CIA

Former KGB officer narrowly loses Interpol leadership

A former KGB agent narrowly lost the chance to lead Interpol. Alexander Prokopchuk, who currently serves as an Interpol vice president and a General in the Russian interior ministry, was slated to win the election for the new Interpol chief. The seat had been empty since the abduction and arrest of the previous chief, Meng […]

Op-Ed: Breaking down the Trump-McRaven catfight

I’ve been watching the recent comments flying back and forth between President Trump and Admiral McRaven — as well as heckling from the media cheap seats — over remarks that McRaven made about Trump being the biggest threat to democracy in his lifetime. The President then fired back about McRaven not finding Bin Laden sooner, […]

How the CIA recruits from elite schools: Part III

One of the perks of studying at an elite U.S. university is that top companies, organisations, and agencies congregate in search of talent. What follows is my experience attending a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruiting brief and simulation session at the Johns Hopkins University. Names have been altered to preserve personal security. You can read […]

Do you have a LinkedIn account? You may be a target of Chinese spies

Chinese intelligence agents using fake LinkedIn accounts have managed to ensnare thousands of senior French business executives and civil servants. According to a joint report by the DGSE and DGSI, the French versions of the CIA and FBI, over 4,000 French financial and government ‘high-value targets’ have been pursued by Chinese intelligence. The report states that […]

How the CIA recruits from elite schools: Part II

One of the perks of studying at an elite U.S. university is that top companies, organisations, and agencies congregate in search of talent. What follows is my experience attending a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruiting brief and simulation session at the Johns Hopkins University. Names have been altered to preserve personal security. You can read […]

Meet the Night Wolves, Russia’s paramilitary biker gang

Dolna Krupa, Slovakia — Paramilitary and influence operations can take many forms. They could be a team of Delta Force operators conducting Operational Preparation of the Battlefield (OPB) in an unstable region; they could be a CIA front company creating a pro-U.S. narrative in a far-away country; but they could also be a Russian biker-gang […]

How the CIA recruits from elite schools: Part I

One of the perks of studying at an elite U.S. university is that top companies, organisations, and agencies congregate in search of talent. What follows is my experience attending a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruiting brief and simulation session at Johns Hopkins University. Names have been altered to preserve personal security. It all began with […]

Exclusive: Interview with an American Mercenary who ran combat ops in Yemen

Little Bird helicopters swept down and dropped the Delta Force operators on the roof of the prison. The helicopters were so heavy with men, weapons, and equipment that some only had one pilot on board due to weight restrictions. The breacher ran forward and set the explosive charge on the door leading down into the […]

British spooks in the wrong again; this time for stealing private data

London, UK—The British intelligence agencies are once again in the limelight for the wrong reasons. MI5, MI6, and GCHQ are accused of stealing private data from the Privacy International rights charity. Only a week ago, the GCHQ had been targeted by the European Court of Human Rights for a breach of human rights over a […]

Here’s what we know about the Army Reservist charged with being a Chinese spy

A 27-year-old Chinese citizen living in the United States was has been arrested on espionage charges in Chicago. According to statements provided by authorities, Ji Chaoqun has been charged with acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General. The charge stems from allegations that Ji actively gathered intelligence and […]

The CIA is shifting emphasis away from terrorism and back toward nation-level foes

While a great deal of discussion has been afforded to the U.S. military’s near two-decade long anti-terrorism and counter-insurgency efforts, it wasn’t the only facet of the American national security apparatus that saw a distinct shift in operational strategy following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. The CIA, America’s covert intelligence gathering service with […]