Shadows, Spooks and Surveillance
Advice for Journalists Covering the Macabre
After 500 views, a paywall will appear midway through the article. Readers can subscribe for $5 per month for limited access, with the option to cancel anytime, or choose an annual plan for $30 to maintain full access throughout the year.
China In Arms BOOKSTORE and GIFT SHOP!
Twitter and YouTube Page
Subscribe: $30 Annual
13 March 2023
Secrets, Shadows, Spooks
Advice for Journalists Covering the Macabre
By Wendell Minnick (Whiskey Mike) 顏文德
TAIPEI - In my line of work, you are never truly alone. I've had three friends arrested for spying for China, both in Taiwan and the United States. They were all decent people. I met my wife through a Taiwan military liaison officer. She's been a wonderful wife, and we have great kids. Yet...
Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB), a hybrid of the CIA and FBI, is quite noticeable on the streets. They wear distinctive dress shoes manufactured by the military's 205th Arsenal under the Material Production Center, specifically the SS-99 or SS-102 models.
Journalists who focus on military affairs, such as those from Aviation Week, Defense News, and Jane's, often enjoy subtly pointing out hypocrisy for entertainment. This "game card" is shared among the more jaded defense correspondents at defense expos and airshows.
The winner secures free beers for the night, though I must note that tormenting human rights abusers is not advisable. One year, a friend of mine from Eastern Europe won the prize when Pakistan appeared on the list. This happened at Airshow China (Zhuhai) during the promotion of the JF-17 (FC-1) fighter jet.
All journalists who cover violence enjoy macabre humor. If not, they will go insane.
Mark Pedelty noted in his lauded anthropological study War Stories: The Culture of Foreign Correspondents that you can be a human being or a journalist, but not both.
The game card above reenforces Pedelty’s observation that “reporters were forced to normalize the abnormal and routinize the absurd.”
If you work on a dangerous story and fear having an “accident,” copy all the documents and give them to your lawyer with instructions to send them in separate packages to selected newspapers, law enforcement agencies, attorney generals, and investigative journalists. This is similar to the dead man’s switch.
The average foreign correspondent usually knows little about the military. They follow “sanctioned truths” or “news frames” to gain acceptance from peers and editors. Reporters covering military affairs face the same problem. A negative story about companies such as Boeing, Lockheed, or Northrop can trigger a phone call to your boss accusing you of unprofessional conduct at an airshow.
Ironically, it was often the employees of these companies who bought me beers at the local brothel and complained about the very programs that first gave me the story. Singapore’s now-defunct Orchard Towers (“Four Floors of Whores”) thrived during the Singapore Airshow and IMDEX.
In Singapore, I never wrote a negative story about ST Engineering, nor did I mention “Israel” in any of my reports on Singapore’s military. Doing so would have sparked calls to my editors demanding major changes or risked barring me from the next exhibition.
The Singaporean military complained more to my boss than anyone else. They attempted every tactic to control me. Initially, they granted me extensive access to high-ranking officials, who provided meticulously crafted responses to my questions. However, as they grew increasingly hostile, they eventually denied me all direct access to military sources.
To circumvent these restrictions, I began seeking answers from taxi drivers. I would introduce myself as someone in the defense industry and casually inquire if they had served. Mentioning that I lived in Taiwan often elicited revealing reactions. Some drivers would share detailed experiences, such as participating in jungle and mountain training programs, providing me with valuable insights. Other questions, like "Are there tanks hidden under condominiums?" or "What ship were you on?", also yielded informative responses.
Taxi drivers, often frustrated individuals, tend to be talkative. This approach was effective worldwide, especially in areas difficult to survey. By spending about half an hour in each taxi and moving from one to another, I could gather a wealth of information.
The Singapore military became increasingly agitated over stories that barely skirted the edge of acceptable discourse. Early in my career, I was invited to an expensive lunch with about ten military liaison officers, who took turns yelling at me. In response, I requested a whiskey, understanding the importance of maintaining composure and not eating the provided food during such encounters. This allowed me to assess their true level of anger and control the dynamic of the meeting.
I realized that walking away from a fight is never an option; it's part of the story and either a learning experience or a sign to find another line of work.
Apologizing is never advisable, as it can be used against you.
At airshows and defense expos, journalists are often photographed. During the 2016 Airshow China, I decided to fight back against the constant photography by surveillance teams. I identified patterns in their attire, such as the same shoes and watches, and used this information to my advantage. These teams were taking "target acquisition photos," which I could use to enhance my awareness and presence.
At the 2014 China Airshow, organizers placed all military journalists in the same hotel, known as the "Media Hotel." This older building housed us in rooms situated above or below one another, tucked inside the emergency staircase instead of the main hallway.
Andrew Erickson and I wandered the hallway for ten minutes, searching for our rooms, before finally checking the fire exit door. This setup, known as "stovepiping," was common before the advent of WiFi. The original surveillance team operated from a basement room equipped with TV monitors, making it easier to wire everything through the wet walls or staircase. Hard wiring was the only option before the introduction of Bluetooth and WiFi.
Erickson embraced a hands-on, boots-on-the-ground approach, standing out among the few U.S. academics and think tank experts who attended the China Airshow over the years. Unlike many of his peers in the D.C. scholarly circuit, who often hide behind their computer screens and decorate their offices with impressive-sounding books, Erickson actively engaged with the events and people at the airshow. This method allowed him to gather more authentic and nuanced information, as many of his colleagues remain in their "brick wall" of academic isolation, gradually walling themselves into a prison of their own making. They rarely attend such events without a grant to cover their expenses, and there is little "piss and vinegar" at prestigious think tanks like CSIS, Heritage, or Rand.
During my first trip to the 2006 China Airshow, I took a "burner laptop" that contained only a word processor and a web browser, ensuring no sensitive data was at risk. This older laptop was wiped clean multiple times, and I left it in the room's safe, knowing that even if it were stolen, there would be nothing of value to download. This precautionary measure highlights the careful planning and awareness of potential security risks at such events.
For communication, I used a one-time email address on Yahoo for each trip, changing it for every show. For example, I used "Zhuhai2012@" and then changed it for subsequent events. This strategy allowed me to file stories to my boss during the show but quickly revealed the challenges of logging onto Yahoo, which consumed valuable writing time. The unreliable email service often resulted in bounced messages, further complicating my efforts to stay connected.
Eventually, I began writing articles only after leaving China.
At the 2006 Zhuhai Airshow, still a dedicated weightlifter, I noticed a sign in the hotel advertising a "Fitness Room." I headed down in my sweats, eager to work out and tear some muscle fiber. There, I encountered the "mamasan," who was in charge of a brothel. If there were any machines inside, they were likely not Nautilus equipment, but rather an Asian "octopus chair" commonly found in short-time hotels.
During my trips to China, when I shared a room with a fellow journalist, I often used a Magic Slate to communicate about anything sensitive, including even where to go for dinner. These devices are still manufactured in Asia, but I'm not sure if they are available in the U.S.
When I travel outside of Taiwan or meet with a sensitive source in the local defense community, I always use a Faraday bag for my phone and laptop. These bags are specifically designed to prevent tracking and protect the contents of my devices from unauthorized access. By placing my devices in a Faraday bag, I ensure that no signals can get in or out, effectively shielding them from potential hacking attempts or data extraction. This added layer of security is crucial in an era where digital privacy is increasingly under threat, especially when dealing with sensitive information in high-stakes environments I use Mission Darkness, as it is successful during my so-called adventures.
I use Signal because it is currently the best encrypted messaging app available on the commercial market, offering both email and voice/video call features. You can install Signal on your phone, laptop, or main computer, making it versatile for various devices. One of its standout features is the ability to set messages to automatically delete a few minutes after they are read, adding an extra layer of security to your communications.
For instance, if I have a meeting with a valuable source who could lose their job or even face arrest for talking to me, I use Signal to communicate and set up the meeting. Before leaving the house, I turn off my phone and place it inside a Faraday bag. Even if you turn your phone off, it can still be tracked, so keeping it in the bag until I return home or reach a different area ensures that my location remains secure.
A source risking their job makes me responsible for protecting their identity and information. For a U.S. government source with a security clearance, losing their clearance is like losing a union card; it allows them to work in the intelligence, military, and defense industries. If they lose it, their life can spiral into bankruptcy, divorce, and limited child visitation. The story is always the same: loss of income leads to a downward spiral that can be devastating for the individual and their family.
Note, you have to download the Signal app on your phone first, which is the initial step in setting up the application.
When a military or intelligence source provides me with a document, I never quote directly from it; instead, I paraphrase the content. This precaution is crucial because counter-intelligence operatives often distribute documents to test their people. These documents might be genuine or fabricated, but they typically contain subtle alterations—such as changing specific words—that serve as a "fingerprint," allowing them to identify the recipient. By paraphrasing, I avoid leaving any traceable evidence that could link me to the source.
My experience in Korea taught me that the security services loved to drop manila envelopes in mailboxes. You carried them home, and they raided you with “classified documents” before expelling you.
For example, if I suspect that a document I've received might be part of a trap, I first check if I'm being followed. If not, I place the document in an envelope and take it to a stationary shop. From there, I go to my post office, where I have a post office box, and address the envelope with my name and PO Box number. This method ensures that the document is securely stored in a locked box, where post office employees are unlikely to notice another envelope among the others. If it turns out to be a trap and my office is raided by the police a few days later, the possession of classified documents could determine my fate. After a week or so, I retrieve the document.
When I notice that I'm being followed, I never attempt to lose them. Instead, I let them continue their surveillance and avoid meeting my source or visiting any sensitive locations. I might go to a movie, a coffee shop, or do some shopping. If I were to lose them, they might take revenge, potentially compromising my future operations.
Taking my tail to a movie is an enjoyable experience for them. They don't relish following me around all day, so a bit of popcorn and an action film provides a kind of bonding experience for both of us. However, if I annoy them with tactics like jumping in and out of taxis to lose them, I could be in trouble. When I return home, I might find that they've had dinner and left a mess on the dining table. This isn't harmful, but it's a clear signal that they didn't appreciate my attempts to evade them. If I have orange juice in my fridge, now is a good time to dump it.
Moreover, some individuals who present themselves as sources are actually influencers or specialized propagandists. In China, there's a "think tank" called CICIR, or the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (中国现代国际关系研究院), which is operated by the Ministry of State Security (MSS). They attend international defense conferences like the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, aiming to present a different narrative to the West's "Dragon Slayers" (as opposed to "Panda Huggers" or China apologists). Additionally, they collect data on everyone at the conference for the MSS. While they aren't spies per se, they are intelligence collectors, gathering information that can be used to further China's strategic interests.
The other challenge in covering espionage is that you have to be either insane or slightly overmedicated to jump over a fence or climb over a wall to gather information. This level of invasiveness requires a certain disregard for personal safety and potential consequences. Additionally, you must be prepared for the possibility that violence could be the outcome, as tensions can escalate quickly in such situations.
Below is a North Korean front company in Taipei. This should be considered unprofessional conduct as a journalist. But this is the result of my jaded view of the world and the hypocrisy that exists in the human heart.
After my article was published in Asia Times, they called to threaten my family. In response, I took all the documents from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan and published them on Amazon, asserting my control as the boss. I made it clear that if they sent anyone to our house to intimidate us, there would be blood.
Being the boss is crucial; otherwise, you're finished as a journalist. I didn't bother calling the police, as this wasn't a matter for them, and my phone calls are monitored by Taiwan’s version of Big Brother. They know what's about to happen and will simply observe the situation.
Pelosi and the So-Called Missile Crisis
The Pelosi visit in August 2022 is a prime example of hypocrisy. Was it genuinely a show of U.S. support for a fledgling democracy, or was it a typical "fundraiser" that retiring U.S. government officials often undertake before transitioning into the private sector?
The money they seek is usually earmarked for an NGO they have established, which could be a think tank or a "Save the Whale" nonprofit that operates with a profit. However, these visits are never truly about saving anyone from evil empires; they are primarily about personal financial gain.
However, some in Taiwan understand this truth:
Drunks, Prostitutes, Weapons…never, never, never.
You are not James Bond, and this is not a John Wick movie. You are not Hunter S. Thompson. When Thompson went to Saigon to cover the final stand as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) prepared for their last offensive, he didn't write about it. He was whacked out of his mind.
His fellow journalists reported that he was dropping acid on the frontline, endangering them with his bizarre antics. Later, they remarked that Hunter couldn't write about real fear and loathing when confronted with it. If I had been there on the frontline with him, giving away our position with his howling at the moon, I would have shot him in the back or even asked the NVA to do it.
Learn your map symbols and the military alphabet.
As a journalist, you have a thousand eyes on you, especially now with facial recognition and cameras everywhere. This was evident at the YITU Technologies (依图科技) booth at the 2018 Defense Services Asia Expo in Malaysia. The photograph below shows me gazing into Nietzsche’s abyss. To learn more about this unsettling company, read THIS.
If the government can track your cell phone, they can turn on the microphone and camera. I learned this firsthand, and it's a stark reminder of the invasive capabilities available to authorities.
Unfortunately, your best sources often turn out to be drunk defense contractors who frequent brothels. They talk when they get drunk; frustrated people always do. If you can figure out where they hang out, become a regular there. Act like a familiar, good ole’ boy.
It's also crucial to learn how to smoke coffin nails. Sources trust you more if you share their bad habits. Buy a pack, bring it partially empty, and use a Zippo with something engraved on it - common in the military, and it gives your target a feeling of camaraderie. I recommend Marlboro reds; they're associated with the masculine Marlboro Man. Avoid "light" cigarettes or those sold in pastel packages; they scream pansy.
You have to give the devil his due. You can drink with sources in brothels, but never leave with one of the girls unless you want a souvenir you have to explain to your wife or future wife.
You might have to carry your source out if they're plastered. You are responsible for them, especially if they are alone. Don't leave them. Learn the Fireman’s Carry.
Alcohol is a huge problem in my business. You can test your alcohol intake by asking yourself if you match the second stage: "It is a two-stage process to alcoholism. Stage One - Surround yourself with alcoholics. Stage Two - Call them your friends."
Pedelty describes how the combination of journalism and violence results in burn-out:
“It [reporting war] has killed something in my mind. I can’t sleep. I can’t talk with people that don’t think like me. I don’t have a good time with people that just talk shit [normal conversation]. The normal ways of the journalist are not normal…. If you don’t have good morals, you become neurotic. Some get drunk, some take drugs. A lot go to Gloria’s House, to see prostitutes.”
Always stay in your lane and never forget that while you can drink with your sources, you will never be one of them. You will never be a Green Beret, a CIA Agent, or a U.S. Marine. Remember that you are a journalist; your sources are not your friends, but that doesn't mean they should be exploited either. Never lie to them. Ever.
If they ask if you are a journalist, say yes and emphasize that you write for XYZ. They respect brand names such as Aviation Week, Jane’s, and Defense News far more than AP or even the New York Times (trust me, the NYT is a joke in my defense industry world).
On sources you often have to massage the truth out of them. One common tactic is to match and mirror their behavior. If they drink wine, you drink wine. Make sure you match their level on the glass. It can be either half empty or half full, but pay attention.
If you Match and Mirror someone who spots the trick, and is a smooth talker who is firm with his positions, assume they have serious intelligence training. The U.S. intelligence community teaches various manipulation tactics including NLP.
But try not to dress like them. If they are wearing a business suit or a polo shirt, do not mirror their style. Instead, dress like a bum. They will either feel sorry for you or think you are an alcoholic, or both. I often dressed this way to make them feel superior. If they are from Washington, where everyone wears suits and ties and watches their tongue, it doesn't hurt for them to see you as a non-threat.
In fact, it is extremely important to make them feel superior.
Try not to talk about work; focus on anything but work. If they are baseball fans, conjure up stories you remember. Eventually, they will murmur something significant without realizing it.
When they do give you something, even if it's small, go to the men's room and write it down. Do not do it in front of them. If you don't write it down, the alcohol will wipe your memory clean the next morning.
I've had sources who don't remember telling me something sensitive. I write the story and assign them as a "Pentagon source." When I see them again on their next visit to Taipei, they say, "Wow, how did you get that story? My boss went apeshit." They are clueless.
Denial is the most predictable human emotion. Then they tell you something else, and it builds. The unconscious mind is driving the car, and you are just a passenger waving at pretty girls. So a sleazy bar with pretty girls helps.
I have no illusions about the discomforts posed by the dilemmas and paradoxes of reporting. In Janet Malcolm’s pivotal work on the psychopathology of journalism: The Journalist and the Murderer (1990):
“Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible. He is a kind of confidence man, preying on people's vanity, ignorance or loneliness, gaining their trust and betraying them without remorse,”
Photographs
Sometimes, I just have to protect someone's identity to save them from the inevitable damage my photograph will cause. As a journalist, I am not human, but they are; they have families to feed.
I have blotted out the eyes and ears, both used to identify people, along with the moles and skin blemishes, to protect one of the security officers for Taiwan’s president. He had just come back from training at Blackwater’s North Carolina facility and shouldn't have worn the hat at an event.
I am a journalist, not the wrath of God. Destroying men who are just doing their jobs will haunt me. They are not politically important; they are just grunts.
When I write a story that destroys careers or perhaps kills a billion-dollar arms deal, they never forget me. Never.
I have invited these people into my life. After 25 years covering the wacky world of the military-industrial-entertainment complex, it has taught me that their hatred only grows stronger over the years. They will go out of their way at the airport to give me a piece of their mind, which is embarrassing because I often do not remember them.
When I write someone’s name in my article, they think of it as a black spot. Eventually, they blame me for every problem in their lives: job loss, bankruptcy, divorce, etc. I do not know if it is true or not. Perhaps my article hurt them, but did it kill the cow? But I never apologize. This will make them even more angry, especially when they realize I do not know who they are.
At one of the Airshow China Expos, the surveillance folks were really on my ass. I had to get a photograph of the new Z11WB attack helicopter, but they asked the show girls to stand in front of me. This was just harassment for fun, as I had every right to photograph anything at Zhuhai. Instead, I changed tactics. It took longer, but after about a zillion photographs, I finally got the whole helicopter.
Below is a building across from the new American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) compound in Taipei, the de facto U.S. Embassy. A Taiwan intelligence source told me that a mainland Chinese company bought an entire floor, allegedly an upper floor. This would give Chinese intelligence a full line-of-sight of the AIT compound.
When I asked an AIT source about the issue, they said that it was "normal at all our embassies" to have surveillance. It seems no one cared. It would have only taken one phone call to the Taiwan President to have the Chinese thrown out, but do not expect AIT to do it.
In Taiwan, AIT has been dubbed "Assholes In Taiwan" by the Taiwan military brass.
When you are around a sensitive facility, always take a picture of the flag. In the photograph below, you can see the green flag on the right and the number of stars. This represents the army, and the stars identify the commander’s rank. I took the photograph below at the signal intelligence (SigInt) facility in Linkou in northern Taiwan. This practice helps in understanding the context and the hierarchy of the personnel present at the facility.
Also, never forget that security at these bases often includes men in plain clothes, usually wearing baseball caps and military-style cargo pants, who will position themselves near you to monitor your picture-taking. Be sure to shoot the facility as quickly as possible and then take the memory card out and hide it. Use another memory card to shoot the park scenery. If they detain you and examine the memory card on a computer, it will only show the birds and the bees. This tactic ensures that your sensitive photographs remain secure and undetected.
The park above is across the street from the JV SIGINT facility in Yamingshan, which is run by the U.S. National Security Agency and Taiwan’s National Security Bureau.
Proof of the "site visit" is required for your editors and critics. This can be done by simply photographing the corner road sign or the building itself.
Sometimes, I cannot write the truth. But I can add a photograph as cover art for my "curtain raiser" story; these stories are often lengthy and serve as the first piece for an airshow or defense exhibition.
The photograph below, taken at one of the Airshow China events in Zhuhai, is an example. I never mentioned in my article that GE was next to the PLAAF. If I had, GE would have called to scream at my boss.
If my editor had rejected the photograph, I would have simply reached out to fellow military journalists who attended the event to offer one of them the photograph to write up, without mentioning me.
Other Foreign Journalists - Friend or Foe?
“The rest of us recognized the danger of the endless envy of those not blessed. We must not remind them that Giants walk the earth.” - Superman warns Batman in the graphic novel. Batman: The Dark Knight (2008).
Members of the Foreign Press Clubs at capitals around Asia often have a Friday night Happy Hour. This is the only time these clubs are busy. No one hangs out there during the week. The Hong Kong FCC is too pretentious to enjoy an evening alone, but Friday is doable. Ironically, the monthly membership at the HKFCC is far too high for most journalists. It has become a haven for bankers and financial big wigs. They like the ambience of being in the midst of war correspondents who pass through.
The Taiwan FCC has no facilities. They simply meet at a different venue one Friday every month. I have learned to avoid the writers and hang out with the photographers. They are far more sarcastic, and you can make friends quickly. They do not see you as competition. They dress very differently than the scribes.
Scribes wear suits and bow ties, Harry Potter glasses, and remind everyone around them that they are submitting one of their stories for a Pulitzer. Run away from these people. Photographers dress down, wearing cargo pants, photographer vests, hiking boots, etc. They are far more interesting than scribes.
Photographers love souvenirs.
One of my war photographer friends attended the cremation of Pol Pot in Cambodia. As the wood turned into red hot embers, a part of a leg bone poked out. He stepped forward, as if trying to get a different angle for a picture, and stepped on the bone to roll it out. Looking around carefully, he put his boot on it and bent down to tie his shoes. The bone broke in two, and he stood slowly with both pieces in his hand. He shared one with a fellow photographer. The other piece sits on his mantel at home.
It was like a piece of Hitler on your bookshelf. Journalists will hate you if you break too many big stories. One trick they use is to mangle your name. Mine was "Maniac," twisted from Minnick.
Their worldview is that they are "professional journalists" who ask "tough questions," and even if the answer is a lie, the journalist will write it up and publish it.
Many of them are stringers who work for big-name media institutions but get treated like shit. So, it's not unusual for a stringer to flash their name card with a big media name and scowl at you when you ask, "Are you staff?"
Never allow journalists to be your friend on Facebook and LinkedIn. If they are, they are looking at your sources to harvest. All my LinkedIn contacts are in the defense and intelligence community. Facebook is only for old friends and family. I keep both locked down to such a degree that visitors can see nothing unless I accept their request to join.
If you wear a vest on a military exercise or in a war zone, these are the type of patches (with velcro) that can be used when appropriate. If you are a U.S. citizen, do not wear an American flag. This could get you killed. When I was in countries that were not friendly to the U.S., I would wear a Canadian T-shirt.
Also, get some blood type patches when you are going to be around ordnance. Some U.S. special operation personnel, Green Berets, and SEALs, get their blood type tattooed on them.
I am old-fashioned, but dog tags have some practicality. Mine has my name, citizenship, blood type, and passport number. Additionally, I carry a metal thumb drive and a talisman. Mine is the Star of David, but I remove it in the Middle East.
Some have all kinds of talismans: four-leaf clover, crucifix, memento mori, etc. Do not forget that blast injury could push these metal objects into your body. I have been around a lot of close calls with munitions detonating unexpectedly; you can feel every bone in your body.
Research Tools
You must consider the following resources:
1) The 650-page annual Open Source Intelligence Techniques: Resources for Searching and Analyzing Online Information by Michael Bazzell. It might be cheaper to buy last year’s edition, but is a life saver.
2) Maltego is a free research data system that allows you to see things you missed in your research. Click Maltego. See example below.
Due Diligence
So, if you want to be an investigative journalist, you might as well work for a due diligence (DD) company like Black Peak or Control Risks. At least you get paid massive amounts of money, and it is basically the same job. Some investigative journalists covering business or military issues end up in the DD community.
Journalism is, indeed, dying. And if you can do a few years living overseas and perfect the language, I recommend the DD world later as a career option.
END
