Gideon's Spies: The Secret History of the Mossad

GLOSSARY

Active measures Operations to influence or otherwise affect other

ANC nations’ policies African National Congress

ANO Abu Nidal Organization

AFR Automatic fingerprint recognition

AI Artificial intelligence

AL Specialist unit operating under deep cover in the United States

Aman Israeli military intelligence

ASU Active service terrorist unit

AWAC Airborne warning and control aircraft

Babbler Counterbugging device

Backstopping Fake identification papers

Base Permanent station in foreign country

Bat leveyha Female assistant agent

Better world Euphemism for killing enemy agent; similarly, to “send a person on vacation” means to injure him/her — the extent of the injury depends on whether the “vacation” is to be brief or long

Bioleverage Euphemism for blackmail — literally, the use of derogatory information to coerce someone

Blind dating Meeting place chosen by a contact to meet his controller

Blow-back Fake stories fed to foreign news media

Bodel A courier

BND BundesNachrichtenDienst, German Federal Intelligence Service, concerned with both foreign and domestic intelligence

Bug Electronic device for hearing and recording

Burn An agent deliberately sacrificed in order to protect a more valuable spy

BW Biological weapons

Case death Operation that fails for no obvious reason

Case officer In charge of field agents

CAT Computer-aided tomography

Chamfering Technique for opening sealed mail

CIA Central Intelligence Agency

CIS Commonwealth of Independent States

CIO Central Imagery Office

Cold approach Attempt to recruit a foreign national

Comint Acronym for communications intelligence

Cover Identity assumed by intelligence officer when abroad

Cultivation Establishing rapport with a source of information

CW Chemical weapons

Daylight Highest form of alert

Dardasim Agents operating in China

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration

DI Directorate of Intelligence

DCI Director of Central Intelligence Agency

DIA Defence Intelligence Agency

Diamond Communications unit

DO Directorate of Operations

Dry cleaning Various techniques to avoid surveillance

ECM Electronic countermeasure

EDP Electronic data processing

Elint Electronic intelligence intercepted from radar, satellites

Exfiltrate Removing an agent from hostile country

Falach Agent working in Lebanon

FACES Facial Analysis Comparison and Elimination System

False flagging Recruiting a person who believes he or she will be working for another country or interest

Fumigate Sweeping an area for electronic bugs

Go-away Prearranged signal not to make contact at previously arranged rendezvous

Grinder Debriefing room, also used to interrogate suspects

Honey trap Sexual entrapment for intelligence purposes

Humint Intelligence gathered by agents in the field

IDA Intelligence database

IED Improvised explosive device

IFF Identification, friend or foe

II Image identification

Institute Formal name of Mossad — Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations; originally called Institute for Coordination

IR Infrared

ISA Intelligence support activity

JIL Joint Intelligence Center

Jumper Agent working overseas on short-term assignment

Katsa Case officer

Kidon Operative specializing in assassination

LAKAM Intelligence agency gathering scientific data

Legend Bogus biography for katsa

LAP Department of Psychological Warfare

Light cover Katsa working under diplomatic cover

Loot Intelligence gathered from operations

Mabuah A non-Jewish informer

Measles Assassination that appears to stem from natural causes

Meluckha Recruiting department

Memune Title given to director general of Mossad

Miketel Bug for intercepting/recording telephone calls

Mishlashim Dead letter box; a secure place for an agent to receive or drop off information

Music box Radio transmitter

Naka Writing system

Nativ Agent working in former Soviet Union

Neviot Surveillance specialist

NHITC National Human Intelligence Tasking Center

NIC National Intelligence Center

NSA National Security Agency

NSTL National security threat list

OAU Organization of African Unity

Oter Arab recruited to work with other Arabs

PFLP Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

PLF Palestine Liberation Front

PLO Palestine Liberation Organization

Photint Photographic intelligence

PROD Technique for retrieving photographs from optical disc

Radint Radar intelligence

Reg-sig Recognition signal for katsa to make contact with field agent in public place

RAF Red Army Faction (Germany)

Safanim Unit to target PLO

Safe house Apartment or house used for secret meetings or as an operations base

Shicklut Surveillance department

Sleeper Katsa/agent to be called upon in only the most dire circumstances

Slick Hiding place for documents

Target Intelligence assignment

Teud Forged document

Telint Telemetry intelligence

Vacuamer Agent who provides details of all aspects of a target

Walk-in Person who volunteers to serve

Wash Recycling of a valid passport obtained by theft or purchased

Yahalomin Special communications unit