2020 US Presidential Election — Trump Beats the Polls — Again [UPDATE II — Politico : “The pollsters got Donald Trump wrong — again.”]

Posted on November 6, 2020 by L

“It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” [1]

November 4 2020 — Joe Biden just declared that he was on his way to the White House. The numbers tell a different story. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

Continue reading →
Posted in 2020 US presidential election | Leave a comment

On This Day — Robert Gates Becomes 15th CIA Director (November 6 1991) [Test your “Spy Knowledge” with our 2020 CIA Directors Quiz!]

Posted on November 6, 2020 by L

“If Iraq and Afghanistan have taught us anything in recent history, it is the unpredictability of war and that these things are easier to get into than to get out of.”

Former CIA Director Robert Gates

 

cia-logo-floor

November 6 2020 — Robert Gates was nominated to become the Director of Central Intelligence (head of the CIA) in early 1987. He withdrew his name after it became clear the Senate would reject the nomination due to controversy about his role in the Iran-Contra affair. Gates was nominated again for the position by President George H. W. Bush on May 14, 1991. This time, he was confirmed by the Senate on November 5, and sworn in on November 6 1991.

How much do you know about spy agencies? Take this quiz to find out your knowledge of the CIA Directors. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

Posted in CIA, CIA Director, QUIZ | Tagged , | Leave a comment

KRYPTOS 30 Years Anniversary — The Solution of Section II

Posted on November 5, 2020 by L

“I really do want Kryptos to remain secret – the plain text, the final section of Kryptos, I would prefer for it to remain secret indefinitely. (…) I would think that every artist would aspire to making an artwork that is not transient. It’s a permanent visual, auditory, conceptual statement. And I did Kryptos with all those things in mind. And one – as an artist, one would prefer to have that piece continue giving rather than have it understood right off the bat and then more or less ignored. And so this has lived way beyond all of my expectations, you know, at 30 years in retaining a secret that it has, and that’s the magic.”

Jim Sanborn (January 30 2020)

 

Kryptos is a sculpture by the American artist Jim Sanborn located on the grounds of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Langley, Virginia. Of the four parts of the message, the first three have been solved. The last part of the message remains as one of the most famous unsolved code in the world.

November 5 2020 — The ciphertext on the left-hand side of the sculpture (as seen from the courtyard) of the main sculpture contains 869 characters in total (865 letters and 4 question marks). The right-hand side of the sculpture comprises a keyed Vigenère encryption tableau, consisting of 867 letters. In our last post about KRYPTOS, we learned how to break a Vigenère code. In this post, we finish the job regarding the entire section II. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

Posted in KRYPTOS | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

2020 US Presidential Election — Trump Beats the Polls Again [UPDATE — Belgian Media Launch Disinformation Campaign]

Posted on November 5, 2020 by L

“It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” [1]

November 4 2020 — Joe Biden just declared that he was on his way to the White House. The numbers tell a different story. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

Continue reading →
Posted in 2020 US presidential election | Leave a comment

On This Day — Ayatollah Khomeini declares US “The Great Satan” (November 5 1979) [Playing the Anniversary Game]

Posted on November 5, 2020 by L

“In this revolution, the Great Satan is America that gathers around other devils blatantly… If we see the US, this great Satan, raising chain and bringing the devils together around him, it is because the US grip over our country and our resources curtailed.”

Ayatollah Khomeini (November 5 1979)

November 5 2020 — In a speech delivered on November 5 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini used the term “Great Satan” to describe the United States. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

Posted in Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

One Year Ago — Robert A. Levinson Rewards Upped to US$ 25M (November 4 2019)

Posted on November 5, 2020 by L

“Today, the Department of State Rewards for Justice Program announced a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to the safe location, recovery, and return of Bob Levinson.”

RFJ — November 4 2019

Robert Levinson is pictured with his daughters in 2006, about seven months before his kidnapping

November 4 2020 — On November 4 2019, the Trump administration announced a major increase in reward money for information on the whereabouts of  Robert Levinson. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today

Continue reading →
Posted in Iran | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

KRYPTOS 30 Years Anniversary — How to Break a Vigenère Code

Posted on November 4, 2020 by L

“When confronted with a puzzle or problem, we sometimes can lose sight of the fact that we have issued a challenge to ourselves–not to our tools. And before we automatically reach for our computers, we sometimes need to remember that we already possess the most essential and powerful problem solving tool within our own minds.”

David Stein — CIA Analyst (Directorate of Intelligence)

Kryptos is a sculpture by the American artist Jim Sanborn located on the grounds of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Langley, Virginia. Of the four parts of the message, the first three have been solved. The last part of the message remains as one of the most famous unsolved code in the world.

November 4 2020 — The ciphertext on the left-hand side of the sculpture (as seen from the courtyard) of the main sculpture contains 869 characters in total (865 letters and 4 question marks). The right-hand side of the sculpture comprises a keyed Vigenère encryption tableau, consisting of 867 letters. Today, we will learn how to break the so-called section II of this ciphertext. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

Continue reading →
Posted in KRYPTOS | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

On This Day — Iranian students storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran (November 4 1979)

Posted on November 4, 2020 by L

“It is now very clear that there were two separate agreements, one the official agreement with Carter in Algeria, the other, a secret agreement with another party, which, it is now apparent, was Reagan. They made a deal with Reagan that the hostages should not be released until after Reagan became president. So, then in return, Reagan would give them arms. We have published documents which show that US arms were shipped, via Israel, in March, about 2 months after Reagan became president.”

Former Iranian President Abolhassan Banisadr

 

November 4 1979 — Iranian students storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran

November 4 2020 — On November 4 1979, a group of Iranian college students took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days. The hostages were released just minutes after American President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

Posted in Iran | Tagged , | Leave a comment

2020 US Presidential Election — Trump Beats the Polls Again

Posted on November 4, 2020 by L

“It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” [1]

November 4 2020 — Joe Biden just declared that he was on his way to the White House. The numbers tell a different story. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

Continue reading →
Posted in 2020 US presidential election | Leave a comment

5G — Will European Countries Ban Huawei? [UPDATE — Sweden bans Huawei]

Posted on November 3, 2020 by L

“Perhaps, the most puzzling part of the [Belgian Intelligence Services] report is what it does not mention. Although most countries are extremely concerned about China investments in their Telecom infrastructure, the Belgian report is silent on this issue. Why, on earth, why?”

Intel Today (November 30 2018)

“The UK needs to take decision on the extent to which we are going to be comfortable with Chinese ownership of these technologies.”

MI6 chief Alex Younger (December 3 2018)

“Given the massive cybersecurity and national security risks, the only responsible decision is for Berlin to follow the Australian, New Zealand, and U.S. lead and ban Chinese providers from the German 5G network. In doing so, Europe’s strongest economy would send a crucial signal to the rest of the European Union members that are grappling with the same decision.”

Thorsten Benner — Director of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin (December 9 2018)

“Huawei shares with the Chinese state intimate and extensive knowledge of the foreign telecommunications systems it is involved with.”

General Michael Hayden — Former head of the U.S. National Security Agency

“If China would resort to putting Canadians to death to defend its corporate national champion, what might it do if the Chinese Communist Party had unfettered access to Canada’s vital communications networks?”

Richard Fadden — Head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service spy agency from 2009 to 2013 (January 20 2019)

December 5 2018 — The United States, Australia and New Zealand have already blocked Huawei from building their new 5G networks on security grounds. On December 5, Britain’s BT Group said it would rip Huawei equipment from its core telecom network. Canada is also likely to ban Huawei and  it is reported that Japan is expected to ban government use of products made by Huawei and ZTE over cyber-security concerns.

So, why on earth has Europe been silent on this critical issue for so long? What are they waiting for? I am afraid that it will all depend on Germany’s decision.

UPDATE — On March 26 2019,  the European Commission has recommended a set of operational steps and measures to ensure a high level of cyber-security of 5G networks across the EU.

The Commission does not call for a European ban on global market leader Huawei, leaving it to EU countries to decide on national security grounds. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

Posted in 5G, China, Huawei | Leave a comment