Association of Former Intelligence Officers

Weekly Intelligence Notes

01 - 07 November 2023
(Issue 43)

is sponsored by

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CONTENTS


Section I - CURRENT INTELLIGENCE NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Section II - REGULARLY FEATURED PODCASTS, BROADCASTS, NEWSLETTERS

Section III - MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Article: IDF intelligence starts to open up on October 7 failure - analysis - Jerusalem Post, 05 Nov 23
  • Article: China’s spy-hunting campaign has a new target: ‘Illegal’ weather stations - CNN, 02 Nov 23
  • Article: In Cyberattacks, Iran Shows Signs of Improved Hacking Capabilities - New York Times, 31 Oct 23
  • Article: Predictive AI & How It Is Used in Cybersecurity - eInfochip, 10 Oct 23
  • Podcast Episode: Rampant Assassination in the Roman Empire with AFIO member Rose Mary Sheldon - Spycraft 101, 29 Oct 23
  • Article: Why the CIA No Longer Works—and How to Fix It - Imprimis, October 23
  • Article: Temu: The Shopping App That Spies on You and Your Clearance - Clearance Jobs, 22 Oct 23
  • Article: Apple Notifies Politicians, Journalists in India of ‘State-Sponsored’ Hack Threat - Wall Street Journal, 31 Oct 23
  • Article: U.S. All but Stopped Spying on Hamas in Years After 9/11 - Wall Street Journal, 01 Nov 23
  • Article: The Optical Bar Camera and Wet Film Legacy (19 mins) - NGA, 31 Oct 23
  • Article: China's Quantum Satellite Program Designed to Transmit Unhackable Information - Tom's Hardware, 01 Nov 23
  • Book Release: The Dead Drop by Former CIA Officer and AFIO Member James Roth - Book Baby Publishing, 08 Sep 23

Section IV - DEEPER DIVES, OPINION, ANALYSIS, FILM, HISTORY, POP CULTURE

Section V - Books, Research Requests, Academic Opportunities, Employment, Obituaries

Books — Forthcoming, New Releases, Overlooked

Research Requests and Academic Opportunities

Employment

Obituaries

Section VI - Events

Upcoming AFIO Events

Events from Advertisers, Corporate Sponsors, Others

  • 8 Nov 23, 6 - 8pm EST - Williamsburg, VA - Veterans Day Book Talk with Brian Morra '78 on "Cold War History to Today's Russian Invasion of Ukraine"
  • 12 November 2023, 2 - 3:30pm EST - Virtual via Zoom - Mike Vickers on "The Reagan Doctrine, CIA Covert Action in Afghanistan, and The End of the Cold War" - by the Cold War Museum
  • 15 Nov 23, 1200-1300 (ET) - Virtual - Geospatial Intelligence: Tracking China's Nuclear Program - Johns Hopkins University
  • 28 November 2023, 5 - 6pm EST - Washington, DC - IWP hosts IN-PERSON book presentation by Dr. John Gentry on "The Politicization of U.S. Intelligence: Causes and Consequences"
  • 28 and 30 Nov 23, 1400-1500 (ET) - Virtual - SPY with Me: Program for Individuals with Dementia and their Care Partners - International Spy Museum
  • 14 - 25 April 2024 - Gary Powers' Cold War Espionage Tour of Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary - Travel Dates: April 14 to 25,2024 - 12 days/10 nights

See the AFIO Calendar of Events for scheduling further in the future.



Christmas Gift for Young Readers

The Vienna Trilogy by Tom Gilligan (2023)

In the summer of 1947, Europe was in turmoil. Displaced persons were everywhere. The Red Army occupied Poland, Czechoslovakia, parts of German, and other countries. Austria was divided into zones – Russian, American, British, and French. The NKVD secret police followed on the heels of the Red Army, arresting, kidnapping, even killing those who opposed the communists. This is the setting for Tom Gilligan’s trilogy focused on 11-year old David Hale, whose father, a doctor, was deeply involved with medical treatment for refugees, and also was a former intelligence officer during World War II and continued to support American intelligence in post-war Austria. With his mother and sister on vacation in the US that summer, young David became involved in several intelligence support operations. The trilogy – Escape to the West, Nazi’s on the Run, and Stopping the Russian Bear – recount in fascinating detail how David assisted his father, and an American Intelligence agent, in three gripping adventures. Gilligan, a former CIA DO officer, has written a book appropriate for young readers. The characters are well drawn. The stories are well constructed and gripping. Each of the trilogies is a little more than 100 pages. The author explains the sophisticated words used and espionage terminology and concepts in footnotes, which is a clever tool for young readers to learn vocabulary and understand how HUMINT works. Gilligan also clearly explains the geo-political situation of 1947 in Europe via conversations between David and his father.

The Vienna Trilogy would make an excellent holiday present for young readers ages 10 to 14. On Amazon, $26.99 for all three books in one volume. Each of the books are also available separately.

Reviewed by Peter C. Oleson, Senior Editor, The Intelligencer.



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


The WIN editors thank the following contributors of content for this issue:

LR, GR, JK, S, RS, MA, FR, CP, JD

Readers are encouraged to suggest material for any section of the WIN to:

winseditor@afio.com

DISCLAIMER


Our editors include a wide range of articles and commentary in the Weekly Intelligence Notes to inform and educate our readers. The views expressed in the articles are purely those of the authors and do not reflect support or endorsement from AFIO. WIN notices about non-AFIO events do not constitute endorsement or recommendation by AFIO.
AFIO does not vet or endorse research inquiries, career announcements, or job offers. We publish reasonable-sounding inquiries and career offerings as a service to our members. We encourage readers to exercise caution and good judgment when responding and to independently verify the source before supplying resumes, career data, or personal information.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES


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Access CIA's In-house Gift Shop



One special benefit of AFIO membership is access to CIA's EAA Store.

After completing the required, quick pre-approval process for all AFIO members described here, you can purchase directly from the EAA online store their unusual logo'd gift items for self or colleagues. EAA on 20 October 2023 released the photo above, which features some of their newest CIA items and other gift suggestions.

      

LATEST FROM AFIO


Released exclusively to members 31 October 2023...

Protecting & Preserving the U.S. Intelligence Community


Recorded 31 July 2023

Gen Michael Hayden, former DIRNSA & D/CIA
on "Protecting & Preserving the US Intelligence Community"

Interview of Monday, 31 July 2023 between Michael V. Hayden, General USAF (Ret), Former Director of NSA and CIA and first Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (PDDNI), and AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer. They discuss some of Mike Hayden's biggest challenges in the senior positions he held in the U.S. Intelligence Community. He also offers advice to those considering careers in intelligence.
The interview runs ~14 minutes and includes several Q&As.

Access the Michael Hayden's interview here or click above image.

This, and upcoming AFIO Now videos in 2023, are sponsored by Northwest Financial Advisors.



AFIO National 2024 Board Elections Close End of November
Please Cast Your Vote

Members... cast your ballot here

[Requires log-in]

Elections close Thursday, 30 November 2023 at 11:45 p.m. ET



"AFIO Now" Video Interviews and Podcasts in 2023 are sponsored by
Northwest Financial Advisors

Click here to watch interviews in the AFIO Now series released in 2023.
View interviews from 2020 to 2022 here.
Watch public-release interviews on our YouTube channel or listen to them in podcast form at the links below.

Log into the member-only area for member-only features.



"AFIO Now" Podcasts

LATEST PODCAST: Part II of Interview with Michael G. Vickers PhD Tuesday, Nov 7, 2023. In this second of a two-part series, former CIA Operations Officer and Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers wraps up his discussion of his new memoir, "By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy." Recorded 29 Jun 2023. Interviewer: Jim Hughes, AFIO President and former CIA Operations Officer.

AFIO Podcast here.

Are you too busy to watch an entire AFIO Now episode on YouTube? Would you rather listen in your car or while accomplishing other tasks? You can download or stream episodes on any of the 8 podcasting platforms that host AFIO Now. Search for 'AFIO Podcast' for a selection of the interviews above (public released ones) on:

Podbean; iTunes; Google; Spotify; Amazon Music; Amazon TuneIn + Alexa; iHeartRadio; Pandora


28 November 2023 (Tuesday), 5 - 6 pm EST - Washington, DC - IWP hosts IN-PERSON book presentation by Dr. John Gentry on "The Politicization of U.S. Intelligence: Causes and Consequences"

The Institute of World Politics invites you to attend an IN-PERSON book lecture by Dr. John Gentry, Author and Professor at the School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, discussing "The Politicization of U.S. Intelligence: Causes and Consequences."
"The Politicization of U.S. Intelligence: Causes and Consequences” is a presentation in association with Dr. Gentry's recent book, Neutering the CIA: Why US Intelligence Versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences (Armin Lear Press, 2023). Beginning in 2016 and continuing into 2021, current and former U.S. intelligence officers engaged in domestic partisan politics to an unprecedented extent. This discussion will describe and assess what happened at various agencies, the causes of the politicization, consequences for the agencies and national decision-making, and prospects for renewed politicization in 2024.
***Copies of Dr. Gentry's book will be made available for purchase at the conclusion of the event and can be signed by the author.*** ***This lecture is sponsored by the IWP IAFIE Alpha Student Chapter***
Location: The Institute of World Politics, 1521 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20036.

More details and registration here.

Special Walking Tours Announcements
from SpyGuide Tours Inc.

Thursday, 18 January 2024.  Spyher partners with The Italian Oven, a cherished, longtime, establishment in the heart of McLean, Virginia to deliver "Vintage Espionage: Spies, Sips and Stories". This blind wine tasting with an espionage twist features former intelligence officer and sommelier DECANTER/1 (C/1) - who remains encrypted for security reasons. C/1 lived and served around the world as an intelligence officer and is an expert in relationship building and persuasion.  Did wine play a role in her career? Absolutely. Purchase tickets at https://spyher.co/ or contact rosanna@spyher.co to book a private event. Vintage Espionage travels throughout the U.S. 
Visit https://spyher.co to learn more and book all tours.


LAST WEEK TO ATTEND

Spies, Lies & Nukes - Third Conference - Santa Fe, NM

Plan Your Fall Attendance NOW to capture the lower rates

Special Rate Available for AFIO Members Here
10-12 November 2023 - Sante Fe, NM - Spies, Lies & Nukes Conference


We will meet Nov 10-12 at the beautiful La Fonda Resort in Santa Fe, NM. We have added an additional day to this year's conference and EVERYONE is a VIP and invited to attend the VIP reception on Friday evening.

Hear about intriguing, provocative, and sometimes shocking conversations on cyberattacks, covert actions, nuclear scams, how real spies are recruited, and daring operations that changed history from legendary and highly decorated CIA officers who lived in the "wilderness of mirrors" for years.

Speakers for this conference include a former deep cover illegal KGB agent, a former CIA Deputy Director, former CIA Intelligence and Special Ops Officers, a former Assistant Secretary of Defense and others.

See bios of these amazing speakers, conference schedule & topics: www.SpiesLiesNukes.com Tickets include breakfasts and lunches, a VIP reception on Friday evening and all speaker presentations and panels.

La Fonda is holding specially priced rooms for our guests until OCTOBER 10 only. Please purchase your tickets and reserve your rooms while they are still available. This historic and elegant venue provides an intimate meeting space that allows for interactions and discussions, but space is limited.

This third, enhanced running of Spies, Lies & Nukes. Join Valerie Plame and some of her legendary, highly decorated, and experienced CIA colleagues as they pull back the curtain on the real life "wilderness of mirrors" that is international espionage.
Hear from and engage with the best of CIA's spies to better understand today's world: from emergent threats, to never-before-told spy operations, black market nuclear scams, how to recruit a spy, the growth of domestic terrorism, how social media is used in espionage, and keeping your employees and your company safe from foreign spies.

Topics: "Soul Catcher: The Metaphysics of Recruiting a Spy" with Jim Lawler, Former Senior CIA Ops Officer
"Delusion and Illusion in Moscow" with Jonna Mendez in conversation with Valerie Plame, Former Covert CIA Ops Officer
"CIA in the Movies" - Panel;
"China: An Emerging Threat" with Mary Beth Long, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
"Inside Putin's Head" with Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, Former Senior CIA Intelligence Officer
"Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA" with Marc Polymeropoulos, Former Senior CIA Ops Officer
"Disinformation Distortions: AI, Deep Fakes, and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Social Media and Espionage" with Alma Katsu, Former Senior CIA and NSA Analyst
"Morality and Ethics in the CIA" with Doug London, Former Senior Officer in the CIA's Clandestine Service
Michael Morell in conversation with Valerie Plame, Former Covert CIA Ops Officer
"Eliminating Players on the Intelligence Battlefield: Havana Syndrome" with Marc Polymeropoulos, Former Senior CIA Ops Officer
"The End of the Global Nuclear Order" with Valerie Plame, Former Covert CIA Ops Officer
Program also includes: Former Senior CIA Deputy Director; Michael J. Morell

FEE: Regular Sale purchase window: Jun 16 - Nov 2, $1300; Late Sale purchase window: Nov 3 - Nov 10, $1450. Special AFIO rate here.
Ticket price does not include accommodations. More about accommodations here

Tickets include breakfasts, lunches, VIP reception and all speaker presentations and activities.

Conference location: Conference Location: La Fonda On the Plaza, 100 E. San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
More information or to register here


FROM THE AFIO STORE

NEW Gray long-sleeved polo shirts with embroidered AFIO logo. Men's sizes only.
Show your support for AFIO with our new Gray Long-sleeve Polo Shirts. Shirts are shrink and wrinkle resistant of fine cotton with a soft, "well-worn, comfy" yet substantial feel. They feature a detailed embroidered AFIO seal. Get a shirt for yourself and consider as gifts for colleagues, family, and friends. Only $60 each including shipping.
Sizes for men, only: Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL, and XXXL.  $60 per shirt. Order this and other store items online here.

NEW 20 oz ceramic Mug with color glazed logo. Made in America. Check out our new tapered, sleek AFIO coffee mug!! This handsome 20 oz. ceramic mug is made in the USA, has a white matte exterior, sports a beautiful navy-blue interior, and is dishwasher safe.  Order yours today! $35 per mug includes shipping to a CONUS address. [includes shipping to U.S. based address, only. For foreign shipments, we will contact you with a quote.] SHIPPING: For shipment to a U.S.-based CONUS address, shipping is included in price. For purchases going to AK, HI, other US territories, Canada, or other foreign countries the shipping fees need to be calculated, so please call our office M-F 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET at 703-790-0320 or email afio@afio.com providing following information: 1) your name, 2) mailing address (or addresses where each gift item will be shipped), 3) name of the AFIO store items you wish to purchase, 4) quantity of each, 5) your credit card number and expiration date, 6) amount (except for additional of shipping fees) authorized to charge, and 7) your phone number and email should we have questions. Foreign shipments fees will be calculated and estimates emailed to you, awaiting your approval.  Order this and other store items online here.

Roy Berkeley's "A Spy's London" - Original U.S. Edition - A Few Unsold Copies Available

In 'this remarkable book' (as intelligence historian and AFIO member Nigel West describes in his Foreword), the reader will be struck by the vibrancy of history made real. Author/AFIO member Roy Berkeley goes behind the facades of ordinary buildings, in the city that West calls 'the espionage capital of the World,' to remind us that the history of intelligence has often been made in such mundane places. With his evocative photographs and compelling observations, The 136 sites are organized into 21 manageable walks. But also a joy to armchair travelers. Among the sites: the modest hotel suite where an eager Red Army colonel poured out his secrets to a team of British and American intelligence officers; the royal residence where one of the most slippery Soviet moles was at home for years; the London home where an MP plotting to appease Hitler was arrested on his front steps in 1940. A few copies are available at only $20 a copy (postage to a U.S.-based address included). Telephone the office at 703-790-0320 or email julie@afio.com to obtain one of these last copies.

Section I - CURRENT INTELLIGENCE NEWS HIGHLIGHTS


Putin's Spies Expelled by West Bemoan Lack of Jobs in Russia - Newsweek, 06 Nov 23

Staff at Moscow's diplomatic missions in the West expelled due to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine have found it tough to get work upon their return to Russia, it has been reported. Disgruntled diplomatic staff have signed a letter to Putin about their predicament. It is described as a personal tragedy for many, according to The Insider. The independent Russian-language investigative news outlet said the missive came from a source in the Russian presidential administration, although the names of its 11 signatories are blacked out. (Full article here.)

Ex-British intelligence worker jailed for attempted murder of U.S. NSA employee - Reuters, 30 Oct 23

A former British intelligence worker who tried to kill a U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) employee in a "premeditated, targeted and vicious attack" was jailed on Monday for 13 years. Joshua Bowles, 29, repeatedly stabbed the unnamed woman, who was working at British intelligence agency GCHQ, in March near its base at Cheltenham in western England. Bowles had previously worked at GCHQ but was no longer working there when he carried out the attack. (Full article here.)

Ex-Danish defence minister and spy chief ‘relieved’ after charges dropped - The Guardian, 04 Nov 23

Denmark’s former defence minister and ex-spy chief have spoken of their relief after prosecutors dramatically dropped criminal charges accusing them of leaking state secrets. Prosecutors said this week they would withdraw the cases after Denmark’s highest court made a series of rulings preventing the prosecution from holding the trials in secret. The decision ends a high-stakes legal drama in which two former senior public officials were charged with disclosing classified information about a secret intelligence partnership between Denmark and the US. The trials of the veteran government minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen and former spy chief Lars Findsen were due to begin later this month. Both men faced prison sentences after they were charged with offences amounting to treason. (Full article here.)

Senators warn of Chinese effort to recruit US service members as former JBLM soldier faces trial in spy case - Stars and Stripes, 01 Nov 23

Three senators warned the Pentagon on Tuesday that China is making aggressive efforts to recruit current and recent members of the U.S. military to spy against the United States. “These actions by the [Chinese Communist Party] to gain insight on and exploit U.S. national security information and tactics present a current and ongoing threat to our national security,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a former Army captain, and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy captain, also signed the letter. The senators are requesting a briefing from the Pentagon by Dec. 15 on the issue and what steps can be taken within the Defense Department to curb attempts by Chinese intelligence agents to meet and recruit U.S. service members, especially those who are leaving the military and looking for employment. (Full article here.)

The Debrief: Behind the Artifact – Cartography Tools - CIA, 02 Nov 23

In a new episode of “The Debrief: Behind the Artifact,” we're highlighting one of the intelligence community's longest-standing skills: map making. The mission of the CIA Cartography Center is to provide a full range of maps, geographic analysis and research in support of the Agency, the White House, senior policymakers and the intelligence community at large. (Full article here.)

Secret Skunk Works Spy Drone Delivered To Air Force: Report - The Warzone, 03 Nov 23

We have explored the possibilities related to the existence of a high-altitude, long-endurance stealth drone, the so-called 'RQ-180,' and how it’s likely poised to eclipse the crewed U-2S Dragon Lady and uncrewed RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance platforms and become one of the most important military aircraft of a generation. Now, there are intriguing indications that a complementary platform or perhaps even a successor to the RQ-180 is not only being developed by Lockheed Martin’s legendary Skunk Works, but that this even more advanced spy drone has already been delivered. These potential revelations come from the latest episode of the Defense & Aerospace Air Power Podcast, hosted by editor-in-chief Vago Muradian, joined by regular guest J.J. Gertler, director of The Defense Concepts Organization and senior analyst at the Teal Group. For the time being, we have no kind of confirmation about these statements, but they are certainly highly interesting, considering what we do know about related programs and emerging requirements. (Full article here.)

Turkish intelligence orchestrated a march targeting US troops to create leverage for President Erdogan - Nordic Monitor, 04 Nov 23

Turkish intelligence agency MIT engaged a jihadist charity organization to orchestrate a nationwide march targeting a military base in the southeastern province of Adana that hosts US Air Force personnel. This move was part of a strategy to create leverage for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government in talks with the US, according to information obtained by Nordic Monitor. The march, coordinated by the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İnsan Hak ve Hürriyetleri ve İnsani Yardım Vakfı, or IHH), is called the “Freedom Convoy for Palestine.” The organizers seemed to aim at capitalizing on the increasing anti-Israeli sentiment in Turkey to rally large crowds, with the intention of exerting pressure on the US government and potentially furnishing President Erdogan with leverage in discussions unrelated to events occurring in Gaza. Ismail Songur, head of the Mavi Marmara Derneği, an association established by the IHH, made the following statement during a press conference in Istanbul on October 31, when he first announced the planned march: “Right within our borders, a small Israel [Incirlik Airbase] has been established, and now, after almost 75 years in the region, the presence of this Incirlik Airbase should be questioned. All relevant authorities, our civil society, and our people must now make a decision. What is Incirlik Airbase doing here?” (Full article here.)

Serbia’s pro-Russia intelligence chief sanctioned by the US has resigned citing Western pressure - Associated Press, 03 Nov 23

Serbia’s intelligence chief, who has fostered closer ties with Russia and is under sanctions by the United States, resigned Friday after less than a year in the post, saying he wanted to avoid possible further embargos against the Balkan nation. In July, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Aleksandar Vulin, accusing him of involvement in illegal arms shipments, drug trafficking and misuse of public office. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said that Vulin used his public authority to help a U.S.-sanctioned Serbian arms dealer move illegal arms shipments across Serbia’s borders. Vulin is also accused of involvement in a drug trafficking ring, according to U.S. authorities. (Full article here.)

China’s top spy agency takes swipe at ‘some countries’ trying to disrupt financial system - South China Morning Post, 02 Nov 23

China’s top spy agency has pledged to “proactively” take part in protecting the country’s financial stability and closely monitor risks in the sector. The Ministry of State Security also took aim at countries that “attempt to cause disruptions” in China’s financial system, in a post on its official social media account on Thursday. The WeChat post came days after President Xi Jinping told a financial work conference that preventing and resolving financial risks was an “eternal theme” for the government and vowed to strengthen supervision on all fronts. (Full article here.)

Commerce Department promises safeguards to prevent surveillance tech sales abroad - The Record, 01 Nov 23

The Commerce Department has implemented new policies to stop the promotion of surveillance technologies to foreign governments. In a letter to Senator Ron (D-OR) Wyden, who expressed concern to the agency about the spread of the tools in May, the Commerce Department laid out the steps its International Trade Administration (ITA) has taken to curb their promotion. The efforts are wide ranging and include the creation of a new human rights section on a public-facing agency website and mandatory training for all ITA foreign commercial service officers emphasizing human rights. Under the new rules, the agency will revise the department’s global markets client policies to include detailed human rights language and will provide staff briefings presenting example scenarios for when and when not to promote exports. (Full article here.)

Russian help to boost North Korea bid to launch spy satellite, South Korea says - Reuters, 31 Oct 23

North Korea is in the final stages of preparations for the launch of a spy satellite and the chances of its third attempt succeeding are high, South Korea's intelligence agency said in a briefing on Wednesday, according to a lawmaker present. North Korea has also sent more than 10 shipments of munitions to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine, including over one million artillery rounds, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) was quoted as saying. That is roughly the supply of munitions that Russia expends in its war with Ukraine in two months, a member of the parliament committee Yoo Sang-bum said, citing the briefing. The NIS made the report in a closed-door parliament intelligence committee session. The shipments were made by vessels moving between a North Korean east coast port and Russian ports, as the United States previously reported, as well as by air out of North Korea, the spy agency said. (Full article here.)

Counterespionage Corner - Recent Arrests, Convictions, Expulsions, and more...

  • A man in Berlin volunteered to assist Turkish intelligence, providing confidential information from inside Germany - Nordic Monitor, 02 Nov 23
  • Bulgarian counterintelligence expels Russian ‘journalist’ accused of espionage activities - TVP World, 01 Nov 23

Cyberespionage Collection - Newly Identified Actors and Operations, Countermeasures, Policy, other...



Section II - REGULARLY FEATURED PODCASTS, BROADCASTS, NEWSLETTERS


The Latest from International Spy Museum Historian Andrew Hammond, PhD.

Spycast is the official podcast of the International Spy Museum and hosts interviews with intelligence experts on matters of HUMINT, SIGINT, IMINT, OSINT, and GEOINT. Spycast is hosted by historian Andrew Hammond, PhD.

31 Oct | Double Bill: “Former Head of Counter-terrorism Analysis, IDF” – with Shlomo Mofaz and “Former Head of Intelligence, Mossad” – with Zohar Palti Col. (Ret.) Shlomo Mofaz and Col (Ret.) Zohar Palti join Andrew Hammond to discuss their respective careers in the Israeli Defense Forces and the Mossad.



The Latest Insights from Former CIA Acting Deputy Director for Operations Jack Devine.

In Other News The proprietary analytic newsletter crafted for The Arkin Group's private clients by former CIA Acting Deputy Director for Operations Jack Devine.

03 Nov | The Hamas attack and subsequent war in Gaza expose the European Union’s divisions but highlight a shared mission for long-term security in the Middle East. The impact of the October 7 Hamas attack- and of Israel’s retaliatory actions in Gaza- is reverberating throughout Europe on both political and personal levels. But when it comes to weighing in on how Israel should best respond to Hamas, European Union (EU) members are divided and face pressures on both domestic and international levels. (Full version available to AFIO members in the coming days here.)


Daily Analysis of Security Issues and Geopolitical Trends

Intel Brief The Soufan Center's flagship, daily analytical product focused on complex security issues and geopolitical trends that may shape regional or international affairs. The Soufan Center was founded by former FBI Special Agent and Soufan Group CEO Ali Soufan.

07 Nov | Palestinian Politics Key to Post-Hamas Gaza

Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a consequence of the brutal Hamas incursion into southern Israel on October 7, has stimulated maneuvering among Palestinians who might seek a role in a post-Hamas governing structure in the Gaza Strip and the broader Palestinian territories. Yet, many of the schisms and disputes between those jockeying for power still persist. Palestinian political infighting has already begun to surface as international leaders discuss how to stabilize Gaza if and when Israeli forces depart that territory. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has made four visits to Israel since October 7, are discussing with key Arab leaders a post-Hamas governing plan for Gaza. Based on comments by a wide range of U.S. and other officials, a broad consensus appears to be developing on the need, perhaps after an interim period, to restore Palestinian Authority (PA) control over Gaza. PA officials who belong to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and its dominant Fatah faction governed Gaza until 2007 when they were forcibly expelled by Hamas militants. A restoration of PA authority would unify Gaza and the West Bank under a singular Palestinian leadership that presumably recognizes Israel’s right to exist and supports negotiations to produce a Palestinian state alongside Israel (“two-state solution”). The U.S.-brokered Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Accords of the early 1990s established the PA, albeit with limited powers, and raised Palestinian expectations that they would eventually be able to establish an independent Palestinian state. Experts note that, even though Hamas publicly rejects peace with Israel and the Oslo Accords, the movement rose to power in Gaza on the back of success against Fatah candidates in the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections – a vote held as part of the Oslo peace process with Israel.

06 Nov | Diplomacy Aims to Secure Hundreds of Hostages Caught Up in Gaza War Fighting

03 Nov | Iran’s Proxy Network Provides Tehran with Strategic Depth in the Middle East

02 Nov | Dangerous Escalation in Gaza Imperils Civilians, Risks Global Ramifications

01 Nov | One Hundred Years After its Founding, Türkiye is Both Pivotal and Problematic

31 Oct | Amidst Tensions Among UN Member States, the Humanitarian Situation in Gaza Continues to Deteriorate


Analysis of Global Security Events with WTOP National Security Correspondent JJ Green

Inside the SCIF - 26 Oct - Israel vs. Hamas




Target USA Podcast - 02 Nov - Is Israel’s war with Hamas expanding beyond Hamas?

The Hunt Broadcast - 01 Nov - What is Iran’s role in the Israel-Hamas conflict?





The Latest Insights from Jeff Stein and Colleagues in SpyTalk

05 Nov | Shock Therapy - Jeff Stein
On an overcast and chilly late afternoon last February, CIA Director William Burns went to Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service to receive an award. After a few brief and typically gracious remarks, he sat for a few questions, the first of which prompted him to launch into a virtual tour d’horizon on the world’s trouble spots and the role of U.S. diplomats and, of course, the CIA in advising U.S. policy makers. “It’s an overused term, but it's extremely important, especially in my current role, to speak truth to power,” he said. “It's true for diplomats, it's certainly true for intelligence officers.” (Full article here.)

02 Nov | Netanyahu Can't Stick Around: Former Mossad Chief - Jeff Stein
Legendary former Mossad boss Efraim Halevy says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is living in a world which is not real” and cannot stay in office much longer. “I do believe there are many people in his own party who have reached a conclusion that it's very dangerous to allow him to continue for any long period of time. He is living in a world which is not real. It's not reality,” Halevy said in an overlooked interview Thursday with PBS Newshour. (Full article here.)

31 Oct | Bungle in the Jungle - Adam Zagorin
First I have to tell you a story. On a late autumn day in 1993, I went to see legendary former CIA station chief Larry Devlin at his apartment in Washington, D.C. It would be the first and last time we would meet. Nothing if not gracious, Devlin greeted me at the door of his comfortable place, pointed toward the living room and then vanished, only to reappear with a pair of brimming martinis, never spilling a drop as he glided toward my chair across more than 40 feet of burnished parquet. (Full article here.)


Section III - MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS


Article: IDF intelligence starts to open up on October 7 failure - analysis - Jerusalem Post, 05 Nov 23

The scale and scope of the Israeli intelligence and defense establishment failure on October 7 will likely only become clear several months down the road, when evidence starts being presented before a commission of inquiry. The Jerusalem Post has garnered some of the pieces of the fiasco from IDF intelligence officials, from what they have said and what they have not said. One of the primary causes was extremely high confidence that Hamas was deterred from starting a war with Israel in the foreseeable future. Several pieces of information were used to prove this deterrence, including the fact that Hamas stayed out of multiple rounds of fighting between Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Israel, twice over the last two years. It was costly for its reputation within Gaza that Hamas stayed out of these fights, something that seemed to support deterrence even further. (Read full report here.)

Article: China’s spy-hunting campaign has a new target: ‘Illegal’ weather stations - CNN, 02 Nov 23

China is cracking down on weather stations it says are spying for foreign countries, the latest measure in a broad counter-espionage campaign under leader Xi Jinping amid intensifying geopolitical tensions. The country’s civilian spy agency, the Ministry of State Security, said Tuesday it had discovered hundreds of what it said were illegal meteorological stations with foreign links that were sending real-time weather data abroad – breaking data rules and posing national security risks. The facilities were found across more than 20 provinces, and some of them were “directly funded by foreign governments,” the ministry said in a statement on social media. (Read full report here.)

Article: In Cyberattacks, Iran Shows Signs of Improved Hacking Capabilities - New York Times, 31 Oct 23

Iranian hackers are waging a sophisticated espionage campaign targeting the country’s rivals across the Middle East and attacking key defense and intelligence agencies, according to a leading Israeli-American cybersecurity company, a sign of how Iran’s quickly improving cyberattacks have become a new, important prong in a shadow war. Over the past year, the hackers struck at countries including Israel, Saudi Arabia and Jordan in a months long campaign linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, according to a new report by the company, Check Point. The Iranian hackers appeared to gain access to emails from an array of targets, including government staff members, militaries, telecommunications companies and financial organizations, the report said. The malware used to infiltrate the computers also appeared to map out the networks the hackers had broken into, providing Iran with a blueprint of foreign cyberinfrastructure that could prove helpful for planning and executing future attacks. (Read full report here.) (NOTE: This material may require a one time free subscription or sit behind a paywall.)

Article: Predictive AI & How It Is Used in Cybersecurity - eInfochip, 10 Oct 23

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to a broad range of technologies that can mimic how humans think by using computer systems and data collected from external sources. AI can generate new knowledge based on mechanisms that enable it to acquire, store, process, and apply prior knowledge due to its possession of advanced levels of human intelligence. Additional context regarding AI models is outlined in the section below. AI models encompass neural networks, machine learning, expert systems, and deep learning, among others. A data analysis technique called predictive AI can predict and foresee future requirements or events for a company. This capability enables the anticipation of trends, risks, and potential solutions, among other factors. Naturally, historical, and current data serve as the foundation of predictive artificial intelligence. (Read full report here.)

Podcast Episode: Rampant Assassination in the Roman Empire with AFIO member Rose Mary Sheldon - Spycraft 101, 29 Oct 23

Repeat guest Rose Mary Sheldon taught history as a professor at Virginia Military Institute for more than 25 years and is a world renowned expert on intelligence activities in the ancient world. She earned her Ph. D. from the University of Michigan in 1987, and has published several books and many articles over the years, as well as serving as an editor for The International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, and Small Wars and Insurgencies, and The Journal of Military History. Today Rose Mary discusses the lives and deaths of the first five Roman emperors and the internal security measures they put in place to protect themselves with varying degrees of success. A staggering 75% of Roman emperors died by assassination. (Listen here.)

Article: Why the CIA No Longer Works—and How to Fix It - Imprimis, October 23

We need the CIA, but we also need to recognize the uncomfortable reality that the CIA is not performing at the level we require. It is not keeping us safe. It must be repaired, and it must be repaired quickly. The CIA was created after World War II with one overriding primary mission—to prevent a reoccurrence of what happened at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. We were never going to allow an enemy to surprise us on that scale again. We were never going to find ourselves blind regarding a threat of that magnitude and immediacy. We would be forewarned and forearmed. (Read full report here.)

Article: Temu: The Shopping App That Spies on You and Your Clearance - Clearance Jobs, 22 Oct 23

TikTok, the popular short video app, has been scrutinized for its potential security risks and data privacy issues. The app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has been accused of collecting and sharing sensitive information from its users with the Chinese government and being a platform for foreign influence and espionage. TikTok denies these allegations and claims robust security measures and data protection policies are in place. However, TikTok is not the only app that threatens Americans’ security and privacy, especially those who work in the defense and intelligence sectors. Temu, a new online shopping app claiming exclusive deals and free delivery, has been found to have data collection and sharing practices similar to TikTok and is linked to Chinese state-sponsored cyber actors. (Read full report here.)

Article: Apple Notifies Politicians, Journalists in India of ‘State-Sponsored’ Hack Threat - Wall Street Journal, 31 Oct 23

Apple notified a number of Indian opposition lawmakers this week that their phones were likely targets of state-sponsored attackers, prompting several of the individuals to express concern about the possible use of surveillance by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Apple believes you are being targeted by state-sponsored attackers who are trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID,” said the notification dated Oct. 30 from Apple, according to two of the emails seen by The Wall Street Journal. “These attackers are likely targeting you individually because of who you are or what you do.” Apple said it doesn’t attribute its threat notifications to any specific state-sponsored attacker. The politicians included a number of members of the opposition Congress Party, including lawmaker Shashi Tharoor and party spokesman Pawan Khera, as well as lawmaker Mahua Moitra of the regional Trinamool Congress, a vocal critic of the government. (Read full report here.) (NOTE: This material may require a one time free subscription or sit behind a paywall.)

Article: U.S. All but Stopped Spying on Hamas in Years After 9/11 - Wall Street Journal, 01 Nov 23

U.S. intelligence agencies all but stopped spying on Hamas and other violent Palestinian groups in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S., instead directing resources to the hunt for the leaders of al Qaeda and, later, Islamic State, according to U.S. officials familiar with the shift. Calculating that Hamas had never directly threatened the U.S. and burdened with other spying priorities, Washington ceded the responsibility to Israel, confident that its aggressive security services would detect any threat, the U.S. officials said. It should have been “a well-placed bet,” said one senior counterterrorism official. With more than 30 Americans dead and 10 missing, mounting fears of a regional war, and billions of dollars in U.S. military hardware headed to the Middle East since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, some officials say the U.S. misjudged the threat to U.S. national security. (Read full report here.) (NOTE: This material may require a one time free subscription or sit behind a paywall.)

Video: The Optical Bar Camera and Wet Film Legacy (19 mins) - NGA, 31 Oct 23

NGA dives into the lifespan of the cold war-era film reconnaissance sensor, the Optical Bar Camera, now that the transition from film to digital photography has been finalized by the Department of Defense. (Watch here.)

Article: China's Quantum Satellite Program Designed to Transmit Unhackable Information - Tom's Hardware, 01 Nov 23

Achieving higher-orbit quantum communications remains an objective for all institutional and private players with enough expertise and funding to consider it. And while quantum computing and the capability to communicate in unbreakable, unsnoopable channels is of interest to most entities, only China has manifested a low-orbit satellite — Micius — that enables two-way research and quantum information traffic between space and the surface. This was back in 2016 — the US doesn’t have a publicly-known, operational Quantum Key Distribution satellite system, and Europe’s is only expected to launch next year. Not one to rest on its laurels, China is nonetheless aiming to take QKD (Quantum Key Distribution) communication to new heights, and is plotting out the ways to break its current, 310-mile (~500 km) geostationary orbit limit towards an impressive 6,200 mile (10,000 km) radius. (Read full report here.)

Book Release: The Dead Drop by AFIO Member and Former CIA Officer James Roth - Book Baby Publishing, 08 Sep 23

"Four ordinary teens. An old Russian with a mysterious past. A suspicious package hidden in the woods. It was supposed to be a carefree summer." Spencer Hale ignores gossip in his quiet Virginia suburb that a retired neighbor, Pavel Fedorov, is a KGB spy. That is, until he and three friends inspect a coffee can concealed by a shadowy figure in a wooded park behind Fedorov's home. Inside is a hidden compartment containing a wad of cash and instructions for an anonymous traitor. Before reporting their find, the teens scheme to find out if the package is linked to Fedorov. Spencer and his friends soon learn the hard way that amateurs are no match for a trained spy. They find themselves in a dangerous and complex game of deception with a government mole engaged in a desperate act of revenge. The story that unfolds is rooted in an incident that took place long ago, on a wintry night in Cold War-era Moscow. (Read more and purchase book here.)



Section IV - DEEPER DIVES, OPINION, ANALYSIS, FILM, HISTORY, POP CULTURE


A Diverse and Trusted Workforce: Examining Elements That Could Contribute to the Potential for Bias and Sources of Inequity in National Security Personnel Vetting - RAND, 01 Nov 23

Applicants for the national security workforce are required to provide detailed personal information as part of the background investigation process to adjudicate their eligibility for a security clearance. As a result, during the course of the personnel vetting process, an individual's race or ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and neurodivergence may be knowable or inferred by the personnel conducting the investigations and adjudications. Human judgment and biases that manifest themselves in other employment or social contexts have the potential to contribute to bias and sources of inequity in the human element of the process of determining security clearance eligibility. The authors explore the potential for related bias or sources of inequity within the federal personnel vetting process. Such potential biases and inequities could inhibit the U.S. government's goals and abilities to hire and maintain national security personnel with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. (Full report here.)

How US can get and stay ahead of adversaries on intelligence data - Federal Times, 02 Nov 23

At the CIA, the Directorate of Digital Innovation is recruiting cyber operations officers who can gather intelligence data from adversarial systems using advanced tools, techniques and tradecraft. The agency is also partnering with cloud computing and infrastructure platform providers – including Amazon, Google, Oracle, Microsoft and IBM – to boost its artificial intelligence initiatives. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) depends upon the AI-powered Source Maritime Automated Processing System (SMAPS) to structure unstructured data from ships so analysts can more rapidly and accurately interpret information about potential hazards at sea. Across the board within the Intelligence Community (IC), agencies deploy AI, machine learning and additional tools to monitor for threatening activity on social media, track human activity and better process and translate speech-to-text taken from conversations in more than 90 different languages, among other needs. (Full report here.)

Democratization of Intelligence: Demilitarizing the Greek Intelligence Service after the Junta - International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, 02 Nov 23

Military dictatorships critically rely on the armed forces and intelligence agencies for the maintenance of their regime. They strengthen these through the allocation of substantial staff and personal resources. We know little about the behavior of intelligence and security services in the transition from authoritarianism to democracy. This article examines the Greek Intelligence Service (KYP) and, since 1986, the National Intelligence Service as its successor. A principal ingredient for the democratic embedment of the service was a break with this dictatorial past and, consequently, its demilitarization. This article shows that the de facto demilitarization of the service was a protracted process that was largely independent from the de jure formal demilitarization in 1986. It both preceded and lagged the legislative decision in 1986. This article particularly focuses on personnel policies aimed at distancing the service from its former ties to the junta regime (1967–1974), the “old KYP.” Its methodological contribution lies in its reliance on original, oral history interviews with former employees of the service and in its systematic analysis of newspaper publications for research on the KYP. I argue and show that internal organizational factors, most notably professionalization and shifting responsibilities, rather than external factors such as party politics or a prodemocratic ideological vision, are the key explanations for a change in the otherwise persistent military staffing of the intelligence service. (Read full report here.)

Australian intelligence needs a better strategy to meet its recruiting challenge - Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 02 Nov 23

Australia relies on the professional workforce of its national intelligence agencies to collect, assess and disseminate the intelligence critical to Australia’s interests. They need the right professionals—and enough of them—to run the intelligence effort effectively. But imagine having the most interesting job in the world, yet when you applied you didn’t know what you were applying for. And then once you were hired, you couldn’t tell anyone what you did for a living. That’s what working in intelligence demands, but it poses a problem for the community’s recruiters. Amid global challenges and with a serious staffing and diversity deficit, agencies are struggling to attract the specialist skills and diverse thinking they need. The national intelligence community is at a turning point. The Australian Signals Directorate plans to double its workforce under the REDSPICE initiative, the Office of National Intelligence needs top talent for its new Cyber and Critical Technology Intelligence Centre, and other agencies regularly advertise for new recruits. (Full report here.)

The Evolution of Intelligence Operations in Support of Irregular Warfare - Irregular Warfare Center, 02 Nov 23

Irregular warfare (IW), deeply interwoven with cultural, political, and sociological factors, has historically relied on the agility and adaptability of intelligence operations. As the fabric of warfare has evolved from the dense jungles of Vietnam to the digital frontlines of Ukraine, so too has the nature of intelligence shifted, from human-centric insights to technology-driven reconnaissance. Moving forward, the fusion of advanced technological innovations with intrinsic human understanding will redefine the essence of intelligence in IW, making it a more potent force in navigating the complexities of future unconventional conflicts. By delving into the distinct epochs of Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, we can discern the shifting sands of intelligence in support of IW and envision what the future might hold. Many will claim that the future of intelligence lies in technology and this claim has taken the front stage in the past, but it was unequivocally refuted with many mishaps that could have been prevented. Let’s look at the evolution of intelligence and see what the future ahead looks like for it. (Full report here.)

Examining the Ethics of Spying: A Practitioner’s View - Criminal Law and Philosophy, 20 Oct 23

This paper examines from the point of view of an intelligence practitioner the utility of the philosophical method that Professor Cecile Fabre has applied to intelligence ethics. Her emphasis on the duty that lies on governments to be sufficiently well informed about those who pose a real risk of serious violations of fundamental human rights is seen as a valuable addition to discourse on the ethics of intelligence activity. The just war tradition is put forward as an alternative framing of key ethical issues that can be translated into a practical code for intelligence officers that can be adapted to changing levels of threat in a way that is difficult to derive from a timeless philosophical analysis. (Full report here.)

Modeling the intelligence requirements and priorities process: the US response to the Rwandan genocide - Intelligence and National Security, 05 Nov 23

In the US, national security outcomes tend to be categorized as either the responsibility of the intelligence or policy community. Few discuss systemic outcomes emanating from the requirements and priorities (R&P) process, a top-level collaborative effort that determines national security objectives and establishes the means to address them. Here, a holistic model is introduced to examine the R&P process alongside the binary functions of intelligence and policy, and tested against two mandates of the US response to the Rwandan genocide: evacuation of American expats, and broader intervention. Such macroscopic investigations can better identify the root causes of national security outcomes. (Full report here.)

Ranked: The Fastest Growing Economies in 2024 - Visual Capitalist, 24 Oct 23

Which countries will see the most economic growth in 2024? To answer this question, we’ve visualized GDP growth forecasts from the IMF’s October 2023 World Economic Outlook. Unsurprisingly, many of these countries are located in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa—two of the world’s fastest growing regions. (View graphic here.)

Intelligence in History - A Collection of Recent Content

True Intelligence Matters in Film - Spycraft, Episode 1: High Tech Surveillance and an Eye in the Sky - Maria Berry (2021)

The spy game is a serious business, and throughout history, the tools and technologies developed for it have mattered as much as the spies themselves. In the spy game, if you can listen, you can learn, and gaining that crucial ability to eavesdrop has required some deeply creative ingenuity. Netflix.

More information about this based-on-true-events production here.





Walking Tours - Washington, DC - Sundays (Dates/Times Vary)

Former intelligence officers guide visitors on two morning and afternoon espionage-themed walking tours: "Spies of Embassy Row" and "Spies of Georgetown." For more information and booking, click here or contact rosanna@spyher.co



Section V - Books, Research Requests, Employment, Obituaries

Books — Forthcoming, Newly Released, Overlooked


Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, A Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor –
by Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll
(Harper Select, 14 Nov 23)

Hawaii, 1941. War clouds with Japan are gathering and the islands of Hawaii have become battlegrounds of spies, intelligence agents, and military officials - with the island's residents caught between them. Toiling in the shadows are Douglas Wada, the only Japanese American agent in naval intelligence, and Takeo Yoshikawa, a Japanese spy sent to Pearl Harbor to gather information on the U.S. fleet. Douglas Wada's experiences in his native Honolulu include posing undercover as a newspaper reporter, translating wiretaps on the Japanese Consulate, and interrogating America's first captured POW of World War II, a submarine officer found on the beach. Takeo Yoshikawa is a Japanese spy operating as a junior diplomat with the consulate who is collecting vital information that goes straight to Admiral Yamamoto. Their dueling stories anchor Ghosts of Honolulu's gripping depiction of the world-changing cat and mouse games played between Japanese and US military intelligence agents (and a mercenary Nazi) in Hawaii before the outbreak of the second world war. Also caught in the upheaval are Honolulu's innocent residents - including Douglas Wada's father - who endure the war's anti-Japanese fervor and a cadre of intelligence professionals who must prevent Hawaii from adopting the same destructive mass internments as California. Scrutinizing long-buried historical documents, NCIS star Mark Harmon and co-author Leon Carroll, a former NCIS Special Agent, have brought forth a true-life NCIS story of deception, discovery, and danger. Ghosts of Honolulu depicts the incredible high stakes game of naval intelligence and the need to define what is real and what only appears to be real.

Order book here.


KGB Operations against the USA and Canada in Soviet Ukraine, 1953-1991 (Routledge Histories of Central and Eastern Europe)
by Sergei I. Zhuk
(Routledge, 29 Apr 22)

Oriented for a general reading audience, this book gives a unique and rare perspective on the KGB special operations, in Soviet Ukraine, which targeted especially the USA and Canada, using the issues related to Soviet Ukrainian identity and cultural diplomacy of Soviet Ukraine after Stalin’s death in 1953 until the perestroika of the 1980s. Using carefully researched archive materials, this is an invaluable resource for scholars and advanced students of the KGB Operations, the Cold War, counterintelligence, and political and cultural history.


Order book here.


Breaking Cover: My Secret Life in the CIA and What It Taught Me about What's Worth Fighting For
by Michele Rigby Assad
(Tyndale Momentum, 06 Feb 18)

The CIA is looking for walking contradictions. Recruiters seek out potential agents who can keep a secret yet pull classified information out of others; who love their country but are willing to leave it behind for dangerous places; who live double lives, but can be trusted with some of the nation’s most highly sensitive tasks. Michele Rigby Assad was one of those people. As a CIA agent and a counterterrorism expert, Michele soon found that working undercover was an all-encompassing job. The threats were real; the assignments perilous. Michele spent over a decade in the agency―a woman leading some of the most highly skilled operatives on the planet, secretly serving in some of the most treacherous areas of the Middle East, and at risk as a target for ISIS. But deep inside, Michele wondered: Could she really do this job? Had she misunderstood what she thought was God’s calling on her life? Did she have what it would take to survive? The answer came when Michele faced her ultimate mission, one with others’ lives on the line―and it turned out to have been the plan for her all along. In Breaking Cover, Michele has at last been cleared to drop cover and tell her story: one of life-or-death stakes; of defeating incredible odds; and most of all, of discovering a faith greater than all her fears.

Order book here.


Research Requests and Academic Opportunities

Call for Interviews: Alex W. Palmer, a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine, is working on a book about the history of American intelligence on China. He's looking to speak with any intelligence officers who worked in or on China during their career, from whatever timeframe and in whatever role. He can be reached at alex.palmer@nytimes.com and +1-262-894-7160 on Signal.

Call for Information: Dr. Andrew Hammond and Dr. Mark Stout are seeking interviewees for a journal article on the CIA’s Office of Soviet Analysis (SOVA). The final output will be based on oral history interviews which can be (a) on-the-record (b) off-the-record or (c) utilizing a pseudonym. The data will be used for this project only and thereafter destroyed. Our aim is to understand how people who served in SOVA or who worked alongside SOVA made sense of it: what was it like, what was its culture, what were its strengths and weaknesses, how did it relate to the rest of the CIA and other agencies, is there anything we can learn from SOVA re the new era of Great Power Conflict, etc.? If you served in SOVA during the period 1981 to 1992 and would like to be interviewed, please contact Dr. Andrew Hammond at ahammond@spymuseum.org.

Call for Information: Seeking information on Al "Albert" Purdum, stationed at Arlington Hall 55, Defense Language School - Albanian 55-56, NSA Linguist, Sr. Cryptologist 57-95. Looking for colleagues or friends who knew him, of him. Researching Role of National Security Linguists and Foreign Affairs. Contact cristina.purdum@gmail.com.

Call for Information: Seeking information on Octavio Bermudez, State/Commerce Attache Latin America Crosley Broadcasting- 1922-1942. Sources needed - Passenger list of Hoover's 1928 Good Will Tour, Details/objectives by country, 25 year agreement with Ecuador to build broadcast station in Quito- role in Open Source Enterprise, WWII locating Axis Spies, American Propaganda/Spy Communication Network. 41-46 OCIAA propaganda, embedded code/scripts for broadcast, hand delivered to Crosley, Cincinnati - the only fenced compound, with 24 hr. armed guards, watch tower. Researching Role of Foreign Service Attaches - Development of American Broadcasting Capabilities pre WWII in Latin America. Contact cristina.purdum@gmail.com.

Call for Information: Author drafting a book on the Clinton administration seeks contact with the person who served as COS Manila in November 1996 for the purpose of background research. Members who can identify the COS and/or are in contact with him, please forward this request to the COS or contact the author. Responses may be sent to dpluchinsky@rocketmail.com.

Call for Information: Seeking information on, Sgt Major Charles “Chuck” Remagen, assigned to MACV/SOG in Vietnam 67-68. Seek details about his role as a Sgt Major with MACV “Studies and Observations Group in Vietnam 7/1/67 to 1/21/68. Responses may be sent to magen@hotmail.com.

Call for Sources: Intelligence activities in Grenada and the southern Caribbean between 1979, Operation Urgent Fury, Leonard Barrett

The Washington Post is developing a multi-part audio documentary series (i.e. podcast) chronicling the Grenadian revolution and the US intervention in 1983. They've interviewed nearly 100 people so far, ranging from the heads of state, former Grenadian officials, current and former US officials, veterans, and intelligence officers. They're looking for people who served at the time and may be knowledgeable about intelligence activities in Grenada and the southern Caribbean between 1979 and Operation Urgent Fury. They would also be interested in speaking with anyone who knew Leonard Barrett during the same period. If anyone is interested in participating, please reach out to Washington Post reporter Ted Muldoon via email at ted.muldoon@washpost.com or on Signal at 651-497-5449.

Call For Articles: AFIO Journal, The Intelligencer

AFIO is seeking authors for its section on "When Intelligence Made a Difference" in the semi-annual Intelligencer journal. Topics of interest for which we are seeking authors include:

• The Richard Sorge espionage ring in Tokyo in World War II and the impact of his intelligence on Stalin and the battle for Moscow.
• How Rommel’s Afrika Korps used SIGINT against the British in World War II.
• How A.Q. Khan’s nuclear proliferation efforts were uncovered and stopped.
• The breaking of the Nazi U-boat SHARK encryption system.
• How US intelligence found Usama Bin Laden in Abbottobad, Pakistan.
• How allied SIGINT isolated the Afrika Korps from its logistics chain.
• How US intelligence discovered the Soviet’s high speed Shkval torpedo.
• Intelligence and the rescue of Scott O’Grady.
• Other topics are also welcome.

Interested authors please contact Peter Oleson, senior editor The Intelligencer, at peter.oleson@afio.com

Jobs

Assistant/Associate Professor of Intelligence Studies (Global Security and Intelligence Studies) - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott, Arizona

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Prescott, Arizona campus is accepting applications for a tenure-track assistant or associate-level professor of intelligence studies to teach intelligence courses to students in the Global Security and Intelligence program. The successful candidate will teach students about the intelligence community, strategic intelligence, the intelligence cycle and intelligence analysis, writing, and briefing. Prior experience working in the intelligence community is strongly preferred. We are interested in candidates with teaching acumen in intelligence analysis and writing using structured analytical techniques.

Additional information and application here.


Obituaries

Philip Pease — Former NSA Director of Security

Philip T. Pease, 92, of Dagsboro, Delaware passed away peacefully surrounded by family on October 30, 2023. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut. As a teenager, he acquired a strong work ethic from working long hours in tobacco fields. He had a love of sports growing up and was a proud member of the East Hartford High basketball team that finished second in the 1949 Connecticut State Championship. Philip attended Hillyer College (now the University of Hartford) where he continued his basketball career. He served in the US Army between 1953 and 1956. He then joined the National Security Agency and served as the Agency’s Director of Security from 1981 until his retirement in 1993. During his tenure at NSA he was assigned to Germany with his family. This tour provided the family with many adventures and lifelong fond memories. Upon his retirement, he moved to Slower Lower Delaware where he was active in the Fenwick Island Lions Club. He was also a former member of the Phoenix Society.

Section VI - AFIO Events

9 November 2023 (Thursday), 11:00 a.m. PST - Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas Chapter Meeting features Amir Eden, Friends of The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Director of Nevada, and Colorado Chapters, discussing situation in Mideast. The AFIO Las Vegas Chapter meeting features Amir Eden, Friends of The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Director of Nevada, and Colorado Chapters. Given current world events we are fortunate to have this special speaker lined up that I’m sure you will enjoy. The event will be held at Charlie’s Lakeside Bar and Restaurant, 8603 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89117.
Qs and RSVPs to Linda Cohn at 702-239-1370 or by email if you have any questions. Early RSVPs are also appreciated. See you in November.

9 November 2023 (Thursday), 11:30 a.m. PST, - San Francisco, CA - AFIO San Francisco Chapter meeting features Ricky Deutsch on "Spies in the Sky: HEXAGON -- A History of the Last Film-Based Satellite."
Location: Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Avenue, South San Francisco. Time: 11:30am no host cocktails; 12 noon (Pacific) meeting start
RSVP here at Event Registration Link. Pre-registration required. Questions to Mariko Kawaguchi, PO Box 117578, Burlingame, CA 94011, afiosf@aol.com

11 November 2023 (Saturday), 11:30 a.m. EDT, - Indiatlantic, FL - The AFIO Florida Satellite Chapter hears from Col Susie Dabrowski USAF (Ret) on "High-Impact Operations."
Colonel Susie Dabrowski served over 26 years in the U.S. Air Force. Her career included positions in space and nuclear high-impact operations. She served in Pacific and European theaters and five Joint Commands. Upon retirement, she served as a Program Manager in the defense industry. She is currently the Vice President, Southeast Region, Space Force Association.
Location: Doubletree Hotel, Rt A1A, Indialantic, Florida. The sit-down lunch cost is $35.00 per person
RSVPs or Qs to Larry Sanford, President or call 978-502-3328.

See the AFIO Calendar of Events for scheduling further in the future.



Events from Advertisers, Corporate Sponsors, Others

8 November 2023, 6 - 8pm EST - Williamsburg, VA - Veterans Day Book Talk with Brian Morra '78 on "Cold War History to Today's Russian Invasion of Ukraine"

Please join us for a Veterans Day event with W&M alumni Brian J. Morra ’78, who will be discussing his book "The Able Archers." The talk will focus on Brian’s writing process, the history of the Cold War period depicted in the book, and connections that can be drawn to the present-day Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Brian is a former U.S. intelligence officer and a retired senior aerospace executive. Learn more about him. A reception and book signing will follow the talk, and the library’s Special Collections Research Center will have select military collections on display. The W&M Bookstore will be there selling copies of his book. This event is produced in partnership with W&M Libraries, W&M Military and Veteran Affairs, and Association of 1775. Location: Swem Library, Read and Relax, 400 Landrum Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Map this location
Free food. Registration/RSVP Required Please register to be guaranteed a seat!
Register for this Event here.

12 November 2023, 2 - 3:30pm EST - Virtual via Zoom - Mike Vickers on "The Reagan Doctrine, CIA Covert Action in Afghanistan, and The End of the Cold War" - by the Cold War Museum

Drawing on his recently-released memoirs By All Means Available, Mike Vickers will describe his central role in enabling the Afghan resistance to defeat the Soviet military in Afghanistan-- the only defeat the Red Army suffered in its history. CIA’s support for the Afghan resistance was the largest and most successful covert action program in the Agency’s history, and it helped bring an end to the Cold War.
Mike will place CIA’s covert support for the Mujahedin in the broader context of Cold War grand strategy and briefly cover his role in the invasion of Grenada, the first rollback of Communist power since the end of the Vietnam War. He will also discuss the purported links between CIA’s support for the Afghan resistance and the rise of al-Qa’ida and the 9/11 attacks. Finally, he will discuss the lessons from our Cold War victory in Afghanistan for the war in Ukraine and other more recent operations.
You may recall Mike Vickers from the book and movie Charlie Wilson’s War. He was the hotshot CIA kid who knew everything about weapons and guerrilla warfare and played multiple chess games at once.
Mike is best known as the mastermind of the covert action program that defeated the Soviet Army in Afghanistan and helped bring an end to the Cold War, but, as his memoirs show, he also played a central role in our campaigns to dismantle and defeat al-Qa’ida and in the operation that killed Osama Bin Ladin.
He began his career as a Special Forces soldier and officer before becoming an operations officer for the CIA. He later served as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations, Low Intensity Conflict and Interdependent Capabilities under President George W. Bush, and as the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence under President Obama.
Register on Eventbrite here
Cost: $20, 100% is donation to Cold War Museum.
Location: ONLINE ONLY. Eventbrite ticket buyers will receive a link to the virtual room on the Zoom platform where this event will take place. We are recording the whole event, including the Q&A, for the Museum’s archives.
Qs to Jason at jason@coldwar.org

15 Nov 23, 1200-1300 (ET) - Virtual - Geospatial Intelligence: Tracking China's Nuclear Program - Johns Hopkins University

Join host Michael Ard for a curated conversation with Renny Babiarz, a Chinese nuclear weapons specialist and geospatial intelligence analyst. This talk explores general connections between geopolitics and geospatial disciplines, and then specifically shows how geospatial analysis can lead to important geopolitical developments. One common example of such a connection is the Cuban Missile Crisis, which blossomed into a crisis because CIA imagery analysts discovered ballistic missile bases under construction in Cuba. This led to a dramatic geopolitical confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Today, some of the world's most important geopolitical issues remain rooted in our knowledge of developments at specific locations on the earth. For example, recent developments at China's Lop Nur Nuclear Weapons Test Site suggest a dramatically new era of nuclear weapon testing and development is about to begin. This would have profound implications not only for geopolitics, but for life itself on Earth. Renny Babiarz is vice president of analysis and operations for AllSource Analysis, where he manages geospatial intelligence analysis projects on security, economic, and artificial intelligence issues for government, non-government, and private-sector customers. He is also an adjunct faculty member for the Johns Hopkins MS in Geospatial Intelligence program. Babiarz has over 20 years of experience researching China’s political and military systems, including 10 years of experience in the field of GEOINT analysis focusing on Asia and weapons of mass destruction. He has a PhD in political science, specializing in China's nuclear weapons program, from Johns Hopkins University; an MA in Asian studies, specializing in China, from University of Hawaii at Manoa; and certificates in Chinese language and GEOINT analysis. Additionally, Babiarz worked in public service as a GEOINT analyst for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. (More details and registration here.)

28 November 2023, 5 - 6pm EST - Washington, DC - IWP hosts IN-PERSON book presentation by Dr John Gentry on "The Politicization of U.S. Intelligence: Causes and Consequences"

The Institute of World Politics invites you to attend an IN-PERSON book lecture by Dr. John Gentry, Author and Professor at the School of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, discussing "The Politicization of U.S. Intelligence: Causes and Consequences."
"The Politicization of U.S. Intelligence: Causes and Consequences” is a presentation in association with Dr. Gentry's recent book, Neutering the CIA: Why US Intelligence Versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences (Armin Lear Press, 2023). Beginning in 2016 and continuing into 2021, current and former U.S. intelligence officers engaged in domestic partisan politics to an unprecedented extent. This discussion will describe and assess what happened at various agencies, the causes of the politicization, consequences for the agencies and national decision-making, and prospects for renewed politicization in 2024.
***Copies of Dr. Gentry's book will be made available for purchase at the conclusion of the event and can be signed by the author.*** ***This lecture is sponsored by the IWP IAFIE Alpha Student Chapter***
Location: The Institute of World Politics, 1521 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20036.

More details and registration here.

28 and 30 Nov 23, 1400-1500 (ET) - Virtual - SPY with Me: Program for Individuals with Dementia and their Care Partners - International Spy Museum

SPY with Me is an interactive virtual program for individuals living with dementia and their care partners. Join SPY as we use music and artifacts to explore some of our favorite spy stories. Programs last one hour and are held virtually through Zoom. Every month the same program is offered on two different dates. Free but space is limited. To register, please email Shana Oltmans at soltmans@spymuseum.org. Visit www.spymuseum.org.

14 - 25 April 2024 - Gary Powers' Cold War Espionage Tour of Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary - Travel Dates: April 14 to 25,2024 - 12 days/10 nights

Join author & historian Gary Powers Jr. on this 12-day tour of Cold War and espionage related sites in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary
The deadline to enroll is 11/30/23 with a required deposit of $495. Final payment is due 12/30/23.
What's Included: • Round-trip air transportation from Washington, DC; • 10 nights in centrally located, four-star hotels; • Full-time CHA Tour Director; • Valuable insight & informative commentary by Gary Powers Jr.; • On-tour transportation by private motorcoach; • Breakfast & dinner (or lunch) daily; • Sightseeing tours & visits shown in itinerary (subject to change based on availability)
Tour Prices: Full Tour Price: $5,695 per person; Land Tour Price: $4,645 per person (does not include round-trip airfare and airport transfers); Repeat Gary Powers travelers will receive a $200 discount! Price based on double occupancy.
A $600 single room fee will apply for travelers without roommates.
The deadline to enroll is 11/30/23 with a required deposit of $495. Final payment is due 12/30/23.
Questions? Call 1-800-323-4466 or email info@cha-tours.com.
Enroll Online at: www.cha-tours.com/GaryPowers

Gifts for Friends, Colleagues, Self

NEW Gray long-sleeved polo shirts with embroidered AFIO logo. Men's sizes only.
Show your support for AFIO with our new Gray Long-sleeve Polo Shirts. Shirts are shrink and wrinkle resistant of fine cotton with a soft, "well-worn, comfy" yet substantial feel. They feature a detailed embroidered AFIO seal. Get a shirt for yourself and consider as gifts for colleagues, family, and friends. Only $60 each including shipping.
Sizes for men, only: Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL, and XXXL.  $60 per shirt. Order this and other store items online here.




NEW 20 oz ceramic Mug with color glazed logo. Made in America. Check out our new tapered, sleek AFIO coffee mug!! This handsome 20 oz. ceramic mug is made in the USA, has a white matte exterior, sports a beautiful navy-blue interior, and is dishwasher safe.  Order yours today! $35 per mug includes shipping to a CONUS address. [includes shipping to U.S. based address, only. For foreign shipments, we will contact you with a quote.] SHIPPING: For shipment to a U.S.-based CONUS address, shipping is included in price. For purchases going to AK, HI, other US territories, Canada, or other foreign countries the shipping fees need to be calculated, so please call our office M-F 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET at 703-790-0320 or email afio@afio.com providing following information: 1) your name, 2) mailing address (or addresses where each gift item will be shipped), 3) name of the AFIO store items you wish to purchase, 4) quantity of each, 5) your credit card number and expiration date, 6) amount (except for additional of shipping fees) authorized to charge, and 7) your phone number and email should we have questions. Foreign shipments fees will be calculated and estimates emailed to you, awaiting your approval.  Order this and other store items online here.

Black short-sleeved polo shirts with Embroidered AFIO logo
Show your support for AFIO with our new Black Short-sleeve Polo Shirts. Shirts are shrink and wrinkle resistant of fine cotton with a soft, "well-worn, comfy" yet substantial feel. They feature a detailed embroidered AFIO seal. Get a shirt for yourself and consider as gifts for colleagues, family, and friends. Only $50 each including shipping.
Sizes for (M) men, only; Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL, and XXXL. $50 per shirt.
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PopSocket for cellphones or tablets
Show your support to AFIO while enjoying the convenience offered by our AFIO Logo PopSocket. The PopSocket is most commonly used as a stand and as a grip for your mobile phone or tablet; handy for taking selfies, watching videos, and for texting. The PopSocket looks like a small button or sticker which, when closed, sticks flat to your mobile device. However, its accordion-like design enables it to pop open for use. The benefits of using a PopSocket make it a must-have accessory for your mobile phone or tablet. It also aids in keeping your phone from slipping off your hand during use, falling, or breaking.
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Duffel Bags - Royal Blue and Black with Full Color AFIO Logo This duffel has it all when it comes to value, style and organization.
600 denier polyester canvas with polyester double contrast; D-shaped zippered entry for easy access. Front pocket with hook and loop closure. End mesh pocket Easy-access end pockets. Four durable, protective feet and built-in bottom board for added strength. Web handles with padded grip. Detachable, adjustable shoulder strap.
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Caps - Dark Navy with Navy AFIO Logo
 An authentic silhouette with the comfort of an unstructured, adjustable fit. Fabric: 100% cotton. Unstructured. Fabric strap closure with adjustable D-clip. Price: $30. Order this and other store items online here.


 

PUBLISHED IN 2023
Be informed on career opportunities in the U.S. Intelligence Community
Intelligence as a Career - with updated listings of colleges teaching intelligence courses, and Q&As on needed foreign languages, as well as the courses, grades, extracurricular activities, and behavioral characteristics and life experiences sought by modern U.S. intelligence agencies.

AFIO's popular 47-page booklet reaches thousands of high school, college students, university guidance offices, and distributed in classes teaching intelligence, to help those considering careers in the U.S. Intelligence Community.
This is the all new fifth edition.
The publication is also popular with University Career Guidance Centers, professors and academic departments specializing in national security, and parents assisting children or grandchildren in choosing meaningful, public service careers.
This booklet is provided online as a public service from the generosity of AFIO board, volunteer editors/writers, donors, and members.
We thank all for their support which makes this educational effort possible.
  Careers Booklet (new 2023 Fifth Edition) can be read or downloaded here
  



Guide to the Study of Intelligence...and...When Intelligence Made a Difference

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Also available on the website here are the individual articles of AFIO's history project "When Intelligence Made a Difference" that have been published to date in The Intelligencer journal. More articles will be appear in future editions.



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