On Sunday, Wikileaks, Washington’s thorn-in-its-side, released two CIA documents that detail tips to help spies while traveling abroad. The documents were marked classified as “NOFORN,” meaning they were even kept out of the hands of allied intelligence agencies, presumably because they detail ways for American operatives to undermine those same allied agencies security measures.
We all know not to pack regular size bottles of Head and Shoulders in our carry-on bags, and the TSA’s Instagram account is a handy tool for anyone wondering if their hand grenade souvenir is cleared for liftoff, but for the CIA, life can be trickier.
According to a statement released by Wikileaks, the classified documents "…detail border-crossing and visa regulations, the scope and content of electronic systems, border guard protocols and procedures for secondary screenings."
Tips we should all remember during this busy, holiday season, include:
— do not purchase a one-way ticket the day before flying. If you must, do not do so with cash.
— do not appear “scruffy.”
— do not dress overly casual while flying with a diplomatic-passport.
— take time to rehearse your cover story, should you be questioned. Remember: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, European North
One document describes an incident in a European airport, in which a CIA officer was selected for secondary screening. The agent’s bag was checked for explosives, which were found, but he was allowed to continue on after intensive questioning.
The documents do not say what a CIA officer was doing travelling with explosives across European borders.
The documents also show that the CIA is concerned with the EU’s new biometric security system, which could make traveling even more difficult, and would most certainly require the development of more classified tips.
The Schengen Area, a vast chunk of mainland Europe with relaxed borders between 22 EU member states, could soon be implementing the biometric security systems.
To justify the release of these documents, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said “these manuals show that under the Obama administration the CIA is still intent on infiltrating European Union borders and conducting clandestine operations in EU member states.” He also said that the CIA had a history of conducting “…kidnappings from European Union states, including Italy and Sweden, during the Bush administration.”
