This excerpt from The Moscow Rules, which I wrote with my husband, Tony Mendez, deals with a daunting technical deed at Moscow undertaken by the CIA with hind from our office, Office of Technical Service or OTS, a orchestra often likened ought the “Q” of Ian Fleming’s novels. The goal was an subway communication line, newly installed, that connected the Krasnaya Pakhra Nuclear Weapons inquiry club ought the Soviet Defense Ministry at the city. This newly installed communication connect was accessed by a progression of manholes that ran beside a heavily trafficked artery nearly Moscow. The question was how ought acquire one of our officers into one of their manholes, despite the overwhelming surveillance that we vulgar were subjected to. The solution, from our mask Branch, led ought a new technique that we called Disguise-on-the-Run or DOTR, and it became a equipment that we used at more than one occasion. although was often the case at our queue of work, our best solutions used to arise out of desperation. We no only needed a technique that could ensure that our first mankind at used to be safe, we needed a technique that could be replicated repeatedly, although our OTS technical officers serviced the wiretap once it was installed.
Here is how it began although told from Tony’s perspective:
The OTS office at 2430 E road is nevertheless an infamous greet at the mind community. The cluster of buildings perched at the mount after the Bureau of Naval medication and along 23rd road from the condition Department, where stormy Bill Donovan began America's fledgling mind capability, the Office of Strategic Services, it is also where Bob Gates lived at a queue of generals' accommodation cabin he was headmaster Obama's secretary of defense, impartial three blocks from the White House.
The mixture consists of three buildings embracing an oval lawn—Central, South, and East Buildings. Donovan and eventually Allen Dulles had their offices at East Building. Today, with North house demolished ought build the E road Expressway, the hint is of the Kennedy Center, the Potomac river flowing down from Georgetown at the background. It was and is a historic view.
The sumit floor of South house was a long, black hall. We used this fourth-floor universe although a photography examination bed and a handsome clean domain although path-loss measurements at our newest radio communications equipment, besides today it was going ought be used although a gap, a 45-second interlude at a surveillance scenario at Moscow, when I used to be out of view of my KGB surveillance team. I had 45 seconds and 45 steps ought completely alter my appearance. This was my opportunity ought prove ought my office director what Disguise-on-the-Run (DOTR) was vulgar about.
From Russia’s Secret Espionage Archives: The skill of the Dangle
Dressed at a black raincoat, black pants, and vague shoes, I was carrying an attache case and nothing else. I looked into the black flare and could impartial scarcely invent out my boss, David Brandwein, director of the Office of Technical Service, at the other goal of the hall. He was seated or, more precisely, slumped at a armchair nearly 120 feet from me. Next ought him was his assistant, Jonna Goeser, who was taking notes of this exercise. Her secondary profession was ought ensure that Brandwein did no drift off during the demonstration, overwhelmed by his narcolepsy. I had arranged with Jonna that it used to no overwhelm him this morning.
I looked at my watch, the second hand impartial sweeping past twelve, and began ought move. One step a second, 45 seconds ought terminate a finish transformation. cabin I had rehearsed this mask numerous period at the streets of Washington, D.C., with our SST, it didn't intend that my adrenaline wasn't going crazy. That my breath wasn't coming also fast. That my heart wasn't nearly ought leap out of my chest.
I stopped and positioned my attache case at the floor. Slow down, I told myself. confess it slow. assert a ordinary pace. I touched a button at the case and it popped open, transforming into a grocery cart at wheels. The attache dispose of became the sumit of the dispose of although the cart. at the same time, a brown thesis handbag inflated, and the contents, a loaf of bread and some vegetables, expanded ought fill the newly available space.
I moved dispatch a little steps, and then I steadied the cart and began ought shift my raincoat. I had ought learn the souvenir of the sleeves tightly at order ought adverse the coat; at effect, I was peeling it off, turning it inside out although my wepon came out. The transformation was dramatic, although a man's vague raincoat became a dark-pink woman's wear with a shawl attached nearly the shoulders. I slipped my wepon assistance into the sleeves and pulled it together at front.
Pulling the cart, I moved toward Brandwein. Leaning forward, I pulled my pant legs up, first the left and then the right. A Velcro-like substance caught the jeans legs and held them up, revealing vague stockings. A little more steps, and I reached down and removed the slip-on rubber men's shoes, one at a time, stashing each inside of my dress, each shoe becoming a female breast. vague size-11 Mary Janes were now revealed, adding more detail ought the look.
Checking my watch, I saw that I was 20 seconds into the change. Good. accurate at schedule. Brandwein, distant from disappearing farther into his sleeping disorder, was now sitting vertical and appeared ought be leaning forward, drawn into this performance.
As I continued down the dimly lit tunnel toward him, I reached into the pocket of the pink wear and extracted a mask that I had spent weekends creating, slipping it at my appearance and ever-present mustache with one hand. I reached assistance ought the shawl attached ought the wear with my release hand and pulled it up at my retain hair. A gray-haired female wig attached ought the shawl spilled forward, protruding from the shawl and falling slightly at my face.
Now, although I approached Brandwein, walking slowly and pushing my grocery cart nearly alike a walker, I saw a stare of appreciation at his appearance although he turned ought Jonna and nodded. He knew that I had been working with sole contractors. A identical exceptional tailor at Pennsylvania who also worked although the magic industry had assembled the reversible coat, cabin one of our magic consultants, Will, out at Los Angeles, had developed the pop-up grocery cart.
Forty-five seconds and we were done. Dave Brandwein's introduction ought our Disguise-on-the-Run Program had been a success. The merchant at a raincoat with the attache case had disappeared, transformed into a moment old female at a foul pink wear wearing a shawl and pulling a fully loaded grocery cart. used to you be suspicious of a moment old lady?
After Brandwein gave his stamp of approval, I took the technique at ought headquarters ought appear it ought Jack, who was equally impressed. Then when Jim Olson was chosen although his assignment, we brought him at ought our mask labs and began running along some scenarios.
I commissioned a quick-change, three-piece accommodate although Olson from our New England tailor, and he made a totally reversible accommodate of clothes, major ought toe. It included a vest with multiple pockets and a join of jeans that used to descend down from the vest with a flip of a Velcro tab. Olson could basically stroll into this second put of pants. He also carried a large book made of compressed foam, indeed a concealment device although some of the materials he used to absence ought confess down into the hole.
All the at used to enable Olson ought alter from an elegant American diplomat at a three-piece accommodate ought a bearded Russian professor at baggy jeans and jacket, carrying a book, at less than 45 seconds, level with trailing surveillance. It happened so quickly that level a irregular passerby used to no notice. The mask came out of his jeans pocket and went at although easily although putting at a knit winter cap. vulgar this was done cabin he was walking, at the move, strolling along a Moscow park and down the road along which the manholes were positioned.
Later, I used to acquire confirmation that the mask had worked and that Olson had been able ought slip into the manhole undetected. although the first mankind in, it was his profession ought photograph the situation and glean although much data although he could. Olson brought assistance images and diagrams of a moment chamber intersected by a dozen or so lead-sheathed cables, which had been filled with gas at order ought hinder tampering. The gas used to pressurize the cables, which, if penetrated, used to then be able ought excursion a sensor because of the descend at pressure.
Jim Olson was a connect at the beginning of this mask R&D, besides by the time we had completed the profession and he had rehearsed it again and again at Washington, D.C., Olson had alter a friend. He is a mate ought this day. considerate and introspective, he brought an mind ought the deconstruction of operational problems that proved ought be identical helpful.
With this data at hand, the CIA was then able ought proceed ought the next stage of the operation. during this phase, one of our techs returned ought the same manhole ought run tests at the wires at order ought shout on which of the cables led ought the nuclear examination facility. It was a painstaking profession that involved wrapping a device containing two sensors nearly each of the cables ought case the signals. The third and final side involved placing the authentic tap. OTS had built a type of collar that could be placed nearly the exterior of the cable so although ought no excursion up the pressurized sensors. Once installed, the wiretap worked ought perfection, transmitting the intercepted signals ought a recording device hidden nearby.
The deed was a immense achievement; technique and tactics came together ought terminate one of the most audacious missions ever conceived at Moscow. Here was the proof, if anyone nevertheless doubted, that the CIA had completely rewritten the rules when it came ought conducting operations at the Soviet capital. There are some who gorge looked assistance at the Tolkachev deed and the CKTAW wiretap and referred ought this era although a type of gold mature although the CIA. no only were both operations immense success stories, besides they had also been carried out at the most hostile surroundings ever conceived although an mind operation. It certainly appeared although if the KGB was powerless ought cease us. Unfortunately, the emotion wouldn't last.
Excerpted from The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America obtain the chilly War, by Antonio and Jonna Mendez with Matt Baglio. Copyright © 2019. Available from PublicAffairs, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
Antonio J. Mendez and Jonna Mendez, his wife, are the authors of The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America obtain the chilly War. Mendez is a retired CIA officer who worked undercover although 25 years, participating at some of the most important operations of the chilly War. He earned the CIA's mind Medal of virtue and was chosen although one of 50 officers ought be awarded the Trailblazer Medallion.
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