Spies and People, a Continuum Throughout History

 

 

The Bible records a spy operation in Jericho some 3500 years ago. The prostitute Rahab works with Israeli spies giving information, using tradecraft, and gets a payoff for her services. 

Little has changed in HUMINT over the intervening centuries, humans go on spying every day.

In 2017, Chinese intelligence agents coerced a GE Aviation engineer to become a spy. The recruited agent passed information about US military and commercial aircraft to the Communist Chinese intelligence service.

2021, Jonathan Toebbe and his wife Diana conspired to sell classified US nuclear attack sub data to a foreign power.

We could list thousands of examples since Rahab; what is your favorite? The point is, despite great advances in technical means for spying, HUMINT still gets it done, case officers and spies will be keystones in the world of smoke and mirrors.

First Published 16.11.2021 Re-printed from www.garybowser.net by permission.