Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Exclusive: Inside the Military's Secret Undercover Army
newsweek.com ^ | 5/17/21 | WILLIAM M. ARKIN

Posted on 05/17/2021 10:30:51 PM PDT by ransomnote

The largest undercover force the world has ever known is the one created by the Pentagon over the past decade. Some 60,000 people now belong to this secret army, many working under masked identities and in low profile, all part of a broad program called "signature reduction." The force, more than ten times the size of the clandestine elements of the CIA, carries out domestic and foreign assignments, both in military uniforms and under civilian cover, in real life and online, sometimes hiding in private businesses and consultancies, some of them household name companies.

SNIP

Newsweek's exclusive report on this secret world is the result of a two-year investigation involving the examination of over 600 resumes and 1,000 job postings, dozens of Freedom of Information Act requests, and scores of interviews with participants and defense decision-makers. What emerges is a window into not just a little-known sector of the American military, but also a completely unregulated practice. No one knows the program's total size, and the explosion of signature reduction has never been examined for its impact on military policies and culture. Congress has never held a hearing on the subject. And yet the military developing this gigantic clandestine force challenges U.S. laws, the Geneva Conventions, the code of military conduct and basic accountability.

SNIP
Altogether the companies pull in over $900 million annually to service the clandestine force—doing everything from creating false documentation and paying the bills (and taxes) of individuals operating under assumed names, to manufacturing disguises and other devices to thwart detection and identification, to building invisible devices to photograph and listen in on activity in the most remote corners of the Middle East and Africa.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: arkin; billarkin; bleedingheartattack; clandestine; foia; gelb; johnkerry; kerry; lesliegelb; military; pentagon; spies; spooks; williamarkin; williammarkin
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 last
To: fightin kentuckian

Great Skills is real, I went to the recruitment meeting and know people who went into Great Skills. Never been to any of those places 115th MI group in Hawaii and 5th group fort Campbell.


41 posted on 05/18/2021 8:30:08 AM PDT by 98charlie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: fightin kentuckian

Official description of Great Skills

The Great Skill Program is a non-traditional career program managed by the Department of the Army (DA) G-2. Program members provide support to complex operations for the US Army, DOD, and national agencies with fields in Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Counterintelligence (CI) and Technical Intelligence


42 posted on 05/18/2021 8:33:39 AM PDT by 98charlie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: null and void

Long but interesting article ping


43 posted on 05/18/2021 10:10:46 AM PDT by Oorang (Politicians:-a feeble band of lowly reptiles who shun the light and who lurk in their own dens. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 98charlie

Yes, I’m aware Great Skills is a real program. I’ve met and worked with Soldiers in the program. I was joking about whispering it because, even though it’s existence and name are public some people will pause and check their six when you say “Great Skills”. lol


44 posted on 05/18/2021 12:27:53 PM PDT by fightin kentuckian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: fightin kentuckian

Huachuca?


45 posted on 05/18/2021 2:25:43 PM PDT by Silentgypsy (Call an addiction hotline and say you're hooked on phonics.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Silentgypsy

Ft. Huachuca, AZ. It’s in Cochise County. It’s the Army Intel Center and the Army NETCOM HQ.


46 posted on 05/18/2021 7:41:46 PM PDT by fightin kentuckian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper; piasa

Shortly after 9/11, Arkin wrote a book on how to gain access to classified U.S. military records, which included code names for many programs. Dana Priest, deeply involved in Nigergate reporting, is another collaborator of his.


47 posted on 05/18/2021 9:37:51 PM PDT by Fedora
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: patriotfury

Ping—you might find this of interest.


48 posted on 05/18/2021 9:41:10 PM PDT by Fedora
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson