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

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Burn Notice - Season 04 - Episode 04 Spy Tips & Tactics

Burn Notice Season 04 Episode 04 "Breach of Faith" was first aired last June 24, 2010 and below are the spy tips and tactics:

* Spies spend a lot of time traveling but they don't usually end up in the most desirable destinations. You're much more likely to find yourself visiting a rebel camp in the Philippine jungle or a hidden bunker in the mountains of Pakistan than lounging beach side in the Bahamas. But even when you do find yourself in a vacation paradise, it's still all about business.


* Like magicians, pickpockets rely on misdirection. Whether you're pulling keys out of a pocket or a rabbit out of a hat, it's all about big distractions.

* Spies don't always have a choice of hiding places. Sometimes it comes down to taking what's available. But if you have to hide in something that's designed to be airtight, you better hope the danger passes before you run out of oxygen.

* In the field, you can never count on your first approach being successful. You have to be ready to change tactics on the fly. Spies learn to make lightning-fast observations and connect the dots just as quickly. Little things like a family photo with no father and a missing wedding ring can tell you all you need to know about a target's soft spot. Or, better yet, their sore spot.

* In a hostage crisis, first contact with the police is critical. One wrong word from a hostage taker can be the difference between the start of negotiations or the start of an armed assault.

* When interrogators hear a story without any holes, they know someone is lying. Only people who are afraid of getting caught take the time to rehearse every detail and anticipate every question. The same holds true for accounting. Perfect books are like perfect alibis. It confirms you're dealing with a liar but there's no way to prove it.

* In a hostage situation, it's standard procedure for police to run cell phone jammers and commandeer all the phone lines in your location. To make a callwithout a police operator, you need to access a line they're not listening on. It's a lot like stealing cable from your neighbor. If you can access a common wall and stretch the conduit, you can connect your phone to the unmonitored line next door.

* Making a cold approach to a scam artist is never ideal. They tend to assume that a stranger showing up out of the blue is either a cop or someone they've ripped off.

* Floor safes are virtually impenetrable as long as they're in the floor. If you don't have a jackhammer to pry one out, you need to get creative. Homemade shape charges will do the trick but if you want to avoid turning a standoff into a full scale breach, you better have a way to muffle the blast. Once a floor safe is out of the floor, it offers about as much protection as a piggy bank.

* Spies are trained to follow certain procedures when holding someone at gunpoint. Stand out of arm's reach, keep your weight on your back foot, never take your eye off the target. Unless you want your weapon taken. Then you do exactly the opposite.

* Spies don't always make decisions based on training, experience or potential success of a mission. Sometimes it's just a matter of doing what you think is right even if it means putting your fate in the hands of a stranger.

* Fresh-painted walls and steam-cleaned carpets are great if you're a Realtor showing a vacant apartment. If you're a spy hoping to find a clue, there's nothing worse than a sparkling-clean home. If you can't even find spare change in the sofa, chances are you won't find anything at all.

* Every precaution you take to make something more secure also makes it less accessible. Concealing a high-density tape cartridge behind drywall is a great way to keep it from being found.

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