On This Day — Pablo Escobar is killed in Medellin (December 2 1993) [2019]

Posted on December 2, 2019 by L

“Pablo  committed suicide. He did not get killed. During all the years they went after him, he would say to me every day that if he was really cornered without a way out, he would shoot himself through the ear.”

Roberto Escobar

“My father worked for the CIA selling cocaine to finance the fight against Communism in Central America.”

Juan Pablo Escobar

“What we’ve learned is that if you look at history what happened with the Medellin Cartel after we took them down, Cali Cartel got stronger, right? Then we take them down, and North Valle Cartel takes over. We’re taking down cartels, and another cartel is born.”

Javier Pena — Former DEA officer

Fernando Botero’s portrayal of Pablo Escobar’s death

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (December 1 1949 – December 2 1993) was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist. His cartel supplied an estimated 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States at the height of his career, turning over US$21.9 billion a year in personal income. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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Brussels, Den of Spies — The European Capital is a playground for spies

Posted on December 1, 2019 by L

“Brussels has now overtaken Vienna when it comes to the density of so-called intelligence services from outside the EU.”

Peter Gridling — Head of Austria’s domestic intelligence agency (June 2018)

“Belgium may seem an unlikely destination for a Chinese agent. In fact, it’s a den of spies, according to domestic intelligence agency State Security (VSSE). It says the number of operatives is at least as high as during the Cold War, and Brussels is their chessboard.”

How Belgium Became Europe’s Den of Spies and a Gateway for China — Bloomberg (November 28 2019)

December 1st 2019 — Belgium has clearly become Europe’s den of spies. Not convinced? Let us take a quick look at a few events that occurred in just the last few days. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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Remembering CIA Director George H. W. Bush (June 12, 1924 – November 30, 2018)

Posted on November 30, 2019 by L

“I think we should think of the CIA as a national asset that must be preserved as a vital part of our defense system. . . It is important that the American people understand the intricate job the CIA is doing in an increasingly complex world. It is essential we have the support of the American People.”

George H.W. Bush — Speech in San Antonio, Texas, 1978

“George H.W. Bush led a life of exemplary public service, integrity, and determination—in WWII, in Congress, as UN Ambassador, Envoy to China, CIA Director, and as Vice President & President. A life very well lived; an American who made us all proud. May he rest in eternal peace.”

Former CIA Director John Brennan (December 1 2018)

“We’ve lost a great champion of the Agency—an accomplished Director, faithful advocate, and dear friend—with the passing of former President George H.W. Bush. As a heroic Navy pilot in the Second World War, a skilled statesman who deftly managed the collapse of the Soviet Union and liberated Kuwait from Saddam Husayn’s aggression, and a committed citizen who remained engaged in public service throughout his later years, President Bush exemplified the virtues of patriotism, duty, and compassion. Officers here at the George Bush Center for Intelligence and deployed around the globe honor the memory of a great American. On behalf of the men and women of CIA, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the Bush family.”

CIA Director Gina Haspel (December 1 2018)

George H.W. Bush’s tenure as Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) marked a turning point for the Agency as it came out of a period of great controversy. He is credited with restoring focus and boosting morale, and he remains one of the most beloved directors in the Agency’s history. George Bush is the only former Director of Central Intelligence to become President. Follow us on TWITTER: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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The CIA Book of Honor — Star 79 : Johnny Micheal Spann (March 1, 1969 – November 25, 2001) [Update — King of Spades]

Posted on November 29, 2019 by L

“IN HONOR OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY”

Memorial at the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia

“He [Johnny Micheal Spann] led one of our teams into Afghanistan, then under the sway of a dictatorship aligned with global murder.  There, he tracked the authors and allies of terror.  There, while fighting for the future of the American people, he fought to bring a better future to the Afghan people.  And it was there, one evening, that he said he would gladly risk his life if he could help make the world a safer place for his wife and children. As we know, those were much more than words. Our battle with terrorism will be long and difficult.  But those who have taken Mike from us cannot prevail.  And they will not.  Not while a single decent person—who not only loves liberty, but is ready to protect it—stands against them.”

Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet (May 31 2002)

Currently, there are 133 stars carved into the marble of the CIA Memorial Wall: 91 are unclassified. Who are those men and (11) women? When did they die? Why are they honoured by a star? Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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On This Day — Did The CIA Murder US Army Scientist Frank Olson? And Why? (November 28 1953) [2019]

Posted on November 28, 2019 by L

“If this would have been a suicide, it would have been very difficult to accomplish. There was motive to kill him. He knew the deepest, darkest secrets of the cold war. Would the American government kill an American citizen who was a scientist, who was working for the CIA and the army, if they thought he was a security risk? There are people who say: ‘Definitely.’”

Stephen Saracco — Retired New York assistant district attorney (2019)

“The most efficient accident, in simple assassination, is a fall of 75 feet or more onto a hard surface.”

CIA assassination manual (1953)

“What Wormwood tries to do is tell a story about how we know what we know and how reliable is that knowledge.”

Errol Morris — Documentary Director

“You think that finding the answer to this is gonna restore the path of your own life. But how can it possibly do that if you’ve lost yourself along the way?”

Eric Olson (Wormwood)

 

November 28 2019 — Wormwood is a 2017 American six-part docudrama miniseries directed by Errol Morris and released on Netflix on December 15, 2017. The series follows a scientist who participates in a secret government biological warfare program. In the final chapter, Seymour Hersh states that he believes the CIA murdered Frank Olson.

Although, Hersh has a source that backs up this story, Hersh refuses to speak out because the story would expose how his source acquired the necessary information. Hersh claims he knows what Frank did that got him killed.  But he does not reveal it. In this post, I suggest the most likely explanation. As always, your feedback is welcome! Follow us on Twitter:  @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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30 Years Ago — Remembering Avianca Flight 203 (November 27 1989) [2019]

Posted on November 27, 2019 by L

“It’s not an item that appears on most attorneys’ bucket lists: ‘Challenge the commonly held explanation of a national tragedy and help win another country’s version of the Pulitzer Prize.’ It’s not that it’s not a noble goal, but where would you start?”

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly — Retired lawyer probes crash, shares ‘Colombian Pulitzer’ (December 14 2017)

“No one acts alone without orders in the FBI. We had clear goals which were clearly given to us in every document we received from anyone. If a police organization wished for us to provide them “proof” of guilt, then they told us in many ways of their absolute belief that the perpetrators were those individuals they had already arrested. If the president of the United States tells the country in the national news that Dandeny Munoz Mosquera is one of the most feared assassins in the history of the world, then every agent knows that he must provide information to support that statement. If leaders decide without concern for foundation of truth then most people will follow them.”

Fred Whitehurst — Former FBI Chemist (Email to the author)

Avianca 203

Avianca Airlines Flight 203 was a Colombian domestic passenger flight from El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali. Avianca Flight 203 crashed over the municipality of Soacha on November 27, 1989. Allegedly, the plane was destroyed by a bomb. This explanation is however much disputed by experts today. Colombian journalists Pablo Correa, Sergio Silva and retired US Newton Center attorney Thomas Hoffman share the 2017 Simon Bolivar Prize (Category: Investigative journalism) for their outstanding work on the true story of AVIANCA Flight 203. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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The CIA Book of Honor — Star 117 : Charles Mayer (1968)

Posted on November 26, 2019 by L

“IN HONOR OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY”

Memorial at the CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia

“For anyone who wants to understand the essence of the CIA, one need look no further than this hallowed wall. These stars, and the memories they hold, will forever inspire and sustain us as we carry on the work to which those whose stars find lasting peace in this finely chiseled constellation devoted their lives.”

 Director John O. Brennan — CIA annual ceremony (May 23 2016)

September 12 2019 — Currently, there are 133 stars carved into the marble of the CIA Memorial Wall; 93 are unclassified. Who are those men and women? When did they die? Why are they honored by a star?  Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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On This Day — Dr Gus W. Weiss Dies Under Mysterious Circumstances (November 25 2003) [2019]

Posted on November 25, 2019 by L

“Intelligence shortcomings, as we see, have a thousand fathers; secret intelligence triumphs are orphans. Here is the unremarked story of  ‘the Farewell dossier’: how a C.I.A. campaign of computer sabotage resulting in a huge explosion in Siberia — all engineered by a mild-mannered economist named Gus Weiss — helped us win the cold war. (…) Gus Weiss died from a fall a few months ago. Now is a time to remember that sometimes our spooks get it right in a big way.”

William Safire — NYT

“If some double agent told the KGB the Americans were alert to Line X and were interfering with their collection by subverting, if not sabotaging, the effort, I believed the United States still could not lose. The Soviets, being a suspicious lot, would be likely to question and reject everything Line X collected. If so, this would be a rarity in the world of espionage, an operation that would succeed even if compromised. Casey liked the proposal.”

Gus W. Weiss

“So the accomplishments of FAREWELL, in summary, are enormous. It was a major — major — accelerator to the end of the Cold War. (…) It was a critical and heroic accomplishment by President Mitterrand and his government, whatever the intentions may have been at the time…”

Richard V. Allen — President Ronald Reagan’s Former National Security Advisor

Dr Gus W. Weiss was a White House policy adviser on technology, intelligence and economic affair and worked primarily on national security, intelligence and concerns on technology transfer to communist countries. Weiss died on November 25, 2003 under what the UK newspaper The Independent has characterized as “mysterious circumstances”. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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KRYPTOS — Analysis of Jim Sanborn K1 Worksheet

Posted on November 25, 2019 by L

“The two words [Palimpsest & Abscissa] are key words for a section of the text, as you can see in the first letter of line No. 1 on the original chart there is a B above the P of palimpsest under that there is an E that was derived from using a Vigenere Tableaux like the one on the ‘Kryptos’ screen. The tableaux works like a mileage chart on a road atlas, you go down the left side and find a P row and across the top and find a B column where these intersect you find the E. I used a tableaux slightly different from the one on ‘Kryptos.’ This is basically a very simple system, obviously not all the sections were so simple.”

Jim Sanborn — Email to the NYT (November 2010)

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 — known as K1, K2 and K3 — have been solved. However K4, the last part of the message, remains one of the most famous unsolved code in the world.  Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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Douma Attack — Internal OPCW E-Mail Reveals Crucial Omissions

Posted on November 24, 2019 by L

“Omitting this section of the report (including the Epidemiology which has been removed in its entirety) has a serious negative impact on the report as this section is inextricably linked to the chemical agent identified… In this case, the confidence in the identity of chlorine or any other choking agent is drawn into question precisely because of the inconsistency with the reported and observed symptoms. The inconsistency was not only noted by the fact-finding mission team, but strongly supported by three toxicologists with expertise in exposure to chemical warfare agents.”

OPCW Inspector (June 22 2018)

November 24 2019 — Today, WikiLeaks published an e-mail, sent by a member of an OPCW fact-finding mission to Syria to his superiors, in which he expresses his gravest concern over intentional bias introduced to a redacted version of the report he co-authored. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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