MI6 WANTS YOU – YEAH, YOU: Do you have access to secrets that could topple regimes, foil terrorists, or mildly annoy the Kremlin? Then MI6’s dark web portal might be just the place for you. The agency is launching Silent Courier, a secure portal where would-be spies can slide into their DMs with tips about terrorism and hostile states among other things. According to the Foreign Office, this is about staying “one step ahead” of global threats. So, it looks like recruiting sources in Russia and elsewhere just got a lot easier if you’ve got Tor, a VPN, and nerves of steel. Instructions will even be available on MI6’s verified YouTube channel — because nothing says cloak-and-dagger quite like a tutorial video sandwiched between cat clips and Minecraft hacks. The approach reminds us of a similar recruiting tactic launched by the CIA back in 2022, aimed at recruiting Russian spies inside of Russia. Using slick Hollywood-style videos meant to convince ordinary Russians that there is a path to a better life, the messages encourage folks to reach out to the Agency for a path on how to get there. The Cipher Brief spoke with an anonymous source at the CIA last year, who was involved in the program and said it was working out pretty well. Now, it seems, the Brits are following suit. We hear from sources that outgoing MI6 chief Richard Moore will formally debut the portal in Istanbul, declaring “our virtual door is open to you.” Knock if you dare.
The Dead Drop is now updating throughout the week. Why? Because there's just too much good gossip in the national security world these days for a once-a-week collection.
NEW CONSPIRACY THEORIES DISRUPT OLD ONES: A couple weeks ago, The Dead Drop had an item about an upcoming 5-part Tucker Carlson documentary that was set to premiere on September 11th and (supposedly) prove that the 9/11 Commission was a “joke” and everything you’ve been told about the attacks of 24 years ago was a complete lie. But Carlson delayed the release of the documentary following the September 10th killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. The 9/11 documentary is now scheduled to appear on September 23rd. Perhaps Carlson is focused on another conspiracy. During his online program on Tuesday, Carlson said that his friend Kirk loved Israel – but did not like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whom he found to be a “destructive force.” Carlson said that earlier this year, Kirk urged him to focus on Jeffrey Epstein’s “Mossad connections.” We note that fellow conspiracy theory peddler Laura Loomer (no fan of Carlson’s) also tweeted this week that Kirk’s Talking Points USA organization had been pleading unsuccessfully with people who were circulating rumors that Israel was behind Kirk’s murder, asking them to stop spreading those stories.
WE’RE NOT GOING TO WAR WITH FUZZY FACES: An announcement was made yesterday by chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell highlighting how the Secretary of War is cracking down on grooming standards for the troops. Parnell shared a memo that his boss sent to Pentagon leaders on August 20 (way back when Pete Hegseth was known as the Secretary of Defense.) For many years, servicemen could get medical waivers allowing them to grow beards if they had conditions that prevented them from getting close shaves. (There is a condition known as Pseudofolliculitis barbae - aka “razor bumps” - that impacts men of subequatorial African ancestry - estimates vary from 44 to 83%.) Under Hegseth’s direction, servicemen with medical conditions must undergo medical treatment and if the condition is not cured within a year – the service member faces being involuntarily sheared from the military. There is no word as to whether the Pentagon plans to axe past policies allowing beards if required for religious reasons. Some of those requested waivers seemed legit - others like some mentioned in a July 2019 Dead Drop about soldiers requesting permission to wear beards due to their devotion to the “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” (AKA: ‘pastafarian-ism’) or Norse Heathen-ism – not so much. Hegseth’s memo ends by saying “The Department must remain vigilant in maintaining the grooming standards which underpin the warrior ethos.”
GETTING BILLY LONG-ED: DOD may have morphed into the Department of War…but it turns out there may also be a lot of combat going on within the ranks of the Department of Justice. Fox News reports that FBI Director Kash Patel is under fire from some of his bosses at DOJ and the White House. Some sources told Fox that Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche “cannot stand him.” The reports come at an interesting time when just today a second deputy FBI director, former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, was sworn in to back up Patel alongside Dan Bongino. Some people speculate that Bailey may soon move up to #1 in the Bureau. Questions arose about Patel’s leadership following the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. Patel appeared on Fox and Friends this morning and was asked about a tweet he posted just hours after the shooting, which said “The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.” Patel admitted that the tweet could have been worded a “little better” since there was actually no suspect in custody at the time. The person he referred to was only questioned and quickly released, not deemed to be a suspect by police. Two days later, the person about to be charged for the murder was actually taken into custody, Patel then appeared at a press conference in Utah to praise the brilliant work that led to the arrest – which appears to have largely been releasing surveillance photos of the shooter – and the suspect’s father turning him in. Fox News quoted one unnamed source as saying Patel may “get Billy Long-ed.” We didn’t know what that meant either but we googled it. Long served as IRS commissioner for less than two months before being shipped off to be the next U.S. ambassador to Iceland. Talk about the cold shoulder treatment.
TROUBLE DOGS THE BUREAU: It’s not just the director having a bad week. On Saturday, there were reports that Bureau agents incinerated two pounds of seized methamphetamine in Montana by using a device normally meant for disposing of euthanized pets at an animal shelter…but smoke from the burn apparently got sucked back into a building, sending fourteen workers from the shelter to a hospital. The workers and the un-euthanized pets at the shelter all survived. Can’t wait to hear what new nick names come out this one.
MOVE OVER MAVERICK – The Air Force just got its first all-female crew of aces. Capt. Carla Nava, weapons systems officer, and Capt. Claire “Atomic” Eddins, pilot, made history during Iran’s massive April 2024 drone-and-missile assault on Israel by racking up five confirmed kills in a single night - earning the rare ace designation - something the Air Force hadn’t handed out in decades. For Nava, now named Airman of the Year, the achievement goes beyond the combat record. It’s proof that an all-female team could break into a tradition long dominated by men - and do it under the most intense conditions in more than 50 years of air combat.
NEITHER COMING NOR GOING: There is a hearing coming up this week in Congress to discuss a new bill introduced by Congressman Brian Mast, (R,FL), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, that would allow the Secretary of State to revoke the passports of some U.S. citizens. According to The Intercept, while the bill says it is aimed at supporters of “terrorists and traffickers,” opponents worry that it could be used to go after Americans whose free speech – rather than their actions, offends an administration in power. Earlier this year, the State Department cancelled the visa of a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University because of unhappiness with an OPED she co-authored a year earlier. Meanwhile, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller appeared on Fox News’ Hannity program last week in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk murder to say: "My message is to all of the domestic terrorists in this country spreading this evil hate, you want us to live in fear -- we will not live in fear," Miller told Hannity. "But you will live in exile. Because the power of law enforcement under President Trump's leadership will be used to find you, will be used to take away your money, take away your power, and if you've broken the law, to take away your freedom." So it appears as though Mast won’t let you leave – and Miller won’t let you stay if you spread messages they don’t like.
DON’T CROSS THE LINE – An important question is where the line is - between free speech and domestic terrorism, and who is drawing it? The FBI defines ‘domestic terrorism’ as “Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial or environmental nature.”
WORSE THAN ROTTEN TOMATOES – A new UN report accuses Pyongyang of cracking down on “cultural infiltration” by executing North Koreans who are caught distributing foreign television shows, including South Korean soap opera blockbusters. Since 2014, surveillance has increased and punishments have escalated from prison time to death penalties for “cultural contamination.” The report, based on 300+ witness accounts, says “Several interviewees reported witnessing public executions over the past decade. The Government reported that public executions were an exception, used in cases of “heinous” murder without remorse, in cases where the criminal had committed repeated crimes, causing serious harm to others, and in cases where the victim’s family requested such an execution and that “Executions are reportedly carried out by firing squad after trials that do not meet fair trial standards.” North Korea officials rejected the findings, which is about as surprising as the plot twist in a bad soap opera.
ANOTHER NAVY “LOSS OF CONFIDENCE” – Cmdr. Adam Ochs, skipper of the littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara, got the boot last week while deployed with the Navy’s 5th Fleet. No scandalous details offered - just the Navy’s favorite catch-all phrase that basically means: “We didn’t trust him to steer anymore.” Task & Purpose reports that the Santa Barbara is currently roaming 2.5 million square miles of high-drama waterways, spanning from the Red Sea to the Strait of Hormuz, but officials insist the mission is “totally fine, nothing to see here.” Ochs is being shuffled to a desk job as Cmdr. Linzy Lewis officially takes over. So yes, the ship has blue and gold crews that tag-team command like a naval relay race — and in this case, the handoff came a little earlier than planned.
MORE TESTS FOR TROOPS – The Pentagon has decided that service members tripping on magic mushrooms probably isn’t great for “good order and discipline.” A new memo says psilocin - the active compound that kicks in after munching psilocybin mushrooms - will officially join the military’s drug test panel starting Oct. 1. Translation: if you’ve been microdosing in the barracks, the jig is up. According to Navy Times, officials cite concerns about hallucinations, psychotic behavior, and, yes, the ever-popular vomiting, none of which pair well with running live-fire drills. The change comes as part of a broader crackdown: the Pentagon is tightening its drug-screening rules, streamlining how tests are requested, and studying troop drug habits like an anxious parent rifling through a teenager’s backpack. Psilocybin and psilocin remain Schedule I substances under DEA rules, meaning they’re lumped in with the “absolutely not” crowd - no medical use, high abuse potential, zero tolerance. In short: if you’re in uniform, don’t expect Uncle Sam to tolerate your side hustle as a psychonaut.
SpOC GETS BEAMED INTO OBLIVION – The Space Force has decided its Star Trek–flavored acronym for Space Operations Command (SpOC) was maybe a little too cute for a branch that insists it’s all about warfighting. Enter the new name: Combat Forces Command - because nothing says “serious military business” like stripping away the sci-fi charm. According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, the switch will happen once Maj. Gen. Gregory Gagnon (pending a promotion to three-star) takes over from Lt. Gen. David Miller, who’s off to a strategy gig in D.C. Translation: as soon as the paperwork clears, “SpOC” gets beamed into oblivion. A spokesperson framed the rebrand as aligning with Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman’s push for “combat-ready forces,” but let’s be honest, it’s also about not confusing Space Force with U.S. Space Command, which actually fights. Meanwhile, leadership chairs are being shuffled like cards in a deck: Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess is up for a new ops role, Maj. Gen. Steven Whitney is headed to the Joint Staff, and STRATCOM is flipping back to Navy leadership with Vice Adm. Richard Correll. But the headline here? SpOC is no more. Apparently, the final frontier has no room for punchy acronyms that make the Pentagon sound like Comic-Con.
PROTECTION FROM ALIEN RETRIBUTION – Sorta. Congress held another round of “Aliens Anonymous,” last week, with a focus on protecting whistleblowers who say they’ve seen things that make Independence Day look like a documentary. According to DefenseScoop, lawmakers are pushing for stronger shields against retaliation after military veterans testified about encounters with glowing orbs, flying buildings, and Tic Tac-shaped objects zipping out of the ocean like they’re late for a Marvel crossover. Air Force vet Jeffrey Nuccetelli recalled UAPs buzzing Vandenberg during high-stakes launches, while Dylan Borland said coming forward about his own run-in basically nuked his career. For added drama, an active-duty Navy senior chief described a 2023 incident where four self-lit craft pulled a synchronized disappearing act without a sonic boom - because apparently physics takes a vacation when UFOs are around. And just to top it off, Rep. Eric Burlison unveiled a never-before-seen video of a U.S. drone firing a Hellfire missile at a speedy orb off Yemen. The orb shrugged it off like it was swatting a mosquito. Cue lawmakers demanding to know why this kind of footage is harder to find than your Netflix password. Bottom line: the push isn’t just about chasing little green men - it’s about making sure those who report the weird stuff don’t get career-sabotaged for saying, “Uh, hey boss, there’s a glowing craft doing backflips over the carrier.”
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