Tuesday, March 26, 2013

THE STORY BEHIND THE VIETNAM WALL MEMORIAL

A friend of mine had the privilege to serve on the Field of Honor committee in Aurora. They are bringing in the Vietnam Veterans moving wall for all to enjoy. He sent me an email "The Story Behind the Names ...... Vietnam Memorial Wall." It tells a history about the names on the wall and reveals a little history that few know about. 


There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010.The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties. The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth, Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on September 7, 1965.There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall.
 
  • 39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger and 8,283 were just 19 years old.
  • The largest age group, 33,103 were 18 years old.
  • 12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old.
  • 5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old.
  • One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old.
  • 997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam.
  • 1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam.
  • 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.
  • Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons.
  • 54 soldiers attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia. I wonder why so many from one school.
  • 8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded.
  • 244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall.
  • Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons.
  • West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the
    Wall.
  • The Marines of Morenci - They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.
  • The Buddies of Midvale - LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three were killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on December 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
  • The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths.
  • The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 - 2,415 casualties were incurred.
For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors.
 
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes about the online spy series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean." The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any  organization he is a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

CIA IN YEMEN FOR LONG HAUL

This post has been updated. Please go to "CIA Drone Strikes Killing Al Qaeda Militants"



 


Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes about the online spy series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean." The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

Sunday, March 17, 2013

CIA MUST CONDUCT DOMESTIC SPYING

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I believe America needs a domestic intelligence agency that is separate from law enforcement (LE). Please read the posting "CIA SHOULD CONDUCT COUNTERINTELLIGENCE INSIDE AMERICA". The resource (photo left) "Reorganizing U.S. Domestic Intelligence" is an eye-opener, for it
details the major organizational transformations that will help in the battle against global and homegrown terrorism; i.e., radical Islam. The book compares America's current counterterrorism (CT) and counterintelligence (CI) efforts with the domestic intelligence agencies of six other free nations.


There are revealing interviews with law enforcement (LE)  and counterintelligence (CI) officials. In particular, the book examines CT and CI  efforts domestically and details what it will take to create such an agency to protect America's heartland.

True, many loyal Americans believe too many agents of the CIA, FBI and local police are empowered to collect intelligence on U.S. citizens. However, I do not believe the CIA is involved in domestic "spying" to the extent suspected, and feel we should adopt Britain's MI5 model for domestic surveillance of suspected terrorists. They have maintained a true democracy that supports individual freedoms, despite MI5 domestic spying since WWII. Likewise, there is a way to use the CIA's resources to collect domestic intelligence in a socially acceptable manner and still maintain our civil liberties.

The overseas threats to America are increasing in number and sophistication and America's current paranoia of domestic intelligence-gathering by the CIA stems from past conflicts involving domestic intelligence operations. It's time to change that perception, for the world has changed and the Intelligence Community must adapt. Before 9/11 the CIA was focused on estimating the threat posed by the nuclear capabilities of the Soviet Union and later Russia. Law enforcement (FBI) was bent on arresting and prosecuting criminals.

After 9/11, law enforcement and the entire Intelligence Community are zeroing in on one mission...to prevent a terrorist attack in America's heartland. I do not believe the huge divide between the law enforcement and counterinelligence cultures will be narrowed, despite the seemingly radical changes made in the relationship between intelligence and law enforcement. America needs to assign the CIA as the one agency ultimately responsible for domestic surveillance and the remaining 16 agencies must follow its lead.

Further Reading:
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes about the online spy series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean." The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

Thursday, March 14, 2013

INTELLIGENCE ANALYST NEEDED FOR AFGHANISTAN WORK

The Walsingham Group is seeking an Intelligence Analyst for immediate employment in Afghanistan. The person they hire will function as a part of an intelligence analytical team of military and/or DoD civilian analysts in support of CJ2 analytical requirements. The Intelligence Analyst is responsible for analysis, reporting, data base input and dissemination of Afghanistan measures of stability which include security, governance and development, Human Terrain Analysis, preparation of provincial and district assessments and Campaign and Mission Analysis briefings and annexes, High Value Individual Targeting products, Extremist and Regional Threat Network Nodal Analysis, Preparation of Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Assessment Metrics which include daily IMINT, SIGINT and HUMINT products to gauge the effectiveness of collection operations, 24/7 Indications & Warning withstanding and all-source exploitation of documents and media from detainees.


This position is mid level analyst and the hired will be  responsible for researching, developing, presenting and publishing all-source intelligence products at the tactical, operational and strategic level related to Military actions, insurgent activities, economic and political activities, and threats to regional stability as part of an overall analytical team. This position provides input to multiple Government requirements and objectives, assist with the analysis and production of various intelligence products, and supply analytical support for senior Military leaders.

You will attend meetings and conduct comprehensive research on complex topics independently or as a part of a larger analytical effort focusing on current events and long-term trends that could impact the Government’s mission. This position is responsible for intelligence analysis related to counter-terrorism, HUMINT, SIGINT, counterintelligence, Afghanistan and South West Asia regional issues, political/military analysis and support to targeting. 

This position requires a minimum of 4 years analytical experience within DoD or equivalent Government agencies required, with operational level experience preferred. Experience in either CT, Afghanistan, South West Asia regional issues and HUMINT or political/military analysis desired. You must also be proficient in utilizing basic computer applications and intelligence related automation to support analytical efforts and product development. 

If you currently have Top Secret/SCI clearance and possess strong research and writing skills and are capable of effectively operating as a member of a strategic level analytical team in the accomplishment of intelligence products and assessments, this opening is for you.


Walsingham offers a competitive benefits package to include: paid holidays, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, flexible spending account, long and short term disability and company paid life insurance, and a Safe Harbor 401(k) with profit sharing.

Apply on their website securely at:

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes the online spy series Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean. The views expressed are his own and do not represent those of any  organization he is a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

WILL IRAN DETONATE A "SUPER DIRTY" BOMB INSIDE AMERICA?

What is the possibility of Iran, through Hezbollah, detonating a dirty radioactive bomb inside America?




  
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Just finished listening to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warn the world at the UN that they must stand firm in putting pressure on Iran to open up its nuclear program to inspection to avoid a military conflict. He reiterated that Israel never...never...allow Iran to possess a nuclear weapon.

I agree with his concern and further wonder what are the ramifications for Israel and the U.S. if Iran does not produce a nuclear weapon but merely produces highly-enriched uranium through its "peaceful" nuclear program. I remember during the 2008 presidential race when Mitt Romney warned  about Iran detonating a “super-dirty” radioactive bomb in a densely-populated urban region inside Israel, or America.

Let's take Orange County, Ca. as an example. To help me analyze the possibility of Iran detonating a "super dirty" radioactive bomb inside America, I consulted Dr. Gregory Moore, Director of the Center for Intelligence Studies at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. 


On May 17, 2012 Mitt Romney said during a fundraiser at the home of private-equity executive Marc Leder that if he were Iran, he would give fissile material to Hezbollah and if the US doesn’t stand down, he’d “let off a dirty bomb in Chicago or some other place.”

What if their “some other place” pick was Orange County? It would be a top choice location due to an extremely high human population density- the sixth most populated county in the U.S., with over 3 million residents, all confined in the smallest area-wise county in southern California. I discussed the possibility of Iran detonating a “super-dirty” radioactive bomb, in general, somewhere inside the U.S. and not specifically in this affluent and mostly-suburban Ca. county with Dr. Moore.

The unsettling news is that an Iranian highly-enriched radioactive dirty bomb would be vastly more dangerous than a cruder variety. It would contain plutonium-239, the most carcinogenic substance known, be surrounded by an incendiary material (thermite) which would vaporize the radioactive material, and be detonated by conventional high explosives, such as semtex, dynamite or TNT.

Although civilian nuclear reactors produce tens of tons of weapons-grade plutonium yearly, terrorists know the risks are high if they attempt to steal it from such highly-secured facilities or buy it from arms dealers or suppliers, who may be CIA undercover operatives. But, I heed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's warning before the UN. With a huge supply produced inside Iran, terrorists will no longer depend upon readily-available but less lethal radioactive material found in clinical radiotherapy centers, research labs, hospitals, construction sites, food irradiation plants, and smoke detectors.

Iran’s nuclear reactors will soon be running and producing significant amounts of plutonium-239 residue waste inside the reactor cores and in the spent nuclear fuel rods. The rods could be chopped up and dissolved in nitric acid to extract pure plutonium, and their terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, would gladly seek martyrdom by grinding the radioactive rubble into a dispersible powder form.


If they fulfill Romney’s suggestion, Orange County will be turned upside down. A large super-dirty, radioactive bomb, coupled with ideal winds, detonated in Buena Park or Anaheim would immediately kill and maim hundreds and create mass panic. Weapons-grade plutonium-239 inhalation toxicity is beyond human experience and a mere sniff could beget lung cancer. The inherent public horror created by the westward-moving radiation cloud would overwhelm safety forces from Coto de Caza to the densely-populated North Tustin, as they respond to stress-induced heart attacks and traffic accidents by people fleeing the immediate vicinity and from miles away, downwind.


A dead zone would result where people couldn’t live or work in for possibly years. Remember, it took six months to clean up Capitol Hill after a mere 5 grams of anthrax was mailed there. Restoring the detonation and downwind vicinity would be painstakingly slow as de-contamination teams donned in protective suits steam spray, vacuum, sandblast, and bulldoze tainted buildings, pavement, earth and vegetation. Annually, over 7 million tourists visit Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park alone, so thousands of locals and visitors alike would be quarantined in decontamination centers and not be allowed to return home.

The comforting news is that Dr. Gregory Moore told me the chances of such a super-dirty bomb attack somewhere within America's heartland by Iran is “not all that likely” at the present time, because the U.S. remains a lucrative funding source for its terrorist proxy, Hezbollah. Also, nuclear forensics is evolving and if the plutonium residue had Iran’s signature, they realize a U.S. retaliation would be swift and strong.

A teacher of terrorism, counterterrorism and geopolitics, Moore offered stipulations. Although he said such a super-dirty radioactive bomb attack was unlikely, the possibility cannot be entirely dismissed. He believes that U.S. efforts to pressure Iran about its nuclear program, coupled with America’s support for the rebellion in Syria could lead to a decision to act. Moore told me, “A significant event, such as an air strike on Iran‘s nuclear facilities could bring Iran to detonate one in the U.S. They would be responding to an attack against them and would feel justified.”

For the sake of all Israeli citizens...and Orange County residents...I heed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's warning at the UN. I also pray that Iran forever disregards Mitt Romney’s advice.


Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes the online spy series Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean. The views expressed are his own and do not represent those of any  organization he is a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

Sunday, March 10, 2013

11 WAYS TO ENRICH U.S. SPY TRADECRAFT

Note: I'd like your ideas on how to improve the Intelligence Community’s counterintelligence and analytical tradecrafts. This is an on-going project, so send in your ideas to the secure Contact Form and they will be published. Please submit your name and organization if you desire to be acknowledged or write "anonymous" if you do not.  
 

The Rand Corporation finalized a report that judges the efficacy of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) regarding the overall tradecraft of intelligence analysis used by the major IC agencies, such as the CIA and NSA. Here is a  rundown of this report, entitled Assessing The Tradecraft of Intelligence Analysis. You may also order it online (below).

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The report research was completed by the Intelligence Policy Center (IPC) of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD). Some of the suggestions are already in place, haven been initiated in the wake of the December 2004 intelligence reform legislation, such as creating a Deputy Director of National Intelligence position, establishing a National Intelligence University, building a Long Term Analysis Unit at the National Intelligence Council, and forming an Open Source Center.

Much of these reco's are being accomplished as we speak. The NSRD has earned respect and conducts research and analysis for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Commands, the defense agencies, the Department of the Navy, the Marine Corps, the U.S. Coast Guard, allied foreign governments, as well as the IC. Below are the critical transformations needed that the RAND Corp. recommends, plus several of our own ideas: 
1. Create a Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis as a focal point for analysis.

2. Establish a National Intelligence University to perfect training skills for analysis and continuous, life-long learning in the art of intelligence tradecraft tools and knowledge acquisition.

3. Build a Long Term Analysis Unit at the National Intelligence Council (NIC). The NIC conducts strategic thinking and reports to the Director of National Intelligence about real-time and potential foreign policy issues. The NIC’s intel is reviewed and matched throughout the IC before being forwarded to them.


4. Create an Open Source Center to make more creative use of open-source materials.

5. An attitudinal change is needed so the entire IC leadership embraces the concepts of intelligence analysis in particular, as well as data-sharing, fusion, and the like.

6. Make a clear distinction between three levels of analysis: technical processing, single source, and all sources analysis.

7. The authors criticize the IC’s focus on a `generalist' analysts rather than analysts with specific subject expertise. True, generalists can be moved about as needed from crises to crises as required, but they say this is a repeated folly and bring up the NCTC’s failure to "connect the dots" in the most recent terrorist incident (the Christmas Day underpants bomber).

8. End the IC’s discounting of OSINT. They believe the CIA’s Open Source Center (OSC) is a parody and the disregard of the potential value of OSINT has undermined U.S. intelligence operations.

9. Please read CIA should conduct counterintelligence inside America"

10. Please read CIA and Defense Intel Agency need Cyber Counterintelligence Group (CCG)"

11. OSINT should be expanded exponentially for use by the entire IC. This is currently being done with Cloud and data mining technologies. To gain some ideas, read how we at Osint News use OSINT to gather information: THE HOW? WHERE? FROM WHO? OSINT NEWS GATHERS ARTICLE INFORMATION.


Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes the online spy series Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean. The views expressed are his own and do not represent those of any  organization he is a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form