560--Middle Eastern Intelligence Services and Terrorist Organizations

CI Centre Professors David Major, Clare Lopez and Brian Weidner talk about this course

Listen (.mp3)

COURSE DETAILS:

Length: 5 days

Location: CI Centre training facility in Alexandria, VA or at your location

This course is only run when sponsored by an organization for a minimum of 12 or 25 people.

This course is also on the GSA Schedule for the already-negotiated best price for the Government.

Let us know how to contact your training purchaser and we'll provide them with more information.

Fill out our Contact Us form or call us at 1-800-779-4007.

VA or at your location

Brochure (.pdf)

Course is taught by:

Dr. Walid Phares

Renowned expert and author of Future Jihad, The War of Ideas, and The Confrontation. Senior Fellow and the director for Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington. Also teaches at the National Defense University.

Clare Lopez

Retired senior CIA Operations Officer. Served in the Agency for 20 years. Expert on Russia, Iran and the Middle East.

Brian Weidner

Recently retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent having 22 years of field experience conducting and supervising Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence Investigations targeting Middle Eastern State Sponsors of Terrorism, Islamic Inspired Middle Eastern Terrorist Groups and Non-Traditional Terrorist and Intelligence targets. Trained and has served as a bomb technician and hostage negotiator.

David Major

CI Centre President. Senior FBI Supervisory Special Agent, retired with 24 years of service. Well-known expert in counterintelligence and counterterrorism.

and others

Why do you need to understand Middle Eastern intelligence services and terrorist organizations?

September 11, 2001 changed the nation’s views of conflict and threats in a fundamental and profound way. For 10 years, from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 to 2001, many elements of US society viewed the world as devoid of real danger. All national security agencies experienced dramatic cuts in their funding and, as a result, in their professional development training programs. Despite a number of high profile terrorist attacks during this period, the vast majority of the US national intelligence and national defense communities were trained and focused on the threats of the Cold War.

As a result of Congressional investigations of the US intelligence community in 1975, the FBI began to manage all terrorist investigations under its Criminal Division. This required a criminal predicate to begin an investigation. This practice continued until the mid-1990s. As a result, development of expertise on the Middle East and Islam within the US national security communities was stunted. This problem was compounded by the fact that beginning in 1979, Saudi Arabia began to provide large grants to US universities to teach Middle Eastern study programs. The majority of these university programs provided an incorrect, misinformed, or biased view of the nature of Islam and the Middle East in general. Students of Middle Eastern studies were then hired into the government, the media, influential think tanks, and as new university professors. The result was that when the US was attacked on September 11, American society as a whole did not understand why or how to respond to this “new war.”

A war has been declared against the United States and Western civilization by individuals who proudly identify themselves as modern day Jihadists. This enemy has stated unambiguously that they fight jihad in the furtherance of Islamic causes. They have repeatedly declared unequivocally on film, video, in public speeches, and on the Internet that their goal is to destroy our way of life. We are obligated to respond to this threat, accepting the terrorists at their word as to motivation and intent, and acknowledging that their doctrine, even if it is based on false assumptions on the part of the terrorist, is a powerful motivator for their actions.

Why didn't we know?

Read: Jihad vs Education

560

Middle Eastern Intelligence Services and Terrorist Organizations

This five-day course is essential for any individual or organization whose area of responsibility is the Middle East and/or terrorism.

“This course provide knowledge that applies to all personnel in the intelligence field. Information all Americans should know. Information all the personnel should know before going to the Middle East. Information that will allow me to do my job better and I have to accomplish my mission. Wished I had this training before I deployed the first time.”―Course Attendee

The seminar will provide a foundation for the students to understand and interpret events that are currently unfolding in the Middle East and the missions, operations and methodologies of the key Middle Eastern intelligence and counterintelligence services.

Also, this seminar will examine the operations and methodologies of terrorist organizations that have spawned in the region.

The seminar covers the roots of today’s civilizational conflict with the Islamist jihad—the political beginnings of Islam and Islamic doctrine—and how this political ideology continues to define the actions of Muslim terrorists today.

The seminar then covers the intelligence and counterintelligence services of four key Middle Eastern countries: Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. It looks at case studies to understand these services’ operations in and out of their own countries, and especially in the United States.

The seminar also provides a powerful look at the kind of tradecraft and operations security terrorists use in conducting terrorist operations.

Course Feedback

“This course provide knowledge that applies to all personnel in the intelligence field. Information all Americans should know. Information all the personnel should know before going to the Middle East. Information that will allow me to do my job better and I have to accomplish my mission. Wished I had this training before I deployed the first time.”
“I would see great value in taking this course before each deployment.”
“The course allowed me to better understand the Middle East. Gave me more of a counterintelligence perspective.”
“This information was invaluable. I’ve had so little understanding of who the real enemy is and how, and why, they operate. Extremely useful.”
“Excellent information. The course opened my eyes to many concepts and perspectives I did not know.”
“The detail was rich, presentation never lagged. The best information communicated were the reasons why this information was important and how it all fits together. The TurningPoint devices were excellent in keeping one’s attention and enabled us to focus. Helped us realize what we didn’t know and focus on learning that. Very interesting to learn what others did or did not know.”
“This is amazing. Excellent information on recruiting and handling assets. Helps me see things from the other side.”
“Invaluable!”
“Excellent. Invaluable insight into the capabilities and techniques of terrorist organizations.”

What did you learn in this course that will help you in your career and profession?

“I have a better understanding of the Middle East regional intelligence services and their missions/roles within their country.”
“Methods of operations for Middle East intelligence operations.”
“Good information on Middle Eastern organizations and intelligence groups. Good intertwining of histories of the Arab countries.”
“Better understanding of Israeli-Arab conflict. Better understanding of Islam. Better understanding of current threats.”
“TTPs of intelligence agencies. Historical background and personalities of foreign intelligence.”
“A heightened sense of professional paranoia, always a plus.”
“Better insight on the purpose and ideology behind Islam.”
“Of all the four years I’ve been in the army and my first deployment, I can say I did not know what was really happening. The past five days, I have learned about what my life is worth.”
“History of intelligence services.”
“I learned how all the different intelligence services in the Middle East were created and how they were all linked together.”
“Better understanding of Middle Eastern countries.”
“A new understanding of the Islamic faith. Intelligence agencies that I had no knowledge of.”
“An understanding of Middle Eastern culture as well as their intelligence organizations and how they operate.”
“More information on Islam and methodologies.”
“I now have a different way to look at the Middle East. How they think and why they do what they do.”
“Every portion offered different lessons learned.”
“More history on the area we focus on.”
“Future threats, modus operandi, vulnerabilities of our operations.”

What will you do differently as a result of this knowledge?

“Now I can make targeting more specific and give better guidance.”
“Ensure the knowledge I obtained from this course is applied to practices on my protection.”
“I will be able to have a deeper knowledge of the threats I will encounter.”
“Know thy enemy better.”
“Scrutinize research sources closer.”
“Renew my efforts.”
“I realized that I need to read much more.”
“I will take a different approach to my job and/or have the option to take different approaches.”
“Read more! Share knowledge.”
“Know better what to look for.”
“I will have a better understanding of Islamic people and may possibly help others understand it.”
“Apply it to assist recruitment.”
“Take some of the terror groups with more seriousness.”
“Read everything I can get my hands on to get even more knowledge.”

What did you like best about this course and why?

“I liked the real world examples and applications because I could directly relate the lessons learned to future operations and situations.”
“Everything. Because all I learned here, I never knew.”
“The personal and inside knowledge.”
“Case studies and examples. Instructors provided good experience to subject matter.”
“I liked that the presentation toggled between normal slideshow instruction and reinforcing video clips. I also liked the class involvement in discussion and that the instructors had first-hand knowledge of events, people and places at historical times or with historical significance.”
“I liked the background on Islam.”
“Foreign intelligence training, because it allowed me to understand their MO.”
“Caliber of instructors and multi-media presentations.”
“Learning from people with actual experience. Many videos kept presentation moving and held interest. They had stimulating content.”
“Instructor knowledge, depth of information covered in course.”
“Professors have knowledgeability and experience. They really know what they are talking about.”
“The SMEs who were able to share their wealth of knowledge. Very interactive, allowed for great discussions.”
“Course on Israel and Hezbollah.”
“The vast knowledge the instructors had of the Middle East and their agencies.”
“Calls ‘evil’ evil and ‘good’ good.”
“The instructors had real life experience and vast knowledge of the subject they spoke about.”
“Saudi Arabia and Iranian History.”
“The information on Hezbollah/Iran.”
“The knowledge and experience of the instructor.”
“Presented by subject matter experts with in-depth knowledge.”

Additional

“I really liked how Mr. Major built his lecture on a foundation of history and background information. This served both to support what may be a controversial subject matter, but also to put the information into a broader context.”
“Lot of material in a short period of time. A good introduction/refresher on tenets of Islam. The historical ties to World War II Germany also a plus.”
“Confirmed bits and pieces of information I had known prior. Presented information in an easy to understand manner.”
“Very factual. Did not beat around the bush and try to be politically correct. Showed how we are fighting a war of ideology.”
“Great introduction to Middle Eastern history and Islam.”
“Best course material I’ve yet seen on what the issues were that led to the formation of Israel and also on the actual sequence of events surrounding the creation of the state itself.”
“Fascinating to know how and why the Israeli intelligence services operate and very sobering reminder that friends and allies will act in their own best interests (survival) first and foremost.”
“The background and history of the Iraqi intelligence services was helpful in the aspect it provided a better overview of the thought process and methods of Iraqi personnel today.”
“The course was an eye opener to the activities of the Saudi intelligence.”
“I learned a lot, especially their money using methods and Afghanistan supporting and Wahabi supporting mindset. I liked the sidebar discussions to further explain a point.”
“Hezbollah information was very interesting and disturbing.”
“Excellent point of view/perspective. This was actually more information and insight than I expected.”
“Very detailed information on Hezbollah historic alliance. Great class. ”