Homeland Sleeper
Cells
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Smoke billowing from the World Trade Center after the
September 11, 2001 attacks described by the United Nations
Security Council as "horrifying terrorist attacks." |
A clandestine cell structure is a method for
organizing a group in such a way that it can more effectively resist
penetration by an opposing organization. Depending on the group's
philosophy, its operational area, the communications technologies
available, and the nature of the mission, it can range from a strict
hierarchy to an extremely distributed organization. It is also a
method used by criminal organizations, undercover operatives, and
unconventional warfare (UW) led by special forces. Cell structures
continue to evolve.
Historically, clandestine organizations avoided electronic
communications, because SIGINT is a strength of conventional
militaries and counterintelligence organizations. New communications
techniques, such as the Internet and strong encryption, may allow
some inter-cell communications that were too dangerous in the past.
In the context of tradecraft, being covert and clandestinely are not
synonymous. The adversary is aware that a covert activity is
happening, but does not know who is doing it, and certainly not
their sponsorship. Clandestine activities, however, if successful,
are completely unknown to the adversary, and their function, such as
espionage, would be neutralized if there was any awareness of the
activity.
A covert cell structure is tantamount to a contradiction in terms,
because the point of the cell structure is that its details are
completely hidden from the opposition. A sleeper cell refers to a
cell, or isolated grouping of sleeper agents that belong to an
intelligence network or organization. The cell "sleeps" (lies
dormant) inside a target population until it receives orders or
decides to act. A sleeper cell is a somewhat special case, if, for
example, it is clandestine until activated, as with a sabotage or
terror unit. Still, there can be cells (or singleton agents) who are
both clandestine and sleeper. While most WWII UK espionage agents
sent to the UK were almost immediately caught and neutralized, a
few, who infiltrated an area long ahead of time, and set up a clock
repair shop or something else innocent that was also near a naval
base, were only activated when there was a specific operational
requirement.
Sleepers also can be there for support services, such as emergency
escape routes, backup communications, etc. |
