14Charlie

About the author

14Charlie offers 8+ years of experience in defence intelligence and special operations, where he had the privilege of leading and managing small, highly-specialised teams in complex and dynamic environments in support of national-level objectives. He enjoys long walks through the mountains to cast cursed rings into magical volcanoes, and occasionally mounting efforts to blow up moon-sized space stations in his spare time. Opinions are certainly his own. Follow him on Twitter @cstrikesback.

Op-Ed: Why I don’t support Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe

Here’s the bottom line: I staunchly oppose the appointment and confirmation of Mr. John Ratcliffe — a man with insufficient national security experience — as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the leader responsible for coordinating the efforts of the intelligence community and personally shaping the President’s understanding and consumption of intelligence information. As you […]

Digital Security: How surveillance cameras uncovered a Mossad assassination

We’ve been drawing more attention to digital security and privacy as of late, largely due to our upcoming digital security guide, which will become available in about a week. The inspiration for the guide was born from the need for a basic repository of easy-to-implement digital security hygiene practices that end-users (all of us with […]

Here’s how criminals hack your accounts and ruin your life

At SOFREP, we’re passionate about digital security and privacy. Nick has done an amazing job covering the specifics of encrypted communications. I have attempted to provide an overview of how to establish secure comms in a manner that enables one to rely on commercially available “military-grade” encryption. Our aim is to enhance privacy, protect civil […]

Find out which facial recognition databases you may be in

Call me paranoid privacy conscious, but I don’t relish the thought of being present in too many government databases. This is especially so given the exorbitant levels of nation-state cyber activity and historically poor U.S. government data protection track records (I am looking at you, OPM). Alas, extensive public services ensure that I am forever […]

FBI accidentally reveals name of Saudi suspected of supporting 9/11 terrorists

Yahoo News recently reported a mistake they found in an FBI court filing. In the filing, the FBI neglected to redact mention of the name of Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah, a Saudi diplomat whom FBI agents had suspected of directing material support to two of the Saudi 9/11 hijackers that crashed a plane into the Pentagon, […]

7 lessons on Special Operations selection & mental health

“The final weapon is the brain; all else is supplemental.” SOF Assessment and Selection (A&S) courses are designed to bring the suck, in a number of different ways, to everyone privileged enough to receive an invitation to be a SOF candidate. Despite the suck, there’s a total beauty to a struggle that methodically breaks down […]

Exclusive: Investigating the unlawful practices of the cold-blooded Saudi Crown Prince

The purpose of this piece is to share the results and preliminary analysis of SOFREP’s online investigation into the reportedly unlawful imprisonment and continued detention of the crown prince’s cousin, Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. A general overview of her plight and why it matters was recently published here. We recommend reading the […]

Kingdom of Deceit: The tale of an imprisoned Saudi princess

The Saudi crown prince’s demise entered suddenly into plain view and in rare form in mid-April when the youngest daughter of the former Saudi king posted an emotional and very public cry for help on Twitter. The princess — known formally as Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud — publicly pleaded that she […]

Here’s how Russia delivers advanced weapons and humanitarian aid

As SOFREP previously reported, Russia earlier this month made headlines for the arrival of a Russian Air Force Antonov-124 cargo plane at New York’s JFK Airport on 1 April. The cargo plane, registration number RA-82038, reportedly delivered much-needed medical supplies to the city following a phone conversation earlier that week between President Trump and Vladimir […]

How to establish secure comms like a Special Operations professional

Nick recently published an article on digital security. My article piggybacks off those concepts by taking a deep dive into how to establish secure communications, something all the more critical during our hyper-reliance on remote working capabilities, online services, etc. The Internet: Land of opportunity but fraught with stranger danger Today’s digital landscape increases the […]

Leaked Kremlin papers reveal Vladimir Putin is incapable of death

Kiev. A trove of Kremlin documents proving Russian president Vladimir Putin’s immortality leaks. It brings a sigh of relief to the global movement fearing the Coronavirus’s impact on Russia’s ability to disrupt Ukraine’s sovereignty for all eternity. Russian Interior Ministry spokesman Vladimirovich Putinov led a rare public town hall gathering in the Donetsk People’s Republic […]

Is North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un dying?

Preliminary reports from various outlets suggest that North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un’s (KJU) health is possibly at risk following an alleged cardiovascular procedure earlier this month for which he is receiving treatment. The approximately 36-year-old dictator’s health has long been a point of speculation for observers outside North Korea’s notoriously closed society. His country is […]