Intelligence - Blogs of War (Page 4)

Intelligence

A collection of 120 posts

Counterterrorism Challenges: Pondering Seemingly Unsolvable Problems with Phillip Smyth

Counterterrorism Challenges: Pondering Seemingly Unsolvable Problems with Phillip Smyth

The first Covert Contact interview features University of Maryland Laboratory for Computational Cultural Dynamics researcher Phillip Smyth. Phillip is also well known for his Hizballah Cavalcade [http://jihadology.net/hizballah-cavalcade/] project on Jihadology [http://jihadology.net/] Phillip specializes in Shia militias, and we touch on that topic, but most of

The Senate Torture Report

The Senate Torture Report

It is always disheartening when America does not live up to the standards many of us expect and in the adoption and execution of enhanced interrogation we have failed to do that on many levels. The primary failure is that our elected officials and the people who serve them strayed

The Navy SEAL Who Killed Osama bin Laden and the Anonymous Heroes You'll Never Know

The Navy SEAL Who Killed Osama bin Laden and the Anonymous Heroes You'll Never Know

In episode eight I look at the case of Navy SEAL Rob O’Neill [http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/11/12/navy-seal-who-shot-usama-bin-laden-revealed-in-exclusive-fox-news-interview/] and the culture that lures men and women like him out of the shadows and into a world of fame, ego gratification, and financial reward. I examine

Lone Wolf Terrorism and the Importance of Perspective

Lone Wolf Terrorism and the Importance of Perspective

In episode 5 of Covert Contact I take a look at the real impact of lone wolf terror attacks, why ISIS seems to have been more successful than al-Qaeda at motivating these individual actors, and how the average citizen can put these acts of violence in proper perspective. I also

DIA Director Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn Shares His Thoughts on Threats, Opportunities, and 33 Years of Service

DIA Director Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn Shares His Thoughts on Threats, Opportunities, and 33 Years of Service

Update This interview occurred in 2014 before Lt. Gen. Flynn assumed a much more political and public profile. It occurred before he was caught dining with Vladimir Putin [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/guess-who-came-dinner-flynn-putin-n742696] to celebrate the founding of a Russian propaganda outfit built to undermine the West. It

Anthony Bourdain Talks Travel, Food, and War

Anthony Bourdain Talks Travel, Food, and War

I’ve never met anyone interested in the world around them who isn’t terribly envious of Anthony Bourdain. Fans of his books [http://www.amazon.com/Anthony-Bourdain/e/B001H6GY4C/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1405910889&sr=8-2-ent] and shows like No Reservations [http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/

On Edward Snowden's Importance

On Edward Snowden's Importance

Nextgov has a rundown of Sonia Brindi’s (Globo) interview with Edward Snowden [http://www.nextgov.com/cloud-computing/2014/06/edward-snowden-i-had-more-access-almost-any-other-official-intelligence-community/85744/] . His narcissism is, once again, on full display: > The public’s bewilderment is misplaced, Snowden replied. “There’s sort of been a misinformation occurring in the U.

‪Exclusive: The Elaborate Hack that Will Prevent the CIA/NSA from Monitoring Your Communications‬

‪Exclusive: The Elaborate Hack that Will Prevent the CIA/NSA from Monitoring Your Communications‬

Look, we all know that the NSA is interested in you. You tweet really edgy stuff like “Obummer sucks!!” and “Fight NSA Spying!“ You were also totally all over that UN internment camp they’re setting up in Alabama depsite the lamestream media’s best attempts to cover the whole

Michael Ross: Richard Silverstein Confuses Concept of “Tikkun Olam” with Reckless Endangerment, Cyber-Bullying, Defamation, and Mendacity

Michael Ross: Richard Silverstein Confuses Concept of “Tikkun Olam” with Reckless Endangerment, Cyber-Bullying, Defamation, and Mendacity

Michael Ross was born in Canada and served as a soldier in a combat unit of the Israel Defence Forces prior to being recruited as a “combatant,” (a term designating a deep-cover operative tasked with working in hostile milieus) in Israel’s legendary secret intelligence service, the Mossad. In his

Art as Espionage in Cold War America

Art as Espionage in Cold War America

Julia Tatiana Bailey is an art historian researching art as propaganda and diplomacy in Cold War America. She is currently completing her PhD as a Predoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. She blogs twice-weekly on Cold War art at ESPIONART [http://espionart.wordpress.com/

It's Cold Out There

It's Cold Out There

Theodore W. Weaver is a former Intelligence Officer within the CIA’s National Clandestine Service and the Directorate of Science and Technology. He has close to a decade working as a Special Agent with several Federal agencies and has worked against counter proliferation, human trafficking/smuggling, child exploitation, Intellectual Property

Hacker OPSEC with The Grugq

Hacker OPSEC with The Grugq

The Grugq is a world renowned [http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/03/23/shopping-for-zero-days-an-price-list-for-hackers-secret-software-exploits/] information security researcher with 15 years of industry experience. Grugq started his career at a Fortune 100 company, before transitioning to @stake, where he was forced to resign for publishing a Phrack article on

Everybody Spies - and for Good Reason

Everybody Spies - and for Good Reason

William J. Tucker serves as a senior security representative to a major government contractor where he acts as the Counterintelligence Officer, advises on counterterrorism issues, and prepares personnel for overseas travel. His additional duties include advising his superiors in matters concerning emergency management and business continuity planning. Mr. Tucker regularly

Would the U.S. Really Kill Edward Snowden?

Would the U.S. Really Kill Edward Snowden?

William J. Tucker serves as a senior security representative to a major government contractor where he acts as the Counterintelligence Officer, advises on counterterrorism issues, and prepares personnel for overseas travel. His additional duties include advising his superiors in matters concerning emergency management and business continuity planning. Mr. Tucker regularly

Ten Short Outrage-Busting Reads on French Spying for President Hollande

Ten Short Outrage-Busting Reads on French Spying for President Hollande

“France tells US to ‘immediately’ stop spying [http://www.france24.com/en/20130701-france-hollande-snowden-us-spying-unacceptable-germany-asylum] ” might be the silliest headline of all time given France’s large, aggressive, and quite competent intelligence community. Some perspective: 1. List of Intelligence Agencies in France [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_intelligence_agencies_of_

Edward Snowden: Booz Allen Hamilton Job Sought for Access to Classified Material

Edward Snowden: Booz Allen Hamilton Job Sought for Access to Classified Material

You might remember this comment from Edward Snowden during his Guardian live Q&A on June 17: > The statement I made about earnings was that $200,000 was my “career high” salary. I had to take pay cuts in the course of pursuing specific work. Booz was not

William J. Tucker: Hawaii a Priority Target for Foreign Espionage

William J. Tucker: Hawaii a Priority Target for Foreign Espionage

William J. Tucker serves as a senior security representative to a major government contractor where he acts as the Counterintelligence Officer, advises on counterterrorism issues, and prepares personnel for overseas travel. His additional duties include advising his superiors in matters concerning emergency management and business continuity planning. Mr. Tucker regularly

China's Media Warns of Challenges to US Businesses in Wake of Edward Snowden's Revelations

China's Media Warns of Challenges to US Businesses in Wake of Edward Snowden's Revelations

This English summary [http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20130618000122&cid=1101] from Taiwan-based Want China Times zeros in on Cisco but other tech giants are named: > Furthermore, Cisco is the key technology and equipment supplier to the US government and its military. Security experts are therefore