MUNICIPIO DE TZOMPANTEPEC

The advantages and disadvantages of legal resident spies mostly mirror the disadvantages and advantages of illegal

resident spies.[5]_{A legal resident spy has the advantage of} diplomatic status, but the disadvantage of being a known foreigner to the host country and one of just a few official diplomatic staff, whose intelligence status is thus easy for counterintelligence agencies to discern; whereas an ille- gal resident spy has the advantage of being unknown as a foreigner to the host country and one amongst millions of the country’s ordinary citizens, but the disadvantage of not having diplomatic immunity to fall back upon. A legal resident spy has opportunities to meet high-level person- nel of the host country as part of his/her “official” busi- ness, whereas an illegal resident spy does not. But, con- versely, illegal resident spies have easier access to a wide range of potential sources who would be put off by having to approach and deal with an openly foreign official, and indeed need not even reveal to those people what country he/she actually works for.[6]

Furthermore: An illegal resident spy can stay in the host country when diplomatic relations break down, whereas legal resident spies are forced to leave with the diplomatic mission. But a legal resident spy is easier to pay, since his/her salary can be openly incorporated into the diplo- matic payroll, whereas making arrangements to pay ille- gal resident spies can be difficult, sometimes involving ruses, more expensive and complex to administer than paying a diplomatic official would be, such as paying a host country organization or corporation to allow the il- legal resident spy to pose as a member of its staff and be nominally paid by that organization/corporation.[6] A legal resident spy has full and aboveboard access to embassy facilities, for secure communications, meetings, and other services; whereas an illegal resident spy has lit- tle to no access to such facilities, and communications arrangements are thus more difficult and time consum- ing. An illegal resident spy will usually have a falsified biography; whereas a legal resident spy may suffer from having an official biography, documenting his/her diplo- matic career and providing useful clues to counterintel- ligence services about his/her intelligence activities and connections.[6]

27.3 References

27.4. FURTHER READING 137

27.3.1

Cross-reference

[1] Meier 2010, p. 147.

[2] Shulsky & Schmitt 2002, p. 182. [3] Shulsky & Schmitt 2002, p. 12. [4] Shulsky & Schmitt 2002, p. 14. [5] Shulsky & Schmitt 2002, p. 13. [6] Shulsky & Schmitt 2002, p. 12–13.

27.3.2

Sources used

• Meier, Andrew (2010). The Lost Spy. Hachette UK.

ISBN 9780297856566.

• Shulsky, Abram N.; Schmitt, Gary James (2002). Silent Warfare: Understanding the World of In- telligence (3rd ed.). Potomac Books, Inc. ISBN 9781574883459.

27.4 Further reading

• Andrew, Christopher M.; Gordievsky, Oleg (1991).

“Illegals”. Comrade Kryuchkov’s Instructions: Top

Secret Files on KGB Foreign Operations, 1975–1985.

Chapter 28

Special reconnaissance

telligence. For a complete hierarchical list of articles, see the intelligence cycle management hierarchy.

US Navy SEALs conducting special reconnaissance on suspected Al-Qaida and Taliban locations in Afghanistan, 2002. Special reconnaissance (SR) is conducted by small units of highly trainedmilitary personnel, usually fromspecial forces units or military intelligence organizations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detection by the enemy. As a role, SR is distinct from commando operations, although both are often carried out by the same units. The SR role frequently includes: covert direction of air and missile attacks, in areas deep behind enemy lines, placement of remotely monitored sensors and preparations for other special forces. Like other special forces, SR units may also carry outdirect action (DA) andunconventional warfare(UW), includ- ingguerrillaoperations.

SR was recognized as a key special operations capability by a former US Secretary of DefenseWilliam J. Perry: “Special Reconnaissance is the conduct of environmental reconnaissance, target acquisition, area assessment, post- strike assessment, emplacement and recovery of sensors, or support of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) operations.”[1]

In international law, SR is not regarded as espionage if personnel are in uniform, according to the Hague

Convention of 1907,[2] _{or the Fourth Geneva Conven-} tionof 1949.[3] _{However, some countries do not honor} these legal protections, as was the case with the Nazi "Commando Orders" of World War II, which were held to be illegal at theNuremberg Trials.

In intelligence terms, SR is a human intelligence (HUMINT) collection discipline. Its operational con- trol is likely to be inside a compartmented cell of the HUMINT, or possibly the operations, staff functions. Since such personnel are trained for intelligence collec- tion as well as other missions, they will usually maintain clandestine communications to the HUMINT organiza- tion, and will be systematically prepared for debriefing. They operate significantly farther than the furthest for- ward friendly scouting andsurveillance units; they may be tens to hundreds of kilometers deeper.

28.1 History

While SR has been a function of armies since ancient times, specialized units with this task date from the lead- up to World War II.

In 1938, the BritishSecret Intelligence Service(MI6) and theWar Officeboth set up special reconnaissance depart- ments. These later formed the basis of theSpecial Oper- ations Executive(SOE), which conducted operations in occupied Europe.

During theWinter War(1939–40) and theContinuation War (1941–44), Finland employed several kaukopartio (long range patrol) units.

From 1941, volunteers from various countries formed, under the auspices of the British Army, theLong Range Desert GroupandSpecial Air Service, initially for service in theNorth African Campaign.

In 1942, following the onset of thePacific War, theAllied Intelligence Bureau, was set up in Australia. Drawing on personnel from Australian, British, New Zealand and other Allied forces, it includedCoastwatchersand “spe- cial units” that undertook reconnaissance behind enemy lines.

The US Government established theOffice of Strategic

28.3. APPROPRIATE MISSIONS 139

Services (OSS), modelled on the British SOE, in June 1942. Following the end of the war OSS became the basis for the CIA.

During the Vietnam War, respective division and brigades in-country trained theirLong Range Reconnais- sance Patrolmembers (now known as the Long Range Surveillanceunits). However, the US Army’s 5th Spe- cial Forces Group held an advanced course in the art of patrolling for potential Army and Marine team leaders at theirRecondo Schoolin Nha Trang, Vietnam, for the purpose of locating enemy guerrilla and main force North Vietnamese Army units, as well asartillery spotting, intel- ligence gathering,forward air control, andbomb damage assessment.[4]

28.2 A spectrum of reconnaissance