Eat, Drink and Be Wary: Ex-CIA Officer Reveals How Eateries Are Key to Spycraft

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Oct 17, 2019, 9:00 PM UTC

pjmorris wrote: post #22

deftnerd wrote: post #8

I wonder what criteria is used to determine "the most operationally optimal seat in the restaurant". If it's a standard formula that most agents use because it's tried and true, then it could be viable to bug one or two tables in select restaurants in the DC area. Basically, cast a wide net and see what information you get. Same could apply at restaurants where business deals are discussed in order to perform insider…

My wife likes to sit in what she calls 'the Mafia seat', the seat in a restaurant that is best-protected by walls, etc, from behind, and that gives the best view of the rest of the room, so you can see what or who is coming. She's not in the mafia or allied professions, AFAIK, but I'd wager that similar metrics are used by the professionals.

Post by selectodude » Thu, Oct 17, 2019, 9:01 PM UTC

goatinaboat wrote: post #12

to "the Farm," a secret CIA facility in Virginia where their grueling training included all the obligatory skills of what Fox refers to as "the Bond business": how to flip or crash a car; how to use a Glock; how to parachute; how to use a speedboat; how to withstand torture; how to use a grocery bag and duct tape to bandage a punctured chest; and how to commit suicide This is over-egging the pudding a bit.

Post by themodelplumber » Thu, Oct 17, 2019, 9:02 PM UTC

chimi wrote: post #14

goatinaboat wrote: post #12

to "the Farm," a secret CIA facility in Virginia where their grueling training included all the obligatory skills of what Fox refers to as "the Bond business": how to flip or crash a car; how to use a Glock; how to parachute; how to use a speedboat; how to withstand torture; how to use a grocery bag and duct tape to bandage a punctured chest; and how to commit suicide This is over-egging the pudding a bit.

You'd think the "commit suicide" lesson would just be "perform any of the prior taught skills not well enough."

Post by PhasmaFelis » Thu, Oct 17, 2019, 9:06 PM UTC

ryanmercer wrote: post #4

>and how to commit suicide. And that's when I'd come to my senses, realize all the sweet talk they lured me in with was rubbish, and hand in my 2 second resignation notice, if an employer is going to train me on how to end my own life I'm out.

Post by goatinaboat » Thu, Oct 17, 2019, 9:09 PM UTC

selectodude wrote: post #53

goatinaboat wrote: post #12

to "the Farm," a secret CIA facility in Virginia where their grueling training included all the obligatory skills of what Fox refers to as "the Bond business": how to flip or crash a car; how to use a Glock; how to parachute; how to use a speedboat; how to withstand torture; how to use a grocery bag and duct tape to bandage a punctured chest; and how to commit suicide This is over-egging the pudding a bit.

Ed Snowden has a bit in his book about his time at the Farm. It sounded insane, and in line with that.