Intelligence Officer In Training: "Has HUMINT, been out-dated, by the information and intelligence, available through the Internet?"

1-15-2017

APUS 2^nd Master’s Degree

Intelligence Officer In Training

Miss. Bayo Elizabeth Cary, AA, BA, MLIS

Cell: 1-352-872-4774

Email: mumbaibayo.cary@yandex.com

Body of Research Paper:

Re: Has HUMINT, become outdated, by resources, that are now available-both: information and intelligence-through the Internet?

I concluded, that the decline in HUMINT because of an increase in technological advances, would be hard to prove, but I am up for the challenge. With all the great input I received from my fellow classmates and additional readings attached from them, it helped and lead me to additional resources I had not found yet. -Zachariah Bell

HUMINT, is not a new means, of collecting intelligence information (Clark and Lowenthal 2016, 53). HUMINT, is in many ways, more dangerous, than other ways of intelligence information collection, because, it demands, face-to-face communications, and the exchange of information (Clark and Lowenthal 2016, 52).

           My genuine interest, in HUMINT, began with the US CIA. I love to study, and to read foreign languages, and, I enjoy traveling abroad. I was naïve, about the immediate dangers and risks, attendant, with a CIA Secret Service position. First, I submitted a few applications, to the CIA online, needless-to-say, they refused to consider me. Then, I read an eye-opening novel, to the dangers of CIA employment: Hostage: My Nightmare in Beirut, by: Gerald Astor and David Jacobsen (1991).

           Hostage: My Nightmare in Beirut, is the true story, of a business man, who is placed in the position, of hospital director, at a public hospital, in Beirut, Lebanon, during the: “Iran Contra Hostage Crisis,” in the Middle East, and in South America (Astor and Jacobsen 1991). There is an on-going war in Beirut, so the public hospital, is always filled with bloody bodies. The hospital director, socializes with his new associates, and there are no clear indications of discordance. Then one day, the American, is taken hostage: “SURPRISE!”

       The American hospital director in Beirut, turned hostage-ends up being held, with a man, who has been identified, as active CIA. The American, looks on in horror, as the USA CIA operative-completely falls apart, in the hostage situation, and then-sadly passes. Hostage: My Nightmare In Beirut, strongly depicts, the USA CIA operative, that no one is willing to trade-even an American bag of flour for, as: disposable, and collateral damages-the second, he is caught (Astor and Jacobsen 1991).

         Instead of negotiating, in: weaponry and money, to rescue the USA CIA Secret Service agent, the CIA-worried about their reputation, and, at having been found out. The CIA decide to pretend-until it is too late and the man is dead, that-they have no idea, who the USA CIA Secret Service operative, from the US Embassy in Lebanon, is. The US CIA, new very well, who their Beirut, Lebanon, Secret Service agent was. Apparently, the USA CIA, had arrived, at: the final conclusion, that, the operative they installed in Lebanon-was worth absolutely nothing at all to them!

            Despite the increasing dangers, Secret Service, all over the world, rely of HUMINT, to assist, in confirming information, that is obtained, through other means of intelligence (Clark and Lowenthal 2016, 65). In the United States, when you talk about HUMINT, it is usually a reference, to the CIA, and the: “covert” collection, of intelligence (Clark and Lowenthal 2016, 64). You could never tell, our American CIA, that they are going out of style:

Future Trends: Human Intelligence in The Digital World (Part 1):

The Internet Age and the explosion of social media have created both new opportunities and challenges for HUMINT collection. From agent recruitment to requirement generation and the timely delivery of intelligence to consumers, intelligence services are adapting to the digital world in which they must now operate. (Clark and Lowenthal 2016, 74)

It has been successfully argued, that, considering the increased risks associated with HUMINT, that other forms of collection, for intelligence information, are becoming more prominent, such as: OSINT (Clark and Lowenthal 2016, 5). When, you submit an application, to: US CIA, to work for them, as: HUMINT-you are not supposed to tell anyone. However, it is extremely difficult-as I experienced in: 2015-when, I submitted an online application, for Secret Service in another country. No information, that you transmit online, is private: “hackers” (Reveron 2012, 12).

        In the field of HUMINT, a-number-of: “the actors,” are not really “covert,” they act in government positions, that allow them more contact with individuals, who will be more likely, to share intelligence information, i.e.: Ambassador, International Lawyer, High Level politician (PM), Journalist Major Media, Nuclear Facility, etc.-and, in such positions of employment, the cover of a false persona, is not needed. The days are bygone, when people could carry false documents, and jump on and off the Internet, and pull money off a charge card, or from a bank account-without leaving a traceable digital, and/or paper trail.

             Cyber security, exists online, and-it finds you, whether you are concerned about your information being stolen, or not (Reveron 2012, 11). Many major cities, like: London, UK, and New York City-have cameras: at traffic light intersections, building entrances, businesses, cellphones-and even on cars, that, aggressive stalkers utilize, to illegally follow people-to keep track, of your every mysterious move. There are soo many issues, related to “breach-of-privacy,” in the US, and abroad, that-it is almost impossible, to be-a real: “Secret Agent!”

Future Trends: Human Intelligence in The Digital World (Continued-Part 2):

This is not to say that traditional HUMINT sources and methods, requirements concerning plans, intentions and threat warning, or modes of processing and disseminating HUMINT have been abandoned. Intelligence services continue to retain their traditional methodologies regarding HUMINT, but they are adapting as they must to remain relevant and protect their individual country’s national security. (Clark and Lowenthal 2016, 74)

In Conclusion:

               As dangerous as the field of HUMINT, has become, with new technologies, that could potentially expose-your every move, HUMINT, is a field of intelligence, that-is here to stay. While, OSINT, could be utilized, to fill in some easy access research gaps, the field of HUMINT-is soo helpful, because, it is soo specific. HUMINT-has a bright and active future ahead of it. HUMINT, is viewed, as being-irreplaceable-it is both: vital, and informative.

References

Astor, Gerald and Jackobsen, David. 1991. Hostage: My Nightmare In Beirut.

                       1^st Ed. Dutton Adult.

Clark, Robert M. and Lowenthal, Mark M. 2016. The 5 Disciplines

                        of Intelligence Collection. CQ Press, an imprint of SAGE Publications, Inc.

Reveron, Derek S. 2012. Cyberspace and National Security:

                        Threats, Opportunities, and Power in a Virtual World.

                         Georgetown University Press.