Download - Eye Spy Issue 88
ISSUE NUMBER 88A BRIEF REVIEW
SPYINTELLIGENCE MAGAZINE
EYE
Your Gateway to the Secret World ofEspionage and Intelligence
PUBLICATION DATE DECEMBER 2013
R E A D B Y T H E W O R L D ’ S I N T E L L I G E N C E C O M M U N I T Y
VOLUME XI NUMBER EIGHT (ISSUE 88)
ISSN 1364 8446 publication date:
DECEMBER 2013
Each print edition of Eye Spy Intelligence Magazine is 84pp - full colour throughout.
The images contained in this brief overview are very low resolution
EYE SPY 88
FROM THE EDITOR - MARK BIRDSALL
THE EDWARD SNOWDEN LEAKS
Former NSA and CIA contractor Edward Snowden has recently found employment with an Internet company inMoscow, believed to be Russia’s equivalent of Facebook. Snowden, of course, stole as many as 200,000 intelligence-related files from a variety of USIC (United States Intelligence Community) computer systems, including some threadedto all arms of the Department of Defense. He tried to justify his actions by claiming the NSA has practised andperfected global surveillance on a scale which is tantamount to ‘big brother’. Just as controversial, Snowden hasendeavoured to prove that the Agency, via American embassies and field stations, has also intercepted the calls of
many world leaders. This has created a plethora of political problems for Washington and London which have led to a multitude ofcounter-measures being introduced - including some from Internet firms such as Google and Microsoft.
World Wide Web Monitoring
The truth of the matter is, 99.9% of all traffic ‘digested’ by the NSA and its sister organisation here in the UK, GCHQ, is ejected at aferocious rate. What remains is fed through machines seeking only data which is useful to those engaged with intelligence collection, andthat which effects national security.
Cell Phone Interception
Around thirty years ago, details of an NSA-GCHQ listening programme code-named ECHELON surfaced. Recording was effectivelytriggered by key words spoken over telephone landlines. Again, it was intended as a security measure and came as no surprise to thoseworking in the field of intelligence and journalists reporting on espionage. Today, the programme has been widened to encompass theWorld Wide Web, e-mail and cell phone communications. Does it record caller content? The short answer is no, but it does provide auseful data base which allows analysts to focus on specific ‘numbers of interest’. This then allows analysts to look at the activity of ‘personsof interest’, and aid counter-intelligence and counter-terrorist programmes. I have no doubt some searches do target individuals,companies and government departments of foreign nations; it will also focus on adversaries, foreign spy agencies and armed forces. Butlet us be truthfully honest here, all spies spy and the United States and Britain are not the only countries to operate electronic intelligencecollection agencies. Indeed, Snowden’s current country of occupancy has a powerful global eavesdropping system, so too many nationsin Europe which have been outspoken in their criticism of the NSA and GCHQ.
The NSA does not have the ability to listen and examine the content of every recording. And to put this in context, the Agency’scomputers, the most powerful in the world, allegedly ‘receive’ data on FIVE BILLION locations A DAY where cell phone calls are made. Iam satisfied the data, collected by a system code-named CO-TRAVELER, is used mainly for counter-terrorist work. It’s probably true thatother initiatives are also operated, monitoring the movements and calls of a variety of people and whom they engage in conversation;from Germany’s Chancellor Merkel to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Cables
Besides satellite communications, the world is connected by an extensive undersea cable network. Cables have been targeted for the bestpart of a century - the earliest secret programmes initiated following the outbreak of war. Interception via these cables undoubtedlyoccurs today. In relation to this, in this edition of Eye Spy we report on a very unusual structure built on the mainland of Britain (nowdismantled) that was disguised in such a fashion as not to attract attention. Two decades ago the tower was used to receive interceptedcommunications which were then forwarded to London via optical cables. Its primary function was one of counter-terrorism datacollection. Interestingly, some features evident on the tower are identical to those which can be found atop many US embassies todayknown as ‘SHEDS’. It is but one of a number of fascinating features contained within Eye Spy 88.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF EYE SPY INTELLIGENCE MAGAZINE 88 FOLLOWS...
Subscribed to by all the world’s leadingintelligence and security agencies
US SPECIAL FORCES’ OPERATIONS IN LIBYA
US Special Forces seize Abu Anas al-Liby - wanted in connection with the 1998 US Embassyattacks - this as a simultaneous Navy SEAL raid targeted al-Shabaab commanders.
THE TRIPOLI SANCTION
Full background and aftermath, plus an examination of the disturbing influence and growingstrength of al-Qaida in Libya.
EXPOSED BY TURKISH INTELLIGENCE?
BROKEN: MOSSAD SPY NETWORK
Nationwide arrests as Security Service initiates ‘end game’ of multiple and critical on-goingoperations - including the derailing of an emerging plot that some intelligence watchers believe wasa replica of the recent Westgate Shopping Mall attack in Kenya
SECURITY SERVICE OPERATIONS IN THE UK
MI5 REACT
NATO concern as intelligence protocol breached - this as allegations abound that Turkey’s MIT hasreached a secret agreement with MOIS - the Iranian intelligence service
IranianPresidentHassanRohani
WORLDWIDE INTELLIGENCE AND MEDIA REACTION
AL-QAIDA’S GATEWAY
A comprehensive look at how the world of intelligence is reacting to the Edward Snowden leaks ofUS, UK and ‘Five Eyes’ documents. Feature includes commentary and opinions of a number ofleading intelligence, military, political and media figures. Plus opinion on the likely damage causedto national security. Also discussed the subject of future leaks by Snowden. A fascinating andindepth feature not to be missed.
MI5’s Director-General Andrew Parker said the former NSAcontractor’s actions have “opened a gateway for al-Qaida”
CODEBREAKER AND FATHER OF THE COMPUTER
TOMMMY FLOWERS
The unsung WWIIhero of BletchleyPark honoured
Europe warns on intel relations as Washingtonplays down new allegations of widespread
phone tapping and e-mail interception
•THE PROGRAMMES •FIELD STATIONS•INTEL COLLECTORS •CELL PHONETAPPING AND SECURITY •NUMBER
CORRELATION •A MOSSAD CONNECTION?
AND THE CULTURE OF INTERCEPTION
BUGS: PART TWO
Eye Spy examines a number of case files which expose the dark andoften dangerous world created when professional buggists interact - both inadvertently anddeliberately - with the world of intelligence
AN EYE SPYTRADECRAFT
FEATURE
ASSASSINATION, DARK ARTS AND CORPORATE ESPIONAGE
An external telephone box provides a professional buggist with easy access to a landline
Foreign operations threatened as it is revealed former NSA contractor EdwardSnowden has stolen as many as 40,000 US armed forces intelligencedocuments. The inside story
THE DOOMSDAY CASHE OF INTELLIGENCE FILES
DIA INTELLIGENCE
As MI6 continues its hunt to track down the notorious British ‘Black Widow’ Samantha Lewthwaite,and probe the September Westgate Shopping Mall attack in Kenya, evidence begins to emerge thatthe attack gang had ‘international dimensions’.
TERROR PIPELINE
THE NORWEGIAN
NO CLOSURE FOR FAMILY OF GARETH WILLIAMS
DEATH OF A BRITISH SPY
New Scotland Yard statement on the strange death of Gareth Williams in 2010 rejected by familyand intelligence figures
CIA STATION CHIEF OUTED OVER DEADLY PROGRAMME
UAV ON-LINE
• UAV STATISTICS• HOURS ON-LINE
• HOURS IN FLIGHT• CASUALTIES• OPERATIONS
• IMPACT• LEGALITY
Peter Matthews, author of the important new book - SIGINT - was involved in the tale end of the littleknown TICOM operations in Berlin in the late 1940s and witnessed the analysis of German signalsintelligence operations - both their successes and failures. In this exclusive feature, Peter examinessome pivotal moments and looks at the primary German agencies involved with various aspects ofcodebreaking, communications, interception, surveillance and electronic intelligence collection
TICOMTICOMTARGET INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
TICOM
WORLD EXCLUSIVE
IN THE INTELLIGENCE CYCLE
ENCOUNTER CONTROL
Eye Spy Security Editor - Mike Finn begins hisnew series on the complex, but often necessarydiscipline of Encounter Control in the IntelligenceCycle. Although most intelligence agencies teachsome form of defence skills and personal securityawareness to their field operatives during initiation,Encounter Control differs considerably from agencyto agency and does include being aware of one’spersonal surroundings, understanding developingsituations and analysis of body language
In this feature the author provides an introductoryexplanation of the term NEW SERIES
SNOWDEN AND THE GUARDIAN
REWARDS AND AWARDS
In Moscow, Edward Snowden has been honoured for hisactivities, this as the Guardian received multiple awards for itsreporting of the spy affair. Eye Spy asks are they really justified?
A NEST OF SPIES
SHEDS
Eye Spy provides a fascinating insight into the collection and submission of intelligence via thestrange buildings often seen atop embassies, this as Germany accuses the United States ofoperating a ‘nest of spies’ from its Berlin Embassy. Also an explanation of the structures that canbe seen on the roof of the biggest US embassy in the western hemisphere
Germany’s Reichstag. Berlin hascomplained about the US Embassyhousing a ‘nest of spies’ and spying
on its government
GENEVA DEAL STALLS TEHRAN’S AMBITIONIRAN’S N-BOMB QUEST
Analysts divided over uranium enrichment agreement
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu at the UNdiscusses Iran’s nuclear bomb programme
CONTROVERSY AHEAD OF INQUESTLITVINENKO
Important documents examined and analysed ahead ofinquest into the assassination of MI6 agent and formerFSB officer Alexsander Litvinenko in 2006
REVIEW AND BREAKING NEWS FROM INTEL WORLDINTEL DIGEST
THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE RELEASESTHE NEXT AGENCY TO BE TARGETED BY EDWARD SNOWDENREVEALED
THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE RELEASESSUICIDE VERDICT QUESTIONED BY ASSOCIATESBORIS BEREZOVSKY
THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE RELEASESPENTAGON’S 2002 OPERATION AGAINST AL-QAIDAUS INTEL SNATCH SQUAD
THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE RELEASESUS RELATIONS WITH TRIPOLILIBYAN INTELLIGENCE
THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE RELEASESCHINA AND RUSSIAN ACCESS NSA SYSTEMSPRISM
THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE RELEASESMOSSAD ACCUSED OF ELIMINATING ‘WRONG TARGET’CONSPIRACY THEORY
THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE RELEASESTURKEY-ISRAEL INTELLIGENCE RELATIONSINTELLIGENCE PACT
THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE RELEASESFBI INVESTIGATIONROBERT MAXWELL
THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE RELEASES
EYE SPY INTELLIGENCE MAGAZINE IS
SUBSCRIBED TO BY 500 GOVERNMENT
INTELLIGENCE, SECURITY AND MILITARY
AGENCIES WORLDWIDE
JOIN AN ELITE CLUB...