Wk 02 Assignment: Definition Resolution
Instructions
Length: one or two sentences per definition plus examples for each enhanced definition.
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to assess your ability to conduct information research and then synthesize the information into an improved definition. You will be assessed on your ability to define cover and associated terms. You should use academic resources to locate the disciplines most used definitions, note the variety of differences of the definitions, and identify the controversial elements of each definition. You should synthesize them into one definition. Your product should be no more than one or two sentences per definition and include the appropriate citations if applicable.
Description: In all disciplines, a basic set of definitions is fundamental to the study and practice of each respective discipline. Such “hard” sciences as mathematics, physics, and chemistry amply demonstrate a correlation of action and result. Further, this predicted result is absolute as long as the boundary conditions are maintained. The replication of result from cause(s) reduces and even eliminates risk as the hard science definitions and principles are applied to a problem. This replication of result allows and in fact demands total rigor for the definitions used in the respective disciplines.
“Other” disciplines such as economics, political science, and intelligence also depend on a respective set of definitions. These disciplines, however, face a daunting challenge that hard sciences do not have to endure. This challenge is the role of boundary conditions in the “other” disciplines. The “other” disciplines suffer from the fact that boundary conditions never, that is never, absolutely repeat. The deterministic result in the hard science is always problematic in the “other” sciences.
Two of the many problems and issues in the HUMINT business are:
· Several of the fundamental terms have what I would call “soft definitions”
· Guidelines for dealing with people should not be based on a rigid ideological constraint
Several of the fundamental terms in HUMINT have what I would call “soft definitions”. That is, the definition may have a core generic base but in application the definition may or must be pliable to fit the given operational factors. Example definitions could be witting, rapport, or even recruitment. In this exercise you are tasked to consider definitions for cover as cover is used in clandestine operations. Discuss the formulation and role of cover definitions in the HUMINT discipline. Use the following list of definitions as your baseline. Each of the example definitions is flawed in some manner. Focus on the function and functionality of the respective term to be defined. Then construct an improved one-sentence definition. See assignment handout for additional information.
Cover: The role played by an intelligence officer (or agent) to conceal his true purpose for living or traveling abroad. “The best cover is that which contains the least notional and maximum possible legitimate material,” “The protective guise used by a person, organization, or installation to prevent identification with clandestine activities or to conceal true affiliation or sponsorship.” Those measures necessary to give protection to a person, plan, operation, formation, or installation from the enemy intelligence effort and leakage of information.
Cover-for-Status: “…an activity that explains by some believable story, other than the truth, why an intelligence operative or agent is in a particular location/country and sees the people he does, and so for…” an example would be posing in a foreign country as a representative of a New York firm planning to create a chain of bookstores. Another example is an intelligence officer assigned to an embassy as a diplomat when in fact he is an intelligence officer.
Cover-for-Action: See above. The spy’s cover for action would be to actually run one of the bookstores that he could use to meet his agents.
Official Cover: Cover used where a person is ostensibly assigned as a diplomat at an embassy, consulate, or some other official government representation. This could include official military representative offices as well.
Non-official Cover (NOC): Cover without the protection of diplomatic immunity or some other official government representation. Commonly referred to as NOCs, these intelligence officers frequently operate as commercial/business representatives, sometimes as actual employees of a commercial/business entities operating in a foreign country.
Deep Cover: This is also sometimes used synonymously with Non-official cover but may mean that the cover an Intelligence officer of agent is using is considered fool proof.
Shallow Cover: A cover story/legend that is has limited or no backstops.
Throwaway Cover: A cover that is intended to be used for a VERY limited time for a specific operation. If the cover is discovered as such, it will not impact upon other operations or individuals.
Natural cover – the source/asset/agent continues his/her normal life routinely but uses this as a mask to hide clandestine activities such as information collection
False Flag: Approach by an intelligence officer misrepresenting him/herself as a citizen of a friendly country or organization. The person who is approached may give up sensitive information believing it is going to an ally, not a hostile power.
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