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  1. #1
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    Agreed that India maybe paranoid.

    NGOs a Cover for Spying in Russia

    U.S., British and other foreign nongovermental organizations are providing cover for professional spies in Russia, while Western organizations are bankrolling plans to stage peaceful revolutions in Belarus and other former Soviet republics bordering Russia, Federal Security Service director Nikolai Patrushev told the State Duma on Thursday.

    Patrushev said the FSB has monitored and exposed intelligence gathering activities carried out by the U.S. Peace Corps, the British-based Merlin medical relief charity, Kuwait's Society of Social Reforms and the Saudi Red Crescent Society.

    He said foreign secret services rely on NGOs to collect information and promote the interests of their countries.
    http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.p...ext=va&aid=139
    Kazakhstan: What is Behind the Peace Corps Pullout?
    http://kazworld.info/?p=17976
    On Nov. 5, 2007, Fulbright scholar John Alexander van Schaick arrived at the U.S. Embassy for what was to be a routine orientation meeting before beginning his year-long research project. But he was taken aback when, during his one-on-one security briefing, he says security officer Cooper asked him provide information to the embassy on Cubans and Venezuelans he comes across during his field work. The incident matches accounts by Peace Corps volunteers and staff that on July 29, 2007, Cooper instructed 30 new volunteers to do the same, with respect to Cuban nationals.
    http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?...1#.TtIB0fLex2A
    Peace Corps was a good tool for espionage, like it or not.

    Only a country that does not know their onions will spend millions and not use all tools to ensure that the country targeted does not become pro that country. No country would subscribe to the adage - A Fool and His Money is Soon Parted, for that country would indeed be a Fool!

    The use of espionage dates back well into ancient history. The Hebrew Bible describes the Hebrews' use of espionage in the Book of Joshua with the story of Rahab, a prostitute who harbored two Hebrew spies. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and papyri describe the existence of court spies. Spies were also prevalent in the Greek and Roman empires. In Asia, the importance of deception and subversion were discussed by Chinese military tactician Sun Tzu around 500 B.C.E. in his famous work The Art of War. Two hundred years later, the prime minister of India wrote the Arthashastra, a treatise on government well known for its discussion of the use of espionage. Ninjas were often employed as mercenary spies in feudal Japan, and were known for their skill at infiltrating the enemy. In Europe during the Middle Ages, espionage played a large role in both The Crusades and the Inquisition. During the Renaissance, the political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli strongly advocated the use of espionage by the ruling class. Elizabethan England was known for the effectiveness of its espionage system, which employed linguists, scholars, and scientists.[1]

    From the eighteenth century onwards, espionage gained even more importance. Industrialization, colonialism, and complicated world politics all fueled the quest for information. Informants during the French Revolution were used to track down traitors for trial and execution. Colonial governments used espionage to quell uprisings.
    http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Espionage
    Sources may be neutral, friendly, or hostile, and may or may not be witting of their involvement in the collection of information. "Witting" is a term of intelligence art that indicates that one is not only aware of a fact or piece of information, but also aware of its connection to intelligence activities. Examples of HUMINT sources include, but are not limited to, the following:

    Advisors or foreign internal defense (FID) personnel working with host nation (HN) forces or populations
    Diplomatic reporting by accredited diplomats (e.g., military attachés);
    Espionage clandestine reporting, access agents, couriers, cutouts;
    Military attachés
    Non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
    Prisoners of war (POWs) or detainees;
    Refugees;
    Routine patrolling (military police, patrols, etc.)
    Special reconnaissance
    Traveler debriefing (e.g., CIA Domestic Contact Service)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_i...28espionage%29
    Also
    http://insider-magazine.org/ChristianMafia.htm

    http://www.marxists.org/subject/afri...alism/ch01.htm

    It would be naive to believe that in international politics and oneupmanship all is above board and ethical!

    If all were hunky dory, ethical and morally above board, then second or third generation Muslims would not go berserk and bomb the country of their birth under the guidance of the country of their parents and grandparents origin!

    While one may not take these at face value, yet there is no smoke without fire.

    and no one is Jesus, either.
    Last edited by Ray; 11-27-2011 at 09:29 AM.

  2. #2
    Council Member Dayuhan's Avatar
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    Default Whoa...

    I'm not sure how any of the above relates to the matter under discussion, but...

    Global Research is a known fringe nut-job conspiracy site, and its credibility is something less than zero.

    I'm not in a position to know why the Peace Corps pulled out of Kazakhstan, but a fast and complete pullout is usually a result of a real or suspected threat to volunteer safety.

    The Peace Corps is actually a pretty useless tool for espionage. Volunteers and staff are typically well to the left side of the political spectrum, quite allergic to anything even vaguely resembling military or intelligence involvement, and are likely to howl to the media at the first hint of an approach... as that complete ass in Bolivia who tried an approach discovered to his chagrin. It would certainly be possible to insert an agent without the knowledge of the staff of other volunteers, but as anyone who's been a volunteer or has been close to the organization knows, it wouldn't be a very useful cover.

    It would be silly to deny that espionage takes place, but it's equally silly to attribute all one sees to espionage, especially when far more likely explanations are at hand.
    “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary”

    H.L. Mencken

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    Default The Peace Corps - not part of CIA

    Ray:

    The Peace Corps was somewhat "submerged" between 1971-1981; but its independence was assured by this fighting lady - who died far too young so far as her family and friends were concerned. Her daughter Adele is presently with DoS.

    Regards

    Mike

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    JMM,

    I posted links of what is felt around the parts.

    Personally, I know many Peace Corps workers did real good work.

    In fact, IIRC when I quoted the Ugly American, I did say that organisations like the Peace Corps did some yeoman's work to change the perception about the US.

    It is known that ideal organisations where one can park human resources intelligence assets are organisations which appear benign and work unhindered with the people and can travel without raising suspicion. NGOs, religious organisations, news agencies etc are known to be areas where agents are parked, apart from other organisations.

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    Council Member Dayuhan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ray View Post
    I posted links of what is felt around the parts.
    If you're dealing with local perception, then yes, every PCV, missionary, NGO Worker etc is a CIA agent. When I was in the Peace Corps (many many years ago) it was simply taken for granted that we had something to do with the CIA. Of course it didn't make sense, but people believed it anyway: people believe all kinds of stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ray View Post
    It is known that ideal organisations where one can park human resources intelligence assets are organisations which appear benign and work unhindered with the people and can travel without raising suspicion. NGOs, religious organisations, news agencies etc are known to be areas where agents are parked, apart from other organisations.
    Anyone actually familiar with the way the Peace Corps works (and the way the CIA works) will see immediately that PCV cover would be far from ideal - in fact close to useless - for an intelligence operation. Of course that reality will not affect perceptions at all.
    “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary”

    H.L. Mencken

  6. #6
    Council Member Ken White's Avatar
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    Default I've seen the Peace Corps operating in several nations.

    In every case, the overall tone of the volunteers was effectively anti-US government to at least some extent (protective coloration in some cases) and they were far more likely to aid our nominal opponents than us...

    In fact, in two nations, they did just that and we were able to get, respectively, one person and several removed from those countries.

    Not that the Agency in many cases is much different...

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