A. ABOUT US AND HOW TO USE THIS SITE

This site is for intelligence professionals, serious writers and avid readers of the spy/suspense genre. At the end of each article is the section Recommended Research. Here, non-fiction & fiction books, DVD's, Government documents, and other relevant resources are listed for your perusal, to increase your knowledge of the topic. Each item has been scrutinized and/or purchased by DECLASSIFIED SECRETS.

Visitors to this site are from many nations around the globe, including: United States, Luxembourg, Canada, Bahamas, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Russian Federation, Norway, United Kingdom, New Zealand, India, Germany, Italy, Cote D'ivoire, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Portugal, Turkey, Switzerland, Pakistan, Costa Rica, Aland Islands, Poland, Belgium, Australia, Spain, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Brazil, Malaysia, Egypt, Indonesia, United Arab Republic, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Bangladesh, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, China, Bahrain, Finland, France, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Croatia, Senegal, Ireland, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Ghana, Venezuela, Nigeria, Uganda, the Ukraine, and Israel.

Note: The yellow right margin has newspaper and journal articles about the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), which are updated DAILY! So, visit DECLASSIFIED SECRETS each day for the latest.

I receive many e-mails from those who want to discuss the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). I welcome your comments and questions. If I don't have an answer, I can find it. As a journalist-member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), I have several dozen intel professionals who will help me answer your questions...declassified ones, of course!

Robert S. Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S.
e-mail: robertsmorton@hotmail.com

cell phone: 419-307-8966

HOW TO USE THIS SITE- It's divided into two parts:
(1) The"BLUE MAIN POST" area, which you're now in, has major articles that I have published as Commentaries and Op-Eds in newspapers and journals. Find an article listed in the "TABLE OF CONTENTS- MAIN POSTS" near the top of the narrow yellow margin to the right. Type the name of the article into "SEARCH" and it pops up (Better than scrolling!). Note the "Recommended Research" section at the end of each article, which lists proven books, DVD's and audio tapes on the article topic. All have been reviewed and recommended by DECLASSIFIED SECRETS.

As a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO), I have met several dozen incredible people who have retired from or still work for the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). They have aided in making each article authenic and informative.

(2) The narrow yellow margin area to the right has interesting topics that seasoned intelligence officers and serious writers & readers of the spy/suspense genre would enjoy. Below is a list of them:

YELLOW MARGIN AREA TABLE OF CONTENTS
(A) TABLE OF CONTENTS- MAIN POSTS: Go directly to article of interest in Main Post area.
(B) TOP BLOGS & JOURNALS: Great resources for spy buffs, writers & intelligence professionals!

NOTE: (D) THROUGH (H) HAS WORLD NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY (IC)- UPDATED DAILY!
(D) TODAY'S NEWSPAPER HEADLINES: CIA IN AFGHANISTAN & PAKISTAN- UPDATED DAILY!

(E) TODAY'S NEWSPAPER HEADLINES ABOUT ANY INTELLIGENCE AGENCY ON EARTH. READ TIMELY ARTICLES ON EVERY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE ON EARTH!(Hooks you into our sister site OSINT NEWS).

(F) TODAY'S WORLD HEADLINES ABOUT CIA BLACK FUNDING & OPS

(G) TODAY'S WORLD HEADLINES ABOUT THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY

(H) MORE OF TODAY'S WORLD HEADLINES ABOUT THE CIA

NOTE: (I) THROUGH (M) HAS TIMELY VIDEOS ABOUT THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY (IC)
(I) VIDEO OF THE WEEK: CIA DIRECTOR GEN. HAYDEN & FUTUREPRIORITIES OF THE CIA.

(J) VIDEOS OF CASE OFFICERS & HUMAN INTELLIGENCE (HUMINT)

(K) TIMELY VIDEOS: U.S. PREDATOR DRONES IN THE AFGHANISTAN WAR.

(L) VIDEOS OF 9/11: WHAT AMERICANS & THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY (IC) WILL NEVER FORGET!

(M) VIDEOS OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE CONCERNS: PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN

(N) A PRIMER ON THE 16 AGENCIES COMPRISING THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY (IC)

ALAN FURST RANKS TOP 5 SPY NOVELS!

I grew excited upon reading about Alan Furst's favorite list of Spy novels in the Wall Street Journal. Actually, I read all but one of his top 5 recommendations. Mr. Furst's (left photo) most recent novels are "Dark Voyage" (2004) and "The Spies of Warsaw" (2008). Watch the Furst video below about his novel "The Spies of Warsaw." Below are his top 5 recommendations plus several more great Spy genre novels I added.

Visit Alan Furst's biography site: http://www.alanfurst.net/bio.htm

Furst discusses his latest Spy novel: "The Spies of Warsaw"

Here's Alan Furst's ranking of the 5 top spy novels:
1. Our Man in Havana
By Graham Greene
(Viking, 1958)
Inspired by Cold War paranoia, author Graham Greene penned this cynical comedy about vacuum cleaner salesman Jim Wormold, whose territory happens to be pre-revolutionary Cuba. Approached by an undercover intelligence agent, Jim unwittingly agrees to provide espionage services to the British government. The hero of the story is Jim Wormold, a divorced vacuum cleaner salesman from England in pre-Castro Cuba. His 17-year-old daughter is growing up fast and he finds he needs money. So when the British Secret Service recruits him, he invents a whole world of secret agents and intrigues just to keep the money flowing. He is even sent a secretary, which introduces a bit of romance to the outrageous plot. All of a sudden, the lies he has invented seem to be coming true and the plot thickens, moving along at a breakneck pace.

2. The Miernik Dossier
By Charles McCarry
(Saturday Review Press, 1973)
Paul Christopher is cool, urbane, clear-sighted--a perfect American agent in deep cover in the twilight world of international intrigue. But now even he does not know which side is good or bad in a maze of double- and triplecross. A small group of international agents embark on a car trip in a Cadillac, from Switzerland to the Sudan--a comical Polish exile whose fear is no joke, a beautiful Hungarian seductress whose fiery sexuality makes her almost too hot to handle, and a North African prince whose appetite for women and lust for power are limitless. Christopher only knows that he has to find whose finger is on the trigger of bloody terrorism and Cold War takeover--and God help everyone if he makes a mistake.
The Miernik Dossier is a compelling and distinctive thriller--the first by the widely celebrated Charles McCarry and the introduction to his eminent agent, Paul Christopher. Finally back in paperback, readers can meet Paul Christopher again--or for the first time. There's a Mc-Carry revolution underway.

3. The Levanter
By Eric Ambler
(Atheneum, 1972)
Michael Howell lives the good life in Syria, just three years after the six day war. He has several highly profitable business interests and an Italian office manager who is also his mistress. However, the discovery that his factories are being used as a base by the Palestine Action Force changes everything - he is in extreme danger with nowhere to run ...

4. The Honourable Schoolboy
By John le Carré
(Knopf, 1977)
In this classic masterwork, le Carré expands upon his extraordinary vision of a secret world as George Smiley goes on the attack. In the wake of a demoralizing infiltration by a Soviet double agent, Smiley has been made ringmaster of the Circus (aka the British Secret Service). Determined to restore the organization's health and reputation, and bent on revenge, Smiley thrusts his own handpicked operative into action. Jerry Westerby, "The Honourable Schoolboy," is dispatched to the Far East. A burial ground of French, British, and American colonial cultures, the region is a fabled testing ground of patriotic allegiances?and a new showdown is about to begin.

5. Moura
By Nina Berberova
(New York Review Books,
2005)
Moura, the Baroness Budberg, hailed from the Russian aristocracy and lived in the lap of luxury, until the Bolshevik Revolution forced her to live by her wits. Thereafter, her existence was a story of connivance and stratagem; a succession of unlikely twists and turns. Intimately involved in the mysterious Lockhart affair, a conspiracy which almost brought down the fledgling Soviet state, mistress to Maxim Gorky and then to H. G. Wells, Moura was a woman of enormous energy, intelligence, and charm whose deepest commitment was undoubtedly the mythologization of her own life.

Before Nina Berberova left Russia for a life of exile and became one of the great novelists of the 20th century, she lived in the Gorky household with Moura. In this legendary biography translated into English for the first time, Berberova paints a portrait of the ultimate survivor, a woman who made her life a triumph of fiction. Features eight pages of black-and-white photos.

Recommended Research: Here are Alan Furst's top 5 Spy novels. Double-click for

full-page description.

B. BREAKING NEWS! NORTH KOREAN SHIIP KANG NAM 1 TURNING AROUND AND HEADING HOME!

Just in from the Department of Homeland Security- National Terror Alert.

"The North Korean ship tracked by the US Navy and suspected of transporting weapons or military know-how in violation of UN sanctions has turned around, a Pentagon official said

(See "U.S. AND NORTH KOREA HEADED FOR SHOWDOWN" POST BELOW). The official declined to provide details, including where the Kang Nam 1 ship — reportedly originally bound for Myanmar — could now be headed, but news reports out of South Korea suggested the ship may be returning home two weeks after it set sail June 17.

A diplomatic source speaking on condition of anonymity told the Korea Herald that the ship was 'near our waters,' which could suggest that sanctions were having an effect on reclusive North Korea.

'If the ship is on its way back, it would mean that Resolution 1874 is taking effect and causing the North to retreat,' Kim Tae-woo, vice president of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, told the newspaper.

The Kang Nam 1 quickly drew the attention of the US military under new UN sanctions designed to punish Pyongyang over its May 25 underground nuclear test.

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, confirmed Sunday that the United States was tracking the cargo ship.

U.S. Navy tracking Kang Nam 1

'Obviously we’re pursuing and following the progress of that ship very closely,' she told the CBS network."

Source: This story came to DECLASSIFIED SECRETS via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information and this site subscribe to it.

~

The Kang Nam 1 has a questionable history, according to intelligence experts: The ship had cleared the Taiwan Strait and was hugging the Chinese mainland. Intelligence experts were pondering if the Kang Nam may need to stop in some port to refuel. In the past, the Kang Nam stopped in Hong Kong's port.

A U.S. defense official said he tended to doubt reports that the Kang Nam was carrying nuclear-related equipment, saying information seems to indicate the cargo is banned conventional munitions. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to talk about intelligence.

North Korea has carried banned goods to Myanmar before on the Kang Nam, said Bertil Lintner, a Bangkok-based North Korea expert who has written a book about leader Kim Jong Il.

North Korea has been helping the junta in Yangon build up its weapons arsenal, a South Korean intelligence expert said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The two regimes, among Asia's most repressive, restored diplomatic ties in 2007. Not long after that, in April 2007, the Kang Nam docked at Thilawa port saying it needed shelter from bad weather. But one expert said reports show the weather was clear then, and two local journalists working for a foreign news agency who went to write about the unusual docking were arrested.

The North Korean cargo ship Kang Nam 1 anchored in Hong Kong waters in Oct. 24, 2006. "The Kang Nam unloaded a lot of heavy equipment in 2007," Lintner said. "Obviously, the ship was carrying something very sensitive at that time as well."

North Korea has also helped Myanmar dig tunnels in recent years, said Lintner, adding that the cash-strapped North may have received rice, rubber and minerals in return for its military and other assistance. "North Korea appears to have exported conventional weapons to Myanmar in exchange for food," another expert said.

Pyongyang is believed to have transported digging equipment to Myanmar, which is seeking to make its new capital a fortress with vast underground facilities, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence.

Note: This info was collected from Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim and Jae-soon Chang in Seoul, and Pauline Jelinek in Washington, contributed to this report.

Brief on Kang Nam 1: This 3-year old, 2006 news report on the Kang Nam 1 reported suspicions of arms smuggling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo5FgR64u3Q

C. IRAN USES U.S. & WEST AS DEVERSIONS FROM INTERNAL POWER STRUGGLES

THE REAL STRUGGLE IN IRAN AND IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. DIALOGUE
By George Friedman

Note: DECLASSIFIED SECRETS has permission to republish this excellent in-depth article. We give all acknowledgments to http://www.stratfor.com/. Copyright 2009 Stratfor

Speaking of the situation in Iran, U.S. President Barack Obama said June 26, "We don't yet know how any potential dialogue will have been affected until we see what has happened inside of Iran." On the surface that is a strange statement, since we know that with minor exceptions, the demonstrations in Tehran lost steam after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Left photo) called for them to end and security forces asserted themselves. By the conventional wisdom, events in Iran represent an oppressive regime crushing a popular rising.

If so, it is odd that the U.S. president would raise the question of what has happened in Iran. In reality, Obama's point is well taken. This is because the real struggle in Iran has not yet been settled, nor was it ever about the liberalization of the regime. Rather, it has been about the role of the clergy -- particularly the old-guard clergy -- in Iranian life, and the future of particular personalities among this clergy.

Ahmadinejad Against the Clerical Elite Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Below photo) ran his re-election campaign against the old clerical elite, charging them with corruption, luxurious living and running the state for their own benefit rather than that of the people. He particularly targeted Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, an extremely senior leader, and his family. Indeed, during the demonstrations, Rafsanjani's daughter and four other relatives were arrested, held and then released a day later.

Rafsanjani represents the class of clergy that came to power in 1979. He served as president from 1989-1997, but Ahmadinejad defeated him in 2005. Rafsanjani carries enormous clout within the system as head of the regime's two most powerful institutions -- the Expediency Council, which arbitrates between the Guardian Council and parliament, and the Assembly of Experts, whose powers include oversight of the supreme leader. Forbes has called him one of the wealthiest men in the world. Rafsanjani, in other words, remains at the heart of the post-1979 Iranian establishment.

Ahmadinejad expressly ran his recent presidential campaign against Rafsanjani (Below photo- Rafsanjani heading Assembly of Experts), using the latter's family's vast wealth to discredit Rafsanjani along with many of the senior clerics who dominate the Iranian political scene. It was not the regime as such that he opposed, but the individuals who currently dominate it. Ahmadinejad wants to retain the regime, but he wants to repopulate the leadership councils with clerics who share his populist values and want to revive the ascetic foundations of the regime. The Iranian president constantly contrasts his own modest lifestyle with the opulence of the current religious leadership.

Recognizing the threat Ahmadinejad represented to him personally and to the clerical class he belongs to, Rafsanjani fired back at Ahmadinejad, accusing him of having wrecked the economy. At his side were other powerful members of the regime, including Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, who has made no secret of his antipathy toward Ahmadinejad and whose family links to the Shiite holy city of Qom give him substantial leverage. The underlying issue was about the kind of people who ought to be leading the clerical establishment. The battlefield was economic: Ahmadinejad's charges of financial corruption versus charges of economic mismanagement leveled by Rafsanjani and others.

When Ahmadinejad defeated Mir Hossein Mousavi ( Below photo- Mousavi talking to supporters after election fraud) on the night of the election, the clerical elite saw themselves in serious danger. The margin of victory Ahmadinejad claimed might have given him the political clout to challenge their position. Mousavi immediately claimed fraud, and Rafsanjani backed him up. Whatever the motives of those in the streets, the real action was a knife fight between Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani. By the end of the week, Khamenei decided to end the situation. In essence, he tried to hold things together by ordering the demonstrations to halt while throwing a bone to Rafsanjani and Mousavi by extending a probe into the election irregularities and postponing a partial recount by five days.

The Struggle Within the Regime
The key to understanding the situation in Iran is realizing that the past weeks have seen not an uprising against the regime, but a struggle within the regime. Ahmadinejad is not part of the establishment, but rather has been struggling against it, accusing it of having betrayed the principles of the Islamic Revolution. The post-election unrest in Iran therefore was not a matter of a repressive regime suppressing liberals (as in Prague in 1989), but a struggle between two Islamist factions that are each committed to the regime, but opposed to each other.

The demonstrators certainly included Western-style liberalizing elements, but they also included adherents of senior clerics who wanted to block Ahmadinejad's re-election. And while Ahmadinejad undoubtedly committed electoral fraud to bulk up his numbers, his ability to commit unlimited fraud was blocked, because very powerful people looking for a chance to bring him down were arrayed against him (Below photo- Assembly of Experts).

The situation is even more complex because it is not simply a fight between Ahmadinejad and the clerics, but also a fight among the clerical elite regarding perks and privileges -- and Ahmadinejad is himself being used within this infighting. The Iranian president's populism suits the interests of clerics who oppose Rafsanjani; Ahmadinejad is their battering ram. But as Ahmadinejad increases his power, he could turn on his patrons very quickly. In short, the political situation in Iran is extremely volatile, just not for the reason that the media portrayed.

Rafsanjani is an extraordinarily powerful figure in the establishment who clearly sees Ahmadinejad and his faction as a mortal threat. Ahmadinejad's ability to survive the unified opposition of the clergy, election or not, is not at all certain. But the problem is that there is no unified clergy. The supreme leader is clearly trying to find a new political balance while making it clear that public unrest will not be tolerated. Removing "public unrest" (i.e., demonstrations) from the tool kits of both sides may take away one of Rafsanjani's more effective tools. But ultimately, it actually could benefit him. Should the internal politics move against the Iranian president, it would be Ahmadinejad -- who has a substantial public following -- who would not be able to have his supporters take to the streets.

The View From the West
The question for the rest of the world is simple: Does it matter who wins this fight? We would argue that the policy differences between Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani are minimal and probably would not affect Iran's foreign relations. This fight simply isn't about foreign policy.

Rafsanjani has frequently been held up in the West as a pragmatist who opposes Ahmadinejad's radicalism. Rafsanjani certainly opposes Ahmadinejad and is happy to portray the Iranian president as harmful to Iran, but it is hard to imagine significant shifts in foreign policy if Rafsanjani's faction came out on top. Khamenei has approved Iran's foreign policy under Ahmadinejad, and Khamenei works to maintain broad consensus on policies. Ahmadinejad's policies were vetted by Khamenei and the system that Rafsanjani is part of. It is possible that Rafsanjani secretly harbors different views, but if he does, anyone predicting what these might be is guessing.

Rafsanjani is a pragmatist in the sense that he systematically has accumulated power and wealth. He seems concerned about the Iranian economy, which is reasonable because he owns a lot of it. Ahmadinejad's entire charge against him is that Rafsanjani is only interested in his own economic well-being. These political charges notwithstanding, Rafsanjani was part of the 1979 revolution, as were Ahmadinejad and the rest of the political and clerical elite. It would be a massive mistake to think that any leadership elements have abandoned those principles.

When the West looks at Iran, two concerns are expressed. The first relates to the Iranian nuclear program, and the second relates to Iran's support for terrorists, particularly Hezbollah. Neither Iranian faction is liable to abandon either, because both make geopolitical sense for Iran and give it regional leverage.

Iran Sponsors Terrorism

Tehran's primary concern is regime survival, and this has two elements. The first is deterring an attack on Iran, while the second is extending Iran's reach so that such an attack could be countered. There are U.S. troops on both sides of the Islamic Republic, and the United States has expressed hostility to the regime. The Iranians are envisioning a worst-case scenario, assuming the worst possible U.S. intentions, and this will remain true no matter who runs the government.

We do not believe that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, a point we have made frequently. Iran understands that the actual acquisition of a nuclear weapon would lead to immediate U.S. or Israeli attacks. Accordingly, Iran's ideal position is to be seen as developing nuclear weapons, but not close to having them. This gives Tehran a platform for bargaining without triggering Iran's destruction, a task at which it has proved sure-footed.

Video of Iran's nuclear ambitions: a historical perspective

In addition, Iran has maintained capabilities in Iraq and Lebanon. Should the United States or Israel attack, Iran would thus be able to counter by doing everything possible destabilize Iraq -- bogging down U.S. forces there -- while simultaneously using Hezbollah's global reach to carry out terror attacks. After all, Hezbollah is today's al Qaeda on steroids. The radical Shiite group's ability, coupled with that of Iranian intelligence, is substantial.

We see no likelihood that any Iranian government would abandon this two-pronged strategy without substantial guarantees and concessions from the West. Those would have to include guarantees of noninterference in Iranian affairs. Obama, of course, has been aware of this bedrock condition, which is why he went out of his way before the election to assure Khamenei in a letter that the United States had no intention of interfering.

Though Iran did not hesitate to lash out at CNN's coverage of the protests, the Iranians know that the U.S. government doesn't control CNN's coverage. But Tehran takes a slightly different view of the BBC. The Iranians saw the depiction of the demonstrations as a democratic uprising against a repressive regime as a deliberate attempt by British state-run media to inflame the situation. This allowed the Iranians to vigorously blame some foreigner for the unrest without making the United States the primary villain.

But these minor atmospherics aside, we would make three points. First, there was no democratic uprising of any significance in Iran. Second, there is a major political crisis within the Iranian political elite, the outcome of which probably tilts toward Ahmadinejad but remains uncertain. Third, there will be no change in the substance of Iran's foreign policy, regardless of the outcome of this fight. The fantasy of a democratic revolution overthrowing the Islamic Republic -- and thus solving everyone's foreign policy problems a la the 1991 Soviet collapse -- has passed.

That means that Obama, as the primary player in Iranian foreign affairs, must now define an Iran policy -- particularly given Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak's meeting in Washington with U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell this Monday. Obama has said that nothing that has happened in Iran makes dialogue impossible, but opening dialogue is easier said than done. The Republicans consistently have opposed an opening to Iran; now they are joined by Democrats, who oppose dialogue with nations they regard as human rights violators. Obama still has room for maneuver, but it is not clear where he thinks he is maneuvering. The Iranians have consistently rejected dialogue if it involves any preconditions. But given the events of the past weeks, and the perceptions about them that have now been locked into the public mind, Obama isn't going to be able to make many concessions.

It would appear to us that in this, as in many other things, Obama will be following the Bush strategy -- namely, criticizing Iran without actually doing anything about it. And so he goes to Moscow more aware than ever that Russia could cause the United States a great deal of pain if it proceeded with weapons transfers to Iran, a country locked in a political crisis and unlikely to emerge from it in a pleasant state of mind..

End

Further notes: The Expediency Discernment Council of the System (Persian: مجمع تشخیص مصلحت نظام), is an administrative assembly appointed by the Supreme Leader and was created upon the revision to the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran on 6 February 1988. It was originally set up to resolve differences or conflicts between the Majlis and the Council of Guardians, but "its true power lies more in its advisory role to the Supreme Leader." According to Hooman Majd, the Leader "delegated some of his own authority to the council — granting it supervisory powers over all branches of the government" — following President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election in 2005.

The Assembly of Experts (also Assembly of Experts of the Leadership) of Iran (Persian: مجلس خبرگان رهبری, Majles-e-Khobregan or Majles-e-Khebregan), is a deliberative body of 86 Mujtahids (Islamic scholars) that is charged with electing and removing the Supreme Leader of Iran and supervising his activities. Members of the assembly are elected from a government-screened list of candidates by direct public vote to eight-year terms. Current laws require the assembly to meet for at least two days, twice annually. The current chairman of the Assembly is Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was elected in September 2007.

On September 4, 2007, the 86-seat body elected chairman of the Expediency Council, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, as its new chairman.

Rafsanjani, 73, replaced the assembly's former chairman, the late Ayatollah Ali Meshkini who passed away on July 30, 2007, at the age of 86 due to pulmonic disease.

Rafsanjani urges calm ahead of presidential election
Chairman of the Experts Assembly Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on Tuesday urged all political parties and groups to keep the country's political atmosphere calm and quiet ahead of the presidential election.

Addressing the Assembly of Experts, he underlined the need for calm in preparation for the presidential elections to be held next year.

Rafsanjani also called for closer relations between the nation and government and underscored the importance of materialization of people's will.

Lauding great efforts made by the Experts Assembly in the past 30 years, he said the assembly, far from any political tension, fulfilled its commitments following the demise of the late Founder of he Islamic Republic and could successfully chose the best possible personality for the important post of the country's leadership.

He referred to the Experts Assembly as the key for the people's tranquility and the country's stability.

The fourth Assembly of Experts convened at the former premises of the Islamic Consultative Assembly this morning.

Experts Assembly consists of 86 members who are directly elected by national voting. It holds meeting twice a year to study major national issues.

The Assembly of Experts is an influential body in charge of administrative affairs of the leadership of the Islamic Revolution and making recommendations to the Supreme Leader on major political and economic policy making.

Watch these "citizen's videos" from personal cell phones on the ground in Iran- June 2009 election aftermath: http://www.youtube.com/user/citizentube#play/user/5E5924DE04CFEFD9

Recommended Research: Learn about Iran's government, nuclear ambitions, Iran's vulnerabilities &U.S. options. 28 items- double click for description.

D. BREAKING NEWS! U.S. & NORTH KOREA HEADED FOR SHOWDOWN

It's ironic how the "Chaos Theory" works in real time when it comes to geopolitical events. Significant factors are coming to play simultaneously on the outer edges of a whirlpool. These factors are moving slowly around the outer edge of the whirlpool vortex, but they are approaching the vortex center and are growing closer together and swirling around quicker.

Approaching the inescapable fury of the vortex is an apparent internal power struggle in North Korea between the hawks and the moderates; the younger son of Kim Jong II attempting to murder his older brother; Kim Jong II himself ailing from a probable stroke and missing important national events; the N. Korean Kang Nam freighter possibly illegally transporting missile and/or nuclear technology onboard; the USS John McCain (Below photo) and a Navy P-3 (Above photo) tracking the Kang Nam through Chinese waters; North Korea possibly preparing to launch a long-range missile toward Hawaii; the U.S. installing a giant radar platform ship along with THAAD and other ABM systems on and around Hawaii; the world establishing strict sanctions agains North Korea; North Korea planning on detonating another nuclear bomb; experts mentioning that North Korea may be only several years away from being able to marry a long-range missile with a nuclear warhead; Kim Jong II threatening to retaliate against the imposed sanctions...the list grows endless.

All these rotating factors are growing closer and will soon merge as they rapidly swirl into the inescapable vortex. Today (Wednesday, June 24) North Korea threatened to wipe the United States off the map. Should we take this seriously?

Please read last week's post below: "B. THE U.S. SHOULD SPEND WHATEVER IT TAKES TO DEVELOP GLOBAL FAILURE-PROOF ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM."
(Note: the "Recommended Research" section at the end of this article lists proven books, DVD's and audio tapes on this article topic. All have been reviewed and by DECLASSIFIED SECRETS.)
Yes, as we speak, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has already positioned missile defenses around Hawaii. “We do have some concerns if North Korea were to launch their most advanced missile to the west in the direction of Hawaii,” he said. Gates also mentioned that the THAAD anti-ballistic missile system will be deployed (CNN). (View the videos in right margin on THAAD)

U.S. THAAD ABM launched

“Without telegraphing what we will do, I would just say … we are in a good position, should it become necessary, to protect Americans and American territory,” Gates said.

A Japanese newspaper reported that North Korea might fire its most advanced ballistic missile toward Hawaii around the July 4 Independence Day holiday in the U.S.

A new missile launch – though not expected to reach U.S. territory – would be a brazen slap in the face of the international community, which punished North Korea with new U.N. sanctions for conducting a second nuclear test on May 25 in defiance of a U.N. ban (Dept. of Homeland Security alert).

Photo below: Taepodong-2 range from North Korean launch site

Note: We'd like to hear your thoughts. Please scroll down right margin and take the poll: "POLL: SHOULD THE U.S. DEVELOP FAIL-PROOF ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM?"

Recommended Research: Learn about North Korea's growing threat to the

U.S. & world. Double click item for description

E. THE U.S. SHOULD SPEND WHATEVER IT TAKES TO DEVELOP GLOBAL FAILURE-PROOF ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM

The Heritage Foundation created a video that explains the critical need to re-initiate and completely fund a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program... a anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defense program. With countries like North Korea (Photo 1: below) and Iran acquiring the capability to launch ICBM's, our negotiation positions in the future will be severely weakened.

(Note: the "Research recommendations" section at the end of this article lists proven books, DVD's and audio tapes on this article topic. All have been reviewed and are recommended by DECLASSIFIED SECRETS.)

Such countries, as they build and develop their ICBM numbers, payloads, and accuracy have the capacity to change life as we know it in the U.S. in less than 33 minutes. The documentary 33 Minutes: Protecting America in the New Missile Age is a one-hour documentary produced by the Heritage Foundation that tells the story of the fastly developing threat foreign enemies pose to every one us. The truth is brutal - no matter where on Earth a missile is launched from it would take 33 minutes or less to hit the U.S. target it was programmed to destroy.

Nuclear proliferation around the world, and the threat of a ballistic missile attack of some kind is mounting as more and more countries obtain rocketry and nuclear technology. The ongoing threat toward America is also accelerating due to the fact that there are many rogue nations and non-state terrorist organizations who either have or are seeking ballistic missiles and nuclear technology.

The challenges of protecting America and its citizens for President Obama's administration are great. Featuring rare footage and in-depth interviews with leading experts in the field, 33 Minutes is the definitive documentary exposing the untold vulnerability we all face and the action plan necessary to revive a strategic missile defense system that America uniquely can develop, maintain, and employ for its own defense and the peace-loving world's security. Note: View THADD videos in upper left Yellow margin

The Heritage Foundation video demonstrates that our technology has advanced so much since President Reagan's "Star Wars" SDI days, that we now can not only hit a bullet with a bullet, but we can hit a spot on a bullet with a bullet. Still, the SDI program is lacking in adequate funding and is incapable of defending the U.S. against ICBM attack. Watch "33 Minutes" trailer video below:

http://www.heritage.org/33-minutes/index.htm

(Above photo 2) Pine Gap- a joint U.S./Australia anti-ballistic missile system

DECLASSIFIED SECRETS COMMENT: How about a global SDI system? After all, won't we have one in the Czech Republic soon? (Scroll down to Photos 8 & 9). As North Korea sells ICBM and nuclear technology to rogue nations and threatens to use her ICBM's; as Iran continues to develop ICBM capabilities (photos below); and as the world frets over the Taliban taking over in Afghanistan, DECLASSIFIED SECRETS believes a Global Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program should be developed fully. Yes, while writing this piece, North Korea has threatened use of her missile warheads offensively if the world places sanctions upon her and President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan voices concern on the danger of his country's nuclear weapons falling into Taliban hands. At the same time, he states that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is safe and in good hands.

Some in India say this is just a "ruse to garner as much funds as possible from the US and the West to spirit away to his accounts." True, we gave billions of military aid to Pakistan to better arm the Frontier Corps army so they could drive the Taliban and al Queda out of their provinces. As we know, it was never spent for the purpose it was intended. Instead, U.S. military funding to Pakistan was spent on offensive weapon systems aimed at our friend, India. A Pentagon document disclosed that aid given by the U.S. has been used to build up and strengthen Pakistan's armed forces armory against India. As one man from India stated, "Pakistan is so obsessive with India."

(Note: Please take "POLL: SHOULD THE U.S. DEVELOP A ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM?" in right margin)

So, why not develop a fail-proof, anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system...soon? The current ABM system that protects America's shores will be simply intensified qualitatively with the new failure-proof technologies and quantitatively. However, overseas, the U.S. could install fail-proof 2nd and 1st layer ABM systems in the "weaker," less-developed countries to negate their well-intentioned desires to acquire nuclear technolgies and rocket propulsion systems to protect themselves, through mutually-assured destruction capabilities, from threat-mongering neighbors. (Please view videos and books on THAAD in Yellow margin to the right).

Here are four futuristic reasons why we should:

(1) Diplomatic upside: We could install this fail safe SDI program to our nervous friends around the world...which would include on-station American specialists and advisors. Such a system would be installed as a missile defense program tailored-made for each countries individual needs and threat status. Scroll down to Photos 4 & 5, which show map of countries within Iran's Sahab-3 missile range. By installing a U.S. failure-proof ABM system in each of them, Iran's hegenomy goals would be negated. Countries yearning for security by developing or importing (from N. Korea?) missile technologies alongside nuclear capabilities would realize they didn't have to pursue these options.

(2) Economic feasibility and Self-sustainment. The system would be free from unstable U.S. federal funding and political whims. We could lease or 'rent out" such a system to our nervous allies. The copious amounts of monies taken in would pay for not only the cost of operation, but for massive and continual R&D to improve the SDI system. It would be an enduring and self-sustaining system, funded from foreign clients.

(3) Nation-Empowerment. No longer would “weaker” nations acquiesce to the desires of rogue neighbors. As the heavyweight prizefighter Jack Dempsey once said, “The best offense is a good defense.” Such a system, certainly, would be a peaceful, defensive venture, but would carry a deadly message to rogue regimes who see their power, dominance and threat-mongering capabilities grow useless. Many "weaker" nations would be more inclined to join the world community's push for peaceful existence rather than stay neutral and crouch before a derelict neighbor. (Photo 3 above)- Test launch of Pakistan's Hatf-3 {Ghaznai} SRBM in October, 2003. It's capable of delivering 20 kiloton nuclear warhead.

(4) Create Agenda for Global Peace Agenda. Participating countries would meet regularly to discuss connectivity, since each SDI system could communicate with another. The worldwide SDI system would be installed and managed by the U.S., so administrative and daily managerial difficulties could be worked out. There would also be a treaty binding participating nations together: they must protect each other with this system. For example, if a rogue nation launched a missile attack against another, and their missile passed over several participating countries, each would attempt to destroy it, even though it wasn’t targeted at them. On the same note, participating countries that do not possess long-range missiles or nuclear technology, will have have the ABM installations removed if they pursue these ventures.

Hopefully, a fully-funded, full-proof ABM system will be perfected by the U.S.

Robert Morton

Declassified Secrets

robertsmorton@hotmail.com

(Photo 4 above) Iran displaying Sahab-3 MRBM in September 3, 2003 parade

(Photo 5 below) Visual of 2,000 km range of Iran's Sahab-3 missile fired from within Iran

(Photo 6 below) SDI! Martin Marietta Corp. rocket-propelled missile accelerating toward collision with nuclear-tipped missile ICBM.

President Reagan’s SDI Speech - The Announcement of Strategic Defense Initiative (Photo 7 left)
March 23, 1983

Excerp from speech:
"I call upon the scientific community in our country, those who gave us nuclear weapons, to turn their great talents now to the cause of mankind and world peace, to give us the means of rendering these nuclear weapons impotent and obsolete.

Tonight, consistent with our obligations of the ABM treaty and recognizing the need for closer consultation with our allies, I'm taking an important first step. I am directing a comprehensive and intensive effort to define a long-term research and development program to begin to achieve our ultimate goal of eliminating the threat posed by strategic nuclear missiles. This could pave the way for arms control measures to eliminate the weapons themselves. We seek neither military superiority nor political advantage. Our only purpose -- one all people share -- is to search for ways to reduce the danger of nuclear war.

My fellow Americans, tonight we're launching an effort which holds the promise of changing the course of human history. There will be risks, and results take time. But I believe we can do it. As we cross this threshold,

I ask for your prayers and your support.
Thank you, good night, and God bless you.

President Ronald Reagan

Note: Please take "POLL: SHOULD THE U.S. DEVELOP ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM?" in right margin.

(Photo 8 above) 5-step U.S. anti-ballistic missile plans for Czech Republic

(Photo 9 below) What step-4 will look like when Czech-based radar system directs U.S. interceptor missiles

(Photo 10 below) The Iskander-E is among the ballistic missiles Russsia exports

Recommended Research: Learn more about ABM systems. Double click item for description

F. NEED INFO ON CRYPTOLOGIST WHO DIED IN PLANE EXPLOSION IN 1971

Dear Mr. Morton of Declassified Secrets:

I am married to the widow of a deceased E-6 cryptologist whose plane exploded enroute from Cubi Point, PI to the Tan Son Nhut facility just outside Saigon, Vietnam. My question why his mission would still be classified? I contacted NSA to get information because I am trying to get his name and the other 9 in the crash on the Vietnam Memorial Wall here in Washington, D.C.

The lady I spoke with said she couldn't give me more information because I was not next-of-kin. What I really don't have is something saying the mission the cryptologists were on was an operational mission in support of the fleet or an operation somewhere in the world. Since he was flying on a C2A from Cubi Point, PI to Tan Son Nhut it appears on the surface he was just on a ordinary "logistics support mission" (something like a mail run) but I know cryptologists don't just fly around (6 of them) to deliver mail. I believe he was enroute to Tan Son Nhut to pick up a different aircraft for further transfer to the USS Enterprise which had just been turned around and headed back towards the Indian Ocean. I believe the 6 cryptologists were going to pick up another plane and fly to the Enterprise where they would then begin their cryptologic mission. I need something official that will say that, because the C2A is not a plane the cryptologists would be conducting operational mission tasks from. That's why they needed to get to Tan Son Nhut to pick up a plane that could fly them to the Enterprise where they could begin their mission once aboard.

One of his two surviving daughters will have to use the FOIA to see what they can find out. Lastly, the lady at NSA told me that the mission that CTR1 Walter Ray Woods Jr. was on has not yet been declassified. His name does appear on the NSA Memorial Wall along with 5 other cryptologists who died that day. This tragic accident occurred on December 12, 1971. You would think it would have been declassified by now. I know what the mission was and where he was going. However, I do not have proof of my knowledge.

Is there any way you could assist by pointing me in the direction of someone who could provide help? I have already written to our congressmen and senators from the state of Maryland and that proved fruitless. I have been supplying information to a man down in Tennessee who puts the packages together to forward up to the Washington area where it is reviewed and if accepted the man in Tennessee is given the word to make the arrangements for his name to be put on the wall, where a ceremony is held every Memorial Day. I really need all the help I can get to crack this one. Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated. His daughters are grown now with children of their own.

By all means, do anything you need to find people to help us.

Sincerely,

Dick Willis
Stanley Associates, Inc
Senior Analyst
1100 New Jersey Ave. SE Suite 800
Washington, D.C. 20003
(202) 314-4244 Office
(202) 488-1951 Fax
(301) 448-0491 Cell
richard.willis@stanleyassociates.com

COMMENT FROM DECLASSIFIED SECRETS: Mr. Dick Willis mentions The National Security Agency/Central Security Service Cryptologic Memorial honors E-6 cryptologist Walter Ray Woods Jr. and the five other cryptologists who were killed on that ill-fated flight bound for the Tan Son Nhut facility just outside Saigon, Vietnam. I found the name of Willis and the other cryptologists who died with Woods on that tragic flight on December 12, 1971. They are listed below:

CT03 James M. Coon, USN 12 Dec 1971
CTISN John M. Deremigio, USN 12 Dec 1971
CTO1 Donald E. Dickerson, USN 12 Dec 1971
CTOSN Stephen H. Elliott, USN 12 Dec 1971
CTRI Walter R. Woods, Jr., USN 12 Dec 1971
CTM2 Gregory K. Zeller, USN 12 Dec 1971

In total, there are 153 names on the black granite memorial, which stands 8 feet tall and rests inside the NSA complex. The words, “THEY SERVED IN SILENCE” are etched into the polished stone at the cap of a triangle (Photo above). I attended a seminar inside the CIA HQ not long ago. Just like the memorial inside the NSA HQ, I paused to look at the CIA memorial (Photo below), which has stars for each man and woman who died while in service of country.
To me, both memorials possess a shared voiceless hush of secrecy: men and women who breathed their last breath in the line of duty…little mention of their names……guarded discussions of their undertakings…no public fanfare or shiny medals to wear on duty...no ticker tape parades upon arriving home...living under false identities…operating under a cloak of darkness, even after they give their lives in the line of duty.

Any members of the AFIO who are familiar with the mission the six cryptologists undertook when the plane they were on exploded may want to contact Mr. Dick Willis, the writer of the above letter. Perhaps, their assignment should still remain classified- I do not know. However, the NSA still keeps the operation they were on classified. So, any one who knew CTRI Walter R. Woods, Jr., USN or his five cryptologist friends flying with him may want to contact Mr. Willis (and Woods’ widow) and simply share with them your memories of CTRI Walter R. Woods, Jr., USN ...declassified ones, of course!

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. robertsmorton@hotmail.com

Related links:

C2A unsuccessful landing on aircraft carrier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEESp1HiSzc

C2A aircraft landing successfully on USS Nimitz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVYdjkwpXDw

Note: Aboard ship, Cryptologic Technicians control the flow of messages and information. Their work depends on their special branch: CTAs or Administration Cryptologic Technicians (As of 01 OCT 07 CTA merged with the YN rating) perform administrative and clerical duties that control access to classified material. CTIs or Interpretive Cryptologic Technicians handle radiotelephone communications and foreign language translation. CTMs or Maintenance Cryptologic Technicians maintain electronic and electromechanical equipment. CTNs or Networking Cryptologic Technicians handle computer communication. CTRs or Collection Cryptologic Technicians handle all Morse code communications and operate radio direction-finding equipment. Finally, CTTs or Technical Cryptologic Technicians handle all communications by means other than Morse code and electronic countermeasures. (1)

(1) U.S. Navy Enlisted Ratings". University of California Berkeley, Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. U.S. Navy. http://navyrotc.berkeley.edu/resources/gouge/Ratings.pdf

Recommended Research: Excellent readings on Cryptology. Double click item for description.