Will You Spy On Your Neighbors For The CIA?

[subgenius]

Good Spies Make Good Neighbors
By Lloyd Grove
Tuesday, March 11, 2003; Page C03

The postcard showed up in McLean resident Joseph Nelson Benton III's mailbox without a postmark.

On the glossy side were photos of the Berlin Wall, a bronze statue of Office of Strategic Services founder William"Wild Bill" Donovan and an aerial view of the Central Intelligence Agency. On the matte side -- along with phone numbers for the CIA's public affairs office and security operations center -- was an admonition to "report anything unusual or suspicious associated with your community and/or the Headquarters." There was also this homey message:

Dear Neighbor,

We started the annual distribution of this "phone card" three years ago. We have appreciated your comments and information, and remain committed to maintaining communication with our surrounding communities.

Regards,

Marie

Yesterday the 57-year-old Benton, a freelance television journalist, told us that he discovered the postcard last month amid a stack of bills. "I was amused," said Benton, who lives behind Route 123, about 250 yards from the CIA's Langley headquarters. "I've never gotten mail from the CIA before, so this was a big day. I'm a smartass, so I decided it would be a good thing to share it with the people of Washington."

CIA spokesman Bill Harlow confirmed that the postcard was the agency's handiwork. The reason it lacks a postmark, he said, is that it wasn't mailed. Instead it was hand-delivered to around 250 area residents. Harlow added that "Marie" is a real person whose first name is really Marie. As for her surname, "I think we'll just stick with 'Marie.' "

Harlow explained: "It's just standard good-neighbor policy. We have a lot of neighbors right around the vicinity, and we just want to let them know if they feel any need to communicate with us, here's how to do it. They can put it up with a refrigerator magnet. I can't say we've rolled up any terrorist operations as a result of this, but we have gotten a lot of positive response from members of the community who seem to appreciate it."

We sure do.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7602-2003Mar10.html

[aerocontrols]

I talked to the CIA about one of my co-workers just yesterday, actually.

To address your more direct question, if I lived near CIA headquarters and believed that one of my neighbors was attempting to monitor them, I would not hesitate to share my concerns with the CIA.

MattJ

[subgenius]

Originally posted by aerocontrols
I talked to the CIA about one of my co-workers just yesterday, actually.

To address your more direct question, if I lived near CIA headquarters and believed that one of my neighbors was attempting to monitor them, I would not hesitate to share my concerns with the CIA.

MattJ
I think that's a valid point.
Can you share what was going on with your co-worker?

[aerocontrols]

Originally posted by subgenius

I think that's a valid point.
Can you share what was going on with your co-worker?


She is an undergrad working for us who will be graduating at the end of the semesters. She has applied for a job at the CIA. Talking to me was part of the background check. She had given him my name that morning.

The CIA representative introduced himself as a subcontractor working for the government. His 'badge' was quite vague, (kind of humorous, upon reflection) but he had all the proper documentation, including a signed release form from her.

It was only after the interview that my co-worker informed me that the questioner was from the CIA. I thought he was a civilian DOD employee, which I suppose technically, he was. (FBI guys always identify themselves as such, and Defense Intelligence people seem to always show up in uniform)

I never would have been aware that he was CIA had my coworker not identified him for me.

MattJ

Originally posted by aerocontrols
(FBI guys always identify themselves as such, and Defense Intelligence people seem to always show up in uniform)

I never would have been aware that he was CIA had my coworker not identified him for me.

MattJ

Defense Intelligence people do not wear uniforms. They are civilians.

[aerocontrols]

Originally posted by LukeT


Defense Intelligence people do not wear uniforms. They are civilians.

Ok, then. When we get people who are doing background checks for the Army, Navy, etc... they tend to wear uniforms. At least according to the people I talked to here about my visitor yesterday.

[Jocko]

You bet I would. Particularly when the government outlaws that goddamned dog next door, the one that barks 24/7 and apparently never sleeps.

I think it's passing coded messages to other canine Iraqi operatives down the block.

Or maybe I'll just jump the fence with a tranquilizer gun. On the other hand, it would be nice if I could just order a couple of M.I.B.'s to come over and whack the dog for me.

Originally posted by aerocontrols


Ok, then. When we get people who are doing background checks for the Army, Navy, etc... they tend to wear uniforms. At least according to the people I talked to here about my visitor yesterday.

Defense Intelligence Agency Homepage (http://www.dia.mil)


The Defense Intelligence Agency is a Department of Defense combat support agency and an important member of the United States Intelligence Community. With over 7000 military and civilian employees worldwide, DIA is a major producer and manager of foreign military intelligence. We provide military intelligence to warfighters, defense policymakers and force planners, in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, in support of U.S. military planning and operations and weapon systems acquisition.

Okay. Military and civilian.

All the ones I ever interacted with were "suits." :)

I believe it is good common sense for the CIA to ask it's "neighbors" to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity in their locale. It would be foolish to believe that there aren't foreign agents in the area.

[aerocontrols]

Originally posted by LukeT


Defense Intelligence Agency Homepage (http://www.dia.mil)

Okay. Military and civilian.

All the ones I ever interacted with were "suits." :)

Actually, I think you were probably generally right about DIA, and I worded my sentence incorrecly. It's possible that DIA people visit here as rarely as CIA people. Doesn't each branch of the military have it's own intelligence agency?

Maybe not...

MattJ

Originally posted by aerocontrols


Actually, I think you were probably generally right about DIA, and I worded my sentence incorrecly. It's possible that DIA people visit here as rarely as CIA people. Doesn't each branch of the military have it's own intelligence agency?

Maybe not...

MattJ

In the Navy, we had the Naval Investigative Service, which later became the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. (http://www.ncis.navy.mil/)


The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is an elite worldwide federal law enforcement organization whose mission is to protect and serve the Navy and Marine Corps and their families. NCIS has approximately 1600 employees, 850 of whom are civilian special agents, located in over 150 locations around the globe (including some aboard ships and carriers). NCIS grew out of Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) during World War I and its organization has changed over its history. Presently, it is headed by a civilian special agent, David L. Brant.

When they were known as NIS, they had something of a Keystone Cops reputation on the platedeck level.

I see they have been influenced by Jedi Knight and consider themselves "elite" now. :D

[Agammamon]

I had an NCIS agent come to my office to interview me for a subordinates security clearance, She looke like Barney (big woman in a huge fuzzy purple coat).

As for spying on my neighbors, how much are they paying me? Pay by the tip and I am sure I can Make up um I mean find all sorts of things.

[Skeptical Greg]

Originally posted by Agammamon
I had an NCIS agent come to my office to interview me for a subordinates security clearance, She looke like Barney (big woman in a huge fuzzy purple coat).

As for spying on my neighbors, how much are they paying me? Pay by the tip and I am sure I can Make up um I mean find all sorts of things.

You beat me to it..

I was going to say: " Spy for free ? ... No Way ..":D

[svero]

Well don't bother! I've reported the lot of you all from this newsgroup and not one single arrest or forced deportation. It was kind of a let down.

[Agammamon]

That's because it will take a bit of time for the info to workl its way through all of the levels of police to someone who is actually allowed to make a decision, and for that decision to work its way down to the people who implement policy. Give it a year or two and I'll bet we'll all be in the pokey.

It's been my observation of mangement in the military that most levels of managers are simply there to keep his boss from having to talk to you.