Somehow, without any noticeable attempt to impress, he did just that from the moment he walked into the over-sized room. His first words confirmed his commanding physical demeanor. In a slow, measured manner of speaking, he asked us questions about international security current events, and began the hour long presentation that would have us all reeling - impressed beyond words and in awe of his unmistakably mesmerizing presence.
J.J. Green, the National Security Correspondent at WTOP radio, hosts a weekly program called "The Hunt for Osama Bin Laden and the War on Terror." He has traveled to more countries than most of us even know the names of (including all the war zones in the world over the last 5 years), has worked for five television networks, is fluent in multiple languages and is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting people I have ever encountered.
He also cooks. So, in other words, he is perfect.
He explained how, because he practiced "source development", he is now the sole media member with whom the wife of recently deceased Sergei Treyakov (infamous intelligence officer who informed the U.S. of countless Russian plots, plans and spies) will now speak. He divulged how the term "nuclear winter" is in fact a complete falsity invented by the Soviet Union during the Cold War era to manufacture fear (information relayed by Treyakov), and how this man's death may in fact be related to the recent discovery of Russian spies within the U.S.
Among other topics he covered were the 'trade craft' of terrorists (correspondence through email 'drafts' to avoid detection that only occurs when emails are actually sent), steganography or concealed writing - "security through obscurity" ("the wedding" always means 'an attack' / entire documents can be concealed in a single digital pixel), and how "there is no difference between a journalist & an intelligence collector".
During the questioning portion of the seminar he answered that, yes, he has been in personal danger, and that he on a regular basis must conceal information that would do more harm than good if made public (after which he advised that each of us "learn self defense" ... how reassuring)
Maybe most interesting, though, was his reply after being asked how he started his career. Mr. Green was once a radio DJ - a job he obtained when, through a high school radio fundraiser, he discovered his innate talent for radio speaking (a skill that converts fantastically well to public speaking, let me tell you).
He also injected briefly how he was once the "big purple thing at Chuck E. Cheese" - a fact that gives all of those with embarrassing summer jobs more than a little shred of hope.
Far from detracting from his commanding presence, these recounts of the past only served to strengthen the air of complete self-assurance that he continued to exude. Mr. Green was the rare example of a man able list his experiences and accomplishments without projecting an ounce of cockiness or pride - something I have literally never seen in my time on this planet.
Well, as I'm sure you're fully aware by this point that I could rave about today's seminar for years to come, but I'll spare you the incessant gushing.
I'll instead leave you with a little tidbit from Mr. Green's speech, loosely quoted...
There were two men seated, speaking on a bench. The government needed to figure out what they were saying to one another, but it needed to do so without being detected. Thus, they invented a technology to listen in on the conversation - a jet-propelled, laser-fueled dragonfly that recorded the entire conversation without alerting the two men to its presence.
This was in 1950.
If the government could do that in 1950, what do you think they are capable of doing now?
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