Surveillance and Surveillance Detection: A CIA Insider's Guide

by John Kiriakou

Have you ever thought you were being followed or watched? Have you ever needed to follow or observe someone and not be seen?In the world of espionage, surveillance and surveillance detection are a way of life. It is the job of every CIA operations officer to make sure he or she is not under surveillance—that is, being followed to the commission of an “operational act.” It is also the job of every CIA operations officer to surveil his own targets, whether they are terrorists or terrorist suspects, foreign intelligence officers, hostile actors, or even sometimes his own agents for vetting purposes.  In everyday life, many people from all walks of life need to know how to perform similar operations. Whether avoiding a stalker, checking up on an unfaithful partner, or just securing one’s own privacy, a working knowledge of modern surveillance and surveillance detection techniques is a critical skill to possess. And there is nobody better to teach that skill than someone trained by the CIA.From former CIA counterterrorism officer John C. Kiriakou, Surveillance and Surveillance A CIA Insider's Guide takes you through the CIA's surveillance and surveillance detection program. It will teach you to apply CIA surveillance techniques to your own everyday life. You’ll learn how to stay safe, to ensure your privacy, and to keep the honest people honest—the CIA way. 

Genres: Reference

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 26, 2022

About the author

John served in the Central Intelligence Agency first as an analyst, and later as a counterterrorism operations officer, from 1990-2004. He spent much of his career working on Iraq and the Persian Gulf. In 1997 he changed career tracks from analysis to operations and moved to Athens, Greece, where he worked against the notorious terrorist group “Revolutionary Organization 17 November.” He became chief of counterterrorist operations in Pakistan following the September 11 attacks, and his tour climaxed in the March 2002 capture of Abu Zubaydah, then believed to be al-Qa’ida’s third-ranking official.

John Kiriakou became an anti-torture whistleblower and activist when he told ABC News in December 2007 that the CIA was torturing prisoners, that that torture was official U.S. government policy, and that the policy was approved by the President.

John eventually was charged with three counts of espionage, one count of violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act and one count of making a false statement as a result of the 2007 ABC News interview. Even though he had no criminal intent, and there was no harm to the national security, accepting the plea resulted in a sentence of 30 months in prison.

Reviews

[Brian Elwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read

Really fascinating the way that the author includes some technical knowledge along with the history that comes with its development.