Archive for April 2023
Risky Business: Understanding How Risk is a Factor in Operational Activity
Life is a gamble, they say. When it comes to the Intelligence Community, risk is a factor in evaluating whether an operational activity is worthwhile or a no-go. From the outside looking in, most people may think that the actions performed by an intelligence agency and their employees is a do-or-die adrenaline rush to the…
Read MoreIntelligence Leaks: what harm is it anyway?
Intelligence Leaks: what harm is it anyway? Over the last few days there has been a lot of media reporting concerning the latest intelligence leak by 21-year-old, Jack Teixeira. A National guardsman with the Massachusetts Air National Guard, Teixeira, faces up to 15 years in prison for, “unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information”…
Read MoreBeing Grey ain’t Easy
Kermit the frog has been quoted as saying “It isn’t easy being green”. Which I believe is very true, but as a former intelligence officer, being grey isn’t all its cracked up to be either. The term “the grey man” is an old (now misogynistic) espionage term relating to an individual who can gounnoticed, and…
Read MoreIntelligence as Evidence
It’s an old debate; Should intelligence gathered by a civilian intelligence agency be used as evidence in court for prosecution? I can tell you from my experience as an intelligence officer for nearly two decades, that this issue has been visited, discussed, re visited and discussed again. Police organizations are designed to put criminals in…
Read MoreWhen is Surveillance conducted?
Welcome back to another article relating to my series on Surveillance. The question of when surveillance is conducted may be an odd one to ask. The obvious and correct answer is, “Surveillance can be conducted at any time!”. And it is. Surveillance can be planned or can happen at the spur of the moment. Surveillance…
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