Counter-intelligence withered on the vine?

Counter-intelligence: "the activity of an intelligence service employed in thwarting the efforts of an enemy's intelligence agents to gather information or commit sabotage."

The enemy can be another nation or a group of persons intent on harming the United States, ... like Islamic terrorists.

Here's the situation: TSA Suspicious Incident #177,reports that the pilot and crew reported four passengers targeted the bathroom and tampered with the mirror. Annie Jacobson reports:

(U//FOUO) On 24 October 2007, crewmembers aboard a Reagan-Washington National to Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport flight reported to a Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) flying in non-mission status that they noticed suspicious behavior by four passengers.

One of the subjects entered and exited the rear aircraft lavatory three times and failed to comply with crewmembers' verbal instructions. The FFDO seated himself near this subject to observe his behavior. Shortly afterward, two more of the subjects moved into the aisles and entered both lavatories. After one of the subjects vacated the rear left lavatory, the FFDO searched it, noting that the mirror above the sink was not properly latched.

He exited the lavatory and a fourth subject was waiting second in line with a passenger in front of him. The FFDO offered the fourth subject access to the right lavatory, but the subject declined, claiming the right lavatory was dirty.The FFDO noted the right lavatory was clean, and the subject reluctantly entered the right lavatory and remained there for an extended period of time. (TSA/SD-10-3849-07)

(U//FOUO) TSA Office of Intelligence Comment: Although there is no information that the aircraft was being specifically targeted for a future terrorist attack, the actions of the four passengers are highly suspicious. FFDO confirmation of possible tampering of the lavatory mirror in one of the lavatories could be indicative of an attempt to locate concealment areas for smuggling criminal contraband or terrorist materials. In this case, it appears the left lavatory was the sole area of interest for the passengers. One subject's excuse that the right lavatory was dirty when it was confirmed to be clean shows the four passengers had a specific, operational objective. Although unconfirmed at this time, this incident has many of the elements of pre-operational terrorist planning.

Source: TSA Suspicious Incidents Report #177

Before August 2006, the TSA refused to admit publicly that terrorists took dry runs and probes on U.S. aircraft (after the London Planes Plot, the White House stated, "we know they do dry runs" and TSA quietly agreed). Unless there have been 177 such incidents in the past fifteen months, one wonders when TSA Suspicious Incident Reports #1-#176 occurred — and what information they contain?

Next have numerous 'questionable packages' found at a variety of sites here in the U.S. Simply people being cautious when they see something that doesn't look right or are these dry runs or tests by terrorists?

Government investigators successfully smuggled liquid explosives and detonators past airport checkpoints during tests conducted in 19 airports. All these years after September 11 and our airports are still not secure. Why?

Saudi men riding school buses in Florida with no consequences. A dry run or just stupidity? Did our homeland security officials investigate this incidence properly and if not, why not? This is just ONE incident of school buses being targeted. For dry runs?

Terror crackdown: Passengers forced to answer 53 questions BEFORE they travel, The Daily Mail via Drudge

Travellers face price hikes and confusion after the Government unveiled plans to take up to 53 pieces of information from anyone entering or leaving Britain.

Will these questions make any difference or do they simply 'look' like the situation is being taken seriously?

In "The Failure of Counter-Intelligence," Douglas Farah warns readers "Radical Islamists - as the British, Spanish and others are discovering - burrow into their host societies with the intent to wage a type of asymmetrical warfare that will cause large-scale damage with few resources. We have been largely unwilling, for reasons of political correctness, to acknowledge that radical Islamists have operational units and designs on the United States."

... underlying this failure and numerous other penetration efforts by Islamist groups is the large-scale failure of U.S. counter-intelligence efforts for many years. There are numerous cases of Chinese infiltration agents, Islamist penetration and Russian penetrations that underscore the shrinking ability to monitor or detect the spies working in this country.

The capacity has been rapidly shrinking for several decades and, despite the threat of Islamist terrorists and the growing activities of the Chinese in both traditional and industrial espionage, the entire concept of counter-intelligence has withered on the vine, from before the Clinton administration through the current administration. Currently, that capacity barely exists, according to my friends in the intelligence community. (continue reading)

No, counter-intelligence has not withered on the vine. However the vine needs to be tended, nurtured, fed, grown, and improved -- now. We are lagging in manpower, capability, and this needs to be corrected ASAP.

Other reading
Robert Spencer: War on Terror or War on Jihad? Defining the Problem
Rabbis warn Bush: Annapolis will bring destruction to US, In TheDays
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Sharing the concern and Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson's Website, The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary's Thoughts, The Random Yak, The Populist, The Pet Haven Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Big Dog's Weblog, The Amboy Times, Cao's Blog, Leaning Straight Up, Wake Up America, Conservative Cat, Nuke's, Faultline USA, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, CORSARI D'ITALIA, High Desert Wanderer, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Comments

[Stormwarning]

There are number of problems with TSA, as it was configured from the start, and how it is today. Layla is right about her comment.

However, if Doug Farah's point of view is that CT is withering on the vine (and that is an opinion shared by others of his background and expertise), I'll opt to listen to him.

PS: The question of translators was recently discussed in a meeting. Based on the "observation" that the Bush Administration (AG Ashcroft), removed an FBI request for funds from the budget on Sept. 10, 2001, the response was that the situation was "improving." Much like the question of the 19 airports (BTW, there is no malintent to be taken from the security holes...no one is purposely letting this happen)...we have a long way to go. Like they say, "we are safer, but we are not safe."

[Debbie]

LAYLA: Thanks, I'm glad you are enjoying work and also still getting to blog.

PALADIN: Excellent point. We have needed translators desperately, but we also need folks that can easily go undercover. This takes time.

[PALADIN]

COUNTER INTEL CAN ONLY SUCCEED WHEN YOU HAVE AGENTS WHOSE LOYALTY IS UN QUESTIONABLE. IF YOUR GONNA CONDUCT THIS TYPE OF INTEL YOU UNDOUBTBLY NEED ARABS TO DO IT. CAN WE TRUST EM?? SOME MAYBE , BUT I,M VERY LEERY IF THEY ARE MUSLIMS.THE SOLUTION TO ME IS TO MAYBE RECRUIT ARAB CHRISTIANS. THIS WAS DONE SUCESSFULLY IN EUROPE. I SAY ARAB BECAUSE YOU MUST KNOW THE LANGUAGE OF YOUR FOE AS WELL AS HIS CUSTOMS AND BEHAVIOR. ARABS BORN IN THE MIDDLE EAST BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY THAN SAY ARABS BORN IN NORTH AMERICA. IT DOES,NT HURT THAT MOST ARAB CHRISTIANS HAVE A BONE TO PICK WITH MUSLIMS DUE TO THE WAY THEY WERE TREATED IN THEIR HOMELANDS. THEY WOULD BE MY CHOICE FOR RECRUITMENT IN THE INTEL BUSINESS. WHEN I WAS IN BEIRUT IN 85, MY INTERPRETER WAS A LEBANESE COPTIC CHRISTIAN. HE WAS THE BEST THERE WAS, AND COULD PASS HIMSELF OFF AS A MUSLIM VERY EASILY. OF COURSE THAT HE WAS FLUENT IN ARABIC WAS MOST OF THE BATTLE. PLUS BEING LEBANESE HE LOOKED THE PART.

[Layla]

Hey Debbie! Still here and getting this all to work for me. Hope you are well.

As for TSA--the workers themselves are poorly trained. They hire people with no previous experience and I am sorry to say they hire people off the street that should have stayed where they were found because of their lack of a work ethic.

When O'Hare was screening for TSA workers after 9/11--I applied and was turned down because I failed the hearing test. However, I was shocked at the amount of people who never did this type of work, could not tell the diffy between a baggie and a gun-it was shocking and scary. But this is our world in the US of A--the place that loves to cut corners because the dollar is their God and we are the peons used to profit the government.

Also be aware how underpaid TSA workers are. There is no incentive for them to care about their job, though some do, many do not.

It is a no win situation and frankly it is disgusting that our safety hangs in the balance.

We need qualified educated people to do that job, or give them the "right" training with proper pay to make it worth someone's time to do the job properly.

Heh, we know the later will never happen in this country nowadays.

Great write up Debbie. Thanks!