Strat4Dummies

The Stratfor emails that were obtained by WikiLeaks exposed the ill-intentions and greed in the secretive spying business. Despite the high stakes and serious repercussions of Stratfor's peeping work, “intelligence” was apparently not a prerequisite for working in the intelligence gathering firm.

Our Man in Beirut

To navigate the murky world of Arab politics, Stratfor analysts rely on English-language media, Google translations of Arabic articles, and the insights of “human intelligence” sources on the ground.

Fred Burton, Stratfor VP for Racist Slurs

The “GI Files” paint a decidedly unflattering portrait of Stratfor Vice-President for Intelligence Fred Burton, a man considered one of the US’ top counter-terrorism experts.

The $10 Million Email Scheme

In the US the scheme goes something like this. A complete stranger comes up to you with a winning scratch-off lottery ticket. His problem is that he's illegal in the country and can not cash the $100,000 prize. He likes you and needs cash urgently so he offers you the winning ticket for $500. You can pocket the $99,500 difference, or whatever is left after taxes.

Spies Are Us

At the nexus of so many conflicts and international machinations, Beirut has long been a popular destination for intelligence agents. Every spy thriller or ex-undercover agent’s autobiography features at least one stint here, and many agencies first honed their car-bombing and assassination skills in Lebanon. Even today, every Beiruti knows at least a couple of people they suspect of being on some intelligence agency's payroll.

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