Learning the basics

Learning the basics...
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     The FBI is not just a police agency. It is more than that. It is a security service. There are important differences between police agencies and security services.
     Every government has a security service. The mission of a security service is to suppress anti-government activity. That's because the prime directive of a government is to stay in power. This means that most governments see their own population as the most serious threat.
     That's where the security service comes in. This means suppressing dissent and criticism. It means preserving the status quo. It means keeping the government in power, no matter whether the government rules with the consent of the people or without the consent of the people.
     Look around you. It is a self-evident truth that the nastier the government, the nastier its security service. Referring to a security service as The Thought Police is not too far from the truth.
     The FBI understandably does not have a history of respect for civil rights in its capacity as a security service. The FBI's record of unconstitutional and illegal actions against American citizens is readily available to anyone who takes the trouble to investigate.
     But don't overlook the bigger picture. The FBI is not out of control. On the contrary, it is very much in control. The FBI is acting with the knowledge – and approval – of the government. The FBI is, after all, the government's security service. The FBI is responsible for protecting the government from the people.
     The people, alas, have no such protection from the government.
     Until now.

What's really happening here...
     The goal of this Web site – and the purpose of Spy & CounterSpy – is to level the playing field. Our mission is to provide knowledge and skills to people who support freedom and fairness. Our goal is to empower people. What does this mean? In theory, it means showing people how to protect themselves against government tyranny. In practice, it means teaching people countersurveillance skills.
     Who needs countersurveillance skills? Anyone who is concerned about freedom and fundamental fairness. This means activists, dissidents, civil rights groups, militias, patriots, journalists, religious groups, grass-roots political movements, writers, minority groups, and others.
     Countersurveillance skills give you the ability to reach your goals – political or otherwise – in spite of surveillance and interference by a security service like the FBI.
     If you don't have countersurveillance skills, you are not going to reach your goals. The security service is going to make sure of that. In fact, you probably won't even realize that your plans have been secretly and systematically thwarted.
     It's time to wake up. 
The goal of this blog is to level the playing field by providing skills to supporters of freedom and fairness.

Wake-up call...
     If you're involved in any group that challenges the status quo, the security service is going to take an interest in you. No matter how benign your goals, you are seen as a potential threat to the government. Ipso facto, you become a target for surveillance by The Thought Police.
     Being innocent is no protection against surveillance.
     Spy-proof Lesson #1 – Any group that engages in discussion or actions that challenge the status quo must have a countersurveillance section. That means any group. That means you. It is not a matter of choice. It is not a matter of opinion. It is not a matter of preference. Here's why.
     Your adversary is going to engage in covert actions against you. For your group to survive and reach its goals, you must defend yourself against these covert actions. It does not matter that you don't see the government as your adversary. In fact, it's irrelevant. All that matters is that the government sees you as their adversary.
     If you don't grasp this fundamental principle, then your group is doomed to mediocrity. It will never reach its goals, no matter how noble. It's like trying to play professional hockey without learning how to avoid a body-check against the boards. Wake up, sissy. Just because you'd never dream of intentionally assaulting your opponent doesn't mean that he isn't planning to deliberately cripple you at his first opportunity.
     It is important that you understand what this means. A security service – and this includes the FBI – plays according to Big Boys' Rules. This means they play for keeps and they play to win. They offer no mercy because they expect none.
     Part of growing up is the realization that the world is infested with unpleasant personality types like thugs, bullies, and sociopaths. A sizable percentage of these types end up working for – you guessed it – security services.
     Another part of growing up is accepting that you just can't reason with some people. 

Any group that engages in discussion or action that threatens the status quo should consider forming a countersurveillance section.

How surveillance works...
     Most people don't realize that a security service will use surveillance in four different ways – for four different purposes. These are observation, infiltration, sabotage, and intimidation. All of these threats can be lethal to you and your organization.
     Surveillance threat #1 – Observation.  A security service uses surveillance to watch you. They find out what you're doing. They discover who your contacts, members, operatives, associates, and friends are. They learn your plans. They use your conversations as evidence when they arrest you on charges of conspiracy. Most people don't realize that conspiracy is the most common grounds for arrest when surveillance is involved. Yes, just talking about some topics can get you arrested. What about free speech? Not when The Thought Police are around.
     Surveillance threat #2 – Infiltration.  A security service uses surveillance to learn enough about you so they can infiltrate agents into your group. Infiltration is dangerous for two reasons. First, an infiltrated agent can act as an informant, alerting the security service to your plans and providing evidence that can be used later for arrest, coercion, or blackmail. Second, an infiltrated agent can act as an agent-provocateur. This is someone who pretends to enthusiastically support your cause, while in reality encouraging you to commit illegal or reckless acts that become grounds for arrest by the security service. Many groups have been tricked into illegal behavior that they otherwise would have never considered. Do not underestimate the damage that an agent-provocateur can do. It is a wicked game. That's why the FBI plays it.
     Surveillance threat #3 – Sabotage.  A security service uses surveillance to learn everything about you, your group, its goals, and its plans. They can use this information to secretly sabotage your operations. Things just seem to go wrong at the worst moment, yet you can never really pin down what the problem is.
     An effective security service has a range of sabotage capabilities, ranging from dirty tricks to death squads.
     Some American citizens are beginning to speculate that the FBI may operate death squads. They claim it is easy for an organization that operates in secret to arrange situations where murder can be camouflaged as misadventure, accident, illness, criminal activity, chance events, or suicide. How better to disable a persistent grass-roots movement than by arranging the demise of its leader via a traffic accident, mugging, or suicide?
     Surveillance threat #4 – Intimidation.  A security service can use surveillance to control you. It's a form of mind control. The FBI is currently enjoying success with this tactic against a number of militia and patriot groups. That's because fear is a powerful tool. If you know you're under surveillance, you're afraid to do anything. The FBI has developed this mind-game to a sophisticated level. After they've let you see their surveillance team, they merely need to make an appearance once a month or so. You're so terrified that you assume you're under surveillance 24-hours a day. The FBI has won. You are paralyzed by fear. For some targets of surveillance, all that's required is an appearance twice a year by the FBI to keep you immobilized. Of course, none of these mind-games work if you've got countersurveillance skills and can spot the gaps in surveillance. 

How countersurveillance works...
     Most people don't realize what countersurveillance can achieve for them. First, it gives you the ability to detect the presence of a surveillance team. This means you can immediately stop engaging in any behavior that might incriminate you. But, even more important, countersurveillance skills can give you the ability to cloak your actions. You can carry out operations without the knowledge of the surveillance team. This means your group can reach its goals even while under hostile surveillance.
     Countersurveillance advantage #1 – Detecting your adversary.  If you can detect the presence of the surveillance team, you can avoid arrest by immediately stopping any activity that might incriminate you. Being able to detect surveillance gives you a margin of safety that you otherwise wouldn't have.
     Countersurveillance advantage #2 – Thwarting your adversary.  Knowing that you're under surveillance means you can begin to thwart your adversary's attempts to gather information about you. For example, realizing that your vehicle is bugged means that you'll stop engaging in incriminating conversation in your car. Or, even better, you can engage in contrived conversations and feed misinformation to the surveillance team. Being able to detect surveillance gives you the opportunity to confuse and confound the security service.
     Countersurveillance advantage #3 – Achieving your goals.  Detecting surveillance and thwarting the surveillance team are noteworthy achievements. They enable you and your group to survive. But they're strictly defensive. You'll never achieve your goals until you go on the offensive. And that's the most powerful benefit that countersurveillance can give you – the ability to keep doing what you want to, even though you're under surveillance.
     Around the world, a number of intelligence agencies and guerrilla groups have proven that you can carry out operations while you're under hostile surveillance – and the security service will be none the wiser.
     These intelligence agencies and guerrilla groups have developed a system for surviving – and thriving – while under surveillance. A number of underground groups are already using this system to conduct operations in the United States.
     Here's why it works.  A security service can only achieve its objectives by intercepting communication between people. This means you can beat the security service if you can deny them the ability to watch, read, overhear, or participate in your communication with other people. In effect, you can beat the security service by using stealth. You can do this in two ways.
     Stealth method #1 – If you are skilled in countersurveillance, you can exploit the gaps that are present in surveillance operations. This means you engage in operational activity only when the surveillance team isn't monitoring you. Even round-the-clock surveillance has gaps in it. If you're under sporadic FBI surveillance designed to intimidate you by keeping you frightened, you'll enjoy huge gaps that you can exploit.
     Stealth method #2 – If you are skilled in elliptical conversation, you can carry on communications even though you're under surveillance. Elliptical conversation is dialog that says one thing but means another. Quite often two people who've known each other for a long time have built up a kind of shorthand conversation. By referring to past shared incidents that the surveillance team is unaware of, the two individuals can send hidden meanings to one another. They can also use code-words to disguise the real meaning of their communication.

Where do you go from here?
     If you are involved in a group or enterprise that is attempting to change the status quo, you must accept that countersurveillance needs to be a part of your planning and operations. The keys to success are twofold – knowledge and skills. First, you need knowledge of your adversary's capabilities. Second, you need skills in the art of countersurveillance. You can get both by reading Spy & CounterSpy. In fact, that's the only way you can get them.