Opinion | Why Chinese nationals, students (overseas) should beware of C.I.A. spy traps?
By Augustus K. Yeung
You may have been stunned by the extend of the destruction of the Ukrainian war, in which hundreds of high-rise buildings are levelled by missiles, and thousands of civilians killed or wounded, and tens of thousands of displaced Ukrainian refugees, scattering in taters all over the world; you may have been heart-wrenched by the killings of Palestinians while lining up for food and other aids by Israel's bombers or fighter jets; however, these are all video clips and satellite images that may not compromise your sense of loyalty to your motherland.
But the labyrinth of traps CIA recruitment officials or spies to recruit "foreign agents" can hurt you directly, seriously and in ways, perhaps, you cannot imagine or afford.
The following is an authentic article taken from The New York Times for your perusal, profound understanding, and precaution.
C.I.A. makes the case for old-school foreign spies.
"Intelligence gathering today relies on electronic eavesdropping on calls and text messages as well as high-resolution satellite images. But in its new podcast, the Central Intelligence Agency argues that even in the age of artificial intelligence and ubiquitous intercepts, human sources are more important than ever." Julian E. Barnes wrote in NYT.
"Only with a human source can intelligence officers make proper sense of intercepts and understand the context of an overheard conversation," the C.I.A.'s espionage chief, Tom Sylvester, says in the podcast, which the agency released on Wednesday.
The deputy director for operations, the formal title of the person in charge of espionage, often remains – at least partly – in the shadows. So, Mr. Sylvester's appearance on the podcast is unusual. Keeping in character, the hosts refer to him on the show only as Tom.
The agency does not regularly allow its senior officials to be interviewed by journalists. And so, the podcast, which offers about a half dozen episodes a season, offers a kind of unique – if controlled – look at a key part of C.I.A.'s operations.
In recent months, the C.I.A. has been unusually open (to a secretive spy agency) to its recruiting efforts and the importance of its work. The push comes as the public has grown more familiar with the power of satellite imagery and intercepted communications to give the White House and the Pentagon unique insight – into what Russia, China and other adversaries are up to.
The C.I.A. has used its in-house podcasts, called "The Langley Files," to interview the director, William J. Burns, and reveal secrets of past operations.
The new episode goes directly to the issue at the heart of the C.I.A.'s mission; the importance of recruiting foreign spies.
The proliferation of cyberintelligence along with expanded satellite imagery, Mr. Sylvester said, has prompted questions – about whether human sources are still important. But he argued that analytic assessments of intelligence based on intercepts alone are weaker than if human assets help the C.I.A. understand the "plans and intentions" of adversarial powers.
After one of the C.I.A.'s hosts, Dee Watson, asked if human sources are still important, the other Walter Trosin, asked if "with all the technological advances of the 21stcentury, essentially there are still some secrets that exist only in people's minds."
Mr. Sylvester responded that some of the most important secrets the agency goes after "lies in plans and intentions, the mood, the context with which someone is making a decision." Reading a transcript without a spy to describe that context can lead to confusion, he said.
"If you have 10 different people listening to the same conversation, they're going to come to 10 different analytic assessments on what happened versus if you actually talked to somebody who was in a room," Mr. Sylvester said.
Meeting and developing spies are more difficult than ever for the C.I.A.'s network of case officers stationed around the world, he said. Surveillance cameras powered by artificial intelligence that can quickly do facial recognition now allow adversarial countries to keep track of C.I.A. officers.
But the crackdown on dissent by dictatorships has also given the agency new opportunities.
In the interview, the deputy director said that people who are frustrated with the direction of their country offer to provide information.
"They believe they're doing something above and greater than themselves, and that they are willing to provide us the information – that is so crucial in helping policymakers – make the right decisions in the world," Mr. Sylvester said.
Former intelligence officers say – ideology may well be the most important motivator for the best spies. But some sources give secrets – for financial rewards; others because they are angry – about how corruption has affected their country and their careers.
Current and former officials argue that corruption in modern Russia, the government's crackdown on dissent and anger over the invasion of Ukraine has created opportunities for the C.I.A. to recruit new sources.
Over the past nine months, the agency has released a series of Russian-language video on YouTube and Telegram, making an appeal to Russian officials frustrated with the rule of President Vladimir V. Putin to securely provide information.
The videos, officials say, have helped the agency grow the network of spies and its human intelligence collection. (Source: NYT)
Most Chinese people may not quite understand why spying is a relevant and important issue, and so they may not be aware of being recruited by adversary agents or recruitment officers. It is hoped that this rare article about the operations of CIA will help to sensitize Chinese people, especially students studying in America; they are vulnerable, as they can be turned into spies – working for the U.S., Australia or the U.K. against China.
In the context of the impending Article 23, the security law, this article is even more relevant and informative.
Read it. Share it. Alert fellow students. Be aware of the CIA spy traps.
Note: Beijing knows a lot about CIA spying against China. But adamantly alerting the individual is basically a citizen's responsibility.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
To contact the writer, please direct email: AugustusKYeung@ymail.com
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