Bellingcat: An Intelligence Agency for the People with Eliot Higgins

Summary Ean Forsythe joins Andrew to discuss the history of Cuban intelligence. Ean is the Counterintelligence and Security Center Chair at the National Intelligence University.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The history and evolution of Cuban intelligence Case studies, including Ana Montes, Kendall Meyers, and the Cuban Five Counterintelligence strategies and challenges The role of Cuban intelligence during the Cold War Reflections Ideology and the power of ideas Offensive vs. defensive play  And much, much more … Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* Code Name Blue Wren: Cuban Spy Ana Montes with Jim Popkin (2023) The Counterintelligence Chief with FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler (2023) Dealing with Russia – A Conversation with Counterintelligence Legend Jim Olson (2022) DEEPER DIVE Books Code Name Blue Wren: The True Story of America's Most Dangerous Female Spy—and the Sister She Betrayed, J. Popkin (Hanover, 2023) To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence, J. M. Olson (Georgetown University Press, 2021) United States-Cuban Relations: A Critical History, E. M. Dominguez (Lexington, 2008) Primary Sources  Report on the Convictions and Disproportionate Sentences Imposed on the Cuban Five (2014) USA: The Case of the Cuban Five (2010) Inspector General Review of Ana Montes Investigation (2005) US vs. Marta Rita Velazquez (2004) Ana Montes Statement During Trial (2001) FBI Arrests DIA Employee (2001) Selection and Training of Cuban Intelligence Agents Abroad (1964) Cuban Intelligence Information Report (1964) *Wildcard Resource* Watch Erin bake Ana Montes’ famous cheesecake recipe and dive deeper into Ana’s story in SPY's Declassified Desserts video!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary Eliot Higgins (X; Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the work of Bellingcat. Eliot founded the open-source investigative website in 2014.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Bellingcat’s approach to “investigative journalism”   The rise of OSINT as a tool of journalism   Bellingcat’s relationship with intelligence agencies  Case studies from Bellingcat’s past, including the Skripal Case and the MH17 flight investigation Reflections Leading by example Accessibility and accountability And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “When I first started doing this work ... I would present geolocation and stuff on stage. The reaction was like I was doing magic tricks, but my point was that. This isn't magic – This is something that you can do and recreate and understand.” - Eliot Higgins. Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* Digital Innovation and the Next Frontier of Intelligence with Jennifer Ewbank (2024) The Future of OSINT and the Intelligence Community with Jason Barrett (2024)  U.S. Army Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) with Dennis Eger & Shawn Nilius (2024) Ukraine & Intelligence: One Year On with Shane Harris (2023) DEEPER DIVE Books OSINT Techniques: Resources for Uncovering Online Information, M. Bazzell (2023)  Deep Dive: Exploring the Real-world Value of Open Source Intelligence, R. L. Baker (Wiley, 2023) We Are Bellingcat: The Online Sleuths Solving Global Crimes, E. Higgins (Bloomsbury, 2022) Primary Sources  Map of Civilian Harm in Ukraine (2024) Death of Sinwar Report (2024) The IC OSINT Strategy 2024-2026 (2024) DoS Open Source Intelligence Strategy (2024) MH17 Investigation (2019) Skripal Report (2018)  *Wildcard Resource* The fable of Belling the Cat The inspiration behind Bellingcat’s name, the moral of this story is simple – It’s one thing to suggest a solution or idea, but it’s a whole other beast to actually take action.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary Cameron Malin (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss cyber and behavioral profiling. Cameron was the creator and founder of the FBI’s Cyber Behavioral Analysis Center.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The historical origins of behavioral profiling Applying behavioral profiling to counterintelligence and cyber threats Nature vs. Nurture in criminal behavior The future of deception and cyberwarfare  Reflections The complexity of the human mind Threat evolution And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “We need to think about cybersecurity as not just hacking and malware and the obvious tangible or known weapons that are used, it includes mental malware … Deep fakes and disinformation, things that can cause erroneous decision making that are just as powerful.” – Cameron Malin Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* The FBI Hostage Negotiator with Chris Voss (2024) A CIA Psychologist on the Minds of World Leaders, Pt. 1 with Dr. Ursula Wilder (2024) A CIA Psychologist on the Minds of World Leaders, Pt. 2 with Dr. Ursula Wilder (2024) “How Spies Think” – 10 Lessons in Intelligence with Sir David Omand (2020) DEEPER DIVE Books Deception in the Digital Age: Exploiting and Defending Human Targets through Computer-Mediated Communications, C. Malin et. al. (Academic Press, 2017) Incendiary: The Psychiatrist, the Mad Bomber, and the Invention of Criminal Profiling, M. Cannell (Minotaur Books, 2017) Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, J. Douglas & M. Olshaker (1995)  Primary Sources  Lone Offender Terrorism Report (2019) A Study of Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States Between 2000 and 2013 (2018) FBI Jack the Ripper Profile (1988) Criminal Investigation: A Practical Handbook (1907 translation) UK Parliamentary Debates (1888) *Wildcard Resource* Mindhunter (2017-2019) While not perfectly accurate, this TV show (heavily inspired by the book of the same name, listed above) is a truly excellent watch.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary Chris Voss (X; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the art of negotiation. Chris formerly served as the FBI lead international hostage negotiator.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The very basics of negotiation, including the phrase “Never split the difference” The art of Tactical Empathy  Case studies from Chris’ career, including the Dos Palmas kidnappings Techniques in ethical interrogation Reflections Pressure makes diamonds Human nature & understanding “the other side” And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “Never take advice from somebody that you wouldn’t trade places with. Never take directions from somebody who hasn’t been where you’re going … I’m coachable, but I know who to be coached by.” – Chris Voss.   Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* James Foley: Journalist, ISIS Hostage, Son with His Mother Diane Foley (2024) A CIA Psychologist on the Minds of World Leaders, Pt. 1 with Dr. Ursula Wilder (2024)  A CIA Psychologist on the Minds of World Leaders, Pt. 2 with Dr. Ursula Wilder (2024) The Counterintelligence Chief with FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler (2023) The FBI Way - Counterintelligence Spy Chief Frank Figliuzzi (2021) DEEPER DIVE Books American Mother, C. McCann and D. Foley (Etruscan Press, 2024) The Siege, B. Macintyre (Crown, 2024) Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, C. Voss & T. Raz (Harper Business, 2016) Primary Sources  A Proclamation on U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day (2024) Executive Order on Bolstering Efforts to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained United States Nationals Home (2022) FBI Hostage Rescue Team Policy Guide (2019)  DOS Foreign Affairs Manual: Hostage Taking and Kidnappings (2018) 5 Leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group Indicted (2002) Hostage Negotiation: A Matter of Life and Death (1983)  Current Status of the Hostage Crisis and the Implications of US Policy Options (1980)  *Wildcard Resource* Want to learn even more? Check out Chris’ MasterClass on the Art of Negotiation.  And while you’re there, tune in to MasterClass’ other intelligence and espionage-related courses featuring insights from John Douglas, Michael Morrell & more, and Condoleezza Rice.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary Jim Himes (Website; X) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the U.S. House Intelligence Committee. Jim has served as the U.S. representative for Connecticut’s 4th congressional district since 2009.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Its role and operations The importance of bipartisan collaboration Transparency and accountability in intelligence  Congressman Himes' personal experiences during 9/11, its impact on his career in intelligence, and 9/11’s impact on intelligence at large Reflections Public trust and earning confidence Partnership and cooperation And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “I get asked all the time, ‘Oh my gosh, you see all the threats. Do you sleep at night?’ … Yes, I do see with particularly exquisite detail the threats against us. I also get to see the detail of the assets and the people that we deploy against those threats. And because I get to see with great detail the assets and the tools that we have to address those threats, yes, I do sleep at night. Not because they will ever be perfect, but because these are incredibly dedicated people, the technology is amazing, and it is commensurate with the threats out there.” -Jim Himes Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* Digital Innovation and the Next Frontier of Intelligence with Jennifer Ewbank (2024) The Future of OSINT and the Intelligence Community with Jason Barrett (2024) The Future of NATO with Leon Panetta and Expert Panel (2024) CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta (2024) DEEPER DIVE Books Sies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence, A. B. Zegart (Princeton University Press, 2022) The Secret World: A History of Intelligence, C. Andrew (Yale University Press, 2019) The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government, F. M. Bordewich (Simon & Schuster, 2016) Primary Sources  House Intelligence Committee COVID-19 Report (2022) Unclassified Summary of the Second Interim Report on the Origins of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022) House Intelligence Committee Report on Russian Active Measures (2018) Snowden Report (2016) The 9/11 Commission Report (2004)  H. Res. 658 (1977) *Wildcard Resource* One of Connecticut’s very first representatives was a gentleman named Roger Sherman. Sherman is unique not only for being one of Jim’s congressional predecessors but also because he is the only person to have signed all four great state papers of the United States.  These include: The Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Articles of Association, and the Constitution. As a bonus, he also signed the 1774 Petition to the King.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary Jennifer Ewbank (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the integration of technology within intelligence. Jennifer recently retired from her role as Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation.   What You’ll Learn Intelligence The qualities and skills of great digital leadership Risk management in intelligence The roles, responsibilities, and emotional toll of the Chief of Station The integration of technology across CIA operations Reflections Humility and lifelong learning  Leadership in dynamic arenas And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “Intelligence isn't about knowing exactly what's going to happen … It's about delivering a decision advantage to our policymakers. Decision advantage doesn't mean that I can tell you precisely what's going to happen and when. You never have perfect information, and you have to be able to move still. You can't be paralyzed by a desire to seek that last detail when, particularly in digital tech space, like the world is moving rapidly all around you.” – Jennifer Ewbank. Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* The Future of OSINT and the Intelligence Community with Jason Barrett (2024) Cybersecurity in The White House with Camille Stewart Gloster (2024)  Espionage and the Metaverse with Cathy Hackl (2023) How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Spy Game with Mike Susong (2023) DEEPER DIVE Primary Sources  The IC OSINT Strategy (2024) 2024 Report on the Cybersecurity Posture of the United States (2024) National Cybersecurity Strategy (2023) Ethical Frameworks in Open Source Intelligence (2022) *Wildcard Resource* ChatGPT isn’t the only AI tool in our toolboxes anymore. In this episode, Jennifer mentioned Osiris, an AI tool that helps Agency staff analyze and sort mass amounts of information.  If you’re feeling similarly overwhelmed at work and looking for your own AI assistant, check out this list of the best AI productivity tools and start making your life easier!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary Pete Langman and Nadine Akkerman join Andrew to discuss espionage in Elizabethan England. Pete and Nadine are authors of the new book Spycraft: Tricks and Tools of the Dangerous Trade from Elizabeth I to the Restoration.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Spymasters of the Elizabethan era  Techniques in forgeries, invisible inks, and seal-making The impact of spies on important historical events like the Spanish Armada The connections between espionage and religious tension Reflections Creativity & Innovation The risks and dangers of early espionage And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “Spies are involved with bribery. They cheat and they lie, so it’s immoral, and often there are things that are just illegal in other instances, such as forgery of documents. Other people would get their ears clipped or their noses slit if they forged documents.If you are a spy, you are being asked to do that on the job. So it's a dangerous game and the lines are very thin.” – Nadine Akkerman. Resources  SURFACE SKIM *Spotlight Resource* Spycraft: Tricks and Tools of the Dangerous Trade from Elizabeth I to the Restoration, N. Akkerman & P. Langman (Yale University Press, 2024)  *SpyCasts* The British Monarchy and Secret Intelligence with Rory Cormac and Richard Aldrich (2024)  Espionage and the Two Queens with Kent Tiernan (2023) The Information Battlespace – Foreign Denial and Deception with Bill Parquette (2022) So, You Want to Be a Codebreaker? with Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh (2021)  DEEPER DIVE Primary Sources  Natural magick, Smithsonian Digital Library (1658) Page of Ciphers Used by Mary Queen of Scots, UK National Archives (1586) Letter from Mary, Queen of Scots in Sheffield Castle to Elizabeth I, British Library (1582) Mary, Queen of Scots to Sir William Cecil, UK National Archives (1570) De Furtivis Literarum notis (1563) *Wildcard Resource* Use this invisible ink recipe from the UK National Archives to send your own secret messages.  You may recognize this heat method from one of Erin’s favorite movies, National Treasure (2004), where a secret message is revealed on the back of the Declaration of Independence.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary Jason Barrett (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the integration of open-source intelligence into the American Intelligence Community. Jason is the first-ever OSINT Executive.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Historical examples of OSINT The evolution of Open Source Intelligence The challenges and unique opportunities OSINT presents The future of OSINT within the Intelligence Community  Reflections Trust and transparency  Efficiency in intelligence gathering And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “We're living in an age when credibility and trust is really important to build. This is an opportunity for the IC to really build that trust, I think in important ways. So, it's an area I think you will see more of us being more transparent in our work.” – Jason Barrett.  Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* U.S. Army Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) with Dennis Eger & Shawn Nilius (2024) Cybersecurity in The White House with Camille Stewart Gloster (2024) David Petraeus on Ukraine & Intelligence with the former CIA Director & 4* General (2023) Irregular Warfare & Intelligence with IWC Director Dennis Walters (2023) DEEPER DIVE Books OSINT Techniques: Resources for Uncovering Online Information, M. Bazzell (2023)  Deep Dive: Exploring the Real-world Value of Open Source Intelligence, R. L. Baker (Wiley, 2023) Open Source Intelligence Methods and Tools: A Practical Guide to Online Intelligence, N. A. Hassan & R. Hijazi (Apress, 2018) Primary Sources  The IC OSINT Strategy 2024-2026 (2024) DoS Open Source Intelligence Strategy (2024)  Ethical Frameworks in Open-Source Intelligence (2022)  Open-Source Intelligence, Department of the Army (2012)  Department of Defense OSINT Instruction (2010) *Wildcard Resource* You’ve probably practiced OSINT techniques many times before – Think, Facebook stalking your old college friends to see what they’re up to. Many video games also involve the usage of open-source collection techniques:  Return of the Obra Dinn (2018) is one such critically acclaimed video game. The game, set on an early 19th-century ship, challenges its player to solve the mystery of what happened to the crew onboard by piecing together scraps of information from journal entries and related documents.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary Tim Tate (Website) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the Spycatcher Affair. Tim is a best-selling author and award-winning filmmaker.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Peter Wright: His background and motives  The contents of Spycatcher including the exposure of alleged soviet moles The UK’s efforts to keep their secrets secret The lasting effects of the Spycatcher Affair Reflections Personal secrecy vs. public security Censorship and free speech And much, much more … Quotes of the Week "[Wright] found truly acres of paperwork from old files which had been disregarded and hadn't been properly followed up on and leads that hadn't been properly followed. And when he pulled at them, those threads of evidence, and when he chased it down, what he found, as often as not, was genuine reason to suspect that the penetration, the widespread penetration, was real and serious.” – Tim Tate . Resources  SURFACE SKIM *Spotlight Resource* To Catch a Spy: How the Spycatcher Affair brought MI5 in from the Cold, Tim Tate (Icon Books, 2024) *SpyCasts* The Counterintelligence Chief with FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler (2023) St. Ermin’s Hotel, London – The History of a Legendary Spy Site with Stephen Duffy (2023) The Information Battlespace – Foreign Denial and Deception with Bill Parquette (2022) Dealing with Russia – A Conversation with Counterintelligence Legend Jim Olson (2022) DEEPER DIVE Books To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence, J. Olson (Georgetown University Press, 2021) Traitors Among Us: Inside the Spy Catcher's World, S. A. Herrington (Harvest Books, 2000) The Spycatcher Affair, C. Pincher (St. Martin’s Press, 1988) Spycatcher, P. Wright (Heinemann, 1987) Primary Sources  Peter Wright Case (Part 1) (1987) Peter Wright Case (Part 2) (1987)  Retired Spy Claims Cover Up in British Service (1984) The Hollis Affair (1981) The “Zinoviev” Letter Investigation (1924) The Zimmermann Telegram (1917) *Wildcard Resource* Areopagitica (1644) by John Milton Illegally published in the UK in protest to the Licensing Order of 1643, this polemic has since become one of the most influential documents defending the right to free speech and free publication.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summary Rachel Noble joins Andrew to discuss her role as Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate. Rachel is the first woman to hold this position.   What You’ll Learn Intelligence The Australian Signals Directorate: Its purpose and mission The true story of the Pine Gap spy facility Leadership in Intelligence The SIGINT origins of the Five Eyes alliance Reflections The value of team The importance of work-life balance And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “Women lead differently. We talk differently, we engage in different ways. And I've had to learn to own that about myself and not be tempted to try to be like the guys, compete with them on their own terms, or to adopt male behaviors in order to be heard … [Doing that] doesn't really help other women who might come after me.” – Rachel Noble. Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* Codebreaking and Codemaking Down Under with John Blaxland and Clare Birgin (2024) Australian National Day Special: Intelligence Down Under with John Blaxland (2024) SPY CHIEFS: Director-General of Security Mike Burgess - ASIO, Australia & America (2022) Keeping Secrets/Disclosing Secrets with Spy Chief turned DG of Australia’s National Archives David Fricker (2022)  *Beginner Resources* What is SIGINT? YouTube (2020) [2 min. video] Who we are, Australian Signals Directorate (2020) [Short article] Our Agencies, National Intelligence Community of Australia (n.d.) [Overview of each agency in the Australian IC] DEEPER DIVE Primary Sources  REDSPICE Blueprint (2022) Report of the Royal Commission on Intelligence and Security (1977)  Australian Treaty Series: Five Power Defence Agreements (1971) Australian Treaty Series: Agreement between the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Government of the United States of America relating to the Establishment of a Joint Defence Space Research Facility (1966) Policy file containing Cabinet approval of establishment of Joint Intelligence Organisation and participation of New Zealand Government (1946)  ASD Role and effectiveness of Signals Intelligence in World War II (1945) *Wildcard Resource* Rachel mentioned in this podcast episode that one of her favorite treats when coming to the States are Snickerdoodles – A delectable sugar cookie showered in cinnamon-sugar topping.  In the cookie world, snickerdoodles are a more recent invention with their first written mention being in an 1889 cookbook. Learn more about the history of cookies here!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices