From the Vault: “The Counterintelligence Chief” – with FBI Assistant Director Alan Kohler

Summary Alan Kohler joins Andrew to discuss the FBI’s counterintelligence division. He is a recipient of the FBI Director’s Award for Outstanding Counterintelligence Investigation. ***FULL SHOWNOTES AVAILABLE HERE*** What You’ll Learn Intelligence -Counterintelligence vs. Counterespionage -How the FBI recruit’s foreign agents -Ideological motivations behind spying -Effect of technology on counterintelligence Reflections -Staying grounded under pressure -The value of creativity Notes Alan Kohler (LinkedIn, Website) has been the FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence since 2020. Alan and Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) talk all things counterintelligence. ***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE*** *SpyCasts* -The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran, Part 1 (2022) -The FBI & Cyber with Cyber Division Chief Bryan Vorndran, Part 2 (2022) -My Global Career as a Female FBI Agent with Kathy Stearman (2021) -The FBI Way with Counterintelligence Spy Chief Frank Figliuzzi (2021) ***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE*** *Beginner Resources* -What We Investigate, FBI (n.d.) [webpage] -FAQ’S, FBI (n.d.) [webpage] -US Opens Counterintelligence Investigation into China Every 12 Hours (Dir. Wray), MSNBC (2022) [video] -What We Know About China’s Spy Agency, Bloomberg Originals (2019) [video] -Hollow Nickel/Rudolf Abel, FBI (n.d.) [Article] -NCSC Mission, Vision, and Goals, ODNI (n.d.) [Website] Glossary: -Counterintelligence: Information gathered, and activities conducted to identify, deceive, exploit, disrupt, or protect against espionage or other intelligence activities -FBI Attaché: a special agent assigned to a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas to liaise with local law enforcement and intelligence agencies. They pursue terrorist, intelligence, and criminal threats with international dimensions. -Occam’s Razor: a rule of thumb theory that states when you are faced with competing explanations for the same phenomenon, the simplest one is probably the correct one. Attributed to William of Ockham, a 14th century English theologian. ***FULL RESOURCES AVAILABLE HERE***