Tech | July 23, 2008 | 10 comments

CIA-funded university program trains the next generation of spies

source: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=626734&hp

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Britny
When classes at the University of Washington resume this fall, some students at the school will be under the watchful eye of a Central Intelligence Agency spook. In fact, some of them will even be learning from him.

This fall, Dr. Tim Thomas, a CIA agent specializing in "open source" data mining, will begin a two-year stint as an officer-in-residence at the UW's Institute for National Security Education and Research (INSER), which is financed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. That office is an umbrella organization for groups such as the U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the CIA—which will provide the university with $2.5 million in grant money over the next five years.

It's not unusual for political or military organizations to recruit on campuses, but it seems strange for the UW to align itself with an agency most recently in the news for overseas kidnappings and harsh interrogation tactics such as waterboarding.

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10 comments // CIA-funded university program trains the next generation of spies

  • Marvelle
    • 0
      Marvelle  

    • They started this in Texas at Texas A&M University (where Robert Gates was president before being head of DoD). Now the University of Texas has one too.

      Universities are where all the education and future social unrest happens (i.e. smart people), fascists all over the world target universities first. We shouldn't be surprised to see this.

      They're not training the new generation, they're recruiting moles for student organizations and keeping tabs on future rabble-rousers.

    • 3 years ago
  • extblues
    • 0
      extblues  

    • This really isn't as shocking as it might sound at first blush. The CIA, NSA, NRO, and a host of other alphabet soup agencies have all had a presents on college campuses across the country for decades. Indeed, ever since its inception in 1947, the CIA has recruited the majority of its analysts and operatives from eastern Ivy league universities (Harvard, Yale, George Washington, etc.).

      Contrary to popular perception, you don't need to be a square jawed, special forces type to be a member of the intelligence community (...and those who want to be like James Bond need not apply; it says so right there on its web page). Just be fluent in a few languages, major in international relations, and be certified in Microsoft Vista and you're all set..

    • 3 years ago
  • Crenshaw_Brothers
  • Ricky84
  • Blazesboy
    • 0
      Blazesboy  
    • Ricky84:

      Ricky, how can data mining itself be evil? Isn't it how one uses it? It's just a general term for gathering information using certain techniques. I mean, freakin' scientists use data mining in all kinds of fields.

      I think it's important to be specific so that people can take you seriously.

    • 3 years ago
  • Ricky84
  • brad149
  • riverdeer
  • jcazen
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