SIGINT During World War II - Source: www.schneier.com - CISO2CISO.COM & CYBER SECURITY GROUP

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Clive Robinson • August 13, 2025 8:31 AM

@ Bruce, All,

With regards,

“This is the story of the British SLUs (Special Liaison Units)”

In many ways it’s likely to be wrong 😉 Such was the need for security those involved were given “cover stories, whilst others invented their own ideas.

One official cover was as part of the “Paymasters” one invented was that their job was to distribute “The senior officers whisky ration”.

What is known is that lowly “Other Ranks”(OR’s) in effect “out ranked” even the most senior of officers.

Sadly the real “boots on the ground” stories are now in effect “nolonger known”. Because even with the publishing of the 1970’s F W Winterbotham book “The Utra Secret” those who had been in the SLU’s remained “The geese that delivered the golden eggs and never cackled”.

ResearcherZero • August 14, 2025 1:44 AM

If credible intelligence is obtained, then getting it to where it needs to go and having anyone actually read the stuff faces significant hurdles. There are plenty of myths, but there has always been gatekeepers and reluctance to hear things that are inconvenient.

Today, many more things are inconvenient. The impediments – significantly greater.
Fortunately it is classified, shrouding societal experiences in a vacuum chamber.

‘https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/gabbard-considering-ways-revamp-trumps-intelligence-briefing-rcna209805

Fox News-style segments can ensure that no-one actually reads what they need to see/sign.

(the details of classified economic, Geo-strategic, national or regional risks)

https://leadershipknocks.substack.com/p/the-great-american-reading-crisis

ResearcherZero • August 14, 2025 2:11 AM

Putin’s invasion plans were obtained shortly after they were drawn up. In the late nineties. This does explain the huge loss of life following the invasion, high prices for energy and the enormous profits made by the oil and gas sector as a result of the invasion.

(oil and gas has very good access to intelligence – unlike the public)

hypothetical

Putin invades the United States instead of Ukraine. Russian forces cross the border and shoot American citizens dead in the street, supposedly to ‘protect Russian speakers’.

Figuratively, as an exaggeration and to make a point, the U.S. president states:

“I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius.’ Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine — Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful,” Trump said. “He used the word ‘independent’ and ‘we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace.’ You gotta say that’s pretty savvy.”

‘https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-12/russia-s-oil-exports-keep-flowing-ahead-of-trump-putin-summit

Oil dependence displays the limits of power
https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/oil-conflict-and-us-national-interests

Russia was the world’s second-largest producer of crude in 2019 – and it remains so.
https://time.com/7095298/europe-hooked-russian-oil-gas-ukraine/

Ian Stewart • August 14, 2025 3:03 AM

‘What is truth’ Pontius Pilate asked 2000 years ago. I don’t know but you certainly won’t get it from any country’s intelligence agencies – and probably shouldn’t in order to protect national security. Techniques may change but I doubt the overall methods have changed at all and these would probably not be made public.

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