1/ There are many reasons to be disturbed by the NYT story on Trump’s taxes. The national security implications, however deserve to be deeply examined. I have no doubt journalists and commentators are working on those stories right now. To get you started, how about facts:
2/ if you hold a clearance, you must take annual counterintelligence training. One of the reportable behavioral indicators is excessive debt. If you become aware of a colleague that has significant debt, you must report it to your security officer. cdse.edu/catalog/counte…
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4/ “Elements of Espionage
3 essential elements set the conditions for a person’s entry into espionage:
• dysfunctions in the personality. • a state of crisis
• ease of opportunity ...The elements ...do not operate independently ...
cia.gov/library/center…
5/ ...Vulnerabilities in one area generate vulnerabilities in the others. A person with a problematic mix of personality features will tend to have more than the average number of life crises, including job terminations, relationship or family problems, and financial troubles...
6/ ...Such personal crises will, in turn, further stress and magnify problematic traits and behaviors just when the person needs most to function with stability and maturity. Agents “spotting” a vulnerable person may insinuate themselves into the situation...
7/ ...and find ways to exacerbate the personal crisis, “ripening” a targeted person’s vulnerability to recruitment. Handlers will then continue to manipulate a recruited asset’s vulnerabilities to maintain the person’s long-term engagement in espionage.
8/ “... Exploitation of the Vulnerable
A well-trained espionage recruiter will search for vulnerable targets. Professional intelligence officers are trained to spot outward signs of trouble in a person’s history or behavior...”
9/ “...These professional recruiters are trained to deploy sophisticated psychological control techniques matched to the vulnerabilities they have detected in order to manipulate, apply pressure, or induce a person to commit espionage. Some intelligence services do not limit...
10/ “...themselves to exploiting pre-existing problems, but may actively foster crises to enhance the target’s susceptibility to recruitment. Common forms of such aggressive pursuit and manipulation of targets include emotional or sexual entrapment...
11/11 “... and financial manipulation through increasing the target’s level of debt. A psychologically vulnerable target’s grandiosity, sense of being above the rules, or vengeful impulses can all be manipulated in the service of recruitment.” cia.gov/library/center…
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