The CIA Book of Honor — Star 114 : James “Pete” McCarthy

Posted on August 19, 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)

August 19 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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CIA Declassified — Mao Tse Tung Workout Routine

Posted on August 18, 2019 by L

“Within the Central Intelligence Agency’s declassified archives there are two volumes of the ‘Collected Works of Mao Tse-Tung 1917-1949,’ originally translated by the Joint Publications Research Service in 1978 and declassified in 2008. While there’s nothing particularly surprising about the CIA’s interest in Mao’s body of work, it is notable that one of the earliest samples of that work is rather literally about Mao’s body.”

J. Pat Brown — Muckrock (April 29, 2019)

“Confucius died at age 72, and one has never heard of him suffering from health. Buddha travelled incessantly to spread the doctrines, and he also died at an old age. Jesus unfortunately met with an unjust death. Mohammad, with the Koran in his left hand and a sword in his right, conquered the world. They were all sages of ancient times and the greatest thinkers.”

Mao Tse Tung — New Youth (Volume 3, No 21 April 1917)

Mao Tse-Tung, Founding Father of the People’s Republic of China, as a Young Man, C1920S

August 18 2019 — Among the Agency’s earliest translations of Mao Tse Tung’s writings is a 1917 treatise on the benefits of physical education. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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On This Day — The Crash of PAK-1 (August 17 1988) [2019]

Posted on August 17, 2019 by L

“Of all the violent political deaths in the twentieth century, none with such great interest to the U.S. has been more clouded than the mysterious air crash that killed president (and Army Chief General) Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan in (August) 1988, a tragedy that also claimed the life of the serving American ambassador and most of Zia’s top commanders”.

Barbara Crossette — New York Times South Asia bureau chief from 1988 to 1991

“As a general rule, complex international cases are hard to solve, and nothing about the process of investigating them ever seemed to be straightforward. This was especially true in this crash investigation, where a confluence of suspects and a dearth of information made an already challenging job that much more difficult.”

Fred Burton — Former deputy chief of counterterrorism at the Diplomatic Security Service

“It was the steering mechanism, is the way he described it to me. (…) I had always thought C130s were the workhorses of the air. I was quite surprised when the Air Force described to me what they had discovered.”

Mrs Ely-Raphel — Wife of US States Ambassador to Pakistan, Arnold Lewis Raphel 

On 17 August 1988, General Zia-ul-Haq, the President of Pakistan and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), died in a mysterious C-130 Hercules plane crash. The case was never solved. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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Belgium — World Top Arms Dealer Sentenced to 4 Years. Not Jailed for Now. [UPDATE : Belgian arms trafficker arrested in Portugal]

Posted on August 16, 2019 by L

“The reason I’ll be released is the same reason you think I’ll be convicted. I do rub shoulders with some of the most vile, sadistic men calling themselves leaders today. But some of these men are the enemies of your enemies. And while the biggest arms dealer in the world is your boss – the President of the United States, who ships more merchandise in a day than I do in a year – sometimes it’s embarrassing to have his fingerprints on the guns. Sometimes he needs a freelancer like me to supply forces he can’t be seen supplying. So. You call me evil, but unfortunately for you, I’m a necessary evil.”

Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) — Lord of War (2005)

Brussels (October 22 2018) — Last week, Jacques Monsieur, one of the most notorious arms dealer in the world, was  given a tougher sentence on appeal than he had received in his original trial. UPDATE — Jacques Monsieur has been arrested in Portugal on Wednesday August 14 2019. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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One Year Ago — Trump Revokes Former CIA Director Security Clearance

Posted on August 15, 2019 by L

“It’s astounding how often you fail to live up to minimum standards of decency, civility, & probity. Seems like you will never understand what it means to be president, nor what it takes to be a good, decent, & honest person. So disheartening, so dangerous for our Nation.”

Former CIA Director John Brennan (August 14 2018)

“I have decided to revoke the security clearance of John Brennan, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency.”

US President Donald Trump (August 15 2018)

“Spying did occur [on the Trump campaign in 2016]. The question is whether it was adequately predicated. And I’m not suggesting that it wasn’t adequately predicated. But I need to explore that.”

US Attorney General William Barr (April 10 2019)

Either we need a new election or hang former CIA Director John Brennan for putting out disinformation.”

Former CIA operative Robert Baer — Newsweek (January 2017)

Former CIA Director John Brennan

August 15 2018 — Today, U.S. President Donald Trump has revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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20 Years Ago — Colombian Peace Activist Jaime Garzón Murdered in Bogotá [August 13 1999]

Posted on August 14, 2019 by L

“Uribe was considered untouchable and all-powerful until yesterday. This marks a very important precedent.”

Colombian lawmaker Ivan Cepeda (July 25 2018)

“Álvaro Uribe is a very dangerous individual.”

Jaime Garzon

“Lo que nos enseñan a los colombianos no tiene nada que ver con las necesidades que tenemos los colombianos”.

Jaime Garzon

Jaime Hernando Garzón Forero (October 24, 1960 – assassinated August 13, 1999 in Bogotá)

August 13 2019 — Jaime Garzón was a Colombian comedian, journalist, politician, and peace activist. Garzón was assassinated on the streets of Bogotá 20 years ago. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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One Year Ago — CIA : The Top 10 Myths

Posted on August 14, 2019 by L

“Hollywood has produced some incredibly entertaining portrayals of the lives of CIA officers. The veil of secrecy surrounding the work of real-life intelligence officers lends itself to speculation, and the gaps created are quickly filled in with fiction. These fictional depictions often lead to the solidification of the inaccurate perspectives that most people have of the CIA.

It may surprise some to discover that we are not the gun-toting, globetrotting, martini-drinking spies frequently portrayed on the silver screen.”

CIA Website (August 14 2018)

“I think it has become necessary to take another look at the purpose and operations of our Central Intelligence Agency. At least, I would like to submit here the original reason why I thought it necessary to organize this Agency during my Administration, what I expected it to do and how it was to operate as an arm of the President. (…)

We have grown up as a nation, respected for our free institutions and for our ability to maintain a free and open society. There is something about the way the CIA has been functioning that is casting a shadow over our historic position and I feel that we need to correct it.”

Harry Truman (December 22, 1963)

August 14 2018 — In an effort to remain as transparent as possible, the CIA is debunking 10 of the most common misconceptions people have about the Agency. The reader should take these explanations with a pinch of salt. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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The CIA Book of Honor — Star 87 : Rachel A. Dean (April 10 1981 – September 30 2006)

Posted on August 13, 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

“Rachel was a warm and compassionate young woman, and an officer of unbounded potential. We miss her still and will remember her always. She is our 87th star.”

General Mike Hayden — Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2007 CIA Memorial Ceremony)

August 13 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 — The Philadelphia Experiment (August 12 1943) [2019]

Posted on August 12, 2019 by L

“IT WAS TOTALLY INVISIBLE HOWS THAT POSSIBLE ? THEY USED THE EARTHS MAGNETIC FIELD X THE INFORMATION WAS GATHERED AND TRANSMITTED UNDERGRUUND TO AN UNKNOWN LOCATION X DOES LANGLEY KNOW ABOUT THIS ? THEY SHOULD ITS BURIED OUT THERE SOMEWHERE X WHO KNOWS THE EXACT LOCATION ? ONLY WW THIS WAS HIS LAST MESSAGE X THIRTY EIGHT DEGREES FIFTY SEVEN MINUTES SIX POINT FIVE SECONDS NORTH SEVENTY SEVEN DEGREES EIGHT MINUTES FORTY FOUR SECONDS WEST X LAYER TWO”

KRYPTOS Sculpture (Part II)

“DARPA develops the weapons of the future. It funds everything from basic science to advanced technology, though the ultimate goal is always to develop something that can be used by the military.”

Sharon Weinberger — “The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story of DARPA, the Pentagon Agency That Changed the World.”

August 12 2019 — On August 12, 1943 the US Navy conducted a test of some sort on the USS Eldridge DE [Destroyer Escort] 173 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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CIA Directors [DCI and D/CIA] — Test your Spy Knowledge with our Quiz! [2019]

Posted on August 11, 2019 by L

“With the benefit of hindsight and my experience as a senior Agency leader, the enhanced interrogation program is not one the CIA should have undertaken. The United States must be an example to the rest of the world, and I support that.”

Gina Haspel — CIA Director

cia-logo-floor

August 11 2019 — 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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