HUMINT, Informants and more (merged thread)

[davidbfpo]

Discovered via Twitter from an unknown author, who appears to enjoy writing about intelligence matters, especially counter-intelligence. He explains:

This essay focuses on ethical and CI issues associated with running successful human assets inside terrorist organizations.

His two examples are the Provisional IRA and Black September. There are numerous footnotes. He ends with points about AQ & ISIS.
Link:https://medium.com/@horkos/hard-targ...s-5b1e13e53f06

[AdamG]

US officials say China is trying to influence US policymakers, steal secrets and spy on the US government. But how? The story of Kevin Mallory, a man who seemed to lead a typical suburban life in Virginia, provides the answer.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46557096

[davidbfpo]

A 2012 PhD thesis at a USA university by a Turkish police officer, using official data, id'd via Twitter:

Law Enforcement Intelligence Recruiting Confidential Informants within “Religion-Abusing Terrorist Networks

Link:https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/...16&context=etd
It is 261 pgs and no I have not read it! Someone might find it ueeful.

[davidbfpo]

HUMINT is rarely and rightly not a public topic in an active conflict, so I was interested to hear a short talk on Israeli HUMINT in the Second Intifada (September 2000 – 8 February 2005). Which touched on the relationship between Israel's three agencies with a HUMINT function: Mossad (external intelligence), Shin Beth (domestic) and Unit 504 of the IDF.

I was puzzled to learn that Shin Beth's relationship with the PLO's security agency (or agencies) was so close after the Oslo Agreement (signed in 1993 & 1995) that it affected Shin Beth's stance on what was likely to happen. The PLO strategy changed rapidly from cooperation to confrontation. Given the suddenness and the level of violence involved Shin Beth's informant network fell apart, into the breach went Unit 504, which could operate in harsh environment.