How to evaluate new members… Weed out informants and agent-provocateurs.<\/p>\n
NOTE – Spy & CounterSpy does not endorse, condone, or encourage any illegal act.
\nThe material in this article is presented for information, research,
\nentertainment, and education purposes only. The words “you” and “your” are used
\nin this article only for ease of readability.<\/p>\n
Assessing the risks. It is imperative that you run tests to verify the
\nreliability and integrity of new recuits who are applying to join your cell.
\nFailure to evaluate recruits will result in your group being penetrated by your
\nadversary – much like the militia groups in the USA have been penetrated by the
\nFBI.<\/p>\n
Every time you admit a new recuit into your cell you are risking the security of
\nyour group. Yes, the recruit might be a bona fide supporter of your cause – or
\nhe might be an informant or an agent-provocateur.<\/p>\n
The Informant. The informant is a cell member who is providing information to
\nyour adversary. He may betray you for money. She may betray you because she is
\nbeing blackmailed. He may betray you because he is unethical, immoral, and
\nweak-willed. She may betray you because she has a passive-aggressive personality
\ndisorder. <\/p>\n
The Agent-provocateur. The agent-provocateur is someone who feigns enthusiastic
\nsupport for your cause while enticing you to commit acts that are illegal. She
\nis acting on the instructions of the FBI – or she may actually be an FBI agent.
\nYou are being set up for arrest, interrogation, and conviction.<\/p>\n
The Mole. The mole is a cell member who quietly works to sabotage your
\noperations. He may deliberately forget to do things that result in failed
\noperations. He may intentionally ruin meetings with specious arguments and
\npointless debate, often introducing paranoia into the discussion. A typical mole
\nis a long-time cell member who has been recruited by the FBI, perhaps by
\nblackmail. Less frequently the mole is an FBI agent who has penetrated the
\norganization at an early stage in its development.<\/p>\n
The Counterintelligence Role. It is vital that your organization have a
\ncounterintelligence officer. This is someone whose role is to detect and
\nneutralize attempted penetrations by the enemies of your organization. Whether
\nthis is a formal position or an ad hoc role is not important. Someone in your
\ngroup must take steps to systematically and conscientiously evaluate new
\nrecuits.<\/p>\n
If you don’t make an effort to defend yourself against penetration by your
\nadversary, then you’ll end up like the militia groups in the US… paranoid,
\ndisorganized, ineffective, and – more often than not – in custody.<\/p>\n
Reveal some sensitive bogus information to the suspected informant, then wait
\n for things to go wrong.<\/p>\n
Uncover informants…<\/p>\n
Here is how established resistance movements uncover informants.<\/p>\n
First, reveal some sensitive information to the recruit – and only to the
\nrecruit. For example, you might inform him of the existence of a (bogus) hidden
\ncache of weapons.<\/p>\n
Then wait and watch. If the cache is suddenly discovered by the authorities, you
\nmay be dealing with an informant. More tests may be required to confirm your
\nsuspicions.<\/p>\n
In serious cases where you’re playing by Big Boys’ Rules, you might need to use
\nlive bait. If your adversary is sophisticated and experienced, you might need to
\nreveal genuine secrets to the recruit you’re evaluating. For example, you might
\nreveal the name of a whistleblower who is leaking information to you about your
\nadversary. If your recruit betrays your information to your adversary, you’ll
\nhave lost your whistleblower – but you’ll have unmasked an informant before he
\ncan do too much damage.<\/p>\n
The most reliable method for unmasking an agent-provocateur is to ask him to
\n be the first to commit to action.<\/p>\n
Unmask an agent-provocateur…<\/p>\n
Here is how any organization can unmask an agent-provocateur.<\/p>\n
If the person is full of ideas for future operations, then insist that he lead
\nby example. Make him commit himself first. Or, to put it another way, make him
\nincriminate himself first before asking others to risk injury, exposure, or
\narrest.<\/p>\n
If the person balks, then he may simply be “all talk”. Or he may be a coward. Or
\nhe may be an agent-provocateur. In either case, you’ve called his bluff and now
\nyou know not to fall for his jive-talk.<\/p>\n
Enforce compliance…<\/p>\n
Here is how resistance movements enforce compliance with the counterintelligence
\nfunctions.<\/p>\n
If a trusted cell member brings an outsider into your group – or reveals
\nsensitive information to an outsider – without performing any of these
\ncounterintelligence measures, then that cell member must be severely
\ndisciplined.<\/p>\n
Depending on your situation, simply ostracizing the individual may suffice.
\nRevoking his membership may be all it takes to remove the threat he poses.
\nOr firmer steps may need to be taken.<\/p>\n
Copyright \u00a91998 Lee Adams. All rights reserved.
\n Ascii version by: MRF<\/p>\n
