This is coolbert: Taking the chapter from Sun's book on spies, how does it relate to espionage that is needed in the war against Al Qaeda? Take the various categories of spies as enunciated by Sun:

Local spies, inward spies, converted spies, doomed spies, and returned spies.

How can these categories of spies be employed against Al Qaeda??

Local spies must be recruited where ever we have intelligence operations against Al Qaeda. Local residents can be recruited and used to identify Al Qaeda recruiters, operatives, and sympathizers. Keep an eye out for persons disappearing for weeks at a time for no particular reasons and then returning, with stories about the "wonderful" training they received in say a Malaysian or Philippine terrorist camp [one blabber mouth will exist in each group].

Inward spies are those persons you would want to recruit from the top echelons of the Al Qaeda network where ever it exists. This will be hard to do in the extreme. But the most fruitful. Trying to identify these persons is hard enough. More difficult to find one that is disaffected for some reason and will be willing to work for you. But cannot be counted out. One of these persons is worth perhaps a very much larger number of locals spies. Provides you with intentions of the Al Qaeda network.

Converted spies. According to reports these guys have been caught and used in such a manner. The Al Qaeda spies we find and turn against their own side. Ferris is the person I am thinking of. Truck driver in the U.S. that was doing recon on such targets as the Brooklyn Bridge. Evidently was caught and worked against his former employers. Hope to catch more of these guys.

Doomed spies. Hard to imagine how these spies could be employed. A very cold blooded method used to deceive the enemy. Perhaps Al Qaeda operatives could be captured and used to return to the other side, feeding them deception that would fool the leadership of Al Qaeda. Persons released from Gitmo could perhaps be given a false de-briefing prior to release. Create doubt in the minds of the leaders of Al Qaeda as to what they told the Americans and why they are now being released. I just don't know about this one.

Returned spies. Our people that do espionage and recon in areas where Al Qaeda is known to be operating, sometimes with impunity. People on strategic missions to find out who the bad guys are and where they are. Difficult to do for our own people. Our own people, unless we recruit a local, will stand out like a sore thumb. Just as the Muslim stand out in this country, we would stand out in theirs. Necessary to recruit someone that can pass as a local and has a reason for being where he is.

coolbert.