My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy until...

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Burn Notice - Season 03 - Episode 11 Spy Tips & Tactics

Burn Notice Season 03 Episode 11 "Friendly Fire" was first aired last January 28, 2010 and below are the spy tips and tactics:

* In the intelligence community, an invitation to meet at a hotel pool is an olive branch. The person you're meeting is offering you multiple escape routes, a crowd to mix in with, and the virtual certainty that nobody is concealing a weapon in their bathing suit. But if you're meeting the kind of guy who arranges coups d'état for a living, it's still a good idea to bring backup.


* Neighborhood Watch is just a nice idea in most suburbs. But where you really see it in action is the inner city. Only there, it doesn't protect against crime. It protects against cops. Just like cops have drug-detecting dogs, some neighborhoods have cop-detecting kids. Once the alarm goes out, criminal activity shuts down like a picnic when it rains and any fugitives run like jackrabbits.

* In an army, a chain of command gets activated by unusual events. Tanks amassing on a border, a hacking attack on a central computer, assassinations of key personnel. A street gang's chain of command is no different. Showing up in a stolen car and making a splashy entrance will get a message sent up the ladder.

* Because warehouses store bulk items and not people, they're usually built cheaply. Most of the time, the roofs are just plywood and asphalt tiles. Attach a hole saw bit to a silenced drill and you can bore through the roof without attracting attention. If you want to create a bigger opening, a few ounces of C-4 on the brackets holding the door in place will do the trick.

* Dominance in the battlefield isn't always about the use of lethal force. Sometimes it's more effective to leave a few targets around to spread the word. Rubber composite bullets fired from a suppressed rifle, won't kill your enemy. But it will make them think twice about staying in the fight.

* Selling yourself to an adversary is a bit like getting drafted on a sports team. You may look good on paper, but eventually they'll want to see you on the field.

* The best defense isn't always a show of force. Keep an adversary in the dark about what you're capable of and he has to assume the worst.

* When you're extracting a heavily guarded target, it's important to choose the right entry point. Guards watch windows and doors. So if you come in through the common wall of a neighboring apartment, you've got surprise on your side, not to mention a shower of shattered concrete.

* Traditional rappelling requires holding a rope with both hands which is inconvenient if you're being shot at. That's why Special Forces are trained to rappel in unconventional ways.

* Camouflage is commonly associated with jungle warfare but the truth is that it's just as important in urban settings. You're bound to draw attention setting up a bullet proof barricade on the sidewalk or toting a concussion charge down the street. But fruit stands reinforced with strips of steel-belted tires and ice cream carts packed with explosives blend right in. Of course, the ultimate Trojan horse is a shackled prisoner.

* A paranoid enemy might go so far as frisking a hostage who's wearing handcuffs but people tend not to check if one of the handcuff links is made of polystyrene or if there's a listening device in the pin lock.

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