MATTIS: ONE FOR THE BOOKS? A lot of people are speculating about who might get the nod to follow in Jim Mattis's footsteps as Secretary of Defense — now that Mattis has decided that he has had about all the fun he can handle in the job. But here at The Dead Drop — we thought we would speculate about something else: what will Mattis do next? He's not the kind of guy who will just go fishing. We asked some folks if they thought Mattis (known to be a literary fan) might write a book. The initial reaction from some was: Nah, he is old school and would not want to speak (or write) harshly about the old boss. BUT someone else pointed out to us that Mattis signed a contract with Random House in December 2013 to work on a memoir along with former Pentagon official Bing West. That book was not delivered before Mattis was picked to be SecDef...but according to our sources — he is still under contract to deliver a book. He's got a lot more material than he had in 2013.
SHEESH, SHISH: Albania is a fairly recent addition to the list of NATO members. But it looks like their national intelligence service (known locally as “SHISH”) got their training from the Russian GRU. The Independent newspaper in the UK reports that the Albania spooks have been routinely (and unintentionally) posting sensitive details about their intelligence operatives on the internet. That includes details about their “identities, vehicles, operational roles, travel movements, and daily habits.” It sounds like some low-level administrative bureaucrats got a bit carried away with openness. Online documents appear to reveal some potential domestic spying, including payments to the state-owned broadcaster for the installation of “technical devices” inside their offices.
NO TIME OFF UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES: Army recruiters are having a tough time making their goals. So, the battalion commander in charge of their Mid-Atlantic region came up with a plan. According to Army Times, only those recruiters who met their quotas would be allowed to work a “holiday schedule.” Recruiting Command headquarters ordered the policy be rescinded. Army Times noted that the “bah humbug” no time off memo was first reported on a Facebook page with the title: “U.S. Army W.T.F! Moments.”
NO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE: Speaking of recruiters, according to the Washington Examiner, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer recently told Congress that school districts with more than 1,100 high schools have banned military recruiters from campus. The Examiner asked the Navy for the “naughty list” of school districts where military recruiters are not welcome – but the Navy declined to provide it saying there were “ongoing discussions” with the localities and that “it would be inappropriate to provide a list of these schools.” The Dead Drop disagrees. We think it would be entirely appropriate to let the public know which school districts are demanding to be recruiter free zones.
THE WORLD’S OLDEST ENSIGN: Since they can’t visit all high schools, the services will have to look elsewhere for possible recruits. For example, they might target former White House employees. Former Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus reportedly has his heart set on becoming a reserve naval officer. The Washington Post says it is not a done deal yet – a selection board has to approve Priebus’s application – but it would take a brave board to turn down the application since Priebus’s package includes a letter of recommendation from Secretary of Defense James Mattis. It is unclear what Priebus, 46, would do in the reserves. Other press counts mention that Judge Advocate General Corps, intelligence or HR positions might be in Ensign Priebus’ future.
YA THINK? Wikileaks founder and justice fugitive Julian Assange complained to reporters (from his hideout at the Ecuadoran embassy in London) that the FBI is spying on him. The nerve of those guys! Actually, he claims the Ecuadoran staff are doing the Bureau’s work for them. Newsweek says Assange made the claim in a video linkup with Telesur, a Venezuelan news outlet closely aligned with Russian broadcast outfit RT. Embassy staffers have complained about Assange’s hygiene and said he often fails to feed his pet cat. Ben Franklin observed that guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days. Assange has been a guest of the Ecuadorans for about six years – so the mind boggles.
OH SO GENEROUS: The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society has revealed a $10 million gift from The Starr Foundation to help build the new National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations in Loudoun County, Virginia. The facility is expected to open in 2021 and aims to allow visitors to experience the world of intelligence and special ops through “immersive and interactive experiences.” The Loudoun Times says the museum will be visible from the Dulles International Airport flight path. The Dead Drop first mentioned the new museum in our February 9th edition.
POCKET LITTER: Bits and pieces of interesting /weird stuff we discovered:
- Heads You Lose: Forbes tells us that someone has discovered that 3D printers can be used to make life-size copies of human heads. The result is so realistic that the plastic noggins can be used to fool facial recognition logins on Android devices. Apple phones proved to be more resistant to the scam. Tech Crunch speculated that law enforcement might use the technique to trick suspects phones into giving up their secrets. We can’t see the FBI using phony heads to make busts – but who knows what they might have in mind?
- We have found the enemy: You know all the brouhaha over the Trump Tower Moscow project? Well, the fine folks at Sputnik News have put it all into perspective for us. In their December 20th edition they explain that the whole thing is a “CIA-backed provocation” against Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
- International Man of Mystery: Mary Turner Thomson is a Scottish mom who uncovered some secrets about her husband. The Mirror says Thompson, 53, met her hubby, William, on line. An American, he told her he was a “CIA Agent on secondment to MI5” and had to spend a lot of time away on missions. William conned her out of £200,000 supposedly to pay off blackmailers he said had threatened to kidnap her children. Somehow Mary discovered that William’s secret missions involved visiting two other wives and that all told, he had fathered 13 children. Eventually William was jailed and then deported. Apparently this all happened years ago – but the Mirror is reporting it now only because there is a new BBC drama called “Mrs. Wilson” which was inspired by the true tale of a war-time spy and bigamist.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING: Got any tips for your friendly neighborhood Dead Drop? Shoot us a note at TheDeadDrop@theCipherBrief.com.
