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Asia Alhammadi

The Eye That Never Sleeps

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In a world where the pace of change is accelerating and political and security threats are escalating, an intelligence agency becomes the beating heart of any state striving to secure its existence and enhance its strategic position. Operating between shadows and truths, this agency acts as a hidden engine driving events, its tasks intersecting with the most complex challenges nations face. However, its strength does not solely lie in its ability to gather information but also in using that information to strike a balance between security and politics, between secrecy and public influence. Yet, can this agency always remain a source of power? Or can mismanagement and leaks turn its strength into a weapon that threatens the stability of the state itself?

Lessons from “The Art of Intelligence: A Life in the Secret Service

The book “The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA’s Secret Service” serves as an essential reference for understanding how spies conduct their covert operations. It sheds light on innovative techniques for embedding spies into target communities without revealing their identities.

1. Building a Strong False Identity

One of the most prominent espionage techniques is creating a robust false identity. Through this identity, a spy is provided with detailed information to blend seamlessly into the local community. This identity is meticulously crafted, covering occupation, education, and social background, making it easily verifiable. It serves as the foundation for the success of any intelligence mission, allowing the spy to operate without arousing suspicion.

2. Mastering Linguistic and Cultural Skills

Proficiency in the language and culture of the target country is critical. A spy fluent in the local language and familiar with the customs and traditions can communicate effortlessly with locals and reduce the chances of being discovered. Understanding culture is not only a tool for interaction but also a means to avoid raising suspicions.

3. Building Social Relationships

A spy is not merely a transient figure in the target community but an integral part of it. Building a network of social relationships helps the spy infiltrate the community. Regular participation in social events and daily activities creates the impression of being an inseparable part of the society, facilitating the collection of information.

4. Leveraging Professional Identities

Working in fields like journalism, diplomacy, or business is a clever method spies use to disguise their true identities. These professions provide a natural cover, enabling free movement and access to critical information without drawing attention.

5. Utilizing Camouflage and Field Behavior

Spies are known for constantly employing camouflage techniques. They frequently alter their appearance and use advanced methods to evade surveillance. Changing routes and selecting safe locations for communication are crucial for maintaining the secrecy of intelligence operations.

6. Adapting to Local Conditions

The surrounding environment may not always align with the spy’s expectations. Therefore, the ability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances is among the most critical skills a spy must possess. Whether facing a crisis or attempts to uncover their identity, a spy must be prepared to overcome any obstacles.

7. Managing Relationships with Local Agents

Managing relationships with local agents requires exceptional skill. Building trust with these agents, protecting them, and ensuring the continuous flow of information is essential for the success of any intelligence operation. A local agent can serve as a vital source for accurate information, but the secrecy of the relationship must be safeguarded against infiltration.

Why Doesn’t Israel Need Traditional Espionage Foundations ?

While “The Art of Intelligence” is a valuable guide to spy tactics, Israel may not require most of these foundations. Instead of building false identities or training foreign spies in local language and culture, Israel focuses on a unique strategy: “crafting local agents from within” This method not only provides an unbreakable natural cover but also integrates the agent into the target environment years, if not decades, before executing their missions.

Israel does not rush to victory; it “cooks” its enemies’ defeat over a slow flame. By planting its agents within targeted countries years in advance, their exposure becomes nearly impossible. These agents live as ordinary citizens, earn their surroundings’ trust, and infiltrate sensitive positions without raising suspicion. This approach eliminates the need for disguises and false identities, instead employing local agents who move freely, carry a fabricated loyalty to the target state, and are ready to act at the right moment.

The Iranian Nuclear Documents Operation as a Case Study:

In 2018, Israel executed one of its most prominent intelligence operations inside Iran, seizing a secret nuclear archive containing thousands of documents that proved Iran’s activity in developing nuclear weapons. Described as an unprecedented preemptive strike, this operation was the product of years of meticulous intelligence work.

What makes this operation a prime example of the “slow cooking” strategy is that the agents who carried it out were embedded within Iranian society. There was no need for false identities or complex integration processes; the agents were Iranians who were well-acquainted with the local environment. By building a sophisticated network that included transporting the documents in disguised trucks, Mossad successfully removed the archive from Iran without the operation being discovered until its conclusion.

Strategic Analysis:
This operation highlights how Israel prefers long-term preparation over short-term, high-risk operations. The agents involved were deeply integrated into Iranian society for years, providing them with the necessary cover to access one of the most heavily guarded sites. This approach transcends traditional espionage concepts, relying on a “strategy of patience,” where years are invested in building a robust intelligence infrastructure within the target state.

Why Has Israel Excelled in This Way?

1. Managing Time as a Strategic Element: Instead of seeking immediate breakthroughs, Israel focuses on building long-term influence that can be activated when necessary.
2. Minimizing Discovery Risks: Local agents possess natural identities that do not require fabrication or reconstruction.
3. Low Cost, High Yield: Investing in a local agent may take years, but it yields sustainable breakthroughs without raising suspicions.

Through this approach, Israel has turned intelligence into a tool for continuous control, where each successful operation results from long-term preparations that preempt events and steer them in its favor.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Advancing Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are pivotal in advancing intelligence systems. While intelligence agencies previously relied on traditional methods for information gathering, AI now enhances their ability to analyze data and extract patterns.

1. Analyzing Speech Patterns

AI can analyze clients’ speech styles based on specific patterns. Smart systems can examine conversations and detect tensions or inconsistencies in a person’s responses. For instance, these technologies could calculate the percentage of errors in a client’s speech and assess its likelihood of truthfulness.

2. Predicting Potential Threats

By collecting and analyzing massive amounts of data, AI can predict potential security threats based on behavioral patterns. If integrated into intelligence agencies, it would serve as a powerful tool for early detection of hostile intelligence operations.

An intelligence agency is not merely a technical tool for information gathering but a direct reflection of a state’s intellect and adaptability to complex global changes. From lessons learned from professional spies and strategies for building agent networks to the technological advances brought by AI, it becomes clear that the success of an intelligence agency depends not only on the strength of its tools but also on its ability to manage them flexibly and professionally. Ultimately, an intelligence agency embodies a delicate balance between strength and weakness, secrecy and influence, serving as either a fortress protecting the state or a vulnerability threatening its existence.

About the Author
Asia Alhammadi is a Yemeni researcher in the natural sciences and quantum computing technology, a reviewer of scientific manuscripts in the Department of Quantum Physics and Information Entropy at Springer Nature Publishing, and an author of many books and articles published on Amazon and elsewhere.
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