Where have all the Secrets Gone?

I joined the Army on September 3rd, 1963. Even when I took the tests at the recruiting station in Los Angeles, California, to see what I was qualified to enlist for, I was told the “job title” of the option I chose was “Classified”, that’s right a “Secret”! I understood at an early age of the meaning of classifications were, and the importance of not discussing information of any kind that had a classification on it. I was fully aware of the importance of classified information, as my father was, at that time, Deputy Base Commander of Kadena Air Force Base, on the Japanese island, called Okinawa. He later was on the Air Force IG Team out of the Pentagon, in Washington D.C. His travels were so secret that none of us were allowed to even call our friends where their fathers were stationed because in those days’ even dependants of Air Force IG teams knew better than to compromise inspections that were unannounced. Of course none of us really fully understood the consequences of violating our father’s trust that we would not disobey him when he directed us to honor his wishes, when it came to calling our friends before, or while he was on his way to inspect one of the several “Strategic Air Command” or “SAC” bases where our strike bombers were at the ready 24/7, 365 days a year. All this before I enlisted into the “United States Army Security Command or ASA”, which later would be renamed “The United States Army Intelligence and Security Command” or “INSCOM”. Those enlisted who enlisted into ASA were treated differently from the rest of the enlistees, segregated and followed closer as our training went on, never knowing what we got into or where we would be trained, nothing, only we made it in, but still had to pass the course because should we be washed out or fail to obtain our Security Clearance, we would be reassigned into another MOS (job) as determined by the needs of the army. So, we had plenty of incentive to pass our courses if we really wanted to be in that “Elite” group known as a “Spook”, a name that would stick with us throughout our careers.

Without going into the specifics of what I did, doing that would only deviate from the intended lesson of the importance of fully understanding the consequences of failing to protect information that we would come into contact with, information so sensitive that it could easily bring severe harm to the security of our country. I am certain that is why the name of this particular Intelligence Agency was named the “National Security Agency” or NSA. Although we were in the Army, or other military services, we were intimately connected with them. They task us with our mission; we carried it out and provided them with the needed intelligence to keep our country safe. Just as the more noted Intelligence Agency known as the Central Intelligence Agency, we were a part of a group of very sensitive and secretive agencies, for good reason, all with very specific missions, each supporting the others, all dealing with the most sensitive information, and missions requiring the utmost secrecy and protection from the many enemies of the Untied States of America, and all those serving fully understood the consequences of failing to keep the sacred oaths taken once we became a part of what is commonly known as the “Intelligence Community”, something all of us could and were very proud of, for the responsibility we were charged with, we took very seriously, as each of us should have.

All through training we were indoctrinated into being aware of just how important keeping “Secrets” were, not just to us, the Agencies we worked for and represented, but for the absolute protection of not just the information, gathered intelligence, or our missions, but the absolute protection of the “Security” of the nation we swore to defend, protect and if required to die for. It was only after I was in and serving my first assignment, at a location in England, that I fully came to understand that as much as those of us who love our country with all our hearts, there were a few, and I mean a few, who failed to grasp the power they held in their minds, knowing the information, the missions, and the technology if provided to any of our many enemies, could and probably would result in the beginning of the end of our nation as we have known it. The awesome responsibility of carrying such significant and important “Special Intelligence” (this is intelligence of such great importance that compromising even the “Code Word” material, would lead to serious and significant harm to our country, so those who were loyal and committed, never allowed their oaths to be violated and kept the “Secrets”, whether it be, “For Official Use Only”, “Confidential”, “Secret”, “Top Secret” or “Top Secret Code Word” (and classifications that are required to be classified and protected from all but those with a very special “need to know”) All classified material or information each carry a “Need to know” basis that is determined by authorities governed by regulations which are themselves classified.

My first experience with those who would, for reasons known only to them, defect and pass on information that changed everything for those of us in the “Collection” business. Two NSA analysts known as “Martin and Mitchell” would defect to the then Soviet Union and provide “Crypto logic” information that would set back the Intelligence Community 10 years, I know, I was a part of the rehabilitation effort, a task that failure could have resulted in the initiation of the 3rd World War. It was only through efforts of dedicated young men and women, far more talented that the two Analysts who defected, that prevented what we all feared would be a fruitless endeavor by incredible individuals and teams who collectively restored the continuity of the greatest collection and analyst effort over a period of time that will always be remembered by me as the restoration years that put the puzzle back together that two traitors of the United States of America. Martin and Mitchell are only two of a number of traitors who defected, taking with them sensitive information, and providing what we held so “Secret” to countries that would use the classified information against us in ways I cannot discuss.

But as bad and wrong as it was for Martin and Mitchell, and other noted “Spies” who became traitors and sold information and technology for a price, or other personal gain, I find it even more deplorable that we have had in the past, and I believe currently have elected leaders in Congress, the senate, and even the White House, who have betrayed our country in ways that may result at some time in the future, maybe not so far off, countries that could not achieve the very high technology that would provide our “Certain” enemies, such as China, with technology that gave them an ability that only the United States and the Soviet Union once had. President Clinton and his policies provided a vehicle for “Special Certain Companies” to sell technology that would allow China to develop multiple warheads on ICBM’s, now President Obama’s irrational policy has plans to share the nation’s top technology secrets with China, technology forbidden by several past administrations, includes “sensors, optics, and biological and chemical process” all of which are “identified as having inherent military application”.

Not only is the Obama policy providing technology to China, but are leading various questionable merchants like “Majid Kakavandwho allegedly shipped certain technology through his global procurement network to Iran. Not sure of this, look up the name and follow the dots. Poor policies by our current are leading Iran to acquire sophisticated technologies that otherwise would be denied to this terrorist state who wants the destruction of Israel, one of our best and closest allies. Not only are the policies of this president making it easier for unfriendly countries towards the United States, but Secrets of our closest ally, Great Britain are being provided to Russia in order to persuade them to sign the START Treaty, which is so one sided in favor of that country to begin with. And what secrets of our closest ally did he provide Russia? Probably the most egregious act of the Obama Administration and as far as we can tell, the most perfidious, the Obama Administration agreed to provide Russia with classified information regarding Great Britain’s Nuclear Capabilities, against that ally’s will and demand. Not only did the Obama administration sell out Great Britain, but other U.S. ally’s nuclear weapons and capabilities were provided. Secrets? I wonder about classified information, who has access to it, and who are they providing it too, with or without the knowledge of those responsible in Congress! And let’s not forget the missile shield that was intended to protect Poland, Israel, and other European countries from a missile attack originating from Iran! A lot of the latter information provided was obtained via “the WikiLeaks website. Sad we had to find out how corrupt our government is by compromising “Secrets” but most of this was known by not only this Administration, but the congressional oversight! I could go on, but this is just a column, the rest may one day be in a book, if I ever have the courage and strength to write it.

In Closing, I would refer you to 1776, when Benjamin Franklin and his colleagues on the Committee of Secret Correspondence unanimously decided they could not tell the Continental Congress about a major French covert operation to assist the American Revolution, explaining; “We find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep Secrets”. John Jay, foreign affairs secretary in the Continental Congress, lamented to Gen. George Washington that there was as much “intrigue” in Congress as in the Vatican, but “as little secrecy as in a boarding School.” Even in 1776 our forefathers understood better than those serving in congress and White House today the importance of “Protecting” secrets, all classified information was treated with greater respect and dignity than “Secrets” of today, when failure to protect information of such great importance could lead to the end of our nation as we know it. I think even the beetles understood, as suggested by the title of one of their songs, “Do you want to know a secret?”