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205
National Security Policy and Counterintelligence Implications of Denial and
Deception Practices
This strategic-focused course designed for employees of the US Intelligence
Community. Its overall purpose is to introduce, in a historical context,
foreign denial and deception (D&D) operations that have had significant
influence and impact on US national security policy formulation, and our
ability to identify, assess and counter foreign D&D activities.
Our primary goal is to enhance counter-denial and
deception effectiveness throughout the US Intelligence Community by
accomplishing the following objectives: 1) increasing student knowledge of
the subject, 2) sensitizing them to the deleterious effects of successful
foreign D&D attacks on US national policymaking targets, and 3) creating a
great appreciation of other countries D&D strengths, practices and
capabilities.
The Centre for Counterintelligence and Security
Studies (CI Centre) instructor team will accomplish these objectives
through the use of historical examples, case studies, audio-visual and
computer generated aids, and the sharing of personal "first-hand"
experiences of foreign D&D subject matter experts and operational
practitioners. The knowledge provided by these means will be further
reinforced by instructor-led discussions following each key instructional
block.
In order to provide meaningful context and
analytic baseline to the course curriculum, CI Centre instructors will
describe and regularly refer to the US national security decision-making
process and how strategic information and intelligence is received,
evaluated, disseminated and integrated by the President, his policymakers,
the National Security Council and its staff. As a counterpoint to this
decision-making model, the course will juxtapose an array of foreign D&D
techniques, methods, and planning processes used to implement and execute
D&D operations against the US. In this regard, the course will address a
number of D&D approaches to include agents of influence, covert funding,
control of media, forgeries, double agents and manipulation of mass
organizations. [3 days or recommended 5 days]
Course Topics
Introduction to the Concept of Denial and
Deception
National Security Policy Formulation
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Policy formulation process at
the White House
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Understanding how the
National Security Council
operates
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Understanding intelligence and
information flow to the President
Deception Operations
Directed Towards the US by
our Ally Great Britain During WW1 and WW2
Deception Operations During the Vietnam War
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Background to US involvement in
Vietnam
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US and North Vietnam war
objectives and deception operations
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Tactical and strategic
deceptions
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Lessons from the Vietnam War
Examples of Soviet/Russian Active Measures in Practice
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Kennedy Assassination Deception
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Martin Luther King Deception
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Operation PANDORA active
measures
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Target: The Media
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Target: NATO
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Use of Front Groups
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Agents of Influence
The KGB Deception Operations to Protect Aldrich
Ames and Robert Hanssen
The Islamic Jihadist
Concept of Taqiyya, or the Use of Deception if it Benefits Islam
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The origins of this
concept in the Qur'an
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The concept of Kitman,
or telling the the truth but not the whole truth with the
intention to mislead
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Examples of Taqiyya by
Jihadists today
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Media manipulation in
the Middle East
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Active Measures; what
the Middle East learned from the Soviets
What did you learn in this
course that will help you in your career and
profession?
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“To always think outside the box and
question things.”
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“The information provided in this course was
different than many other courses. I learned
a lot more history than I probably did in
college.”
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“The connection between different cases and
all the strings that are attached with them.
The ‘behind the scenes’ actions that affect
U.S. history as well as current events.”
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“That denial and deception is more prevalent
than I would have imagined.”
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“Having a better understanding of the NSC
and the process for getting information to
decision makers will be helpful.”
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“I learned a better way to interview people.
I realize it’s important to ask what they
believe and what their opinions are.”
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“I learned to think beyond the surface of
what you hear in the media or press.”
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“The extent that public opinion can be
influenced by deception generated by
adversaries.”
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“The lengths that adversarial sources will
go in order to protect valuable sources.”
- “Always
consider other possible agendas, look for
linkages, reinforces value of need to know,
better understand methodology for
manipulation, better understand reasoning
behind delays in using actionable
information.”
What will you do differently
as a result of this knowledge?
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“I feel that I will be able to view my
profession, agency, mission, and my elders
with more sympathy and respect for the
events they went through.”
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“Take a look at the larger picture for
diverse situations.”
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“Take advantage of additional CI training;
read more books about ‘our business’;
compare current denial and deception
operations with historical examples.”
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“Be more aware of, and alert to, possible
active measures employed by adversaries.”
What did you like best about
this course and why?
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“I’m a history junkie and really enjoyed the
real-life examples. Nothing was theoretical.
I like the mixture of videos and lecture.”
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“I really enjoyed the spy timeline on
Thursday.”
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“The video clips integrated into the course
material/ briefing is a nice touch; it helps
add to the understanding. Overview of
defectors and recruits was
fascinating—highlights the complexity of
operations and decisions made to protect or
reveal sources. Excellent class! Thank you!”
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“Everything! It was excellent, timely
information presented in a clear and easy to
understand manner.”
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“I’ll be back!”
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“The experiences brought by instructors are
most beneficial because cannot be exposed to
this in any other manner.”
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“Recommend for any CI
professional. Superior to all other government classes I’ve
attended.”
“This is the best, most
interesting, engaging and useful training I have had in my 13 year
career in the Intelligence Community. I cannot speak highly enough
about the CI Centre, the curriculum and the faculty.”
“Excellent course for both CI and
intelligence professionals, to include OPSEC practitioners.”
“Tough subject to teach and you
all pulled it off. I walk away with far greater knowledge than
before.”
“This course has surely raised
the knowledge of D&D in the CI world.”
“An absolutely outstanding
course. One of the best courses I have attended during the past 19
years. Flawless presentations given by experts who have the
wherewithal to tell it like it is. Information presented is of
extreme importance to the training and career/operational
enhancement of a CI professional’s career. An extremely valuable,
dynamic course which I will recommend to my colleagues.”
“This class has truly given me a
different way of looking at the world.”
“One of the best courses I’ve
attended in 28 years of government service.”
“I continue to be highly
impressed with the courses taught by the CI Centre staff. The
lectures are always pertinent and the instructors are extremely
knowledgeable. I will definitely be able to use the information from
this course on the job. This course did a great job tying in the
overall objectives to each lecture. Unlike many other classes I’ve
taken, this class is not merely a series of briefings lumped
together as a course. The books provided in these classes are also
very beneficial for further research.”
“Incredible. A must-take for the
I.C.”
“This is my second course here. I
have taken several courses both government and private sectors
courses in the CI field. You guys get it right! The other ‘school
houses’ should take lessons.”
“If you can sit through CI Centre
presentations and not get excited about your work, than you’re in
the wrong business!”
“I found this course very helpful
in understanding the issue of counterintelligence and operations
that have taken place. I had previously been unaware of such
practices and I feel that this background was fundamental to me in
the beginning of my career.”
“This course reinforced and
reminded me of critical thought lessons I learned in grad school.
Learned that my base of CI history knowledge is shallow and that
military, and likely, national agencies, do not teach history,
theory and case study enough. Helps me as I move from field-level
case work to CI program management and leadership. I’ll recommend
this course and plan to attend others.”
“All instructors were great. They
knew the material and explained it well. Excellent course and I will
recommend it to others. I also hope to return to see other courses.”
“This course thoroughly exceeded
all expectations I had. Very informative and kept my constant
attention. I will encourage all of my CI peers to attend this
course!”
“Excellent material and
presentations. Very nice facility. Great support staff. This is my
second CI Centre course and I have been impressed throughout.
Excellent team teaching!”
“I have taken many courses
throughout my intelligence career, but I have never heard an
instructor with the knowledge of David Major. His knowledge is
incredible and has passed on information that will help me in my
current job. Outstanding course!”
“Wonderful course! The depth of
knowledge of your staff is truly amazing.”
“Excellent course! Jam-packed
with information. Re-motivator for CI agents. Thank you.”
“Very good course. It showed me
to what great lengths other intelligence services will go to, to
direct the US to remain neutral or take another position. I will
recommend this class to other agents!”
“The course content is extremely
interesting and it is obvious that great effort has been exerted to
gather video, documentary and photographic support for the course
topic. Moreover, the course certainly heightened my sensitivity
toward and appreciation of the sophistication of D&D operations.”
“This class is worth coming to. I
will recommend it to others.”
“As expected, excellent course
with lots of information. I learned a great deal that I did not
know.”
“What an eye opener. Excellent
job—great course, enjoyable and informative.”
“Superb class presentation. The
instructors colorfully showed how D&D has been used, and can be used
to effectively deceive US opponents in the Intel Wars.”
“Excellent course--should be
mandatory for all CT/CI agents/analysts.”
“Thanks for providing the
information I needed to open my mind to be more effective in my
job.”
“I am amazed that a bunch of
experienced operators spent so much time building the
presentations—normally you find reliance on their resume and hours
of oration. Outstanding use of technology.”
“Very good. Very refreshing to
hear such experienced speakers in a non-attribution non-politically
correct delivery. The experience and candor of the speakers made
this a great course. A great introductory course as well as a
refresher. The course mixed historical context and contemporary
issues in a very effective way. Great course.”
“Very informative. Expresses the
importance of considering D&D when formulating an analysis.
Instructors are very knowledgeable and hold the attention of the
class well.”
“Speakers with such extensive
background in CI are of true value to course. It’s always best to
have people speak from first-hand knowledge. Thank you for the
books.”
“Great course! The material was
very good. The way it was all tied together at the end was
excellent.”
“I have been exposed to almost
all of these concepts and historical events at one time or another,
but the depth of knowledge and delivery of the staff really brought
it all together in a powerful way.”
“Course was very informative. The
knowledge gained from this course has made me appreciate the FBI and
CIA and intelligence agencies. Excellent!”
“I will forever see the world
with new eyes. This class will help me in my work.”
“Great course! It is evident that
David Major eats, drinks and sleeps CI and espionage—that’s a
compliment. The instructors were equally effective at presenting the
material and knowledge of the subjects. This course should be taught
in the first year of a CI agent’s career. Unfortunately for me, I am
being exposed to this much later in my career. Compliments to all
instructors! Thank you!”
“I’ve enjoyed this class and
consider myself fortunate to have taken it. The professors are
excellent and have encouraged me to learn more, not only about the
course matter, but about American history. It was also encouraging
to see such a ‘pro-America’ attitude and patriotism. I think
sometimes we forget why we’re in this business!”
“The course was well put
together. All the instructors kept attention and really promoted
awareness of this issue by sharing their experiences. I will never
look at any issue the same way again. Thank you.”
“Excellent, informative overview
of CI denial and deception practices. David’s extensive historical
knowledge combined with his enthusiastic teaching style makes for
three intense days requiring focus and insight on the part of each
student. Thank you!”
“The course professors were all
very professional and ‘polished’ in their presentations. The
audio-visual component of each presentation provided value-added
information and helped illustrate the professor’s discussion point.
I’ll definitely tell my counterterrorism counterparts about this
course—many of them have little to no experience in CI, which is a
great detriment to their skill set and CT analysis.”
“Compared to the training I have
had, this one is by far the most interesting and enjoyable. The
knowledge I’ve gained in this class will benefit me in my career and
future employment. All of the professors are experts and made the
class fun and kept my attention.”
“A very informative course—all
presentations were well done and provided important information and
ideas. Like my colleagues before me, I can use most of the knowledge
gained in the course in the corporate world as we confront increased
espionage and our partnership with the government grows.”
“Excellent course, good detail
and background. High value, need more courses like this at all
intelligence locations.”
“Absolutely impressed with the
professional presentation and credentials of presenters.”
“Fantastic. A great opportunity
to learn about CI. Thanks. So much to learn about that I never
knew.”
"Very good course, very thought
provoking, well-organized.”
“Excellent course. Superb
presentation of material.”
“Excellent overview, history and
presentation.”
“Very interesting way to spend
three days. Asset to my career in CI for sure—thanks! Oleg is always
great to listen to—great presentation. Learned never trust any news
story. He brings so much experience and great stories to share!”
“Excellent course from a CI
historical perspective. Provides a good foundation on denial and
deception. Re Deception Operations During the Vietnam War: Extremely
fascinating and very little known facts on the deception played on
the US to encourage their involvement in Vietnam.”
“Interesting course. Good
integration of multimedia clips and the topic of the presentation.
Presenters had a wealth of knowledge about the topics. They
introduced knowledge not normally presented in other CI courses.”
“Good content and background for
analytical approaches to information is very valuable. Appreciate
the topics, insights and hypothesis from instructors.”
“Very insightful. By learning
history, I will be able to look towards the future using what I
learned from this course.”
“I simply can’t wait until I can
go to the next CI Centre course. The main idea re all of assets we
lost due to Ames and Hanssen and the Op Games used to protect Ames
and Hanssen was received and understood. Overall GREAT COURSE!”
“Excellent, relevant class on
denial and deception. Lots of new information I never knew,
particularly regarding deception in WWII and Vietnam War.”
“Very eye-opening course of
instructions that was well presented. I will be more conscience of
the big picture and how it applies to source operations. Great
course for those new to the CI field.”
“Very interesting and revealing
course for CI analysts and officers.”
“This was an outstanding course.
Superb instructor with knowledge and experience and the ability to
deliver. This has been a great learning experience and something I
will be able to use daily in my job. I would highly recommend this
course to any/everyone who works in intel. I look forward to
returning for more!”
“Interesting, exciting and very
informative.”
“Dave Major is an excellent
presenter—an honor to hear him speak for over two days.”
“Extremely informative—this
course will definitely assist me in my duties in future operations.
I am glad that CI has finally become a ‘hot topic’ and one that
every government official should be educated on.”
“Offered more insightful ways to
combat insurgents in the War on Terror but utilizing different IO
type skills. Operating on tactical level, this class has given more
a different look and helped open my eyes to see some methods that
are being used against conventional forces in theaters such as Iraq.
It’s also provided a basis of knowledge to combat these methods.”
“This course is a horizon-broadener
for me. This deepens my understanding of intel issues and will
therefore change my perspective in current and future events. I
think this will also cause me to think more strategically about
issues—I see a slightly bigger picture now.”
“Overall I thought the course was
extremely worthwhile. It was very informative and provided me a
broader, more profound understanding of the operations, deceptions,
double agents, spies and investigations that occurred during the
Cold War. Dave Major is a top notch subject matter expert and I
would highly recommend this course to my contemporaries.”
“This has given me a unique
perspective that I can now begin to apply to my current work and
future development as an intelligence officer.”
“Simply phenomenal!”
“Outstanding! Makes me realize
how little I know about CI/D&D ops of this type. I have learned many
new things and can’t wait to learn more.”
“Extremely interesting. Having
spent 10 years teaching counterintelligence investigations and
tactical/strategic collection operations for the US Army, this
information cemented how relevant CI training is. I was involved in
a couple of US Army cases but this highlights a bigger picture.”
“Fascinating look into KGB’s
influence on the US. Great educational presentation directly from
the source.”
“Great instruction, vast
knowledge and experience. One of the best courses I’ve ever taken. I
look forward to coming back for more.”
“I’ve attended many courses of
study throughout my CI career and this information is comprehended
because of the energy of the instructor. David Major provided the
information as learned and developed through practical and relevant
operations. Outstanding and I hope I can attend additional courses.”
“Great presentation skills. The
personal stories always lend credence to the overall credibility of
the courses. The PowerPoint is exceptionally well done.”
“Very effective, knowledgeable
and engaging speaker. A wealth of experience that serves the Centre
and the student extremely well. Certainly one of the finest.”
“One of the best courses I’ve
taken as an intel professional. The background, the analysis, the
examples and the breakdown of past events were all tremendously
educational and enlightening.”
“David Major is one of the best
presenters and instructors I have ever learned from. A consummate
professional and true expert. His knowledge and experience are an
asset to those of us in the middle of our careers as well as the
young up-and-comers just entering the industry.”
“The course was terrific.
Thought-provoking and informative. The course gives me a tremendous
perspective on the D&D discipline and how it is applicable to our
work in the government. As is usual with a CI Centre course, the
presenters were knowledgeable, enthusiastic about the material and
entertaining. I will highly recommend this course to my colleagues.”
“Overall, this course has made me
think differently. I’ve never had a course in D&D—I’ve been
enlightened! Furthermore, in terms of working cases and running
operations, I have a better understanding of how things may be or
rather really are. As a result of this course, I’ll work to better
educate myself on the history of events as it’ll make me a better,
more learned investigator.”
“This course made me realize that
I had so much blind spots and unawareness (lack of history) of the
intelligence field. It made me want to read all the literature and
information related to intelligence.”
“This was a very good course.
This course truly opened my eyes as to how deception plays in most
all aspects of operations/CI/politics, etc. This course forces me to
look for beneath the surface to see if deception is being played.”
“This course is my first
significant exposure to denial and deception. It has made a huge
impact me on the conception of tradecraft. I would recommend this
course to anyone who is new to the intelligence field and as a
refresher for other community members.”
“Excellent education and lots of
new info. I have a lot of respect for your teaching techniques and
tools—keep it up!”
“Dave Major is performing a great
service to the USIC by pulling together such great talent to put out
an important product to CI/CT specialists. As I look around the
classroom, however, I conclude that you are thinking too small. You
need to fill auditoriums, not small classrooms. Find a way to do
that, and you will be truly effective in educating the CI/CT
communities. This is the best professional training I’ve received in
my 21 years of service to the CI community—by far.
“Absolutely outstanding. I wish I
could grab every American CI investigator by the neck and yank them
into this course.”
“I was woefully ignorant of the
priority placed by the Russians on active measures. This block of
instruction has been priceless.”
“You LOVE this stuff, and your
enthusiasm charges the students. Well done.”
“The overall themes and messages
of this course are very relevant to my job and have impressed upon
me the complexity of the issues. While I don’t deal with CI and
espionage issues directly, awareness of these facts and situations
presented in the class will lead me to cast a more critical eye on
the data I encounter.”
“Denial and Deception is an
excellent course. I would recommend it to anyone in my squad. Things
that I will do differently in my investigations would be to pay more
attention to potential deception operations, and to always look at
the “big picture” regarding investigations.”
“Great presenting of material in
a way not seen through any other course I’ve attended. A true
eye-opener to the facts/theories behind the operations conducted
against our intelligence operations.”
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