tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348774982024-03-13T06:19:24.436-05:00the dead dropopen source. intelligence.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-4892393276363553132007-02-27T21:37:00.000-05:002007-02-27T21:42:15.222-05:00College Professor Sentenced in Cuban Spy CaseA Florida International University professor was sentenced to 5 years in prison after admitting he spied on Miami's Cuban exiles for Havannah over the past 30 years.<br /><br />Carlos Alvarez received the 5 year sentence, his wife Elsa Alvarez received a 3 year sentence for her part in concealing her husband's activities.<br /><br />You can read more about the case <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070227/ts_nm/usa_cuba_spies_dc">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-52498532129316807622007-02-27T21:27:00.000-05:002007-02-27T21:34:04.906-05:00New TacticsThe terrorist insurgency in Iraq have adopted new techniques that have been deployed in at least three suicide attacks over the past few months - chemical attacks. It has been reported that chlorine gas has been used in conjunction with vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (ied).<br /><br />The Jamestown Foundation has a segment in the latest edition of their <span style="font-style: italic;">Terrorism Focus</span> newsletter (Vol. IV, Is 3):<br /><blockquote><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong>"Chlorine Attack Reflects Ongoing Militant Strategy in Iraq</strong></span> <p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">For at least the third time this year, insurgents in Iraq have incorporated canisters of liquefied chlorine into vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices. The latest of these attacks came on February 21, and left several dead and scores suffering from exposure to the dispersed chlorine in an area of Baghdad (<em>Gulf Daily News</em>, February 23). These are not the first instances of fighters exploring the use of chemicals in explosive devices, but they may be distinguished by their employment methods which can act as potential windows into the tactical and strategic thinking of such insurgents.</span></p> <p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">Several scientific experts have commented on the efficiency of the attacks, taking the position that the attacks were poorly executed. It is true that in each incident, insurgents introduced varying quantities of the chemical agent into an attack where explosives ruptured the chlorine tanks and dispersed the chemical agent. Such a dispersal method is inherently inefficient since much of the potential agent is burned or left oxidized in the ensuing explosion. Nevertheless, the less efficient method currently employed caused a significant number of casualties even if the number killed was not optimal given the quantities of agent present. Furthermore, low-tech chemical, biological, radiological (CBR) attacks—such as those employed by almost all non-state actors to date—are thought to be much more effective in terms of psychological damage than physical damage when staged against a target audience.</span></p> <p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">Insurgent groups have consistently innovated their tactics over the course of the conflict to achieve their desired objective in the face of equally persistent counter-insurgency innovations. New counter-insurgency/counter<wbr>-sectarian violence initiatives have had little effect on the militants' ability to inflict terror on the populations through "conventional" means. Thus, the selection of employing chlorine in a series of bombings in Iraq raises several questions not likely to be immediately answered. Are the insurgents preempting an anticipated or actual perceived desensitization of their target audiences and thus feel the need to resort to novel means to keep pace with the elevated threshold of tolerance? Or were these attacks simply continued experimentation to assess the technical capabilities of the weapons and the corresponding effects on the target populations with little expectations for the necessity of such advancements? Although it is only possible to hypothesize on the strategic motivations, it is far from certain that such attacks will either become commonplace or that they would even achieve a significantly elevated level of psychological pressure on the target populations if they are employed in a concerted campaign (<em>Gulf Times</em>, February 23).</span></p> <p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">Fortunately, the potential supply of chlorine suitable for such attacks will not allow groups to employ the agent in significant quantities indefinitely. Although there are numerous potential sources of chlorine in Iraq, future large-scale attacks can be kept at a minimum if bulk access points are kept under proper controls and distributions monitored. Moreover, if needed, the Iraqi government could also disseminate basic information to the public as how to quickly identify and mitigate the effects of such attacks. At the very least, the most recent attacks show a continued desire on the part of militants to expand their capabilities beyond conventional means. Considering Iraq's dismantled al-Abud network that attempted to acquire chemical weapons, claims of attacks with chemical munitions and Abu Hamza al-Muhajir's call for scientists to engage in nuclear and biological experimentation, it is clear that insurgent groups continue to be enticed by the potential capabilities of such weapons and the trend remains unbroken (<em>Terrorism Focus</em>, October 10, 2006; <em>Arab News</em>, February 24).</span></p> <p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><em>Robert Wesley is a terrorism analyst specializing in emerging trends in Islamist militancy and weapons of mass destruction."</em></span></p></blockquote>You can subscribe to the Terrorism Focus newsletter on the Jamestown Foundation Web site located <a href="http://www.jamestown.org/">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-13226326210310875692007-02-15T19:41:00.000-05:002007-02-15T19:43:53.622-05:00Madrid Terror Trials UnderwayTwenty-nine men are on trial in Madrid for their alleged involvement in the March 2004 train bombings that killed 191 people.<br /><br />The trial is scheduled to last approx. 6 months and will be televised live on Spanish television.<br /><br />You can find additional information <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/15/world/europe/15cnd-spain.html">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-88302051078740551802007-01-22T14:37:00.000-05:002007-01-22T14:47:12.955-05:00British Intelligence Tracking Muslim PilgrimsA recent news <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2558373,00.html">article</a> on the British <span style="font-style: italic;">Times Online</span> news site discloses a profiling program being used by MI5 and MI6. <blockquote>"The intelligence agencies are monitoring every Muslim who travels from Britain to Mecca on pilgrimage in a wider effort to piece together intelligence on suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist activity."</blockquote>According to the intelligence services terrorists may visit Mecca prior to participating in terrorist operations in the UK and abroad.<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote> <blockquote></blockquote>the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-85341939121863382042006-12-21T14:54:00.000-05:002006-12-21T15:06:28.916-05:00CIA Competing With Special ForcesA recent <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-intel18dec18,0,5081875,full.story">article</a> in the <span style="font-style: italic;">LA Times</span> outlines the CIA's struggle to limit US Special Forces activities in foreign nations.<br /><br />The use of Special Forces teams to conduct surveillance and other operations began after 9/11. On several occasions the Special Forces teams have gotten themselves into trouble; once in Paraguay by shooting a would-be robber, and once getting themselves compromised on a surveillance in East Africa.<br /><br />Some CIA officers are complaining that the forces are interfering and possibly compromising ongoing CIA operations in the process.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-56714325057112788922006-12-10T11:47:00.000-05:002006-12-10T11:59:44.192-05:00Alleged Spy Ordered Deported From CanadaAn <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061205.SPY05/TPStory/National">article</a> in the Canadian <span style="font-style: italic;">Globe and Mail</span> newspaper says that a suspected spy no longer contested the national security certificate labeling him as a threat to Canada.<br /><br />The lawyers of the alleged spy, who used the Canadian alias of Paul William Hempel, said their client could not produce a single photograph or childhood friend that could help verify their client was indeed Canadian.<br /><br />One of the lawyers told the court that the man, who's real identity is being withheld, is Russian and wished to return to Russia.<br /><br />"Hempel" was arrested at Montreal's international airport on Nov. 14th carrying $7,800 in five different currencies, a short-wave radio, two digital cameras, two cell phones and five sim cards with phone information on them.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-76267824090915817392006-12-10T11:32:00.000-05:002006-12-10T11:36:58.593-05:00Espionage = 12 yearsPetty Officer 3rd Class Ariel Weinmann was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of espionage, desertion and other charges.<br /><br />PO Weinmann told the judge that the reason he deserted was the service "did not meet his expectations."<br /><br />PO Weinmann could have received life in prison without parole for the charge of espionage.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-85277606736195374552006-11-28T19:39:00.000-05:002006-11-28T19:49:38.212-05:00U.S. Sailor to Plead Guilty in Espionage CaseA U.S. Navy sailor has agreed to plead guilty to <span style="font-style: italic;">some</span> of the charges against him.<br /><br />Petty Officer 3rd Class Ariel J. Weinmann is facing charges of espionage, desertion, <span class="arialbody">failing to properly secure classified information, copying classified information, communication of classified information to a foreign agent, and stealing and destroying a laptop computer.<br /><br />Weinmann was assigned as a fire control technician aboard the <span style="font-style: italic;">USS Albuquerque</span>, a Connecticut based submarine, when he deserted and allegedly gave classified information to a representative of an undisclosed foreign government in Vienna.<br /><br />You can find more about the case <a href="http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=115092&ran=134109">here</a>.<br /></span>the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-24084157830475075832006-11-25T15:49:00.000-05:002006-11-25T15:58:44.058-05:00China Calls U.S. Allegations "Irresponsible"A recent NBC news<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> report titled <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15820017/"><span style="font-style: italic;">US worries about Chinese espionage</span></a> outlines the threat China poses with it's espionage activities. The report says that China is specifically targeting technologies it can use to upgrade its Navy and Air Force.<br /><br />Former FBI Counterintelligence Chief Dave Szady was interviewed as part of the story, there is also a link to the video on the page.<br /><br />In their response, the Chinese say that they do not engage in espionage in the U.S., and that the allegations are "irresponsible."the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-82777408382301205012006-11-25T14:47:00.000-05:002006-11-25T15:11:57.203-05:00Former-Spy's Death Spotlights Russian Espionage Activities<span class="on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span><br />The poisoning, and subsequent death, of Former-KGB Colonel Aleaxander Litvinenko has put an unwelcome spotlight on Russian intelligence activities in the UK.<br /><br />A <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/11/21/npoison421.xml">report</a> in London's Telegraph newspaper says there are "30 or more" spies working out of the Russian embassy located in Kensington.<br /><blockquote>"There is still a significant Russian spy presence in Britain, mainly represented by the GRU military intelligence and the SVR, the new name for the overseas operations of the old KGB.<br /><br />The FSB, which some claim was behind the alleged assassination plot, is Russia's internal security apparatus - the equivalent of MI5 in Britain."<br /></blockquote>A similar Financial Times <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/99e9cf56-78bf-11db-802c-0000779e2340.html">article</a> says President Putin has increased the intelligence service's budgets and that,<br /><blockquote>"...the [UK] activities are in three main areas: traditional efforts aimed at gathering government information; the collection of sensitive scientific and technological information; and a growing effort to monitor the activity of Russian dissidents in London."</blockquote>the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-61036240730990098792006-11-25T14:22:00.000-05:002006-11-25T15:40:56.348-05:00B2 or not B2...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4154/4257/1600/164748/B2_Bomber.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/4154/4257/320/342342/B2_Bomber.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />It appears that China has managed to purchase B2 stealth technology from one of the aircraft's engineers. A <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20061123-122450-1979r.htm">report</a> in the Washington Times says that Noshir S. Gowadia, a former defense contractor, sold China information on the B2 Bomber's exhaust system that may allow China to develop countermeasures for the aircraft.<br /><br />Gowadia <span style="font-style: italic;">allegedly</span> also provided assistance to the Chinese to develop a cruise missile with an exhaust system that will make it extremely hard to detect, and also a second missile China could use to intercept air-to-air missiles.<br /><br />Is it a coincidence that Mr. Gowadia worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1990's?<br /><br />Mr. Gowadia's trial is scheduled to begin in July.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo Source: http://cicentre.com</span></span>the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-49427783048551489782006-11-24T12:29:00.000-05:002006-11-25T15:14:20.066-05:00Former KGB Officer Dies in LondonFormer KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko passed away on Thursday in a London hospital. According to the BBC,<br /><blockquote>"Mr. Litvinenko's death has been linked to the presence of a "major dose" of radioactive polonium-210 in his body."</blockquote>Polonium-210 is a naturally occurring radioactive material that emits highly hazardous alpha (positively charged) particles; there are very small amounts are present in the soil, the atmosphere and our bodies. Polonium can be used as a poison if it is ingested or inhaled.<br /><br />Additional BBC coverage can be found <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6180682.stm">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-32422721410452496032006-11-23T12:08:00.000-05:002006-11-25T15:13:44.134-05:00Not So Fast...British doctors say that former-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko's condition continues to deteriorate and that the patient is now on a ventilator to help him breathe.<br /><br />Doctors are also now saying the the cause of Mr. Litvinenko's illness is most likely NOT thallium poisoning, and that the cause is still unknown.<br /><br />You can find continued coverage by the BBC <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6176004.stm">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-87057246342907097392006-11-20T15:08:00.000-05:002006-11-25T15:13:55.393-05:00And of Course the Denial...In a follow up to the last post, Russia denies any involvement in the poisoning of former-KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko.<br /><br />Litvinenko was moved to an intensive care ward over night and has been given a 50/50 chance of surviving over the next few weeks.<br /><br />Catch the entire story <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6165836.stm">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-60875429445977366112006-11-19T14:38:00.000-05:002006-11-19T14:54:29.396-05:00Seems Like Old Times...A story on BBC News is very reminiscent of the 1978 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgi_Markov">Georgi Markov</a> assassination; a former KGB officer is suspected of having been poisoned.<br /><br />Alexander Litvinenko, a former Colonel in the KGB, is in serious condition in a London hospital after having ingested a potentially lethal dose of what is believed to be <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thallium">thallium</a>. Litvinenko has been an outspoken critic of Russian President Putin.<br /><br />Thallium is a tasteless, odorless poison found in rat poisons and insecticides; according to a toxicologist interviewed for the story,<br /><blockquote><br />"... [it] only takes about a gram - you know, a large pinch of salt like in your food - to kill you."</blockquote>You can find the complete story <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6163646.stm">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-52519237301376401732006-11-14T08:49:00.000-05:002006-11-14T09:05:10.849-05:00Cold War TradecraftContinuing on the topic of Cold War tradecraft from the last post, there is a great article on the CIA's Web site that outlines some very in-depth tradecraft used in Moscow in the 1970's and 1980's.<br /><br />The article was written by Barry G. Royden, a former Associate Deputy Director of Operations for Counterintelligence, and first appeared in the agency's journal, <span style="font-style: italic;">Studies In Intelligence</span> (Vol. 47, No. 3, 2003).<br /><br />The article is about A. G. Tolkachev, a Russian engineer who volunteered to spy for the U.S., who was eventually compromised by a disgruntled CIA employee in 1985; Tolkachev was executed in 1986.<br /><br />The article is 31 pages long, but it's worth the read; you can find it <a href="https://www.cia.gov/csi/studies/vol47no3/article02.html">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-40439055999332961672006-11-13T07:10:00.000-05:002006-11-13T07:23:29.696-05:00Invisible InkScientists at Michigan State University think they have duplicated the formula and technique the East German Stasi used to communicate during the Cold War.<br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote>"Agents traced notes onto a piece of paper through a film infused with a chemical solution, much like carbon paper. The writing was revealed by the reader using another special mixture. the scientists explained this week."<br /></blockquote>You can find the complete article <a href="http://www.livescience.com/history/061110_spy_code.html">here</a>.<br /><br />On a separate note, there is a good three-part series on espionage on the Discovery Times channel this month. The series is called <span style="font-style: italic;">CIA Secrets</span> and is broken down in to the stealing, hiding and passing of secrets. Check for programming times on the <a href="http://times.discovery.com/">Discovery Times</a> Web site.<br /><blockquote></blockquote>the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-54385864501326541782006-11-09T19:34:00.000-05:002006-11-09T19:40:29.727-05:00MI5 Working Over 200 Terror NetworksIn a rare interview the head of MI5 says her organization is watching approx. 200 networks comprised of more than 1,600 people, and have thwarted five major terror conspiracies since the July 7, 2005 tube bombings.<br /><br />Read the entire article <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6134516.stm">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-79966890357329106162006-11-07T18:35:00.000-05:002006-11-07T18:39:39.074-05:00Jihadi Forums Tune into History Channel for Counter-Terrorism IntelligenceFrom the latest edition of the Jamestown Terrorism Monitor:<br /><br />Recent chatter on jihadi websites has focused on monitoring the counter-terrorism strategies of the United States and its allies in the global war on terrorism. Jihadi websites and forums are studying and translating the texts of Western analysts who assess current counter-terrorism efforts. The jihadis use these self-critiques by Western analysts to find areas of weakness and tension in U.S.-led counter-terrorism strategy; through this information, they are better able to devise physical and psychological operations to exploit these weaknesses. Additionally, their monitoring of U.S.-led counter-terrorism efforts is an attempt to lift the morale of jihadis by: showing that vulnerable points in the U.S.-led terrorism coalition exist; disseminating false analysis on the plans and intentions of those states allied against the mujahideen; and publicizing artificial casualty accounts of these states, especially those of the U.S. military.<br /><br />By translating and posting reports about casualties from the United States and its allies in Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, jihadi websites are enhancing the mujahideen's arguments of their righteousness; this encourages more fighters to take up the jihad. These individuals are monitoring U.S. military casualty reports on the internet and reposting them in Arabic for their forum participants. One casualty report about an attack by Iraq's Islamic Army on the U.S. military's Falcon Base in Iraq on October 10 listed the names and ranks of 300 American soldiers who were allegedly killed in the attack (http://www.tajdeed.org.uk/forums, October 26). The U.S. casualty report, posted by a user nicknamed Fata al-Jazeera, was received victoriously by the internet jihadis, who expressed their joy with victory phrases such as "Allah Akbar." Another forum translated and posted the U.S. president's skeptical comments about Washington's performance in Iraq published in the National Review Online on October 27. The forum considered Bush's comments a confession of the U.S. defeat in Iraq (http://202.75.35.74/vb/index.php). In the same context, another jihadi website posted an article entitled "America Loses Control in Afghanistan and European Forces Refuse to Fight." The article highlighted the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann's frustration over British forces' uncoordinated withdrawal from Qala district in southern Afghanistan and the warning released by the supreme commander of NATO over the intention of Taliban fighters to use booby-trapped vehicles against coalition troops (http://www.muslm.net, October 27).<br /><br />On the jihadi website al-Tajdeed, a translator by the nickname of "Morsi" translated an article entitled "How al-Qaeda Views a Long War in Iraq" by Dan Murphy, a journalist for the Christian Science Monitor. Murphy's article analyzed al-Qaeda's plans for a long war against the United States in Iraq. The analysis is based on a letter, confiscated by U.S. forces in Iraq, presumably sent to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi from al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and signed by the alias name "Atiyah." In the same context, some jihadi forum participants are cooperating by translating videotapes released by the History television channel in the United States and by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. To demonstrate their intentions, they provided a video for download that included a program from the History Channel that outlined the capabilities of the U.S. Navy. Information included in the video could be used by al-Qaeda and like-minded militants to improve their capabilities against naval forces. Additionally, the jihadis are always interested in Western articles and television shows that analyze al-Qaeda; by using the West's free press, they are able to find out what the "enemy" knows about their capabilities.<br /><br />Commenting on a Washington Post article entitled "Letter Gives Glimpse of al-Qaeda's Leadership" from October 2, jihadis accused the "Zionist media" of disseminating false propaganda insinuating that al-Qaeda's leaders are in Pakistan's tribal Waziristan agencies. They argued that this "faulty" information about al-Qaeda's whereabouts is a pretext for "crusader aggression" on the Pakistani people to punish them for their support of the mujahideen. The jihadis argue that it is illogical for any al-Qaeda leader to reveal the whereabouts of al-Qaeda and that al-Zarqawi would never leave such an important letter behind. A forum participant nicknamed the "Hamburg Cell" warns that this press campaign against al-Qaeda's leaders is very suspicious and that "vicious" plans might be underway against those leaders.<br /><br />Although irregular and non-systematic, the monitoring of Western media analysis helps jihadis learn from the enemy and to better prepare defensive counter-measures. The question, however, can be asked: what makes these forum comments significant, and are these participants actually operational? It is likely that many participants have been in contact with jihadi ideologues and field commanders since these leaders use the forums to communicate with each other and to post training manuals and other jihadi documents—such as in the recent cases of Muhammed al-Hakaima and his controversial book, the "Myth of Delusion"; Abu Yahia al-Libi, a leading member in al-Qaeda; and Yusuf al-Uyayri, ex-leader of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and a renown ideologue of Salafi-Jihadis. Forum participants are constantly interested in subjects related to military tactics and terrorism, a fascination that non-violent individuals do not dwell on each time they log onto the internet.<br /><br />Abdul Hameed Bakier is an intelligence expert on counter-terrorism, crisis management and terrorist-hostage negotiations based in Jordan.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-61245889428292338522006-11-05T19:01:00.000-05:002006-11-05T19:06:22.987-05:00Spycast #2 - Tony MendezThe International Spy Museum has posted their second podcast; this edition has a nice interview with Tony Mendez. Mr. Mendez is the former chief of disguise for the CIA and is the author of <span style="font-style: italic;">Spydust</span> and co-author of <span style="font-style: italic;">Master of Disguise</span>.<br /><br />You can listen online (broadband connection recommended) <a href="http://www.spymuseum.org/spycast/media/2006_11_01_TONY.mp3">here</a>, or you can right-click <a href="http://www.spymuseum.org/spycast/media/2006_11_01_TONY.mp3">here</a> and save the file to your PC.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-40111712313192307512006-10-31T20:42:00.000-05:002006-10-31T20:46:45.128-05:00The No Fly ListThere's an interesting article on MSNBC.com about a graduate student who set up a Web site that generates fake airline boarding passes. These boarding passes are similar to those any traveler can print at home to help "bypass the ticket counter."<br /><br />Check out the article <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15449482/">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-34324237879428288452006-10-25T13:51:00.000-05:002006-10-25T13:59:14.294-05:00SpycastThe folks at the <a href="http://www.spymuseum.org/index.asp">International Spy Museum</a> in Washington, D.C. are starting to offer free monthly podcasts of interviews and information with figures from the intelligence world. The October edition has a 20 minute interview with Oleg Kalugin, former Major General in the KGB.<br /><br />You can listen to the podcast on your computer from <a href="http://www.spymuseum.org/spycast/media/2006_10_05_OLEG.mp3">here</a> (broadband connection recommended), or you can go to <a href="http://www.spymuseum.org/spycast/">http://www.spymuseum.org/spycast/</a> and right-click on the file to save it to your computer.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-33309509118895665922006-10-19T18:08:00.000-05:002006-10-19T18:10:22.184-05:00Homegrown TerrorismHere's an interesting piece from the Jamestown Terorrism Monitor:<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Danger of Homegrown Terrorism to Scandinavia</span></span><br /><br />By Lorenzo Vidino<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size:85%;">The recent rounds of arrests in North America and in Europe highlight the changed face of jihadi terrorism in the West. The profile of the cells dismantled in Toronto and London this past summer confirms a trend that had become apparent after the November 2004 assassination of Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam and the 7/7 London bombings: the majority of terrorist activities inside the West come from independent, homegrown networks. Composed mostly of extremely young, second- and third-generation Muslim immigrants in the West (with the notable addition of a growing number of converts), these spontaneous networks have only an ideological affiliation with al-Qaeda, while generally operating with virtually total autonomy. Although it is unlikely that these groups, given their relatively simple structures and often amateurish preparation, could carry out large operations, they are nevertheless dangerous. Their deep knowledge of Western cultures and languages, possession of Western passports and relative lack of overt ties to large terrorist organizations make their detection a difficult task for authorities. Their proven determination to strike their own countries, combined with the relatively easy access to explosive substances and weapons, makes them an immediate threat to the security of Western countries. <br /></span>the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-19531679455083161102006-10-19T08:45:00.000-05:002006-10-19T08:51:15.369-05:00UK is the Main al-Qaeda TargetAn article on the BBC News site mentions how al-Qaeda is setting up an IRA-like structure in the UK. The article also mentions that<br /><p> <span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;">"Each cell has a leader, a quartermaster dealing with weapons, and volunteers. <!-- E SF --> </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">According to our correspondent, each cell works on separate, different plots, with masterminds controlling several different cells. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">Those involved in the cells were often aware they were being followed and so were meeting in public spaces. </span></p><p> <span style="font-size:85%;">In addition, training is taking place in the UK and Pakistan."</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></p>You can find the complete article <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/uk/6065460.stm">here</a>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34877498.post-1158966270138801192006-09-22T17:58:00.000-05:002006-09-22T18:05:10.843-05:00The Dead Drop is LoadedAfter many many months on hiatus, the.dead.drop is back in operation. I had gotten into the habit of e-mailing articles but this is easier.<br /><br />And speaking of articles, here are three very interesting ones by Bill Gertz of the Washington Times:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060918-124646-8530r.htm">Enemies - Part 1 </a><br /><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060919-122106-4692r.htm">Enemies - Part 2</a><br /><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060920-123737-3755r.htm">Enemies - Part 3</a><br /><br />These are excerpts from Mr. Gertz's new book <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Enemies: How America's Foes Steal Our Vital Secrets - And How We Let Them</span>.the.dead.drophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805102693098149238noreply@blogger.com0