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 Email: afio@afio.com

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Released to the public 16 February 2025...

High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad

Mickey Bergman,
author,
"In the Shadows:
True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad

Interview of Thursday, 26 Nov 2024 with Michael "Mickey" Bergman, the CEO of Global Reach and the Vice President and Executive Director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement. He is also the author (with Ellis Henican) of "In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad."
Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.
Bergman is responsible for the negotiations that brought many high-profile prisoners home, including Brittney Griner, Danny Fenster, Otto Warmbier, and Trevor Reed. In the Shadows details his never-before-told stories inside the secret negotiations to free Americans from some of the world's most repressive countries, including North Korea, Russia, Hamas, and more.
In the Shadows can be purchased here.
The interview runs 57 minutes with several Q&As.

Access the BERGMAN video interview here or click above image.

Podcast here.

Released to members-only on 18 February 2025

The Untold Origin Story of the War on Terror

James M. Scott
on the Carr-Scott book
"Targeted: Beirut
The 1983 Marine Barracks Bombing
and the Untold Origin Story of the War on Terror"

Interview of Thursday, 12 Dec 2024 with James M. Scott, co-author with Jack Carr, of Targeted: Beirut: The 1983 Marine Barracks Bombing and the Untold Origin Story of the War on Terror. Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.
A behind-the-scenes account of a mission and a fight that changed America. It was the event that ushered in the War on Terror. And it shows the pitfalls of American hubris, overreach, and irresponsible military intervention. Paints the entire picture of mind-boggling events before, during, and after the Beirut Bombing, from ancient history to present day. The authors tell the story through voices of Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers who endured the two-year "peacekeeping" operation. We also experience the tragedy through the president, generals, and policymakers back in Washington. Another sad chapter in the Middle East's centuries old internecine struggle among its inhabitants and the price America pays for problematic policies despite history and seemingly dismissed lessons owing as much to hubris and breathtaking naivete.

Targeted: Beirut can be purchased here.
More information about other James Scott books.
For information on Jack Carr, his bio and links here.
The interview runs 27 minutes with several Q&As.

Access the SCOTT video interview here or click above image.

Upcoming AFIO and Intelligence Community Events
Many informative, fascinating programs are occurring in the Washington Metro Area and across the country. Find out which ones to add to your calendar to stay connected and to stay current.

Corporate
Learn how your company can make a difference with AFIO corporate memberships and marketing opportunities. Reach more than 4,800 intelligence professionals.

National Members
Join or renew your existing membership and enjoy member benefits, such as special publications, invitations to events, unique banking & investment services, scholarships, and career assistance.

Publications
As a member or subscriber you receive the popular Weekly Intelligence Notes [WINs] and the print-only academic journal: Intelligencer - Journal of U.S. Intelligence Studies for the intelligence community by intelligence professionals. AFIO also produces Intelligence As A Career - a printed and online guide to organizing your life and education to qualify for work in the intelligence community, and a Guide to the Study of Intelligence to assist college instructors, secondary school teachers of history, civics, and current events, and students, on the best readings on a wide variety of current intelligence topics.

About Us
Learn about us - our many events, publications, programs, and legislative alerts. Support AFIO with purchases and donations or meet our members at events throughout the US. Make your views known.

Chapters
Local chapters have appeal to many members, so after you have joined AFIO National, consider adding a local chapter membership to your mix.

Online version of the Guide
AFIO's Guide to the Study of Intelligence
Are You Using It?

Full no-cost, online version of Guide here.

Perfect for professors, students, those considering careers in intelligence, and current/former officers seeking to see what changes are taking place across a wide spectrum of intelligence disciplines.

AFIO's Guide to the Study of Intelligence helps instructors teach about the large variety of subjects that make up the field of intelligence. This includes secondary school teachers of American History, Civics, or current events and undergraduate and graduate professors of History, Political Science, International Relations, Security Studies, and related topics, especially those with no or limited professional experience in the field. Even those who are former practitioners are likely to have only a limited knowledge of the very broad field of intelligence, as most spend their careers in one or two agencies at most and may have focused only on collection or analysis of intelligence or support to those activities.

We regret that the printed, bound edition has sold out. No copies remain for sale.

AVAILABLE ONLINE-ONLY: As an educational service to professors and students, AFIO provides the full 788-page Guide online here for free. This was made possible through the generosity of our foundation, corporate, and institutional members, coupled with the donations we received from our many individual members. We thank all of them.

Spyher Winter Savings
Through 15 March 2025 enjoy 2-for-1, and early bird specials on regularly scheduled spy tours through Georgetown, Embassy Row, Capitol Hill, and Arlington National Cemetery.
Book now on Eventbrite

Spyher Gift Cards
Give the Gift of an Exclusive Spy History Tour with a Former Intelligence Officer
Purchase an e-gift card online at https://spyher.co/gift-card/
For a physical gift card - contact rosanna@spyher.co

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 and efforts of AFIO board, volunteer editors/writers, donors, and members. We thank all for their support which makes this publication available.

Careers Booklet (2023 Fifth Edition) can be read or downloaded here

Other Upcoming Educational Events....includes selection of events from advertisers, corporate sponsors, and others—

Thursday, 27 February 2025, 12:00-1:00pm – Washington, DC – The Heavy Water Sabotage Raid with Mitch Utterback – A Virtual and In-Person International Spy Museum Program

Join us for an intense exploration of Operation Gunnerside on the 82nd anniversary of the mission. One of the Allies' most dramatic sabotage missions of WWII, Gunnerside was a daring plan to derail the Nazis' scheme to build an atomic bomb. A key component of their bomb recipe was heavy water—deuterium oxide. When Germany occupied Norway, the remote Vemork Norsk Hydro plant, which produced heavy water, came under Nazi control. The Allies, desperate to prevent a nuclear-armed Germany, devised the daring Operation Gunnerside to disable the plant. The epic tale of the Norwegian commandos who parachuted onto the Vidda (mountain plateau) in the winter and skied, climbed, and clawed their way to the plant to blow up the heavy water reserves, sounds like a movie, and did become one starring Kirk Douglas. Retired US Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel Mitch Utterback was drawn to the famous World War II sabotage mission and recently retraced the ski tracks of the Heroes of Telemark. In 2023, for the 80th anniversary, Utterback and a team of 11 other military veterans recreated the perilous journey that the saboteurs took across the Vidda. Their expedition was captured in the short documentary film Hardangerfolk which brings the danger and intensity of the mission to life. Utterback's background in special forces and his experience of the conditions that the saboteurs endured has given him a unique perspective on this epic mission which the Spy Museum features in our Covert Action gallery. Visit www.spymuseum.org.

30 Apr - 02 May 2025 – In Person – Cryptologic History Symposium - National Cryptological Foundation and NSA Center for Cryptologic History, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland

Since 1990, the Cryptologic History Symposium has served as an opportunity to present historical scholarship found in unclassified and declassified cryptologic records and engage in discussion about their significance to history. The event is an occasion for historians and those interested in history to gather for reflection and debate on relevant and important topics from the cryptologic past. Regular speakers include historians from CCH, the Intelligence Community, the defense establishment, the military services, scholars from American and international academic institutions, veterans of the cryptologic profession, graduate and undergraduate students, and noted authors. Past symposia have featured scholarship that set out new ways to consider our cryptologic heritage. The conference provides many opportunities to interact with leading historians and other experts. The mix of practitioners, scholars, and interested observers guarantees a lively debate that promotes an enhanced appreciation for past events and their applicability to current and future issues. More information and registration here.

Tuesday, 26 August - Friday, 29 August 2025 - Copenhagen, Denmark - The Practice of Situational Awareness sponsored by Spyher

Spyher founder Rosanna Minchew delivers this 4-day course in situational awareness, practical training that reinforces classroom instruction with on-the-streets exercises. Designed for professionals in law enforcement, security and investigations. You will learn to:
• Identify risk and potential threats to your safety
• Develop strategies to reduce those risks and threats
• Respond to unexpected situations or emergencies
• Make decisions under pressure
Register for Situational Awareness Course

14-18 July 2025 - Cumming, GA - National Intelligence Summer Academy (NISA) - For High School Students Grades 10-12 - at The University of North Georgia, Cumming Campus, 300 Aquatic Circle Cumming, GA 30040

Are you thrilled or fascinated by the field of intelligence – spying and counter spying?

Are you considering a career in the U.S. Intelligence Community? Did you know that the U.S. Intelligence Community is made up of 18 separate agencies? Sign up for an intense and exciting five days of learning from highly qualified Master's and Ph.D. University of North Georgia instructors and practitioners from July 14-18, 2025.

This Academy will: Lift the veil of secrecy on the hidden world of intelligence, exploring the history, challenges, and controversies; Provide a context for understanding the important role intelligence has played in our nation's history and continues to play today; Provide foundational knowledge of intelligence, setting the stage for possible careers in the field; Provide opportunities to learn from the Academy's instructors include academia, practitioners, and guest speakers.
Hear from experts that have worked with the CIA, FBI, and the former Soviet Union KGB.
Explore, Apply, Learn more

Additional Events:

Saturday, 8 March 2025, 10:30 a.m. ET - Washington, DC - Spyher has a Special Guest Host for An Exclusive Capitol Hill Spy History Tour

Join Will Barr for a Spy Tour of Capitol Hill on Saturday, 8 March at 10:30a. Will Can neither confirm nor deny that he served in CIA's Directorate of Operations for the better part of a decade, during which he worked in countries across Africa and South Asia. He also spent time at the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. When most people think of Washington, they think only of the beautiful monuments or Congressional intrigue. Will lives in DC and is eager to share an insider's perspective of his city's real intrigue - what spies do in the shadows after dark.
Book Capitol Hill Spy Tour with Will Barr.

Tuesday, 11 March 2025, 8 am - 5 pm EST - Hyattsville, MD - Convening to Act: Accelerating Adoption of Quantum Resistant Cryptography by National Cryptologic Foundation

Join the NCF for Accelerating Adoption of Quantum Resistant Cryptography (QRC), the 3rd QRC-focused Convening to Act. The program theme will focus on QRC adoption and implementation efforts - including inventory progress and how companies are progressing through the transition. The program may also include demos of tools that are available and being used for the migration. This Convening to Act will feature keynote speaker Neal Ziring, Technical Director, Research Directorate, National Security Agency. Click here to view the draft agenda or to register.
Where: College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 3501 University Blvd East, Hyattsville, MD 20783.
Registration Fee: $99. Register here.
Includes: Light Buffet Breakfast, Snack Breaks, and Buffet Lunch. A complimentary reception will be held from 5:00-6:00 PM, after the program concludes.

Thursday, 27 March and Friday, 28 March 2025 - Reston, VA - Convening to Act: Managing High Impact AI National Security Applications by National Cryptologic Foundation

Join the NCF for a multidisciplinary dialogue, including government and industry, to discuss "Managing High Impact AI National Security Applications" for the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and beyond, including small and medium-sized businesses. This will be a robust two day program with the option of attending an onsite dinner and fireside chat on the first day.
Critical issues for the use of AI in national security to be addressed at the conference include:* Legal; * Policy; * Compliance; * Security; * Equality; * Privacy implications and considerations. Agenda and other details here.
Registration: Open here.
A vegan dinner option is available. Stay tuned for additional details about dinner.
Location: Carahsoft Conference & Collaboration Center, 11493 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 100, Reston, VA 20190.

30 Aug - 8 Sep 2025 - Mediterranean Cruise - Spies, Lies & Nukes announce Espionage on the High Seas! Plan NOW to join the late-summer 2025 cruise.

Instead of their traditional Spies, Lies & Nukes conference in 2024, Valerie Plame and other intelligence colleagues are thrilled to introduce an exciting variation for 2025: Spies at Sea. A combined cruise and conference through the breathtaking Mediterranean, from August 30 to September 8, 2025! See brochure here.

What to Expect:
•Intimate Conference Setting: Enjoy the same close-knit, engaging environment you've come to expect, with unparalleled access to our expert speakers.
• Exclusive Shore Excursions: Explore clandestine meeting spots, delve into espionage history, and more on excursions EXCLUSIVE TO OUR GROUP.
• Seminars at Sea: Participate in lectures and presentations led by Valerie Plame and other top intelligence professionals, all the while cruising through some of the Mediterranean's most iconic destinations.
• Special Events: Enjoy exclusive cocktail receptions, surprise activities, and one-on-one conversation time.

Exclusive Spies, Lies & Nukes Itinerary Highlights:
• Barcelona, Spain: Begin your adventure in this vibrant city.
• Valletta, Malta: Walk through history with guided tours led by espionage experts who will lift the veil on area spy stories and meeting sites.
• Mykonos, Greece: Discover the charm and beauty of this picturesque island.
• Ephesus, Turkey: Explore ancient ruins with a private guide and enjoy a unique group lunch, all while learning about intelligence activities that took place at each spot.
• Santorini, Greece: Experience the iconic beauty of Santorini with endless photographic opportunities.
• Naples, Italy: Enjoy a group lunch at a local restaurant and an exclusive walking tour with a private guide while learning a few spy secrets from Naples, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast.

We've secured a discounted rate that includes your stateroom, meals, classic beverage package, wi-fi, exclusive excursions, and all conference activities. These cabins will get booked quickly, so don't wait—book now and get $100 off!

This is your chance to combine professional enrichment with an unforgettable travel experience. Network with like-minded professionals, gain exclusive insights, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Secure Your Spot Today

High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad

Mickey Bergman,
author,
"In the Shadows:
True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad

Interview of Thursday, 26 Nov 2024 with Michael "Mickey" Bergman, the CEO of Global Reach and the Vice President and Executive Director of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement. He is also the author (with Ellis Henican) of "In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad."
Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.
Bergman is responsible for the negotiations that brought many high-profile prisoners home, including Brittney Griner, Danny Fenster, Otto Warmbier, and Trevor Reed. In the Shadows details his never-before-told stories inside the secret negotiations to free Americans from some of the world's most repressive countries, including North Korea, Russia, Hamas, and more.
In the Shadows can be purchased here.
The interview runs 57 minutes with several Q&As.

Access the BERGMAN video interview here or click above image.

Podcast here.

The Greatest Spy Story Never Told

Jesse Fink
on MI6's Dick Ellis in Fink's latest book
"The Eagle in the Mirror: The Greatest Spy Story Never Told"

Interview of Tuesday, 1 Oct 2024 with Jesse Fink, on his new book "The Eagle in the Mirror: The Greatest Spy Story Never Told" on Charles Howard "Dick" Ellis, MI6's Top Agent in America During World War II. In search of war hero, master spy, and alleged traitor Charles Howard "Dick" Ellis.
Interviewer and Host: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.
The interview runs 16 minutes.
Jesse Fink's website.
A full bio of Jesse Fink here
Purchase The Eagle in the Mirror here.

Access the FINK video interview here or click above image.

Podcast here.

The Shadow War That Forged America's Special Operations

Patrick O'Donnell
Military Historian and Author on
"The Unvanquished: The Untold Story of Lincoln's Special Forces, the Manhunt for Mosby's Rangers, and the Shadow War That Forged America's Special Operations"

Interview of Tuesday, 3 September 2024 with Patrick K. O'Donnell, military historian and author, on his new book "The Unvanquished: The Untold Story of Lincoln's Special Forces, the Manhunt for Mosby's Rangers, and the Shadow War That Forged America's Special Operations" released 7 May 2024.
Interviewer and Host: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.
The interview runs 32 minutes.
"The Unvanquished" can be purchased here.

Access the ODONNELL video interview here or click above image.

Podcast here.

Tradecraft for Innovators at CIA and Beyond

Joe Keogh PhD
former CIA Science & Technology Executive and Disguise Expert, discusses his book
"Creating Mission Impact: Essential Tradecraft for Innovators at CIA and Beyond"

Interview of Thursday, 24 October 2024 with Joseph Keogh PhD, former CIA Science & Technology Executive and Disguise Expert, on his new book "Creating Mission Impact: Essential Tradecraft for Innovators at CIA and Beyond" co-authored with Joe Ball and Greg Moore.
Interviewer: Christopher J. Parker, former CIA, current Vice Chair AFIO Board.
Host: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.
The interview runs 38 minutes.
"Creating Mission Impact" can be purchased here.

Access the KEOGH video interview here or click above image.

Podcast here.

A CIA Officer Imprisoned by China for 21 years

Barry Werth
on Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey's Cold War
on a CIA Officer Imprisoned by China for 21 years

Interview of Thursday, 1 Aug 2024 with Barry Werth, author, Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey's Cold War.
Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.
They discuss the remarkable true story of the longest-held prisoner of war in American history, John Downey, Jr., a CIA officer captured in China during the Korean War and imprisoned for twenty-one years.
The interview runs 28 minutes with several Q&As.
Purchase "Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey's Cold War" here.
"Extraordinary Fidelity" - Released 2011 CIA Documentary of CIA officers John T. Downey and Richard G. Fecteau on their remarkable faithfulness, shown not only by the men who were deprived of their freedom, but also by an Agency that never gave up hope. The film is available here.
For an in-depth look at the John Downey and Richard Fecteau saga, see "Extraordinary Fidelity: Two CIA Prisoners in China, 1952-73," by Nicholas Dujmovic, CIA Historian, in Studies in Intelligence, Volume 50, Number 4 (2006) here.

Access the WERTH video interview here or click above image.

Podcast here.

A Career with the Marines and CIA in Cambodia, Vietnam, and India Burma

Barry Broman,
author, producer, photographer. Former Marine,
CIA Clandestine Service Officer, Station Chief, Diplomat,
on his years in Indochina

Interview of Thursday, 11 July 2024 with Barry Broman, author, producer, photographer. Former Marine, CIA Clandestine Service Officer, Station Chief, Diplomat.
Host and Interviewer: AFIO President James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer.
They discuss Barry's career, from joining the CIA after fighting in Vietnam as a Marine, Broman's first posting was war-torn Cambodia. His presence at the fall of Phnom Penh in 1975, escaping just before the Khmer Rouge took power. During his career, he was twice chief of station, once a deputy chief of station, and supervised an international paramilitary project in support of the Cambodian resistance to Vietnamese invaders. He was actively involved in several assignments in counternarcotics operations in Southeast Asia including a major "bust" that yielded 551 kilograms of high-grade heroin from a major drug trafficker. His "favorite agent" against a variety of "hard targets" was a fellow whose only demand was that his assignments be "life threatening." He survived them all.
He discusses some of the fascinating people he met and places he has been, with visits to little-known and rarely seen places like the Naga Hills on the India–Burma border, the world-famous but off-limits jade and ruby mines of Burma, and the strange "Starfish" case. Includes Marines in action in Vietnam, the ravages of war in Cambodia.
He was a teenage photographer for the Associated Press in Southeast Asia, then a Marine Corps infantry officer in combat in Vietnam before spending a quarter century as a "head-hunter" with dozens of recruits for the Clandestine Service in operations around the world. Mr. Broman received a BA in Political Science in 1967 followed by an MA in Southeast Asian Studies a year later. A lifelong photographer and traveler he has published many articles and books.
The interview runs 38 minutes with several Q&As.
Purchase "Indochina Hand" here.

Access the BROMAN video interview here or click above image.

Podcast here.