Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda

577 Pages·2008·10.67 MB·English

by  Robert Wallace

SPYCRAFT

The Secret History of the CIA’s Spytechs
from Communism to Al-Qaeda
Robert Wallace and H. Keith Melton

with Henry R. Schlesinger
6

DUTTON

Praise for Spycraft

“Stuffed with stories about chemical taggants, forged documents, physical and psy­
chological disguises, software beacons that reveal the location of a cell phone or a
laptop, about l ong-r ange surveillance cameras and ivory l etter-opening knives, this
extraordinary, detailed, accurate book tells more about what spies really do, the risks
they run, and their schemes to avoid them, than all the James Bond stories put to­
gether. Essential for any serious student of spycraft.”
—David Kahn, author of The Codebreakers
“Spycraft is the inside story of how ‘the wizards of Langley’ exploited science and
technology to level and then dominate the battlefield in CIA’s spy wars with the KGB.
As a CIA historian, I wrote the classified history of OTS at the request of Robert Wal­
lace. Spycraft omits very few details of the classified history while adding many more
fascinating accounts based on interviews with the men and woman who helped win
the Cold War.”
—Benjamin B. Fischer, former CIA chief historian
“A comprehensive and historic work that is both captivating and enlightening. Impec­
cably researched and written with authority by these masters of intelligence, Spycraft
offers the greatest of spy stories—true tales of espionage that are often more compel­
ling than our favorite movie spy thrillers.”
—Danny Biederman, author of The Incredible World of SPY-Fi;
writer/director, Hollywood SpyTek; executive director, S PY-Fi Archives
“Reliable, readable, indeed often fascinating account of the CIA’s use of high-t ech
gadgets and machines to acquire secrets overseas. A must for the intelligence library,
as well as for anyone interested in the security of the United States.”
—Loch K. Johnson, Regents Professor, University of Georgia, and senior
editor of the international journal Intelligence and National Security
“A classic and no one who pretends to know anything about intelligence operations
can afford not to read it.”
—James F. Morris, Major U.S. Army (Ret.),
author of War Story and The Devil’s Secret Name
“Aptly describes the history of OTS and the many exciting, important, and at times
dangerous work of OTS officers who work hand-in-hand with Agency operations of­
ficers in the clandestine world of espionage. This is an excellent book that often reads
like a spy novel. All the better because it is true!”
—Mike Howard, general manager, Microsoft Global Security,
twenty- three- year CIA veteran
“Will long stand as the definitive reference on CIA spycraft. Names, dates, and de­
tails of advanced technical gadgetry, collection operations, covert action, and even
or gan i za tion al infighting—it’s all h ere. Forget James Bond’s famous ‘Q’ and Holly­
wood; this is the most remarkable and revealing book ever published about the his­
tory and technology of spying in the Cold War through today’s War on Terrorism.”
—Peter Earnest, executive director, International Spy Museum
“A fascinating study of CIA espionage operations.”
—Jeffrey T. Richelson, author of The Wizards of Langley:
Inside the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology
“A significant and heretofore neglected slice of the CIA’s sixty-year ‘story.’”
—David M. Barrett, author of The CIA and Congress:
The Untold Story from Truman to Kennedy
ALSO BY (OR C O-AUTHORED WITH) H. KEITH MELTON
Ultimate Spy
U.S. Government Guide to Surviving Terrorism:
Compiled from Offi cial U.S. Government Documents
Spy’s Guide: Office Espionage
The Ultimate Spy Book
CIA Special Weapons and Equipment:
Spy Devices of the Cold War
OSS Special Weapons and Equipment:
Spy Devices of World War II
Clandestine Warfare:
Weapons and Equipment of the SOE and OSS
ALSO BY ROBERT WALLACE
Nine from the Ninth
SPYCRAFT

The Secret History of the CIA’s Spytechs
from Communism to Al-Qaeda
Robert Wallace and H. Keith Melton

with Henry R. Schlesinger
6

DUTTON
DUTTON
Published by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Can­
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0RL, En gland; Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin
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2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Published by Dutton, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Copyright © 2008 by Robert Wallace, H. Keith Melton, and Henry R. Schlesinger
All rights reserved
Photos on page 449; first insert, page 2 (bottom): courtesy of the CIA Museum. First insert, page
10 (top): courtesy of the Central Intelligence Agency, Studies in Intelligence. All other images
provided by the Melton Archive.
%

REGISTERED TRADEMARK— MARCA REGISTRADA
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATA LOGING - IN - PUBLICATION DATA
Wallace, Robert.
Spycraft: the secret history of the CIA’s spytechs from communism to Al-Qaeda / Robert
Wallace and H. Keith Melton with Henry R. Schlesinger.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN: 1-4362-4128-6 1. United States. Central Intelligence Agency.
Directorate of Science and Technology—History. 2. Intelligence service—United
States. I. Melton, H. Keith (Harold Keith), 1944– II. Schlesinger, Henry R. III. Title.
JK468.I6W35 2008

327.1273—dc22 2007046734

Set in Times New Roman
Designed by Amy Hill
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any
means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written
permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means
without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only
authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copy­
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While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet ad­
dresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility
for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any
control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-p arty Web sites or their
content.
For the families of TSS, TSD, and OTS
who served their country with patience,
courage, and honor through quiet,
unheralded support of the Spytechs

Contents

Foreword xi
Preface xv
Official Message from the CIA xxv
S ECT IO N I
AT THE BEGINNING
1 My Hair Stood on End 3
2 We Must Be Ruthless 16
S ECT IO N I I
PLAYING CATCH- UP
3 The Penkovsky Era 25
4 Beyond Penkovksy 36
5 Bring in the Engineers 53
6 Building Better Gadgets 62
S ECT IO N I I I
IN THE PASSING LANE
7 Moving Through the Gap 81
8 The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword (and Shield) 87
9 Fire in the Arctic 103
viii Contents
10 A Dissident at Heart 110

11 An Operation Called CKTAW 138

S ECTION I V

LET THE WALLS HAVE EARS

12 Cold Beer, Cheap Hotels, and a Voltmeter 159

13 Progress in a New Era 179

14 The Age of Bond Arrives 195

15 Genius Is Where You Find It 232

S ECTION V

PRISON, BULLET, PASSPORT, BOMB

16 Conspicuous Fortitude, Exemplary

Courage in a Cuban Jail 249

17 War by Any Other Name 277

18 Con Men, Fabricators, and Forgers 307

19 Tracking Terrorist Snakes 325

S ECTION V I

FUNDAMENTALS OF TRADECRAFT

20 Assessment 363

21 Cover and Disguise 381

22 Concealments 388

23 Clandestine Surveillance 401

24 Covert Communications 420

25 Spies and the Age of Information 443

Epilogue: An Uncommon Service 461