. Shearer, 91, died 26 November 2018 in Norfolk, VA. Bob was born in Port-O-Prince, Haiti as the only boy in a family with four sisters. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1948. He tried to join the armed services but had contracted Polio in childhood which injured his shoulder and fascial muscles. Still seeking to serve his country, Bob joined the CIA in 1948 as it was transitioning from OSS, and spent most of his early career in the Far East: Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Japan. Bob retired from CIA after 60 years of service, fifteen of those under contract as a tradecraft instructor all over the world. Bob taught tradecraft in the Middle East, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and even Russia. Understandably, Bob rarely, if ever, talked of his work. In his later years, he took care of his wife. Bob loved his country and his family. Bob is survived by his wife, Minerva, a daughter, and other family. [Read more: TheOuterBanksVoice/3December2018]

AFIO EDUCATIONAL EVENTS IN COMING TWO MONTHS....

Wednesday, 9 January 2019, 11:30 AM - Albuquerque, NM - AFIO New Mexico Chapter hears from Bob Hull on "Russian Wet Affairs Using Novichok in London."

SPEAKER: Mr. Bob Hull, Los Alamos Technical Associates Inc., will talk about the attempted killing of Russians in London using the Russian chemical agent, Novichok.

Location of event: "The Egg & I" restaurant on Menaul just east of Louisiana, next door to Chili's, 6909 Menaul Boulevard Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87110, (505) 888-3447. Google map location. Fee to attend: Meeting is Free. Timing: 11 a.m. (Arrive, Order Lunch - available at separate cost), 11:30 a.m. (Call To Order), 1 p.m. (Adjourn)

Our meetings are normally open to present and former members of Federal, Military (uniformed and civilian), State and Local Agencies and selective others who support the Intelligence Community.

If you desire further information, please contact one of the following: Sam Shaw - Phone: 505-379-3963 e-mail: President@afionm.org Tom Dyble - Phone: 505-299-3242 e-mail: Vice-President@afionm.org

Thursday, 17 January 2019, 11:30 AM - Colorado Springs - The AFIO Rocky Mountain Chapter hosts Kate Hall, discussing "The Hunt for Osama bin Laden: From the Inside"

A CIA team tracked Osama bin Laden for years until the raid on his compound in Pakistan. This is the story of what the team did, how OBL's trail was discovered and followed, what problems had to be overcome and what finally led to the raid. A very entertaining and informative presentation by a member of the team.

Katherine (Kate) Hall has a 35-year career with the CIA in which Kate made her way from an 07 rank to lead thousands of analysts deployed around the globe. Along the way she visited jungles, deserts, and back alleys; but she also had the honor of meeting and briefing multiple US Presidents and foreign dignitaries. She was one of the first official Americans to go to People's Republic of China; the first female National Intelligence Officer with the National Intelligence Council; she headed two CIA Offices in the Directorate of Intelligence and had the honor of leading hundreds of analysts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thirty days from her retirement, 9/11 happened and, as most of her peers, Kate re-upped. The result was thirteen more years with CIA which included heading operations for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Her last five years in Washington D.C. were as Vice President and General Manager of BAE Systems where she headed global operations supporting several US Intelligence Agencies and the US military.

For more information, please contact Tom VanWormer at robsmom@pcisys.net and/or Steve at steve13507@gmail.com.

30 January 2019 (Wednesday), 11:30 a.m. - San Francisco, CA - The AFIO San Francisco Chapter hosts Bill Monroe on CORONA Satellite Project, Genesis of Government-Private Sector Cooperation and its Impact on Silicon Valley

Speaker: Bill Monroe
Topic: CORONA Satellite Project, Genesis of Government-Private Sector Cooperation and its Impact on Silicon Valley
Times: 11:30AM no host cocktails; noon meeting
Location: United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94116. Google map location.
RSVP: Register via Eventbrite here.

1 February 2019 - Tysons, VA - First AFIO luncheon of 2019 features Larry Loftis, author of Code Name: Lise, and David Major, Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent, discussing "The Truth About Edward Snowden: The Man Who Conned the World."

LOFTIS Presentation starts at 11 a.m.: Code Name: Lise—The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy, by Larry Loftis recounts the story of Odette Sansom (1912-1995), a Frenchwoman living in England, wife of an Englishman and mother of 3 daughters, who was recruited into Britain's Special Operations Executive to conduct espionage in France during World War II with her commander, lover, and second husband, Peter Churchill. Leaving her daughters in a convent school and with relatives, she joined the rigorous training program, becoming proficient with a wide range of weapons, learning the fine points of spycraft, and perfecting her new identity with the code name Lise. In France she proved herself fearless. Hunted by the Germans, in 1943, Odette and Peter were captured, imprisoned, and tortured. Loftis describes Odette's ordeal in grisly detail. Two lies saved her: She pretended that she and Peter were married (they would be after the war) and that Peter was related to Winston Churchill. In defeat, the Gestapo hoped to use her as a bargaining chip.

Register now for AFIO National's first luncheon of 2019. Register here.

Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton, 1960 Chain Bridge Rd, Tysons Corner, VA 22182 Phone: (703) 893-2100. Directions at this link.

Friday, 1 February 2019, 1 p.m. - Westchester, CA - The AFIO Los Angeles Chapter Annual Business Meeting

Happy New Year! With the new year we have scheduled our annual chapter business meeting on 1 February 2019 (Friday).

Lunch will be served at no cost. Complimentary lunch for members will be served as we focus on three agenda items listed below. If you would like to add topics to the agenda, please forward them to the chapter officers here so that we may include them at the meeting. Agenda Items are: • Election of Chapter Officers; • Membership Growth; • 2019 Speakers.

Location: Alejos Restaurant, 8343 Lincoln Blvd, Westchester, CA 90045. Map location is here.

RSVP: Click to send email of your attendance. We strongly encourage participation from all members. Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a New Year!

Vincent Autiero, President; John Hallstead, Treasurer; AFIO-Los Angeles Chapter, http://www.afio.org

Other Upcoming Events from Advertisers, Corporate Sponsors, and Others

Tuesday, 15 January 2019, 6 p.m. - Coral Gables, FL - Fred Rustmann gives presentation on "False Flag"

Former CIA Operations Officer, author Fred Rustmann gives presentation on his latest novel, False Flag. This book was announced in Weekly Notes #02-18 (09 January 2018), and also praised by reviewer Joseph Goulden in Intelligencer, Spring 2018 [page 101].

A young, female CIA officer under non-official cover has been snatched off of the streets of Beirut by Hezbollah. This is the kind of situation that CIA's legendary Deputy Director of Operations Edwin Rothmann needs solved fast—but he can't involve the agency. Instead, he enlists the renegade Ft. Lauderdale outfit he refers to as "CIA, Inc." headed by former CIA case officer Mac MacMurphy. As the kidnapped officer faces a battle of wits with her mysterious interrogator, MacMurphy and his team track down a former CIA asset who may hold the key to infiltrating the hostage situation before it gets out of hand.
Rustmann will discuss various intelligence operations in this and his prior novels (The Case Officer, Plausible Denial), and the realities of modern techniques and covert operations.
Location: Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134; 305-442-4408. See 2-page flyer here for details on book and event.
Too impatient to wait? Or seeking gifts for Christmas? Rustmann's 'too-real-to-be-novels' can be purchased from Amazon here or from Books and Books in Coral Gables here.

16 May 2019 - Washington, DC - HOLD THE DATE for "Night of Heroes" Gala Dinner by the PENFED Foundation

The PENFED Foundation hosts their annual "Night of Heroes Gala" at the Mandarin Oriental, Washington, DC. Hold the date. Details to follow.

Gift Suggestions:

AFIO's Guide to the Study of Intelligence

AFIO's 788-page Guide to the Study of Intelligence. Peter C. Oleson, Editor, also makes a good gift. View authors and table of contents here.

Perfect for professors, students, those considering careers in intelligence, and current/former officers seeking to see what changes are taking place across a wide spectrum of intelligence disciplines. AFIO's Guide to the Study of Intelligence helps instructors teach about the large variety of subjects that make up the field of intelligence. This includes secondary school teachers of American History, Civics, or current events and undergraduate and graduate professors of History, Political Science, International Relations, Security Studies, and related topics, especially those with no or limited professional experience in the field. Even those who are former practitioners are likely to have only a limited knowledge of the very broad field of intelligence, as most spend their careers in one or two agencies at most and may have focused only on collection or analysis of intelligence or support to those activities.
For a printed, bound copy, it is $95 which includes Fedex shipping to a CONUS (US-based) address.
To order for shipment to a US-based CONUS address, use this online form,

To order multiple copies or for purchases going to AK, HI, other US territories, or other countries call our office at 703-790-0320 or send email to afio@afio.com to hear of shipment fees.

Order the Guide from the AFIO's store at this link.

The Guide is also available directly from Amazon at this link.

AFIO's Intelligence Community Mousepads are a great looking addition to your desk...or as a gift for others.
Made in USA. Click image for larger view.

These 2017 mousepads have full color seals of all 18 members of the US Intelligence Community on this 8" round, slick surface, nonskid, rubber-backed mouse pad with a darker navy background, brighter, updated seals. Also used, by some, as swanky coasters. Price still only $20.00 for 2 pads [includes shipping to US address. Foreign shipments - we will contact you with quote.] Order MOUSEPADS here.

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