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(U//FOUO) 'Tis the Season! Another Ambassador Learns About NSA!
FROM: SIGINT Communications and Penny Horgan
NSA/CSS Representative, Dept. of State
Run Date: 12/02/2005
(U//FOUO) We must be doing something right! Yet another Ambassador moves on to a new
post satisfied that NSA can provide various types of support. Ambassador Alfred Hoffman, a
political appointee who was to assume his post as U.S. Ambassador to Portugal during the
second week of November, visited the NCR State office for an overview of NSA. Details of his
visit follow.
(U//FOUO) There has been a recent "rash" of visits to NSA facilities by Senior U.S. Diplomats -all of whom had productive exchanges with Agency personnel.** Ambassador Hoffman's 9
November experience was no different.
(TS//SI) Even though the Agency could offer relatively little intelligence directly on Portugal,
Chief of CSG (Cryptologic Services Group) State,
and CSG European analyst
presented our capabilities in light of Ambassador Hoffman's needs and goals. He
was introduced to the contributions of NSA and its Second Party partners as concerns his daily
read file -- to include reporting about Portugal, Portugal's interests in Africa, fishing, and
counterterrorism in Europe.
(TS//SI) Ambassador Hoffman was familiarized with the reporting vehicles that he may
encounter and was instructed on how to properly share tear-line reporting with non-SI cleared
members of his Embassy staff. He was shown examples of SCS (Special Collection Service)
reporting, even though there is no SCS site in Lisbon at this time, and was informed as to how
SCS personnel could provide Executive Protection, should the President travel to Lisbon. The
Ambassador was even briefed on NSA's collection capabilities, site locations, on the complexities
of prosecuting targets in a 21st century communications environment, and on how the 5-Eyes
Community operates.
(S) As regards Information Assurance, NSA personnel stressed the importance of the
Ambassador's securing his own communications, and the Embassy's, stating that secure
communications are only as secure as the environment they are used in. The Ambassador was
apprised of many types of secure communications devices and of the need to use protective
technologies when those devices are not in his personal control. He was given literature on
security products and operational security and handbooks about intelligence and terrorist
threats. Finally, the Ambassador was reminded that, even though Portuguese intelligence
services may not pose a threat, other foreign intelligence services could gather intelligence on
the United States via Portugal.
(U//FOUO) Overall, the Ambassador saw his time with NSA personnel as productive; it sparked
great conversation and he walked away with a well-rounded picture of what NSA could offer him
in his new post.
**(U) See earlier articles:
(U) SIGINT: Don't Leave Washington Without It
(S//SI) U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Visits NSA/CSS Texas
(U) Have a Seat, Ambassador
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108