The CIA is at the top of a cosmology of government and private concerns known collectively as the intelligence community. One of the most important components of this community is the U.S. Army Intelligence Center. Its mission is to provide information to commanders at all levels in the U.S. Army so that they are able to determine the capabilities of a foreign foe or act quickly on accurate, up-to-date intelligence. Now for the first time ever, the recently declassified U.S. Army Counterintelligence Handbook provides a rare look into the specialized and secretive world of military intelligence and counterintelligence procedure.

Counterintelligence comprises efforts to determine what the enemy knows, efforts to keep friendly intelligence secret, and efforts to hamper the enemy’s ability to collect and use intelligence. In this manual, the first four chapters provide counterintelligence information to the commander and his staff, while the remaining chapters cover the nuts and bolts of counterintelligence operations.

The book includes everything from conducting background investigations to using field artillery to destroy stations. There is general information, for instance, on evaluating assassination threats, contacting members of friendly resistance organizations, and how best to handle moles. There is advice on checking and keeping files, conducting searches, and the administration of lie detector tests. Also detailed are the ethics, legalities, and practical concerns of placing bugs, tapping telephones, and setting up listening posts for wireless intercepts, as well as the use of cameras and recorders. There is also information on tracking and connecting members of groups or cells, with advice on creating diagrams to illustrate the relationship among targets.

The U.S. Army Counterintelligence Handbook is a must-read for anyone with an interest in today’s difficult military intelligence questions, and it provides answers right from the source.