165 lines
7.5 KiB
Plaintext
165 lines
7.5 KiB
Plaintext
|
|
Secret Meetings
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tradecraft for managing clandestine contacts... Copyright ©1998 Lee Adams. All
|
|
rights reserved. Updated September 11th, 1998. NOTE - Spy & CounterSpy does not
|
|
endorse, condone, or encourage any illegal act. The material in this article is
|
|
presented for information, research, entertainment, and education purposes only.
|
|
The words "you" and "your" and "I" and "we" are used in this article for ease of
|
|
readability only.
|
|
|
|
A security service like the FBI can only achieve its objectives by intercepting
|
|
communication between people. This means you can beat the security service if
|
|
you can deny them the ability to overhear your meetings with your contacts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
What you'll learn here...
|
|
|
|
This article teaches you how to check for surveillance before you meet with a
|
|
clandestine contact. You'll learn a protocol that will beat security services
|
|
like the FBI, BATF, DEA, and others. The method is particularly effective
|
|
against standard police surveillance. It also works against the so-called
|
|
inspection teams of the IRS.
|
|
|
|
Tradecraft origins. The method described in this article was originally devised
|
|
in 1943-1944 by countersurveillance expert Anthony Blunt for Britain's MI.5.
|
|
Unfortunately for the British, Blunt was a deep-cover agent for the KGB.
|
|
|
|
Six years later, Blunt taught the protocol to his new KGB controller, Yuri
|
|
Modin. Together they perfected the technique as it is known today. They
|
|
successfully thwarted MI.5 surveillance for three years, sometimes even meeting
|
|
daily to exchange information and top secret documents. In effect, Blunt was
|
|
using his inside knowledge of MI.5's surveillance techniques to beat them at
|
|
their own game.
|
|
|
|
Proliferation. This countersurveillance method has since been adopted by
|
|
Israel's Mossad, Germany's BND, Russia's KGB (now the SVR), the American CIA,
|
|
and many others. The protocol is taught by intelligence agencies to their
|
|
controllers - these are the intelligence officers who manage and meet with deep
|
|
cover agents in foreign countries. The method is also being used today by
|
|
resistance movements and urban guerrilla groups.
|
|
|
|
When this countersurveillance protocol is methodically applied, it is extremely
|
|
difficult for a security service to breach your security.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Step-by-step instructions...
|
|
|
|
Here's a hypothetical situation. Assume that you and I wish to meet
|
|
clandestinely. We wish to ensure that our meeting is not observed by a
|
|
surveillance team.
|
|
|
|
You and I have previously agreed upon a place, date, and time. In addition, we
|
|
are familiar with each other's appearance - we can recognize each other on
|
|
sight.
|
|
|
|
Step 1
|
|
|
|
You and I independently arrive at the previously agreed-upon general location.
|
|
Rather than fixing a specific location, we agree to be only in the general
|
|
vicinity. This is an important principle.
|
|
|
|
This might be a large park, a residential district, etc. The location must be
|
|
outdoors and free of video surveillance cameras. It should also be selected with
|
|
the intention of thwarting telephoto lenses.
|
|
|
|
You and I should each know the area well. The location should provide reasonable
|
|
cover for each of us being there - strolling in the park, walking through a
|
|
residential area to a bus stop, convenience store, etc.
|
|
|
|
Step 2
|
|
|
|
You and I will eventually make eye contact at some distance from each other. We
|
|
do this discretely, so others are unaware. I use a pre-arranged signal to alert
|
|
you that I have spotted you. Perhaps I'll throw my jacket over my shoulder, or
|
|
remove and clean my sunglasses, etc. The signal must be a natural movement that
|
|
does not attract unwanted attention.
|
|
|
|
Safety first.Even though you and I have seen each other, we do NOT approach each
|
|
other. This is an important safety valve. If either of us has grown a tail we do
|
|
not want to compromise the other person.
|
|
|
|
BACKGROUND - The phrase grown a tail is spy-talk for being under surveillance.
|
|
The phrase is somewhat inaccurate, because they don't just follow you, they
|
|
often surround you.
|
|
|
|
Step 3
|
|
|
|
When you see my signal you simply walk off. Then I follow you in order to ensure
|
|
that you're not being watched. I carefully check for the presence of a
|
|
floating-box foot surveillance team. I check for agents at fixed observation
|
|
posts. I also watch for drive-by support from a floating-box vehicle
|
|
surveillance team.
|
|
|
|
BACKGROUND - In particular, I may follow you, I may walk parallel to you, I may
|
|
occasionally walk ahead of you. The goal is simply to be nearby so I'm in a
|
|
position to detect surveillance around you. I always remain at a distance from
|
|
you, of course, never approaching too closely.
|
|
|
|
Step 4
|
|
|
|
When I have satisfied myself that you are clean, I again signal you. Perhaps I
|
|
re-tie my shoe laces.
|
|
|
|
Step 5
|
|
|
|
Now we reverse roles and this time it is I who simply walks off. You begin to
|
|
follow me in order to ensure that I'm not being watched. You check for
|
|
floating-box foot surveillance, fixed observation post foot surveillance, and
|
|
drive-by support by a vehicle surveillance team.
|
|
|
|
What to look for.You carefully watch for persons who are pacing me or moving
|
|
parallel with me. You check for persons loitering at positions with a good
|
|
line-of-sight to my location. You watch for an ongoing pattern of people coming
|
|
and going that results in someone always being in a position to monitor me. You
|
|
watch for vehicles dropping someone off ahead of me.
|
|
|
|
Step 6
|
|
|
|
When you are satisfied that I am clean, you signal me that I'm not being
|
|
watched. (On the other hand, if you suspect that a surveillance team is in the
|
|
vicinity, you simply abort the operation and walk away.)
|
|
|
|
BACKGROUND - You must trust your instincts, because if something seems not quite
|
|
right it's better to be safe than sorry. Many people are surprised to learn that
|
|
it is not difficult to detect a surveillance team watching someone else. This is
|
|
the subtle elegance of Blunt's countersurveillance system. And the goons are
|
|
helpless against it.
|
|
|
|
Step 7
|
|
|
|
You and I can now approach each other and meet. After our discussion we agree
|
|
upon the date, time, and location of our next clandestine meeting - as well as
|
|
two backup plans in case the meeting is thwarted by surveillance. If we are
|
|
unable to meet at the first venue we will use our fallback position and we will
|
|
meet at the same time and place one week later. If we are unable to make that
|
|
meeting happen, we will shift to a previously agreed-upon failsafe plan and we
|
|
will meet at a different location at an agreed-upon date and time.
|
|
|
|
Neither you nor I writes down the particulars of our next meeting. We commit the
|
|
details to memory.
|
|
|
|
BACKGROUND 1 - If you have any documents to give me, I will not accept those
|
|
documents until the final moments of our meeting. I will have already started
|
|
making my getaway when I accept the documents. This reduces the chance of
|
|
discovery and arrest by a surveillance team that has managed to elude our
|
|
countersurveillance protocol. If the security service acts too quickly, they
|
|
will have no evidence against me, because the documents have not yet been passed
|
|
to me.
|
|
|
|
BACKGROUND 2 - The best agents never mix discussion and documents. If a document
|
|
is to be passed, no discussion occurs. The entire contact takes only a moment -
|
|
the perfect brushpass. The principle is simple. It is foolhardy to stand around
|
|
holding incriminating documents.
|
|
|
|
Spook talk...
|
|
|
|
Spies in North America call this seven-step protocol for countersurveillance
|
|
drycleaning. In Europe, it is called parcours de sécurité - a French phrase
|
|
which can be translated as security run or security circuit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
original: spy&counterspy, ascii conversion: mrf |