125 lines
7.1 KiB
Plaintext
125 lines
7.1 KiB
Plaintext
This article is reprinted from Full Disclosure. Copyright (c) 1986
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Capitol Information Association. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby
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granted to reprint this article providing this message is included in its
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entirety. Full Disclosure, Box 8275-CI3, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107. $15/yr.
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The Central Intelligence Agency like many revoluntionary organizations
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(including the Russian KGB) organize their agent networks on a "cell" system,
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with small groups who meet and carry out specific activities. The small groups
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have very few connections with the rest of the organization. Typically, the
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connections between cells will involve only one person in each cell. See
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sample organizational chart prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency for use
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in Nicaragua by the "Freedom Commandos" (reprinted from Psychological
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Operations in Guerrilla Warfare, the CIA's Nicaragua manual).
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When this structure is used and a member of a cell is discovered and forced
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to talk, he can only inform on members of his own cell. If he was the person
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with a connection to another cell it is possible that other cell will also be
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compromised, but only after the connection is traced. However, the tracing
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procedure is very slow, giving the organization time to regroup.
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Although the tracing of the cell structure is very slow, intelligence
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information can be passed to the main organization quickly.
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The main problem with such a cell structure is that the messages which pass
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through many cells can get grabled and since the cells have great autonomy they
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sometimes work at cross purposes.
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The CIA extends the cell system to include Police Departments, Labor
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Unions, Student Associations, Medical Associations, Reporters/Editors etc.
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These cells are created by recruiting (or placing) an agent within the
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organization. The placement of the agent would depend on the main purpose of
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infiltrating the organization: information or control. Usually, most of the
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people in the "organization" cells don't know that they are working for the
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Central Intelligence Agency.
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In addition, the CIA controls numerous "private" corporations. Usually,
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only a few of the top officers are aware of the CIA connection. The
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corporations conduct normal business operations, and are also available to
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provide services for the CIA whenever necessary.
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A top-secret memorandum from Brigadier General Edward Lansdale to General
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Maxwell Taylor published in The Pentagon Papers, described "unconventional
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warfare resources in Southeast Asia" as follows:
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CAT [Civil Air Transport] is a commerical
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air line engaged in scheduled and nonscheduled
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air operations throughout the Far East, with
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headquarters and large maintenance facilities
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in Taiwan. CAT, a CIA proprietary
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[corporation], provides air logistical support
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under commerical air cover to most CIA and
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other U.S. Government Agencies' requirements.
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CAT supports covert and clandestine air
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operations by providing trained and experienced
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personnel, procurement of supplies and
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equipment through covert commerical channels,
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and the maintenance of a fairly large inventory
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of transport and other type aircraft under both
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Chinat [Chinese Nationalist] and U.S. registry.
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CAT has demonstrated its capabilities on
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numerous occasions to meet all types of
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contingency or long-term covert air
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requirements in support of U.S. objectives.
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During the last ten years, it has had some
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notable achievements, including support of the
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Chinese Nationalist withdrawal from the
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mainland, air drop support to the French at
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Dien Bien Phu, complete logistical and tactical
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air support for the Indonesian operation, air
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lifts of refugees from North Vietnam, more than
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200 overflights of Mainland China and Tibet,
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and extensive air support in Laos during the
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current crisis...
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When the goal is to control the organization, the agent would be in a
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powerful place, like a Sergeant in a Police Department. This would enable the
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CIA to make use of the Police Department resources, computer data banks,
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officers, etc.
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The police officers might perform surveillance on a target for the
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Sergeant, not knowing that they were really working for the CIA. According to
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Philip Agee/1, "Thousands of policemen all over the world, for instance, are
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shadowing people for the CIA without knowing it. They think they're working
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for their own police departments, when, in fact, their chief may be a CIA agent
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who's sending them out on CIA jobs and turning their information over to his
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CIA control".
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Agents in Labor Unions can encourage strikes to cause economic difficulties
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when the CIA wants to stir up political problems in foreign countries.
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Reporters and editors can be used to plant propaganda in the press or have
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information withheld when its in the CIA's best interest not to have it
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printed/2.
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When the goal is information collection the target organization would more
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likely be other intelligence services, medical or technology associations. The
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agent would be placed so that he would have access to as much information as
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possible. This could be a communications or mail clerk, etc.
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The CIA also targets banks for infiltration. They are good organizations
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to provide cover for CIA personnel in foreign countries. The bank can provide
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necessary accounts in bogus names. They can also provide faked account
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balances so that background checks would out come out positive. Banks are also
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used for funding mechanisms. The Bank of Boston was used for such purposes by
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the CIA in Brazil/1.
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When the cells aren't aware that they're working for the CIA, or think
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they're working for someone else, they can be put to other devious uses. For
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example, if the CIA controlled a cell which thought it worked for the PLO, they
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could send it on a terrorist mission with the intent that they be caught. This
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would have a two fold advantage for the CIA, first, the PLO would be blamed
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(providing a good opportunity for the U.S. government to expouse propaganda
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against the PLO), and secondly, it would allow the CIA to commit a terrorist
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attack with extremely little risk of exposure -- to achieve a greater level of
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interference in the affairs of foreign governments.
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The CIA can also use cells within an organization which aren't aware of
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their connection to the CIA for less devious purposes. For examples, they can
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make public statement which have the effect of alienating their supporters.
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When one section makes offensive public statements, major disruptions can occur
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within the organization.
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/1 Inside the Company: CIA Diary (by Philip Agee)
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/2 See Full Disclosure article "I've Got a Secret"
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