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Analysis Series: Follow the People and Geospatial Exploitation

SUMMARY

Description of two SIGINT analysis methodologies: Follow the People (using SIGINT and contact-chaining to track individuals) and Geospatial Exploitation (using “powerful geographic information systems tools” to locate safehouses, hide sites, etc.). Discloses that a “collaboration resulted in the arrests of six individuals in Buffalo, New York.”

DOCUMENT’S DATE

Aug 21, 2003

PUBLICLY AVAILABLE

Mar 12, 2018

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Page 1 from Analysis Series: Follow the People and Geospatial Exploitation
DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL (S//SI) Analysis Series: Follow the People and Geospatial Exploitation FROM: Run Date: 08/21/2003 (S//SI) So you know something about your target, you've used active analysis to construct mental models of how it operates, and you've analyzed his social network and behavior patterns, but what if you don't know where he is? Alternately, what if you are interested in a facility and you want to know who's in it? Follow the People and Geospatial Exploitation are two additional analytic methodologies available to support SIGINT analysts. (C ) Follow the People (S//SI) Follow the People is a major, Intelligence Communityrecognized, SIGINT endeavor to track "bad guys" around the globe. It is playing a significant role in fighting the Global War on Terrorism and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The best organizational model for "people tracking" is a model in which all available SIGINT skills and data sources are brought together to shed light on an individual and his social network--effective teaming is the key to success in these activities. This approach is more successful when there are multiple data sources to be correlated, yielding more potential leads. (S//SI) One organization that "Follows the People" extensively is Counterintelligence and HUMINT Support (CIHS). CIHS develops a full understanding of the targeted person and determines his whereabouts for the purposes of recruitment or capture. CIHS does a lot of SIGINT support to operational HUMINT activities; the best results are achieved when the HUMINTers work with CIHS on operational objectives and help focus attention on key areas. Usually, CIHS uses contact-chaining techniques in its SIGINT development, but occasionally they exploit communications that a HUMINT organization has put in place or directly enabled. To gain additional SIGINT sources, CIHS is attempting to develop information on passenger charter companies and their flight plans, manifests, etc. SIGINT support to HUMINT operations is tailored to the particulars of each specific operation. (C ) Geospatial Expoitation (TS//SI) The Geospatial Exploitation Office is leading the effort to develop the tools and techniques for a different approach to target development. While traditional contact-chaining techniques continue to serve as a powerful developmental tool, a purely geospatially-based approach to target development can be more significant. Using powerful geographic information systems tools like ArcView, a geospatially-oriented approach can be particularly effective at finding things such as safehouses, ingress/egress "ratlines," meeting sites or hide sites, suspect sites, or VIP facilities. Such an approach recently scored a success in Operation Iraqi Freedom, when emitters were geolocated to VIP neighborhoods, dachas, palaces, etc., revealing a series of satellite telephones serving senior Iraqi regime members and influential SERIES: (U) Analysis 1. Strengthening Our Analytic Capability 2. Active Analysis: SIGINT That Can Predict 3. Pattern and Social Network Analysis 4. Analysis Series: Follow the People and Geospatial Exploitation 5. Deep Target Knowledge 6. Analysis Series Wrap-up: Continuous Learning
Page 2 from Analysis Series: Follow the People and Geospatial Exploitation
supporters. These techniques have also allowed analysts to locate and track Al Aa'da associates and discover a vast and dispersed network of Iranian agents in Iraq serving the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence or the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). (TS//SI) The SIGINT Development (SIGDEV) DNI Cell of the Counterterrorism Product Line uses geospatial exploitation to track terrorists as they transition from communications mode to communications mode, and provides this data to production element analysts and customers in a timely manner. The Cell has further expanded its existing SIGDEV partnerships throughout the community to help locate specific terrorist targets. This increased collaboration resulted in the arrests of 6 individuals in Buffalo, New York--SIGINT reporting provided key leads and valuable information which enabled FBI analysts to identify the terrorist cell and advance their investigative efforts. Geolocational Exploitation, like "Follow the People", directly supports active operations-operations to find certain people and physically target them, operations to find a way to make contact and recruit or capture them, or operations in which law enforcement takes action to deter a crime. "(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet without the consent of S0121 (DL sid comms)." DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108