“Then he went up to China and started negotiating in strategic materials, funny ones like tung oil and things like that,” Mackenzie told the Imperial War Museum. / CBS News. And how are we going to get on that network and have a success similar to Ghost Stories? As for actually using the phone (or any PTT device that looks like a cellphone) for operational purposes, try to avoid using classic tactical communications when out in the field. It will also be a good idea to silence your ringer. Todd Shelton: We see the change in the tactics being employed … with Semenko and Chapman. This latest Russian technology shut the door on the FBI's ability to crack the new spies' communications. Todd Shelton: For the first time, rather than being on the outside, looking in … we're reading in almost real time exactly what's happening. How do spies conduct dead drops? - CNN Video … We had just hit the reset button with Russia. For days following that I was worried that i contracted so sort of rare illness, […] best to start with those earlier articles, since they explain more about the fundamentals of SD and covert operations. The CIA Secretly Evacuated Its Spies From Afghanistan Exclusive: Inside the Military's Secret Undercover Army For those who have read my earlier articles, those who already know all about SD, or those who […], […] previous articles (here, and here), I’ve discussed how this can apply to surveillance detection and covert operations, but now I […], […] First, understand that I’m a huge movie buff, so I’m not about to pour any scorn on the film industry for what it gets wrong. He worked in China and Japan from the early 1930s until he was arrested by the Japanese in October 1941. Rather than establishing official callsigns, try using names (they obviously don’t have to be your real names), and make up a name for your target too – maybe something like Ted. Their mission was to gather sensitive information that would be sent back to Moscow, which could potentially be used to damage U.S. national security. Leon Panetta:  My Russian section at the CIA … asked the FBI to come over and brief me. Todd Shelton: Anna Chapman -- young, hip, pretty. Russian operative Christopher Metsos had been dispatched from Moscow to assist the spies. These included short, skinny, bicycle riding hipsters; young Asian females; ‘little old ladies’ and more; and they have been some of the most formidable operators I have ever seen – almost effortlessly invisible, even to those who were actively trying to detect them. Todd Shelton:  Michael Zottoli seemed very easygoing. North Korea has also sought less . Culper Ring (Y: The Last Man) | DC Database | Fandom … We conducted countless hours of surveillance … and determined the best way of entering the residence. By 2009, the FBI had been watching the Russian spy network for nearly a decade. The two main advantages that sitting down will give you are a less noticeable appearance, combined with the ability to see and notice more yourself. And though It might seem strange that such a basic idea would be so difficult to follow, this is precisely why field exercises are so crucial – to show you that simple ideas in theory feel very different, and are much more difficult, in practice. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Fundamen- . Not all of the money was invested in back-end deals that filled their pockets. Phony names, cryptic codes, money drops…. One of the keys to the cover/cover story dynamic is to always start with a good cover, and then work your way towards a good cover story. Maria Ricci: When they first come to the United States, they're armed only with a birth certificate. Maria Ricci: We had cameras there, and so we were able to capture Michael Zottoli going into the woods and digging up $60,000. Their job was to secretly collect information and report back to Comey's office on the President and his Administration. The CIA Should Not Become Involved in Direct Combat Operations by Bruce Berkowitz 100 The CIA should leave fighting to America's soldiers and stick to what it does best—spying. The operation had reportedly successfully cracked a Mossad spy ring, exposed five cells and arrested 15 men suspected of conducting covert activities on foreign students and Palestinians. USSOCOM's stated mission is to plan, direct and execute special operations in the conduct of the War on Alan Kohler: I was very concerned that it was going to fall apart. There is a special quality to the texture of a homeless persons hair that is difficult to replicate. The solution? Covert operations that are not attributable to the organization performing them. Witnessing these exchanges of cash was significant. Some were even rewarded with high-profile jobs working for state-run agencies. Each man carries an identical bag, which they exchange midpoint on the stairs. Birdwatcher. Elizabeth Lapin: The night of the arrests, I have to say, everybody was in the streets. Surveillance video shows Russian spy Anna Chapman, wearing sunglasses, meeting with an undercover agent in a New York coffee shop  on  June 6, 2010. They wanted them to target people with more value. Maria Ricci: Richard Murphy was supposed to say … "Uncle Paul sends his love" and the response was supposed to be "Isn't it nice to be Santa Claus in May.". Not only had the FBI found a way into the spy ring, they made an extraordinary discovery: how the operatives communicated by embedding hidden messages in images. He tugs on his collar. The intention of this article is to give some tips and suggestions for covert operators, and to point out some of the more common, and therefore predictable – and therefore detectable – indicators and mistakes that many operators tend to make. Story by Peter Kornbluh and Clinton . They had two teenage sons who were born in Canada. But those summits in Canada put the arrests on hold. Todd Shelton: We documented multiple occasions where this electronic exchange had happened. The reason why I mention this is because serious people with these types of backgrounds, naturally move and posture themselves in ways that are the opposite of bland and lazy. Codenamed Operation Remorse, Walter Fletcher and his tight-knit team manipulated the Chinese black market to raise millions of pounds to fund other covert programs in the region Though these insights come from my own operational and instructional experience, I want to make it clear that I am in no way an absolute authority on the subject (mostly because there is no such thing). It appears Iran shared its discovery with China during 2011.As a result, dozens more spies were rounded up and killed. Well-written article! As an aside, if you must take position in a restaurant (maybe in order to closely surveil a target that is having a meal there), make sure to pay for your meal as soon as it arrives. KATIE COURIC | CBS EVEING NEWS: Tonight: A spy for a spy. Do not volunteer too many details, and keep it bland and boring so that the person you’re talking to will forget you as soon as he/she walks away. Stay alert brothers! It even has a number of people standing and sitting there – all the better for you to blend into. others will SEE you and silently come to their own conclusion about whether you belong there. its easy to replicate the look and posture but homeless people, smell bad, not just bad but really bad. From my experience, when most people consider what a covert operator might look like, they tend to think of a single individual (usually male). Staring into a blank cellphone screen can give away the fact that you’re pretending. Todd Shelton: Sometimes, even the most sophisticated of intelligence operations can be undone by just some stroke of bad luck. Did the Military Drag Its Feet During the Jan. 6 Riots? Part of what makes coffee shops so ideal for surveillance and SD is that unlike most other businesses, they will let you spend pretty much all day in them, more or less un-harassed. Alan Kohler: Some of them were very sullen. Establishment [ ] After the battle of Monmouth in late June 1778, British forces under General Sir Henry Clinton retreated to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The hands-free cell phone earphones with a mic (usually dangling down from just one ear) is something I see too often on covert operators – making them quite easy to detect. Not only has Britain conducted covert action for hundreds of years, but recent governments have looked to spies and special forces to advance national interests as discreetly as possible. Operation 34A (full name, Operational Plan 34A, also known as OPLAN 34-Alpha) was a highly classified United States program of covert actions against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV or North Vietnam), consisting of agent team insertions, aerial reconnaissance missions and naval sabotage oper Current scholarship on covert operations focuses primarily on military operations. Watch Tuesdays at 10/9c on CBS. This is because coffee shops often provide some of the best vantage points. Twitter With the 10 spies in custody, talks quickly began between the U.S. and Russia about a spy swap. And they literally passed each other on the runway. I mean, I liked it there. FBI, police. But when the United . basically spies, who engage in covert intelligence activity. I thank my Maker for helping me to know how to make it work and live. Todd Shelton: Near the conclusion of that meeting, we see Murphy reach into his backpack. So you sat down. "Tradecraft" includes the techniques, methods and technologies that a spy uses to gather intelligence. Alan Kohler: There was a certain feeling of closure … talking with them and seeing them and knowing this was it. The FBI learned Richard Murphy had in his possession $300,000 in cash and a flash drive containing a new covert communication system. Alan Kohler: Our concern was the Russians would worry about …  the safety of the … spies …  that were based in the United States and would start to pull them back to Russia. He utilized this cell phone to … set up a brush pass in Columbus Circle. Richard Murphy is taken into custody by the FBI outside his Montclair, New Jersey, home. Alan Kohler: The summer of 2010 … specifically that last week in June, was really going to be the only time that we anticipated having all the … spies … in the country together. Both employed a variety of tactics, including bribes, intimidation, propaganda, and . And fortunately for us … we were already compromising that cell phone. Some type of low profile communication method is almost always necessary for covert operations, and is therefore one of the first telltale signs that a professional will look for. At  a rest stop in Wurtsboro, New York, the FBI located bundles of cash, seen here wrapped in silver duct tape, buried in a dead drop. Some of them were very philosophical about it. In China, an interim covert system was used with newly identified assets . So far I have found the best cover story to be a “Fuck Off whats it to do with you” approach and to look like you fit into that environment for me it seems works at most levels . So long that the battery on the old mini camera started flashing … I'm thinking I'm not going to get the shot. He really used that as a platform to gain access to people that might ultimately be in positions of authority. It's nitty-gritty analysis. Journalist and author Rob Evans explains how the story of this political policing scandal has unravelled. For example, if you want people to think you’re a homeless person, you dress and look the part so that even from a distance, anyone looking your way should conclude – just by sight – that you’re a homeless person. Washington D.C., September 10, 2021 - At the behest of the CIA, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) established a "station" in Santiago in 1971 and conducted clandestine spy operations to directly support U.S. intervention in Chile, according to declassified Australian records made public for the first time today by the National Security Archive. The "spies" were actually from another highly secret Army intelligence unit named Yellow Fruit that was waging a bitter, all-out war for control of covert activities. […] Tips & Suggestions For Covert Operators […]. I’ve examined them from every which way, explained how they look, discussed many case studies and talked about […]. Turkey has released the photos of the 15 alleged Mossad (Israeli) spies caught by its intelligence agency, in an operation earlier this month. He worked in China and Japan from the early 1930s until he was arrested by the Japanese in October 1941. … Through a GPS device … we affixed to the rental car that Metsos was driving, we see the car go north out of New York City to a rest stop in Wurtsboro, New York. Maria Ricci: Richard Murphy was going to pass a $150,000 … and the flash drive containing the new covert communication system … to Michael Zottoli. Hi Ami. As we told you, fired FBI director James Comey reportedly conducted his own "covert operation" against President Trump by inserting FBI agents - spies - inside the White House. Maria Ricci: They were … toddlers when I first joined the case and I watched them grow up into really great, beautiful young ladies. The military doesn't conduct covert operations, the senior former official says, and military personnel don't fight undercover. For 18 months from 1971, according to the US-based National Security Archive, Asis apparently conducted covert operations in Chile - including handling CIA-recruited Chilean assets in Santiago . He writes for his micro-blog @LateNightHistory on Instagram, where he shares the story behind the image. Maria Ricci: When we entered the Murphy home, one of the things we found was what we call the tradecraft box. Todd Shelton: The Murphys had two children born in the United States. Maria Ricci: As a result of the arrest in Canada … Christopher Metsos never came back to the U.S. after that. After the battle of Monmouth. In April 1945, a force of 5,500 French soldiers across eight different locations were low on food and medical supplies and lacked blankets and clothing. For more than a decade, FBI agents bugged the spies' homes, followed their travels, and ultimately cracked their secret communications network. Cynthia and Richard  Murphy lived in Montclair, N.J., where they were raising two children born in the U.S.. "If you didn't know better, you would think this is the typical American family living out the typical American dream in the typical American neighborhood," Agent Shelton said. It is much appreciated. He knew five languages fluently. The group's headquarters was in the town of Setauket on Long Island, New York. If you do want to get my serious take on the matter, please check out my previous article, Tips & Suggestions For Covert Operators. Find somewhere to sit down, get comfortable and relax. The Cold War was a war between the US and the Soviet Union, where they were fighting about who was the better country. All Rights Reserved. He is also the host of the Late Night History podcast. Secret Agents, Secret Armies: The D-Day Misfit Spies. Demolition and sabotage operations. Walter Fletcher was deemed unfit to serve in the British Armed Forces during World War II and was such a nuisance to Baker Street that any jobs he had requested that involved physical effort were denied. conducted covert operations. As a covert operator, you should want the exact opposite – bland, lazy and boring. The inks were studied. And I said, "Yeah, absolutely." You could, of course, mask this by pretending to talk into a regular cell phone, but in that case, why not actually talk into one for real? Todd Shelton: Richard and Cynthia Murphy are both fabricated people. You might be able to justify a good 20-30 minutes at a bus stop, but eventually, you will have to board one of the buses that stops there. the Cold War is Bridge of Spies. Read More. Good ideas and premises… Australian spies in Chilean overthrow. The spies conducted a covert operation . Todd Shelton: If you have a well-executed counterintelligence operation, nothing's taken. BOB ORR | CBS NEWS: A throwback to the cold war. Tim Street. I often try to look like the sort of chap that would be supervising some building contractors. They will probably not be a professional "spy" but may have some . There is a celebrated quote by Winston Churchill, who, after being asked to what he attributed his success in life, answered “Economy of effort. Blending into a small group of people standing at a bus stop for some 30-40 seconds until the target starts moving again might seem very inviting, but, once again, remember, there’s only one logical justification for standing at a bus stop – getting on a bus. [1] While espionage is the act of gathering foreign intelligence information of the adversary's plans or activities, counterespionage is the defense against enemy "spies" or commonly known as "assets" from conducting those very . Though these insights come from my own operational and instructional experience, I want to make it clear that I am in no way an absolute authority on the subject (mostly because there is no such thing). Maria Ricci: They walked together to a restaurant in Sunnyside and they sat at the table by the window and they were there for approximately two hours. Could the FBI stop the spies before sensitive secrets got into the hands of the Russian government? Todd Shelton: It was the request of the administration that we delay our arrest until the U.S. President was back in the United States and the Russian president was away from North American airspace. In a Virginia park, the FBI documents Michael Semenko load a dead drop. And in the worst case scenario, your movement from one vantage point to a better one will be picked up as a classic surveillance indicator/mistake by someone who knows what to look for. Instagram. Some luddutes leave them in all day long. Great article. The spies' identities, or backstory – known as a legend – was determined long before they set foot on American soil. The intention of this article is to give some tips and suggestions for covert operators, and to point out some of the more common, and therefore predictable - and therefore detectable - indicators and mistakes that many operators tend to make. Todd Shelton: A credentialed, diplomat of the Russian Federation is moving down the stairs while Metsos is moving up the stairs. This includes internet researches, which can be a very important stage in which to do research and come up with deeper covers and cover stories – which I would recommend any case (better safe than sorry). Follow Matt Fratus: Bus stops do indeed provide a logical justification for standing (or hopefully sitting) in very central locations, but this justification only makes sense if the bus stop is used for its intended purpose – to get on a bus. Really nice to read. Black . National and International. Leon Panetta | Former CIA director: Their children have no idea. … Now we have another key link in the chain that we can ultimately use to forge a criminal charge of conspiracy. Todd Shelton: Initially we focused on … Juan Lazaro and Vicky Peláez, who are living in Yonkers, New York. Watch Lara Logan's report on Sunday, May 13 at 7 p.m. ET/PT. A cover is the visual projection of what a covert operator wants people to see, and therefore think of him/her. … Really smart kid. On the eve of its 48th anniversary, documents just declassified by the Australian National Archives show the extent to which the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) worked closely with the CIA in the lead-up to the Coup-d'état in Chile in September 1973. … Initially when we looked at the discs, they appeared to be blank. Culper Spy Ring - Interesting Facts. ==Establishment== After the battle of Monmouth in late June 1778, British forces under General Sir Henry Clinton retreated to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. B. S. van Deinise, a civilian and advisor of the mission, penned a memo that determined Operation Remorse was the “masterkey” for further intelligence actions in China: “I wanted to point out that the Masterkey should be made available to some of those who want to peep in and out of various compartments without attracting undue attention.”, The billion pound endeavor, hidden behind the auspices of bank statements and a covert paper trail, was only revealed to the general public after several intelligence activities from organizations like the SOE were declassified during the 1990s.Â. Look around you the next time you’re out and about, and notice what bored/boring people are doing (remember, you want to look boring). 2. 6 He chose 12 prominent individuals, one from each of the 12 tribes, to be his spies and instructed them to go to the Promised Land and learn what the land was like. During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Army and British Army conducted espionage operations against one another to collect military intelligence to inform military operations. Either spending a long period of time at a bus stop, or walking away from a bus stop without having boarded a bus, can get you detected by someone who knows what to look for. In Montclair, New Jersey, neighbors of Richard and Cynthia Murphy were also stunned. WBZ BOSTON NEWS REPORT: A husband and wife from Cambridge are in federal custody tonight. Why the Spooks, Spies, and SEALs like the M/45. So, agents pulled an all-nighter, preparing a criminal complaint with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York to arrest the spies. … We found an odd piece of paper that had Alt-Control-E and then a 27-character password … And we found a bunch of floppy disks. The spy ring conducted covert operations against the British Army from late 1778 up until when the British evacuated New York City in 1783. Sandboxx | July 23, 2021. The Intelligence Community is the nation's first line of defense, ensuring that policymakers are promptly aware of . You’ve made your bed, now lie in it. A person who commits espionage is called an espionage agent or spy. Todd Shelton: The intelligence work -- it's not all James Bond and sports cars. October 13, 2020 / 11:10 PM It really was a pretty seamless transition for such a large package. When not writing about history, Matt enjoys volunteering for One More Wave and rooting for Boston sports teams. 01/11/2021. Good vantage point, right? … And he hands those to Michael Zottoli. Fletcher was not well liked, but he was resourceful. Todd Shelton: Immediately when he hit the enter key, a window came up. Todd Shelton: He's in Seton Hall University. Research the area you are going to be operating in and have clothing and props appropriate to that environment. … The Murphys were my favorite. I think that … he … thought that he was a victim of someone else's mistake. Todd Shelton:  The Russians … told Metsos to drive upstate New York and bury it. … This was the moment. Black Operations. SSC553 SSC553 Answer: A covert operation is a military operation intended to conceal the identity of (or allow plausible denial by) the party that instigated the operation. And the repercussions of our action could impact U.S. foreign policy. Alan Kohler: The last few days before the arrest was kind of a crazy time. says Ricci. Another aspect of intelligence practiced during this time was counterintelligence (keeping valuable information out of the hands . This same principle also applies to your behavior, as had been discussed earlier in the article. They have resisted subjecting covert operations to conventional audits . FBI agents quickly realized Christopher Metsos was sent to distribute a secret cache of money to subsidize the Russian operatives. A series of CIA memos describes how Israeli Mossad agents posed as American spies to recruit members of the terrorist organization Jundallah to fight their covert war against Iran. … The whole purpose of these 10 spies was to be able to penetrate sensitive positions. Fast forward to the beginning of America's involvement in Vietnam. As for hands-free extensions (both wired and wireless), I’m not a huge fan. 26/10/2021. Moses conducted the earliest spying operations recorded in the Bible. Maria Ricci: And when those two computers were within a certain … proximity of each other, they would … be able to send a quick burst message back and forth. You know, he's admitting that … these were spies. In early 2006, just as the FBI was closing in on the American spy ring, the surprise discovery of a Russian operative by Canadian intelligence threatened to shut down the FBI's investigation. Covert operations that are not attributable to the organization performing them. They had to build a life here. … He checks his watch. These indicators and mistakes apply to most types of covert operations – from hostile surveillance to surveillance detection, covert security and protective surveillance. Todd Shelton: That was a great break. Leon Panetta: We agreed to set up an exchange in Vienna. Todd Shelton: At FBI headquarters … we were thinking, what's the next threat? For more than a decade, the FBI focused on four couples living in a NYC suburb, Washington, DC, the Boston area, and Montclair, New Jersey. Where did they get the documentation? Ed Foley: When you're working somebody for so long, you kind of get to know them. To underscore one important point you made, I have found that the cover is often more important than the cover story. … It was right out of the movies [laughs]. Now that we covered the advantages of working together, let’s consider what might get you in trouble. … Everything really hinged on the final weekend. Until a prompt for that 27-character password appeared. An agent who pays spies and bribes authorities. Wiretaps, electronic monitoring, intercepts of electronic communication … to learn … exactly what we were facing. Nine times out of ten, they will have their smartphones in their hands. … We worked very hard at ensuring that those relationships did not progress. Alan Kohler: A dead drop is a cache of, typically, money. They’re sitting and talking – right? For more on this subject and many others, get my book, http://protectioncircle.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/the-hostile-planning-process/, Surveillance Detection – Tips & Suggestions For Field Operators | Protection Circle, Deductive Observation | Protection Circle, Hollywood, Surveillance and Covert Operations, Covert Operations – Common Misconceptions, Weekend Knowledge Dump- November 29, 2019 | Active Response Training. Finally, if you absolutely have to use a bus stop (for a relatively short amount of time – until you actually get on a bus), pay attention to where the bus is coming from. Am I saying that anyone who possesses any of these items is necessarily a covert operator? Around 2000, FBI agents learned there were multiple sets of Russian spies in the United States, posing as Americans. Their hunch was dead on. As previously mentioned, the purpose of this operation was to "spy out" Canaan. Back in the suburbs of New Jersey, Richard Murphy, flush with $175,000, made a plan to disperse some of the cash to a fellow Russian operative in New York City. Tip for surveillance: change clothes often; tip for c/surveillance: there is a thing an operator hardly change in his appearence: shoes. T he Iraqi had a lot to prove to his Iranian spy handler.

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