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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > International relations > Espionage & secret services
Intelligence agencies spend huge sums of money to collect and
analyze vast quantities of national security data for their
political leaders. How well is this intelligence analyzed, how
often is it acted on by policymakers, and does it have a positive
or negative effect on decision making? Drawing on declassified
documents, interviews with intelligence veterans and policymakers,
and other sources, The Image of the Enemy breaks new ground as it
examines how seven countries analyzed and used intelligence to
shape their understanding of their main adversary. The cases in the
book include the Soviet Union's analysis of the United States (and
vice versa), East Germany's analysis of West Germany (and vice
versa), British intelligence in the early years of the Troubles in
Northern Ireland, Israeli intelligence about the Palestinians,
Pakistani intelligence on India, and US intelligence about Islamist
terrorists. These rivalries provide rich case studies for scholars
and offer today's analysts and policymakers the opportunity to
closely evaluate past successes and failures in intelligence
analysis and the best ways to give information support to
policymakers. Using these lessons from the past, they can move
forward to improve analysis of current adversaries and future
threats.
In 1968, the small, dilapidated American spy ship USS "Pueblo" set
out to pinpoint military radar stations along the coast of North
Korea. Though packed with advanced electronic-surveillance
equipment and classified intelligence documents, its crew, led by
ex-submarine officer Pete Bucher, was made up mostly of untested
young sailors.
On a frigid January morning, the "Pueblo" was challenged by a
North Korean gunboat. When Bucher tried to escape, his ship was
quickly surrounded by more boats, shelled and machine-gunned,
forced to surrender, and taken prisoner.
Less than forty-eight hours before the "Pueblo"'s capture, North
Korean commandos had nearly succeeded in assassinating South
Korea's president. The two explosive incidents pushed Cold War
tensions toward a flashpoint.
Based on extensive interviews and numerous government documents
released through the Freedom of Information Act, "Act of War "tells
the riveting saga of Bucher and his men as they struggled to
survive merciless torture and horrendous living conditions set
against the backdrop of an international powder keg.
As one of al-Qaeda’s most respected bomb-makers, Aimen Dean rubbed shoulders with the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
As a double agent at the heart of al-Qaeda’s chemical weapons programme, he foiled attacks on civilians and saved countless lives, brushing with death so often that his handlers began to call him their spy with nine lives.
This is the story of how a young Muslim, determined to defend his faith, found himself fighting on the wrong side – and his fateful decision to work undercover for his sworn enemy. From the killing fields of Bosnia to the training camps of Afghanistan, from running money and equipment in Britain to dodging barrel bombs in Syria, we discover what life is like inside the global jihad, and what it will take to stop it once and for all.
This book bequeaths to the Defense Intelligence Agency, and to the
Intelligence Community at large, a substantiated vision, with
examples, of how analysts can exploit already-available, massive
databases to tackle many of the most vexing problems that we face.
Dr. Bodnar builds on the earlier work and insight of Cynthia Grabo,
whose book Anticipating Surprise: Analysis for Strategic Warning
was recently published by the Joint Military Intelligence College's
Center for Strategic Intelligence Research. The author also
usefully integrates into this book the often-cited but rarely-seen
original work of the USAF's strategic and operational philosopher
Colonel John Boyd.
In Spies We Trust reveals the full story of the Anglo-American
intelligence relationship - ranging from the deceits of World War I
to the mendacities of 9/11 - for the first time. Why did we ever
start trusting spies? It all started a hundred years ago. First we
put our faith in them to help win wars, then we turned against the
bloodshed and expense, and asked our spies instead to deliver peace
and security. By the end of World War II, Britain and America were
cooperating effectively to that end. At its peak in the 1940s and
1950s, the 'special intelligence relationship' contributed to
national and international security in what was an Anglo-American
century. But from the 1960s this 'special relationship' went into
decline. Britain weakened, American attitudes changed, and the fall
of the Soviet Union dissolved the fear that bound London and
Washington together. A series of intelligence scandals along the
way further eroded public confidence. Yet even in these years, the
US offered its old intelligence partner a vital gift: congressional
attempts to oversee the CIA in the 1970s encouraged subsequent
moves towards more open government in Britain and beyond. So which
way do we look now? And what are the alternatives to the
British-American intelligence relationship that held sway in the
West for so much of the twentieth century? Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones
shows that there are a number - the most promising of which,
astonishingly, remain largely unknown to the Anglophone world.
The first history of invisible ink revealed through thrilling
stories about scoundrels and heroes and their ingenious methods for
concealing messages. Prisoners, Lovers, and Spies is a book about
concealing and revealing secret communications. It is the first
history of invisible writing, uncovered through stories about
scoundrels and heroes. Spies were imprisoned or murdered, adultery
unmasked, and battles lost because of faulty or intercepted secret
communications. Yet, successfully hidden writing helped save lives,
win battles, and ensure privacy; occasionally it even changed the
course of history. Kristie Macrakis combines a storyteller's sense
of drama with a historian's respect for evidence in this
page-turning history of intrigue and espionage, love and war, magic
and secrecy. From the piazzas of ancient Rome to the spy capitals
of the Cold War, Macrakis's global history reveals the drama and
importance of invisible ink. From Ovid's advice to use milk for
illicit love notes, to John Gerard's dramatic escape from the Tower
of London aided by orange juice ink messages, to al-Qaeda's hidden
instructions in pornographic movies, this book presents
spellbinding stories of secret messaging that chart its evolution
in sophistication and its impact on history. An appendix includes
fun kitchen chemistry recipes for readers to try out at home.
China's emergence as a great power in the twenty-first century is
strongly enabled by cyberspace. Leveraged information technology
integrates Chinese firms into the global economy, modernizes
infrastructure, and increases internet penetration which helps
boost export-led growth. China's pursuit of "informatization "
reconstructs industrial sectors and solidifies the transformation
of the Chinese People's Liberation Army into a formidable regional
power. Even as the government censors content online, China has one
of the fastest growing internet populations and most of the
technology is created and used by civilians. Western political
discourse on cybersecurity is dominated by news of Chinese military
development of cyberwarfare capabilities and cyber exploitation
against foreign governments, corporations, and non-governmental
organizations. Western accounts, however, tell only one side of the
story. Chinese leaders are also concerned with cyber insecurity,
and Chinese authors frequently note that China is also a victim of
foreign cyber--attacks--predominantly from the United States. China
and Cybersecurity: Political, Economic, and Strategic Dimensions is
a comprehensive analysis of China's cyberspace threats and
policies. The contributors--Chinese specialists in cyber dynamics,
experts on China, and experts on the use of information technology
between China and the West--address cyberspace threats and
policies, emphasizing the vantage points of China and the U.S. on
cyber exploitation and the possibilities for more positive
coordination with the West. The volume's multi-disciplinary,
cross-cultural approach does not pretend to offer wholesale
resolutions. Contributors take different stances on how problems
may be analyzed and reduced, and aim to inform the international
audience of how China's political, economic, and security systems
shape cyber activities. The compilation provides empirical and
evaluative depth on the deepening dependence on shared global
information infrastructure and the growing willingness to exploit
it for political or economic gain.
This book covers a vast canvas historically as regards Indian
Intelligence, and gives an adequate insight into the functioning of
the important intelligence agencies of the world. The author has
analyzed the current functioning of Indian Intelligence agencies in
great detail, their drawbacks in the structure and coordination and
has come out with some useful suggestions.
Applicants to the Central Intelligence Agency often asked Edward
Mickolus what they might expect in a career there. Mickolus, who
was a CIA intelligence officer, whose duties also included
recruiting and public affairs, never had a simple answer. If
applicants were considering a life in the National Clandestine
Service, the answer was easy. Numerous memoirs show the lives of
operations officers collecting secret intelligence overseas,
conducting counterintelligence investigations, and running covert
action programs. But the CIA isn't only about case officers in
far-flung areas of the world, recruiting spies to steal secrets.
For an applicant considering a career as an analyst, a support
officer, a scientist, or even a secretary, few sources provide
reliable insight into what a more typical career at the CIA might
look like. This collection of the exploits and insights of
twenty-nine everyday agency employees is Mickolus's answer. From
individuals who have served at the highest levels of the agency to
young officers just beginning their careers, Stories from Langley
reveals the breadth of career opportunities available at the CIA
and offers advice from agency officers themselves. "Stories from
Langley provides an invaluable behind-the-scenes look at
professional life inside the CIA. While many have written about
great operational exploits, few have focused on the daily lives and
challenges of analysts, support officers, and engineers, members of
the organization whose work is as essential if not as glamorous in
the public eye. Young men and women wondering about what to expect
in these varied CIA careers will find the book fascinating,
revealing, and perhaps even enticing."-George Tenet, former
director of Central Intelligence for the CIA "One of the most
difficult aspects of intelligence is trying to convey to outsiders
what that life-especially as an analyst-is really like. Most
fiction is overblown and inevitably focuses on operations and
spying. Stories from Langley is a delightful foray into the actual
experiences of a broad range of intelligence officers and fills an
important gap in our intelligence literature. Anyone interested in
the nuts and bolts of an intelligence career will find this a
useful and worthwhile read."-Mark Lowenthal, former assistant
director of Central Intelligence for Analysis& Production for
the CIA and author of Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy
This collection of papers highlights the convergence of academic
and applied factions in the pursuit of intelligence
professionalism.
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