Pulling together a list of the wars most in need of international attention and support in 2016 is challenging for all the wrong reasons. For 20 years after the end of the Cold War, deadly conflict was in decline. Fewer wars were killing fewer people the world over. Five years ago, however, that positive…
Category: Counterintelligence
Cyber-Espionage: The Biggest Dangers are the Ones You Will Never Know About
For years, I slept fitfully after a “friend” told me that it wasn’t the noisy mosquitos buzzing in my ears at night that were a problem. Instead, it was the female mosquitos that made no noise at all but laid eggs in your ears at night. That image wrecked my sleep until the Internet helped…
Ankara’s Hidden Hand: Turkish Covert Ops Then and Now
To put it mildly, Turkey has been substantially involved in Syria since the eruption of the Arab Spring in 2011. After Turkish F-16s recently downed a Su-24 Russian tactical bomber over the region where Turkmen anti-Assad groups are based, Turkish President Erdogan tacitly confirmed Turkey’s covert support for Syrian rebels fighting against Damascus, stating that “anyone…
China’s Military Intelligence System is Changing
As American families dined on turkey and stuffing, China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) was hard at work in Beijing hammering out military reforms. These reforms were then announced to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) by President Xi Jinping, who also serves as the CMC chairman. The proposed organizational changes may make this round of reform…
Cold War Files: CIA Fooled by Massive Double-Agent Failure
The CIA was fooled by scores of double agents pretending to be working for the agency but secretly loyal to communist spy agencies during the Cold War and beyond, according to a former CIA analyst, operations officer, and historian. The large-scale deception included nearly 100 fake CIA recruits in East Germany, Cuba, as well as the…
The Truth About SpyWar and How 21st Century Espionage Really Works
Espionage is a constant in human civilization. Spying features prominently in theOld Testament and it’s often called the “second oldest profession” with good reason. The ancient Chinese sage Sun Tzu wrote eloquently about the strategic importance of espionage and counterespionage fully 2,500 years ago. As long as people have lived in anything resembling societies, they…
The Sixth Dimension: DOD Could declare the Electro-Magnetic Spectrum (EMS) a Domain of Warfare
The Defense Department’s recent emphasis on the importance of the electromagnetic spectrum could be coming to a head, as the department is considering recognizing the spectrum as a sixth domain of operations, in addition to land, air, sea, space and cyberspace, which officially was declared a domain in 2011. In a statement to Breaking Defense, DOD…
Propaganda Alert: Exploiting Tragedy and the Continuing Agenda to Disarm America Bullet by Bullet
By Hammerhead The latest tragedy in San Bernardino, California where a jihadist terrorist couple walked into a Christmas Party at the husbands place of work and shot down 14 people in cold blood is just another CHANCE for the no-bama administration to ride the political wave of “public sentiment and anger” toward both terrorism…
Crusader Corner #9: Understanding ISIS’ “De-Centralized” Organizational Structure
Decentralization: The Future of ISIS by Nicholas B. Pace With the United States increasingly involved in counter-terror operations across the world, terrorist organizations have had to become more flexible and adaptive to their environment. Centralized, top-down terrorist organizations with ambitions to target the United States and its interests are no longer feasible. The United…
Tradecraft: 9 Secrets to Reading People
The ability to read others will greatly affect how you deal with them. When you understand how another person is feeling, you can adapt your message and communication style to make sure it is received in the best way possible. But what should you be listening for? And what other signs can tip you…