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 […]

Amazon’s ‘Jack Ryan’ may not be totally realistic, but it is good television

As a kid, I loved the Jack Ryan movies because they seemed like they offered more realism than Ryan’s British counterpart over at MI6. While Bond was bedding women and drinking martinis, Ryan was sitting at conference room tables, using Harrison Ford’s trademark pointing gesture or Alec Baldwin’s steely blue eyes to convey the drama […]

The OSS (Office of Strategic Services) Was Formed on This Day 1942

On June 13, 1942, the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) was formed. The OSS was a wartime intelligence agency of the United States during World War II and a predecessor of the modern Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities […]

Senate Confirms Haspel as CIA’s First Woman Director

In the end, the vote to confirm Gina Haspel as the next Director of CIA stayed pretty much divided along party lines with Republicans favoring her nomination and Democrats voting against it. It times it seemed that her nomination was going to fail due to numerous questions over her running an “enhanced interrogation” site in […]

New Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls on NATO allies to increase defense spending

Mike Pompeo, the newly confirmed Secretary of State for the United States, found himself singing a familiar tune to NATO allies in Brussels this past week: calling on America’s allies to meet their financial obligations to the alliance and cut their financial reliance on America’s defense apparatus. Each NATO member nation is required to devote […]