Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #coldwarhistory
Most recents (6)
OTD August 2 1989 Indian soldiers deployed in Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) initiate an attack on the coastal town of Valvettithurai on the Jaffna Peninsula. 64 civilians are killed in the attack.
Cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam
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Cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam
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had stepped up their attacks on troops of the IPKF, largely by means of hit-and-run tactics and ambushes. On the morning of August 2 an IPKF moved into the town of Valvettithurai, and were attacked by an LTTE unit, resulting in the deaths of six soldiers,
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including an officer as well as a further 10 injured soliders.
In retaliation, the IPKF troops went on a killing spree in the town, going from house to house, dragging people into the streets and then assaulting and killing them. Even civilians who were attempting to
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In retaliation, the IPKF troops went on a killing spree in the town, going from house to house, dragging people into the streets and then assaulting and killing them. Even civilians who were attempting to
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The Stasi bunker in Bavaria
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Unnoticed by Western intelligence services, the Stasi established a secret "Stay Behind" network in West Germany. A piece of #ColdWarHistory that has been forgotten 1/12
#thread
Unnoticed by Western intelligence services, the Stasi established a secret "Stay Behind" network in West Germany. A piece of #ColdWarHistory that has been forgotten 1/12
The "Haus am Berg" with the address Geitau 21 was a holiday guesthouse with a view of the Alps. Geitau, a tourist spot between Schliersee and Bayrischzell. But the lonely house on the mountainside had another function. It served as a secret commando bunker for the #Stasi 2/12
The location was perfectly chosen. A few hundred metres away is a field airport. Ideal for rapid troop deployments. The Austrian border is a few kilometres away. Numerous winding paths cross the green border of both states 3/12
The early BND machine records program
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At the beginning of 1960s, the #BND submerged in a flood of data. With the help of the #CIA, the BND wanted to make the technical leap. The main objective: The automation of #sigint, #humint and #osint data handling 1/6
#thread
At the beginning of 1960s, the #BND submerged in a flood of data. With the help of the #CIA, the BND wanted to make the technical leap. The main objective: The automation of #sigint, #humint and #osint data handling 1/6
A CIA report (1965) states: ‚CADITE (BND) has an archaic index card and file system which involves some 1,5 million index cards which lead to dossiers filed in country sections and subfiled by intelligence service. There is no document control‘ 2/6
‚It is clear from the revelations during this session that CATIDE'S capability for name tracing and information support in protection of its own operational security, and it's response to name trace request from other services, is poor,‘ the CIA report says 3/6
#ColdWarHistory #CHANTICLEER One of HMG's most vital Cold War secrets was maintaining the security of its highly classified (TOP SECRET - FILCH) underground Central Government War HQ, codename: CHANTICLEER. On 01 October 1975, CHANTICLEER suffered a significant security breach.
#ColdWarHistory #CHANTICLEER On 16 September 1975, the PSA asked permission from the Superintendent RN Stores Depot, Copenacre (responsible for the highly classified underground Central Government War HQ - CHANTICLEER) for the RAF to conduct an aerial photo survey of MOD Corsham.
#ColdWarHistory #CHANTICLEER Permission was granted on 29 September & withdrawn on 07 October when it was discovered that a private firm had conducted the aerial photo survey instead of the RAF. It was too late! J A Storey & Partners had flown the survey on 01 October.
#ColdWarHistory #PortonDown #LondonUnderground 55 years ago today, Porton Down scientists conducted a second covert release of live bacteria on the London Underground system. Porton were investigating how far a Biological Warfare aerosol would spread in the London Underground.
#ColdWarHistory #PortonDown #LondonUnderground At exactly 13.00 on 01 May 1964, a trainee LU Engineer covertly dropped a converted face-powder case from the rear window LU train while it traveled northwards between Colliers Wood and Tooting Broadway.
#ColdWarHistory #PortonDown #LondonUnderground The face-powder box was designed to break open on impact and contained two types of live organisms - Bacillus globigii (BG) spores & T.1 coliphage. BG is now considered to be a human pathogen by the US Institute of Medicine.
#ColdWarHistory #TURNSTILE Just found the following remarkable 1967 assessment of the vulnerability of Whitehall staff dispersed in war to the former Central Government War HQ at Corsham (then codenamed TURNSTILE), which was soon to be a decoy site for the new PYTHON concept.
#ColdWarHistory #TURNSTILE Such was the importance of maintaining the cover story that TURNSTILE was still the Central Government War HQ, that a small number of Whitehall staff would be dispersed to TURNSTILE, even though they apparently weren't expected to survive nuclear attack
#ColdWarHistory #TURNSTILE HDC(MG) 2nd Meeting states: "(e) The best comparison to use for the situation of those sent to TURNSTILE at a time of possible nuclear attack on the United Kingdom would be with those remaining in London, from which most of these would have come.".
