grey dynamics

Chushi Gangdruk: The CIA Trained Khampa Guerrillas and the Rescue of the Dalai Lama  

April 8, 2021

Michael Ellmer

  CIA and the ColdWar-era fight against global communist expansion go hand and hand. In a lesser-known tale of covert operations, the agency trained Khampa warriors of Tibet waged a guerilla war against Mao’s Chinese expansion.   “My father would tell us; the Communist Chinese are enemies of Buddhism. So, since they were enemies of Buddhism, we never felt it was a sin to kill them. In fact, we were happy to kill as many as we could. When we…

Free Joseon: North Korean Resistance

April 7, 2021

Iñigo Camilleri De Castanedo

    Free Joseon is the leading North Korean resistance body against the regime of Kim Jong Un. Self-branded as the government-in-exile. Free Joseon organised the break-in to the North Korean embassy in Madrid in 2019.     Relevance   The existence of organised North Korean opposition sounds like a myth, considering the security state led by Kim Jong Un. An established government-in-exile in a western country seems unlikely. Western recognition creates unrest with the North Korean government and risks…

COINTELPRO: The WikiLeaks of the 1960’s

April 1, 2021

Michael Ellmer

    COINTELPRO is a highly controversial domestic surveillance program carried out by the FBI in the 1960s. What was supposed to be a secret anti-Communist surveillance operation turned into a weaponized apparatus of the FBI with sights focused on a wide array of social groups.   Two decades have passed since the September 11th attacks. From the moment the first Twin Tower in New York City was struck by a hijacked plane, the world changed. While the rumble was still…

Mauritania: The Successful Fight Against Terrorism

March 30, 2021

Ana-Maria Baloi

  Key Judgements   KJ-1. The West Sahel region is engulfed in radicalism-driven violence. The phenomenon is spreading now towards the Gulf of Guinea coast, endangering even more countries.   KJ-2. Since the widespread extremist attacks in the region, Mauritania is the sole country with almost no terrorist attacks.   KJ-3. Mauritania managed to adjust its military taught and counterterrorism strategy to face widespread radicalism in the region.     Historical Background   In 1960, Mauritania alongside many other countries…

Hezbollah’s Business Affairs Component

March 29, 2021

Iñigo Camilleri De Castanedo

    Hezbollah relies on a network of recruits, sympathisers and non-state actors to obtain profits while maintaining deniability. From donations to extortions, methodologies to obtain funding vary depending on the environment and communities.     Why Does This Matter?   'Hezbollah engages in drug trafficking.' Half-truths like this statement create false comparisons, such as Hezbollah mirroring drug cartel behaviour outside Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. While Hezbollah’s financial wing does obtain profits from drug trafficking, the structure makes illicit trade…

Hezbollah’s Black Ops Intelligence

March 23, 2021

Iñigo Camilleri De Castanedo

    The External Security Organisation (ESO) or Unit 910, is Hezbollah’s black ops clandestine branch with a likely network of agents spanning five continents.     Why Does This Matter?   Hezbollah’s External Security Organisation (ESO) is labelled as the foreign military wing of Hezbollah. The idea of the ESO goes further than what can be perceived as a ‘military wing’. Also known as “Unit 910” or “Islamic Jihad Organisation” (IJO), the branch functions as Hezbollah’s black ops intelligence…