A set of new WikiLeaks documents reveal CIA instructions for traveling spies and are sure to draw fresh criticism for disclosing government secrets relating to diplomatic activities abroad.
Among the more obvious spy tips offered in the internal CIA documents were instructions for travelers not to buy a one-way ticket with cash the day before flying, and not to “look scruffy while traveling on a diplomatic passport.”
One example cited is that of a CIA officer chosen for secondary screening at a European airport because security personnel found his casual dress inconsistent with being a diplomat. However, the officer stuck to a cover story about being involved with counter-terrorism training in United States and was allowed to continue despite the fact that he tested positive for a trace of explosives.
The documents also recommend that a “consistent, well-rehearsed and plausible cover is important for avoiding secondary selection and critical for surviving it.”
More interestingly, the CIA travel guidelines also provide steps for infiltrating Europe’s border-free Schengen area, including a warning that biometric security measures in the E.U. can pose an “identity threat,” making it more difficult to travel on false documents.
The discussion focuses on the security issues exposed in the documents, including questions about what the CIA officer with the cover story was really doing passing through an E.U. airport with traces of explosives and why he was he allowed to continue.
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