AFIO Weekly Intelligence Notes

For Additional AFIO and other Events two+ months or more... Calendar of Events

WIN CREDITS FOR THIS ISSUE: The WIN editors thank the following special contributors: ec, po, mh, km, gh, mk, rd, fm, kc, jm, mr, jg, th, ed, and fwr. They have contributed one or more stories used in this issue.

The WIN editors attempt to include a wide range of articles and commentary in the Weekly Notes to inform and educate our readers. However, the views expressed in the articles are purely those of the authors, and in no way reflect support or endorsement from the WIN editors or the AFIO officers and staff. We welcome comments from the WIN readers on any and all articles and commentary.

CAVEATS: IMPORTANT: AFIO does not "vet" or endorse research inquiries, career announcements, or job offers. Reasonable-sounding inquiries and career offerings are published as a service to our members, and for researchers, educators, and subscribers. You are urged to exercise your usual caution and good judgment when responding, and should verify the source independently before supplying any resume, career data, or personal information.]
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Everyone got what they wanted. Except you. Now get something for yourself. These are also appropriate for intelligence officers, colleagues, recruitments, agents, advisors, and family.

The AFIO Store has following new items ready for quick shipment:

NEW: Long and Short-Sleeved Shirts with embroidered AFIO Logo

Show your support for AFIO with our new Polo Shirts. Be the first to buy these new, high quality, subtle heathered grey shirts of shrink and wrinkle resistant fine cotton with a soft yet substantial feel. They feature a detailed embroidered AFIO seal. Get a shirt for yourself and consider as gifts for colleagues, family, and friends. Only $45 each including shipping.
Sizes of (M) men or (W) women shirts; Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL, and XXXL. At this time all orders will arrive as Short Sleeve shirts.
You may pay by check or credit card. Complete your order online here or mail an order along with payment to: AFIO, 7600 Leesburg Pike, Ste 470 East, Falls Church, VA 22043-2004. Phone orders at 703-790-0320.
If interested in other shirt colors or sleeve lengths, contact Annette at: annettej@afio.com.

NEW: Mug with color glazed logo. Made in America. (We left out all that lead-based glaze and hidden toxins in those mugs made in China being sold by other organizations). Also sturdy enough to sit on desk to hold pens, cards, paperclips, and candy.

This handsome large, heavy USA-made ceramic mug is dishwasher-safe with a glazed seal. $35 per mug includes shipping. Order this and other store items online here.

The International Spy Museum is launching an inaugural volunteer program before moving to the new L'Enfant Plaza location in 2019. Our volunteers will be the first to experience this new and expanded vision of SPY and will provide a vital role in establishing a robust team dedicated to serving and engaging guests. Click image below to view full page. To find out more, please visit HERE.

Only two days remain to attend Friday's AFIO Luncheon...

Registration has closed.

Tysons, VA - This luncheon features Larry Loftis, author of Code Name: Lise, and David Major, Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent, discussing "The Truth About Edward Snowden: The Man Who Conned the World."

David MAJOR's presentation starts at 1 p.m.: Edward Snowden is a polarizing figure in the world today. Known by millions and the press as a champion of freedom and a self-appointed 'whistleblower' exposing IC activities which some saw as a violation of the civil rights of Americans. These are some of the myths surround Snowden's claims, and promoted by anti-IC minions in the press and nonprofit world. Almost all information in the public domain about Snowden is false; the vast majority of the "Snowden narrative" crafted, skewed, and provided by Snowden himself and swallowed whole by his media fans, never verified. Snowden has repeatedly lied about himself, his supposed expertise, the NSA, and his motivations. David Major will expose the truth about the man, his background, and the duplicity of his claims. These are essential corrections of the Snowden Myth which professionals need to know to counter continuing false claims made by Snowden and his supporters.

Larry LOFTIS's presentation starts at 11 a.m.: Code Name: Lise―The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy, by Larry Loftis recounts the story of Odette Sansom (1912-1995), a Frenchwoman living in England, wife of an Englishman and mother of 3 daughters, who was recruited into Britain's Special Operations Executive to conduct espionage in France during World War II with her commander, and yet-to-be second husband, Peter Churchill. Leaving her daughters in a convent school and with relatives, she joined the rigorous training program, becoming proficient with a wide range of weapons, learning the fine points of spycraft, and perfecting her new identity with the code name Lise. In France she proved herself fearless. Hunted by the Germans, in 1943, Odette and Peter were captured, imprisoned, and tortured. Loftis describes Odette's ordeal in grisly detail. Two lies saved her: She pretended that she and Peter were married (they would be after the war) and that Peter was related to Winston Churchill. In defeat, the Gestapo hoped to use her as a bargaining chip.
Watch this brief 83-second video about the book. You will want to attend to hear the author.

Generous free parking around hotel and in no-cost covered garage.

Registration has closed.

Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton, 1960 Chain Bridge Rd, Tysons Corner, VA 22182 Phone: (703) 893-2100. Directions at this link.

New and Forthcoming Books of the Week

Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America's First Cyber Spy
by Eric O'Neill
(Crown, Mar 2019)

At age 26, O'Neill — a cybersecurity expert and former FBI "ghost"— was given a momentous assignment: conduct an undercover investigation of a man suspected of passing nuclear secrets and more to the Russians for two decades. While officially updating the FBI's computer system to protect it from hackers and spies, unofficially he was gathering evidence against his new boss, FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen, who was eventually convicted in 2002. O'Neill chronicles his efforts to outsmart the first Russian cyber spy while considering how Russia managed to become dominant in cyberespionage.

O'Neill gives a nearly day-by-day account of the investigation, from his first uncomfortable interaction with his target in January 2001 to Hanssen's downfall several weeks later. He relates the tactical ins and outs of undercover work, like committing every interaction with Hanssen in detailed notes to his superiors and the highly choreographed efforts used to obtain crucial pieces of evidence (for example, a superior's surprise offer to take Hanssen to the shooting range, for which O'Neill had to ensure Hanssen was sitting down, so he'd leave his phone behind). Compulsively readable.

A useful account of the investigation and capture of a cagey Russian asset. This account deglamorizes undercover work while conveying the uncertainty, stress, and excitement of a successful investigation. [Publishers Weekly/Library Journal]

Book may be ordered here.

Diplomatik Vahset -- Cemal Kasikçi Cinayetinin Karanlik Sirlari
[Diplomatic Atrocity: The Dark Secrets of the Jamal Khashoggi Murder]
by Ferhat Ünlü, Abdurrahman Simsek, Nazif Karaman
(Turkuvaz Kitap, Dec 2018) In Turkish

The book, written in Turkish, delves into the murder of dissident Saudi "Washington Post" journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It is the work of three journalists from the Daily Sabah newspaper. They describe how the killing was conducted, provide a transcript of the utterances and cries in the room where he was murdered, of the unusual Saudi personnel in that room, and identify one of the officials on the tapes as Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, a security official and frequent companion of the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Mutreb is heard giving orders and directing the final conversation with Khashoggi.

"When the news regarding Khashoggi's disappearance began to circulate, we received information stating that a Saudi jet had landed at the aviation terminal at Istanbul Atatürk Airport," Ferhat Unlu said, underlining that it caught their attention since they realized this could not be a coincidence. "When we investigated the jet, we uncovered the list of the 15 member squad team [on board]..." To the chagrin of the Saudis, the Turks quickly put together all parts of the puzzle and reveal what happened to Khashoggi on that fateful day.

Turkish language edition of book from Istanbul bookshop may be ordered here.
Amazon also providing copies in U.S. here. Also in Turkish.

Drug Warrior: Inside the Hunt for El Chapo and the Rise of America's Opioid Crisis
by Jack Riley
(Hachette Books, Feb 2019)

A timely book. Retired DEA agent Riley reviews his three decades combating drug traffickers. He was at the forefront of the efforts to apprehend Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán Loera, currently on trial in New York for drug trafficking. After 56 prosecution witnesses over 11 weeks, the defense today in the "El Chapo" trial presented its case for a mere 30 minutes.
Riley joined DEA in 1985 and began working undercover, but quickly realized the futility of racking up arrests which did nothing to halt the supply chain. Success led to more responsibility and he pushed for interagency efforts to target entire cartels. In 1995, he heard about El Chapo, a Mexican crime boss who stood out because the Colombians paid him in drugs to distribute their cocaine within the US. Other Mexican drug lords soon followed, and with their own supply of cocaine, they were able to push the Colombians out of the US market. Over decades, Riley pursued El Chapo, with his apprehension in 2016 and extradition to the US. Riley notes that law enforcement can't be responsible for combating widespread drug addiction.

Book may be ordered here.

Section I - INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Former Top CIA Officials Weigh Merits of Speaking Out for Past and Present CIA Leaders. CIA director Gina Haspel, who has to date maintained among the lowest profiles of the Trump administration's cabinet members, is bucking an incipient trend set by previous directors who engaged more frequently with the press, noted two former CIA deputy directors who served during the Obama administration.

Maintaining low visibility is characteristic for Haspel, a former clandestine operations officer, but it's also likely strategic and, on balance, in the interest of the agency, the two former officials said.

"She's not somebody who, I think, relishes the spotlight in that kind of way," said Avril Haines, who served as the CIA's deputy director from 2013 to 2015. "I think that's probably a good choice for her right now."

"I think she has an extraordinarily hard job, in part - I think there's no reason to sugarcoat this - in part, because the president is not a serious consumer of intelligence, if he consumes it at all," said David Cohen, who served as former CIA director John Brennan's deputy from 2015 to 2017. [Read more: Gazis/CBSNews/23January2019]

Found in Swahili: 37 Teams Compete to Help US Intelligence Agency Query the World. Ask a question in English, find the answer in Swahili, and win USD 10,000-20,000. This is the gist of the OpenCLIR (Open Cross Lingual Information Retrieval) Prize Challenge. OpenCLIR is organized by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), a US government research program under the Director of National Intelligence.

The OpenCLIR challenge has to do with building a system that, when queried in English, can extract relevant information from speech and text documents in low-resource languages. Languages for which there is very little available training data are considered low-resource.

According to IARPA Project Manager Carl Rubino, OpenCLIR was funded by IARPA "as an open evaluation of the MATERIAL program." Rubino added that the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) runs the evaluation. [Read more: Dino/Slater/24January2019]

Yemeni President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi Appoints New Intelligence Chief. Yemen President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi has appointed Major General Ahmed Al Yafee as the new head of intelligence, state news agency Saba reported.

Mr Al Yafee was chosen to replace Maj Gen Mohammed Tammah who died of injuries sustained in a Houthi drone attack earlier this month.

Gen Tammah was among several senior army commanders who were wounded in the strike on Al Anad air base in the southern province of Lahj during a military parade.

Five Yemeni soldiers were also killed. [Read more: Aldroubi/TheNational/28January2019]

DC Spy Museum in New Cold War With New York's KGB Museum. Washington D.C.'s International Spy Museum has accused the KGB Spy Museum in New York of stealing its trademarks.

The International Spy Museum said in a lawsuit that the KGB Spy Museum, which recently opened in Manhattan, infringed its registered "International Spy Museum" and "Spy Museum" trademarks while using a similar red-and-black color scheme on its website.

The Washington also accused the New York museum of deceptive practices, such as temporarily listing the International Spy Museum's phone number on its website.

The complaint, filed Jan. 22 in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, said the new museum's solicitation of donations and ".org" web location suggests nonprofit status, though the institution doesn't appear in the federal database of nonprofits. [Read more: Jahner/Bloomberg/23January2019]

Key Intel Assessments Appear to be at Odds with U.S. Policy. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Dan Coats offered Congress some assessments on worldwide threats that appear to be directly at odds with existing U.S. policy. Coats, in a report submitted to Congress on worldwide threats facing the U.S., says that ISIS "still commands thousands of fighters in Iraq and Syria, and it maintains eight branches, more than a dozen networks, and thousands of dispersed supporters around the world, despite significant leadership and territorial losses." In December, President Trump declared victory over ISIS, saying, "We have won against ISIS."

The Trump administration also continues to push for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, though little progress has been made on this front since Mr. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met in June 2018. He plans a second summit with Kim at the end of February. But the DNI predicts that North Korea will seek to retain its nuclear capabilities and is "unlikely" to give them up. The assessment is based on observations of "some activity that is inconsistent with full denuclearization." It also says that North Korean leaders "view nuclear arms as critical to regime survival."

Iran's ballistic missile program - which has more ballistic missiles than any country in the region - still threatens the Middle East, according to Coats. [Read more: Tillett/CBSNews/29January2019]

Section II - CONTEXT & PRECEDENCE

Operation Cobra: The Untold Story of how a CIA Officer Trained a Network of Agents who Found the Soviet Missiles in Cuba. A strong southeasterly wind was whipping the surface of the Caribbean on the night of March 11, 1962, as the sport fishing boat approached the Cuban shoreline. The 30-foot Forest Johnson Prowler was one of the strongest, fastest wooden boats available, but its engine was quiet enough to allow its three crew members to bring it to within a mile of the shore. Those sailors were some of the most experienced mariners in the CIA's small naval force of Cuban expatriates, but even they were not allowed to see the faces of the two hooded agents who clambered over the boat's side into a 16-foot fiberglass canoe packed with supplies.

The rough sea almost ended the agents' mission before it began, when their canoe capsized as soon as they got in, spilling its precious cargo of men and gear into the swelling ocean. The crew scrambled to retrieve the packages, which were waterproofed cans wrapped in plastic. With the canoe righted and the gear stowed again, the two agents climbed back in and managed to stay upright. Pointing the canoe toward the coast, they paddled off into the gaping mouth of the San Diego River.

The canoe had been the idea of Tom Hewitt, the agents' case officer in the CIA's huge Miami station, where he waited for word of the mission. Agency rules forbade him to take part in the team's infiltration, but he felt a deep responsibility for the pair, a principal agent whom he had trained to manage a network of subagents, and his radio operator. It would be Hewitt's job to guide their actions from afar, now that they were back in their homeland. A 10-year veteran of the CIA, Hewitt had spent the previous six months teaching the principal agent everything he knew about how to run an effective espionage network, doing all he could to mitigate the substantial risks that the agent would have to take in Fidel Castro's Cuba. [Read more: Naylor/YahooNews/23January2019]

Kevin Mallory: The Churchgoing Patriot who Spied for China. US officials say China is trying to influence US policymakers, steal secrets and spy on the US government. But how? The story of Kevin Mallory, a man who seemed to lead a typical suburban life in Virginia, provides the answer.

FBI agents pointed their weapons at Jeremiah Mallory, a teenager standing in the doorway of his house one morning in June 2017, and told him to get on his knees.

"They've got guns in his face," says Patsy Clark, a family friend. They were looking for evidence against his father, Kevin Mallory, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer who had been spying for the Chinese government.

One of Mallory's neighbours, a dog walker, was heading down the block: "All of a sudden I hear this yelling." [Read more: McKelvey/BBCNews/15January2019]

The Unnerving Kitsch of New York City's New K.G.B. Spy Museum. Imagine walking down Fourteenth Street in New York and seeing a sculpture of the head of a twentieth-century tyrant. The likeness of a man responsible for the deaths of millions, the imprisonment and torture of tens of millions, and the total subjugation of hundreds of millions has been placed on the sidewalk to entice you to visit a museum. If that appeals to you, then, for twenty-five dollars (twenty dollars for children, students, and seniors), you can enter New York's new K.G.B. Spy Museum, which opened last week.

The museum claims to be "the only public museum in the world that focuses entirely on the espionage operations carried out by the K.G.B." This is not entirely true. A museum inside a hotel in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, for example, documents K.G.B. surveillance activities aimed at foreign visitors who stayed at the hotel. Also, the new museum in Manhattan is not wholly devoted to spycraft. The bulk of the exhibit is indeed a vast collection of cameras, recording devices, and other surveillance inventions, but the large storefront space that houses the museum is also sprinkled with propaganda posters: some genuine items and some newer, anachronistic creations. It also features items that remind the visitor how the Soviet secret police functioned as an organ of repression, including four different prison doors and a restraining chair, ostensibly used in a Soviet psychiatric hospital where dissidents were interned. The caption, and the museum's own guides, identify the exhibit as a "tramp chair."
Our guide, a young man named Daniil, who moved to New York from the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, six months ago, invited visitors to get themselves strapped into the chair and pose for a photo. This, in short, is the problem with the K.G.B. Museum, whose flyer promises visitors a "journey back to socialism": it is blithely morally neutral. As any contemporary museum must, it offers visitors opportunities to interact and Instagram. You can look through a tiny window in a prison door and see video footage of inmates - one hopes that they are reënactors, but Daniil declined to confirm this - frantically moving inside a cell. You can pick up the weighty receiver of an old black rotary phone and dial a tyrant; depending on the seven-digit number you choose, you will hear a recording of a speech by Stalin, Putin, or one of a number of men who terrorized Russia between their reigns. You can don a leather commissar's coat, or a woollen uniform one, and sit down at a desk to pose for a photograph, which will later be e-mailed to you with the subject line "Secret picture from our office" and the following text: "Hello, We have new KGB chief officer in our headquarters. Picture is attached." [Read more: Gessen/NewYorker/27January2019]

An Ex-KGB Agent Reveals Why Putin Would Want to Interfere in Canada's Upcoming Election. Former KGB agent Alexander Vassiliev says he understands better than most what motivates Russian President Vladimir Putin, including why he would seek to interfere in western elections, such as Canada's upcoming federal election.

"You've got a liberal prime minister. Liberalism in Russia is a bad word, especially where immigration is concerned," he said.

Vassiliev was working as a journalist for the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda in the 1980s when he was recruited by the KGB.

"I got an offer from the KGB to become an officer, to join the KGB intelligence service. I said ‘yes,' of course," Vassiliev said. "They thought that it would be natural for me to use journalism as my cover in the future, as a KGB intelligence officer." [Read more: Semple/GlobalNews/28January2019]

Zdeněk Toman: Intelligence Chief and Black Market Kingpin Instrumental in Saving Thousands of Jewish Refugees. Until recently Zdeněk Toman was an obscure name to many Czechs. However, his incredible story has now reached a broad audience thanks to an eponymous film about him that was released last autumn. Just this week Toman was nominated for 13 prizes at the upcoming annual Czech Lion awards. I spoke to Martin Smok,the man who originally discovered his extraordinary story. [Read more: McEnchroe/RadioPraha/26January2019]

How the Assassination of a CIA Station Chief Became a Greek Tragedy. At the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece, there is a simple bronze plaque at a building that houses the U.S. Marine Security Guard detachment.

It reads: "In memory of Richard S. Welch, slain at this place December 23, 1975, in the service of his country. Personal sacrifice is the price of freedom."

Welch was the CIA station chief in Athens at the time. But then a relatively simple murder plot ignited a complex international incident.

"On the night of December 23, 1975, Dick and his family attended a Christmas party at the American Ambassador's residence," a CIA dedication reads. "Upon returning home, Dick exited the car to open the main gate. A man appeared amid the darkness and called to Dick. As Dick turned, the man shot him. The wound was fatal." [Read more: Ferran/RealClearLife/29January2019]

Section III - COMMENTARY

Western Covert Action and Russian Active Measures: Hypocrisy or Divergent Values? Most Americans now realize the Kremlin has attempted to influence, interfere, and subvert our democratic system. Recent reports even suggest the Russian intelligence services may have also sought to suborn President Trump himself. This is obviously a critical national security threat and needs to be fought on many fronts. When not outright denying their activity, the Kremlin and its enablers justify their actions by claiming American covert and overt policy abroad is equally intrusive. "You do the same thing!" While it is useful to review and critique our actions - and acknowledge and repair mistakes - these accusations fail both historically and morally.

We have become accustomed to insults, threats and demeaning language aimed at both allies and enemies emanating from the White House. However, it wasn't long ago that President Ronald Reagan shocked observers with his blunt rhetoric when he labeled the Soviet Union as an "evil empire" in a 1983 speech.

In contrast to President Donald Trump's penchant for insults, Reagan's comments were a calculated response to a particularly frustrating Soviet propaganda trick called "whataboutism." Reagan's ire was piqued by the Soviet attempt to assert moral equivalence between Soviet and U.S. policy. Reagan was reacting to the spread of Soviet narratives in the U.S. and Europe that the U.S. arms buildup implied belligerent intent rather than a response to Soviet actions. In is response to the ‘nuclear freeze' proposal, Reagan warned his audience to avoid the temptation to "label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil." [Read more: Sipher/JustSecurity/22January2019]

Can Commercial Satellites Be Used For Espionage? For decades, the U.S. has relied on spy satellites to look deep into the territory of American adversaries, and for years, these were the cameras dominating Earth's orbit.

Not anymore.

As David Martin reports on 60 Minutes this week, there are now commercial companies putting small satellites in space and allowing customers to purchase panoramic images of Earth. As a result, the U.S. government no longer holds a monopoly on the photos taken from orbit―and has no power to classify commercial images as top secret.

One of those companies, Planet Labs, has put about 300 satellites into orbit, enough to image the entire landmass of Earth every day. The company has done it, in part, by reducing the dimension of its satellites. Government satellites are the size of a pickup truck; Planet Labs' are the size of a loaf of bread. [Read more: Farmer/CBSNews/27January2019]

Here's Why Foreign Intelligence Agencies Want Your Data. The implications of the recent Marriott hack go far beyond those of your average data breach. This megabreach of 383M records doesn't just compromise sensitive data for the sake of fraud or financial gain, it paints a frightening picture of international espionage and personal privacy.

When news broke that hackers working on behalf of a Chinese intelligence agency may be responsible for the Marriott breach, questions abounded. Why would China be interested in loyalty program data by the millions? And why hospitality data?

Let's be frank: Foreign intelligence agency actors aren't exactly interested in earning a free night's stay at a Marriott property. [Read more: O'Malley/SecurityBoulevard/23January2019]

Section IV - Call for Papers, Obituaries

Call for Papers

NASIH Conference, Fall 2019: Call for Papers - Deadline 1 March 2019

The North American Society for Intelligence History (NASIH) invites proposals for papers for its inaugural conference, which will be held at the International Spy Museum, Washington, D.C. on October 19-21, 2019.
Themes:
The society is seeking papers relating to:
• Analysis,
• Covert action,
• Counterintelligence and counterterrorism,
• Signals intelligence,
• Imagery intelligence, and
• Popular culture.

Submission Guidelines: Faculty, graduate students, and independent scholars are welcome. See paper details here.
Scholars interested in presenting at the conference are asked to send an abstract of no more than 500 words and a brief (1-2 page) CV to Mark Stout by March 1, 2019.

Obituaries

Fred T. Lowery, Maj, US Army(Ret), 92, former DIA, and CIA Photo Interpreter, died 11 January 2019 in Burke, VA

Fred attended the University of Chicago but left to enlist in the U.S. Army because his country needed his service. While doing so, he was a member of the 82nd Airborne and 33rd Infantry divisions. Fred fought in WW II and the Korean War.

He went on to serve with DIA and subsequently joined the CIA working on special projects. At CIA he was a senior NPIC photo interpreter, and played a crucial role in providing photographic evidence used in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Fred was a founding sponsor of the National Museum, U.S. Army. He also had an interest in early childhood education and built two private preschools in Burke, VA where he enjoyed a 40 year career working with children and their parents.

He is survived by seven children, a sister, and other family. Fred's 92 years held purpose and meaning and he genuinely enjoyed a life well lived.

AFIO EDUCATIONAL EVENTS IN COMING TWO MONTHS....

30 January 2019 (Wednesday), 11:30 a.m. - San Francisco, CA - The AFIO San Francisco Chapter hosts Bill Monroe on CORONA Satellite Project, Genesis of Government-Private Sector Cooperation and its Impact on Silicon Valley

Speaker: Bill Monroe
Topic: CORONA Satellite Project, Genesis of Government-Private Sector Cooperation and its Impact on Silicon Valley
Times: 11:30AM no host cocktails; noon meeting
Location: Basque Cultural Center, 599 Railroad Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080. Google map location.
RSVP: Register via Eventbrite here.

1 February 2019 - Tysons, VA - AFIO luncheon features Larry Loftis, author of Code Name: Lise, and David Major, Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent, discussing "The Truth About Edward Snowden: The Man Who Conned the World."

MAJOR.s presentation starts at 1 p.m.: Edward Snowden is a polarizing figure in the world today. Known by millions and the press as a champion of freedom and a self-appointed 'whistleblower' exposing IC activities which some saw as a violation of the civil rights of Americans. These are some of the myths surround Snowden's claims, and promoted by anti-IC minions in the press and nonprofit world. Almost all information in the public domain about Snowden is false; the vast majority of the "Snowden narrative" crafted, skewed, and provided by Snowden himself and swallowed whole by his media fans, never verified. Snowden has repeatedly lied about himself, his supposed expertise, the NSA, and his motivations. David Major will expose the truth about the man, his background, and the duplicity of his claims. These are essential corrections of the Snowden Myth which professionals need to know to counter continuing false claims made by Snowden and his supporters.

LOFTIS's presentation starts at 11 a.m.: Code Name: Lise―The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Spy, by Larry Loftis recounts the story of Odette Sansom (1912-1995), a Frenchwoman living in England, wife of an Englishman and mother of 3 daughters, who was recruited into Britain's Special Operations Executive to conduct espionage in France during World War II with her commander and yet-to-be second husband, Peter Churchill. Leaving her daughters in a convent school and with relatives, she joined the rigorous training program, becoming proficient with a wide range of weapons, learning the fine points of spycraft, and perfecting her new identity with the code name Lise. In France she proved herself fearless. Hunted by the Germans, in 1943, Odette and Peter were captured, imprisoned, and tortured. Loftis describes Odette's ordeal in grisly detail. Two lies saved her: She pretended that she and Peter were married (they would be after the war) and that Peter was related to Winston Churchill. In defeat, the Gestapo hoped to use her as a bargaining chip.
Watch this brief 83-second video about the book. You will want to attend to hear the author.

Generous free parking around hotel and in no-cost covered garage.

Registration has closed.

Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton, 1960 Chain Bridge Rd, Tysons Corner, VA 22182 Phone: (703) 893-2100. Directions at this link.

Friday, 1 February 2019, 1 p.m. - Westchester, CA - The AFIO Los Angeles Chapter Annual Business Meeting

Happy New Year! With the new year we have scheduled our annual chapter business meeting on 1 February 2019 (Friday).

Lunch will be served at no cost. Complimentary lunch for members will be served as we focus on three agenda items listed below. If you would like to add topics to the agenda, please forward them to the chapter officers here so that we may include them at the meeting. Agenda Items are: • Election of Chapter Officers; • Membership Growth; • 2019 Speakers.

Location: Alejos Restaurant, 8343 Lincoln Blvd, Westchester, CA 90045. Map location is here.

RSVP: Click to send email of your attendance. We strongly encourage participation from all members. Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a New Year!

Vincent Autiero, President; John Hallstead, Treasurer; AFIO-Los Angeles Chapter, http://www.afio.org

Tuesday, 12 February 2019 - MacDill AFB, FL - The Florida Suncoast AFIO Chapter hears FSO Nancy Charles-Parker on "War Stories" from Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Central Asia, South and Central America, Europe, the Arabian Gulf and East Asia.

Ms. Nancy Charles-Parker, former Operations Officer/Economic Reporter and Foreign Service Officer, had a distinguished 33-year career in government service. Her most interesting "war stories" stem from Saudi Arabia, where businessmen and government officials generally treated her like an "honorary man". The experiences she will share originate in her U.S. embassy assignments in South Africa, Central Asia, South and Central America, Europe, the Arabian Gulf and East Asia.

The program starts at noon. Fee: $20 by check or cash at door. RSVP: Luncheon reservations and arrangements for base access for those without military ID must be made by Tuesday, 5 February, by contacting the Chapter Secretary, michaels@suncoastafio.org.

Event location: MacDill AFB Surf's Edge Club, 7315 Bayshore Boulevard, MacDill AFB, FL 33621.

Saturday, 16 February 2019, 11:30am - 2 pm - Melbourne, FL - AFIO Florida Satellite Chapter hosts Dr. Rande Matteson, former DEA, speaking on "Compare and Contrast, Pakistan v. Mexico: The observations of a DEA Special Agent immersed in the shadowy cultures of Mexico and Pakistan."

At this Florida Satellite Chapter event, Dr. Rande Matteson will address us on: "Compare and Contrast, Pakistan v. Mexico: The observations of a DEA Special Agent immersed in the shadowy cultures of Mexico and Pakistan." Dr. Matteson's knowledge and experience are first-hand and unique. Matteson is retired from Federal Law Enforcement with 25 years' service, primarily with the Drug Enforcement Agency in Pakistan, Mexico, Afghanistan, and the US. He worked closely with the CIA as a DEA pilot and also as a DEA Regional Agent in Charge. Event timing: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM: Social Hour, greet old, new members and guests (cash bar); 12:15 PM: Lunch

LOCATION: Suntree Country Club, One Country Club Drive, Melbourne, FL 32940

COST: Member and spouse: $27; Non-Members/Guest: $29; Student or active duty military: $25.

TO ATTEND: Advance, paid reservations are required and must be received by 7 February 2019.

Make your meal choice from the following two options for self and any guests you are bringing: 1. Strawberry Salmon, pan seared salmon with a strawberry & balsamic glaze (F), or 2. Vegetarian Lasagna, layers of pasta, three cheeses, spinach and carrots, baked in a zesty marinara sauce (V) Both with Chef's Choice of Potato or Rice, Seasonal Vegetables, Freshly Brewed Coffee, Iced Tea, Soft Drinks, Salad and Rolls. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten free on advance request. Dessert is Chocolate Mousse.

Send check covering fees per person plus meal choice for self and guests to:Chapter Treasurer Rhonda Rhoads, PO Box 410158, Melbourne, FL 32941. Or email her at afiofsctreas@gmail.com. Questions? Email Rhonda or call her at 321-626-4465.

Other Upcoming Events from Advertisers, Corporate Sponsors, and Others

Friday, 8 February 2019, 5:30 - 7:30 pm - Washington, DC - "Insider Spies: New Ideas to Counter the Threat" - presentation by David Charney, MD at the Institute of World Politics

You are invited to attend a lecture by Dr. David Charney about his new NOIR White Paper, "Prevention: The Missing Link for Managing Insider Threat in the Intelligence Community." The event is being held at the Institute of World Politics graduate school in Washington, DC. There is no charge to attend.

This event is part of IWP's Sixth Annual Brian Kelley Memorial Lecture. Dr. Charney's presentation will cover the following points:

• Counterintelligence is the Stepchild of the Intelligence Community
• Prevention is the Stepchild of Counterintelligence
• Detection Gets All the Love

The event is co-sponsored by the IWP Alumni Board.

Though there is no fee to attend, preregistration is required. Register or explore more about the program here. To read the White Paper, it is available here.

Location: The Institute of World Politics, 1521 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20036. View Map

Friday, 15 February 2019, 10 - 11 am - Washington, DC - How Japan Thinks of its Trade Policy and Relationship with the US - Presentation by Takeshi Komoto, Minister of Trade, Industry, Business and Energy, Embassy of Japan in Washington DC

Takeshi Komoto, Minister of Trade, Industry, Business and Energy, Embassy of Japan in Washington DC, will talk about the evolution of Japan's trade relationships with the US and the way forward on trade policy in the digital age.

RSVP Required HERE. Daniel Morgan Graduate School Reserves the Right to Refuse Entry and May Ask for Government Issued ID. Dress Code is Business or Business Casual.

Location: Daniel Morgan Graduate School of National Security, 1620 L St NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036
View Map.

Monday, 25 February 2019, 9 a.m. - 3:20 p.m. - Washington, DC - Journal of National Security Law & Policy Annual Symposium ― The Continuing Threat of Nuclear Weapons

This year's Journal of National Security Law & Policy symposium is "The Continuing Threat of Nuclear Weapons," and is brought to you by the JNSLP, the Georgetown Center on National Security and the Law, and the Georgetown Center for Asian Law. The symposium will be held on the 12th floor of the Gewirz Student Center. Directions and map here.

In addition to the following three panels, the symposium will also feature a lunchtime keynote speech by Joseph Cirincione, President of Ploughshares Fund. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS by Stephen Dycus, Professor of Law, Vermont Law School.
PANEL 1: Banning Nuclear Weapons?
Panelists: Adam Mount, Senior Fellow and Director of the Defense Posture Project, Federation of American Scientists; John Burroughs, Executive Director, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy; Alexandra Bell, Senior Policy Director, Center for Arms Control & Non-Proliferation; Moderator: David A. Koplow, Professor of Law at Georgetown Law.

PANEL 2: U.S./Russia Nuclear Relations.
Panelists: Michael Krepon, Co-founder/Senior Associate, Stimson Center; Bonnie Jenkins, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institute; Adam Scheinman, Former Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation, Dept. of State; Moderator: Dakota Rudesill, Assistant Professor of Law, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

LUNCHEON AND KEYNOTE ADDRESS by Joseph Cirincione, President of Ploughshares Fund.
PANEL 3: Nuclear Weapons Issues on the Korean Peninsula.
Panelists: Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on U.S.-Korea Policy, Council on Foreign Relations; Joel S. Wit, Senior Fellow and Director of 38 North, Stimson Center; Sue Mi Terry, Senior Fellow, Korea Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Moderator: James V. Feinerman, Co-Director, Georgetown Center for Asian Law.

CLOSING REMARKS: Stephen Dycus, Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
RECEPTION will follow the event.

To RSVP, please click here.

Qs?: Email Journal of National Security Law and Policy here.

18 March 2019, noon - 2 pm - Washington, DC - "Talking to a Former Terrorist: American Al-Qaeda Bryant Neal Viñas" at the International Spy Museum

Bryant Neal Viñas, 'American Al-Qaeda' tells his story at the new, expanded International Spy Museum at their new location in L'Enfant Plaza.

In 2009, Bryant Neal Viñas, an American born in New York to a family of Catholic Hispanic immigrants, pleaded guilty on charges of conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens, and for providing material support to Al-Qaeda. The media referred to him as 'American Al-Qaeda' and reported his intriguing journey from the New York suburbs to Pakistan to attack U.S. military forces in Afghanistan. Viñas proceeded to cooperate with law enforcement and intelligence officials, in what has been described as a "treasure trove" of valuable information about the inner-workings of the Al-Qaeda network. What was the nature of Viñas's radicalization? How does a Western-born jihadist get through terrorist training in Pakistan?

Participants: Bryant Neal Viñas, Former American Al-Qaeda member; Mitchell Silber, Former Director of Intelligence Analysis, NYPD; Christopher Costa, COL, USA (Ret.), Executive Director, International Spy Museum, Former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counter-terrorism – National Moderator: Peter Bergen, Vice President, Global Studies & Fellows, New America

Event Location: The "Expanded" International Spy Museum, 700 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20024. Directions or Map Location here.

16 May 2019, 6 pm - Washington, DC - "Night of Heroes Gala 2019" by the PENFED Foundation

The PENFED Foundation hosts their impressive annual "Night of Heroes Gala 2019" at the beautiful Mandarin Oriental, 330 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024. This year marks the 15th annual gala honoring our unsung heroes ― military children. Each year, the PenFed Foundation raises more than $1.5 million for military heroes through this hallmark event. Last year's event sold out and raised $2.5 million! Do not miss your opportunity to support Military Heroes.

6 pm General Reception and Silent Auction; 7 pm Dinner Program; After Dinner - Dessert Reception. To learn more...or to register.

Gift Suggestions:

AFIO's Guide to the Study of Intelligence

AFIO's 788-page Guide to the Study of Intelligence. Peter C. Oleson, Editor, also makes a good gift. View authors and table of contents 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.
For a printed, bound copy, it is $95 which includes Fedex shipping to a CONUS (US-based) address.
To order for shipment to a US-based CONUS address, use this online form,

To order multiple copies or for purchases going to AK, HI, other US territories, or other countries call our office at 703-790-0320 or send email to afio@afio.com to hear of shipment fees.

Order the Guide from the AFIO's store at this link.

The Guide is also available directly from Amazon at this link.

AFIO's Intelligence Community Mousepads are a great looking addition to your desk...or as a gift for others.
Made in USA. Click image for larger view.

These 2017 mousepads have full color seals of all 18 members of the US Intelligence Community on this 8" round, slick surface, nonskid, rubber-backed mouse pad with a darker navy background, brighter, updated seals. Also used, by some, as swanky coasters. Price still only $20.00 for 2 pads [includes shipping to US address. Foreign shipments - we will contact you with quote.] Order MOUSEPADS here.

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WINs are protected by copyright laws and intellectual property laws, and may not be reproduced or re-sent without specific permission from the Producer. Opinions expressed in the WINs are solely those of the editor's or author's listed with each article. AFIO Members Support the AFIO Mission - sponsor new members! CHECK THE AFIO WEBSITE at www.afio.com for back issues of the WINs, information about AFIO, conference agenda and registrations materials, and membership applications and much more!

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