2020 US Presidential Election — Picasso in Wisconsin

“A picture is worth a thousand words”

November 6 2020 — Sometimes, a simple drawing can powerfully convey an idea that words are no longer capable of explaining. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

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

“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

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

“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 →

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KRYPTOS 30 Years Anniversary — The Solution of Section II

“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 →

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

“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

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

“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 →

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

“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

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KRYPTOS 30 Years Anniversary — How to Break a Vigenère Code

“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

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

“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 →

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2020 US Presidential Election — Trump Beats the Polls Again

“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

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