Watchmen on the Wall

The Judeo-Christian society in which the United States of America has evolved; can be traced back to the original twelve tribes of Israel. Therefore the close ties that exist today between the United States and Israel could be considered a natural progression for the two young and powerful nations that share a relationship based on the human need to survive. Much emphasis is placed on the United States developing into a modern day empire; while concurrently Israel becomes more isolated, geographically surrounded by her enemies.

However the purpose of this essay is to explore the fact that throughout the post WWII era the symbiotic relationship that exist between the two nations has been nurtured, guided, and protected by the courageous men and women of the United States and Israeli Intelligence Communities.

That being stated as the direction of the paper strives to compare and contrast the counterintelligence elements of the United States and Israel; the two agencies that will be the focus of this analysis are the world renowned CIA and the Mossad.The current state of the world is chaotic, global economy collapse, and vital natural resources such as oil are dwindling. The rise of the People Republic of China as a global super-power in sync with the highly combustible and volatile threat of Islamic Extremism leaves America status as the most powerful nation on Earth threatened and places the Nation of Israel in the all too familiar predicament of fighting for her life. When you factor in a WMD powered North Korea and a soon to be nuclear powered Iran and the importance of highly effective and proactive counterintelligence has never appeared more crucial than today as both the United States and Israel share the aforementioned challenges.

CIA and the Mossad a Historical Perspective:

In America CIA has been the subject of numerous fiction and non-fiction works of literature and film. One may find themselves pondering what was and is real as it relates to the inner workings of CIA and what is merely myth and fable. The Mossad on the other hand remains much more of an enigma for most Americans than CIA.“The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, otherwise known as the Mossad was created on 13 December 1949, Ben Gurion authorized the establishment of the 'Institution for Co-ordination' to oversee the political department and to co-ordinate the internal security and military intelligence organizations. The institution, or Mossad, was born on that day. The Mossad eventually adopted the following verse from the Book of Proverbs as its motto, guide, creative awakener and ideology, but also was as a dire warning:”

"WITHOUT GUIDANCE DO A PEOPLE FALL, AND DELIVERANCE IS IN A MULTITUDE OF COUNSELLORS."
Proverbs XI/14 (http://www.mossad.gov.il//Eng/AboutUs.aspx)

History of the CIA:

“The United States has carried out intelligence activities since the days of George Washington, but only since World War II have they been coordinated on a government-wide basis. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed New York lawyer and war hero, William J. Donovan, become first the Coordinator of Information, and then, after the US entered World War II, head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in 1942. The OSS – the forerunner to the CIA – had a mandate to collect and analyze strategic information. After World War II, however, the OSS was abolished along with many other war agencies and its functions were transferred to the State and War Departments.”

“You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free,” states the oft-cited Biblical injunction (John 8: 31–32) engraved in the foyer of CIA Headquarters. (https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/history-of-the-cia/)

When viewing the Bible verses above one could conclude that there would be a wealth of similarities that exist between the two agencies. Some could argue that with the common threats that oppose both the United States and Israel at present; now would be an appropriate point in history for CIA and the Mossad to consider increasing upon any mutual cooperation that currently exist between the agencies.

Emerging Threat Assessment:

Some could view that an accurate Emerging Threat Assessment that affects the National Security priorities of both America and Israel are as follows:

• The bond between China & North Korea are growing; both nations are Communist, nuclear armed and military controlled and or heavily influenced by their military. The alliance of these two nations threatens Western Civilization as a whole.

• Iran holds the distinctions of being the leader of Islamic Extremist terrorism in the Middle East region, dangerously close to becoming nuclear armed, possesses a maniacal hatred toward both the United States and Israel, and contempt for non-Muslim humanity as a whole.

• Islamic Extremist terrorism is global epidemic that threatens America and Israel in comparable and yet each nation has its own unique challenges in facing this very real threat. Israel is in a war that dates back to the two sons of Abraham; Ishmael & Isaac going their separate ways; the result strife in Gaza and the unrest in the Middle East as a whole. In America due to “highly civilized” immigration laws which make it difficult to discern who is friend and who is foe as it relates to Islamic Extremist terrorism and attempts to breach National Security could be perpetrated from any “American citizen” regardless of race, creed, color or religion.

James Angleton: “Mother”

Research for this essay led to the legendary father of modern American counterintelligence James Angleton who was ironically nicknamed “Mother” by his colleagues at CIA. Add to the myth versus fact issue as it relate to CIA was a well made TNT movie entitled “The Company” in which actor Michael Keaton potrayed Angleton brilliantly. However “Mother” was the genuine article; please find brief synopsis of Mr. Angleton’s brilliant career below:

“Angleton was recruited into the Office of Strategic Services and first worked in the super-secret X-2 counterintelligence branch in London. It was here that Angleton learned to be so hyperconscious about security. X-2 was the only OSS component cleared to receive raw ULTRA material, intercepted German military communications sent via the Enigma encryption machine. He also knew about the DOUBLE CROSS and FORTITUDE deception operations that were paving the way for the Normandy invasion. The success of these operations was one reason for his later belief in Soviet “strategic deception.”Angleton next served in the X-2 unit in Rome, where he was codenamed ARTIFICE. Angleton possessed a brilliant intellect and extensive knowledge of current and historical Soviet operations, although his sometimes convoluted descriptions of case histories affected people differently.” Angleton was fervently anti-communist, continually discoursing on “the nature of the [Soviet] threat,” and ardently supported Israel; his control of that country’s account at CIA, an administrative anomaly, was one of the foundations of his influence. The two qualities were interrelated operationally, as he saw Israel as a bastion against the Soviet Union.” (https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol53no4/201ccunning-passages-contrived-corridors201d.html)

In closing Charles S. Viar reminds that intelligence gathering & counterintelligence are an ancient art form whose “have been lost in the mists of time, the practice is at least as ancient as warfare. In what is perhaps the oldest written reference to an intelligence operation, The Book of Numbers recounts God’s command that Moses dispatch a reconnaissance team to scout the Israelite advance upon the Promised Land:”

“Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the Children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, everyone a ruler among them…

“Had the Canaanites possessed an effective counterintelligence capability, the story of the Israelite assault might have ended differently.”

http://www.centerforintelligencestudies.org/THEDARKART.HTML

Moving forward, fortunately the Canaanites did not possess effective counterintelligence and the people of Israel lived to fight another day! During the volatile times in which we live, It is imperative that the leaders of United States recognize clearly that: “In the Book of Genesis, Chapter 12, Verse 3, we see what God says about how people treat Israel: “And I will bless those that bless you and curse the one who curses you. And in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.” CIA and the Mossad are the “Watchmen on the wall” for the United States and Israel and for that fact; the writer of this essay is grateful!

Work Cited:

http://www.mossad.gov.il//Eng/AboutUs.aspx

https://www.cia.gov/about-cia/history-of-the-cia/

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol53no4/201ccunning-passages-contrived-corridors201d.html

http://www.centerforintelligencestudies.org/THEDARKART.HTML