Bad CIA Operational Security
I have no idea if this story about CIA spies in Lebanon is true, and it will almost certainly never be confirmed or denied:
But others inside the American intelligence community say sloppy “tradecraft”—the method of covert operations—by the CIA is also to blame for the disruption of the vital spy networks.
In Beirut, two Hezbollah double agents pretended to go to work for the CIA. Hezbollah then learned of the restaurant where multiple CIA officers were meeting with several agents, according to the four current and former officials briefed on the case. The CIA used the codeword “PIZZA” when discussing where to meet with the agents, according to U.S. officials. Two former officials describe the location as a Beirut Pizza Hut. A current US official denied that CIA officers met their agents at Pizza Hut.
Eric C. • November 30, 2011 7:34 AM
I commented on this a few days ago on my blog. It’s a bit too long for here, so here’s a link:
http://www.eric-christensen.com/2011/11/21/trouble-for-the-cia-in-lebanon/
Different sources blame bad tradecraft (it goes beyond the use of “PIZZA”), while others stress the rigid control case officers have over assets.