James Bond should step away from the vodka martini, whether it be shaken or stirred.
Common hangover symptoms — such as trembling hands, a flushed face and flop sweats — are also signs of nervousness and could put spies at risk for heightened security checks while trying to slip through foreign airports.
That’s just one piece of spy tradecraft contained in a Wikileaks document release that purports to show CIA techniques about how to maintain cover while surviving screenings at airports in a guide titled “CIA Assessment on Surviving Secondary Screening at Airports While Maintaining Cover.”
Dated September 2011, the document warns travelers that referral to “secondary” screening can occur “if irregularities or questions arise during any stage of airport processing.”
And if an operative gives off the air of having a government or military affiliation, the passenger is “almost certainly” scrutinized.
The document also provides country or airport-specific information, such as closed-circuit TV and one-way mirrors at Budapest’s Ferihegy Airport in Hungary to monitor passengers for signs of nervousness, and undercover officers from the Bahrain National Security Agency (BNSA) deployed in the arrivals lounge of Bahrain Airport to “actively look for travelers who appear to be nervous.”
Simple sartorial choices and hairstyle can play a factor in screening as well.
The document cites Salvadoran security services identifying a suspected Venezuelan government courier on the basis of a “military style haircut, physical fitness, casual dress, and little baggage.”
But having a decent cover story can help: The document cites a CIA officer selected for random screening in a European airport, where the officer’s bag tested positive when swiped for explosives.
The officer gave the cover story that he had been in counterterrorism training in Washington, D.C.
“Although language difficulties led the local security officials to conclude that the traveler was being evasive and had trained in a terrorist camp, the CIA officer consistently maintained his cover story,” the document reads.
“Eventually, the security officials allowed him to rebook his flight and continue on his way.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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