PSC 3090 Statecraft EXAM II PP9

“Agent”
A spy/human source/asset
Foreign national
Has made an agreement to provide intelligence
May or may not know he is working for a particular service
Has direct access to info of value or to people who have that sort of access
Knows that he is doing something secret
Not an officer of a US Intelligence Service

Intelligence officers from the espionage branch/service who meet, direct, and debrief spies are called:
Case officer
Operations officer
Agent handler
Agent runner
Spy master

Witting: Agent knows he is working for a given service
Unwitting: Agent does not know who is getting the information he provides
False flag: CO has lied about his allegiance and has claimed to be from another country
Commercial recruitment: Agent thinks he is working for a private company

True name or alias?
Official cover?
Nonofficial cover
Illegal
Deep cover
Resident or traveler

Directly; Face to face meeting
In country
Outside his area of residence
Oral debrief
Documentary
Indirectly
Impersonal contact
Combination of both

Personal meeting: restaurant, hotel room, park bench
Car meeting (ops car, false plates, agent driving, case officer driving)
Brush pass
Car Toss (either way)
Two way commo with line of sight

Drops: physical and electronic
Radio & Secret Writing
Steganography

Agents, like human beings generally, are motivated by too many different things to even begin to quantify them.
Revenge
Hate
Desire to make a difference
Love of country
Need for money, recognition, attention

Spot
Assess
Develop
Recruit
Handle
Train
Vet
Turnover

C/O looks for a person with access to information that fulfills a standing requirement
Meeting may be arranged directly or indirectly
C/O may go places looking for the target
Luck can play a role

What is the target’s personality?
How does he/she react to the C/O? To the sponsoring power?
Does the target have needs that can be met?
Is the access good enough?
Could he play a clandestine role?
Can we trust him?

Furthering the assessment: making friends with the target, getting to know him/her. Friendship can be intense.
What makes this person tick?
Can we gain influence over this person?
Can we convince this person to help us, to do what we want?
Can we ask without provoking a crisis?

Based on what we know about the target, what can we offer or say to secure his cooperation?
When is the right moment to ask? Who should do the asking?
The C/O who has been developing?
An outside recruiter: “brass from WDC”
What shall we say about sponsorship?

Introducing the new agent to a new handler is the final step.
Recruiting officer probably known in true name. Bring in an unknown person to enhance security.
Will the allegiance transfer? This proves the recruitment.

C/O must train the agent, teach clandestine behavior and tradecraft
C/O pushes the agent to do more
Provide documents
Identify completely subsources
Sign true name documents
Increase use of tradecraft
Accept spy gear

Clandestine communication plan
Regular (scheduled meetings)
Unscheduled meeting
Signals
Emergency meeting
Meeting between unknowns/recognition signals
Universal (iron) meeting
Impersonal contacts?

Brush pass (brush contact)
Dead drop (dead letter box)
May use secret writing, cryptography to hide message from anyone finding it.
Car toss (delivery)
Can be timed toss or not (parked car)
Timed drop
C/O observes successful emplacement

The ability to detect surveillance is the critical skill of the street operator. Being surveillance free keeps the agent alive.
Countersurveillance run (SDR) done alone
SDR done with observers
SDR done with electronics
Careful planning of route provides opportunity for detecting surveillants.
Vehicular run very useful

C/O’s may watch the agent come to a meeting, ask him to describe his behavior, see if he is truthful. Is he alone?
Operational testing
Sealed box
Major meeting to occur
“Mistake” reveals plans, provides extra money, other item of value

Verify his reporting
Get documentary evidence
Test veracity by observation
Do his reports come true?
Should he know this info?
Is he holding out?
Are there limits to what he will do for us?

Having one agent spot another
Putting agents together for any reason
Involving family in an operation
Non-professional contact between C/O and agent
Staying friends
Staying in touch after turnover

Extremely delicate
Explain why? Often mutually agreeable.
Leave them happy
“Awards” or other recognition
Have a recontact plan