The Other Side of Deception - Victor Ostrovsky

[domi]

This riveting read by Ostrovsky details his "fall from grace" in the Mossad and his fight against the beast that the Mossad had become. His superiors get rid of Victor and his ideologically "too left" ideas by forcing him to take the fall for a mission that blew up. He ends up working against them from the outside with help from a small group of like-minded thinkers on the inside. This all culminates in the writing of this book and his "friends" turning against him after the internal power struggle was over.
By Way of Deception is the introductory book to this one since that outlines how they operate, recruite and train.

There are many nuggets of information in this book, but the following one stands out in how the Mossad did achieve it today:

An Arab world run by fundamentalists would not be a party to any negotiations with the West, thus leaving Israel again as the only democratic, rational country in the region. And if the Mossad could arrange for the Hamas (Palestinian fundamentalists) to take over the Palestinian streets from the PLO, then the picture would be complete,... (page 197)

 

[thorbiorn]

This is not about the book, but about Ostrovsky's other side, the artistic which appears to be linked to him coming to the other side of deception. Painting it seems has been a passion and perhaps also a way to heal and share. Ostrovsky is quite accomplished as an artist, definitely a postgraduate Israeli art student, as I found out when looking at his work on The Art of Victor Ostrovsky He has his own style, there is consistency and details to the stories he tells. Copies of his pictures can be purchased for about USD 1500-3000, though the descriptions of the pictures placed either by himself or a friend or agent are of interest too. Probably he has put it all into books, but there is an intensity to a short description and a picture. There are also a few that do not have a description, one of the most noteworthy, is called Parallels, where the woman to right holds a card and the other not.

Haven't we seen before, an event with multiple trails set up to deflect from the real one?
The black hats in the paintings by Ostrovsky
Notice the hats in the picture above, which appear in most of his works and are worn by ladies. I found one page which explains different styles of Jewish headgear. About Black Hats there is:

Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality through the popularization and internalization of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspect of the faith. Hasidim customarily wear black hats during the weekdays, as do nearly all Haredim today.

Here is another found on Amazon.com labelled as "Black Israel Jewish Hat Wool Hasidic Jew Fedora Cap" Here is a screenshot:

If you are interested, the price is ap. USD 70. It is a nice warm hat.

 

[thorbiorn]

Below are two pictures that possibly shows how his work led to a new understanding.
The Observer

It seems that most of the information we get these days comes from television or the internet. Few people make the effort to do their own research, whether they’re picking stocks to buy, purchasing a car, or keeping current on the city council. The dedication to objectively observe and analyzing events for ourselves is fast becoming a vanishing art. That includes intelligence professionals. The Observer pays homage to those who prefer to see things for themselves. In a unique and pleasing monochromatic style, Ostrovsky tells us that some people still have the courage to stick their heads above the crowd and observe things for themselves.​

The Key

The final installment of the Metaphors of Espionage collection completes a story begun 11 years ago. It embraces the circular flow of events comprising a career in espionage. Young spies line up to begin their service, and more than anything, they dream of making a difference in the world. Soon, they encounter reality and the need to make moral choices. The seductress beckons them, and her attentions make it difficult to resist the magnetic pull of playing the game. Eventually they engage in a quest for answers which are only found in the book. The secret turns out to be the tools you have available to access to the truth. That’s the key.​

 

[thorbiorn]

Here are some more of the topics covered in the descriptions of some of the pictures by Victor Ostrovsky. I have tried to order them into topics, that may be more or less fitting. The first is:
Deceptions and self-deception

The Academy In the building pictured here, anything goes. Lying, cheating and stealing are not only permitted, it is obligatory. This is The Academy, where intelligence cadets come to learn that illusion is reality, and reality can be turned into illusion. Life outside the academy (depicted in the upper half) is grounded and real. But inside the academy, falsehoods are made to appear true. Trainees will arrive as one person but leave as another. After many long, hard days of training, they will be able to create, understand and accept illusion. Here, the art of deception is turned into a religion.​

The Puppeteer The beautiful car in The Puppeteer is a classic, but it exists in a different reality than the woman standing in the foreground. Notice that the car is only a picture on a poster. Does that mean the woman in red is real? Remember that in espionage, truth and trickery are kissing cousins. At upper left is a third figure—a handler who is orchestrating events to show us only what he wants us to see. All three figures exist in different realities, places, and times. For a trained spy, such trickery is surprisingly easy to accomplish.​

Inner Circle Ironically, intelligence officers themselves are among the victims of espionage. Can a life of deception encourage a man to deceive himself? To confuse ends and means? Here, a lighthouse shines its beacon of truth for all to see. As the storm approaches, the winds challenge all who try to maintain balance in their personal beliefs. The woman walks away, immune to its guidance. Her willingness to betray her principles has been rewarded with gifts, including the white horse. Ostrovsky speaks his heart by painting his belief that a good case officer maintains personal vision and purpose. Morality must be maintained, regardless of your devotion to duty.​

All Wrapped Up Some people like to wrap themselves up in the flag and loudly proclaim their patriotism while they accuse others of being unpatriotic for asking questions. In reality, true patriots challenge traditional solutions. In the background are hot air balloons—a thinly disguised metaphor for politicians. But everything we see here is only a poster on a wall. Only the butterfly, which symbolizes the temporary nature of life, straddles the line of reality. ​

False Blue Intelligence services are filled with citizens who do dangerous work out of love for their country. They’re “true blue” patriots who do not seek riches or recognition. Others are not so selfless; they pretend to be patriotic, but aren’t. A False Blue patriot is easy to recruit because he’s not concerned with loyalty. He can be bought and sold because he can’t resist the allure of money. Fundamentally, “false blues” have rot at their core. Here, a false patriot strikes a dramatic pose but stays safely back from the edge, risking nothing. Meanwhile, the true patriots stay hidden below.​

Cover Story A cover story must be absolutely convincing. They incorporate highly detailed background information, including your neighbor’s names and local landmarks. Even the stamps in your passport will be exact replicas—right down to the signature of the real official on duty. Cover stories are not quick, inexpensive, or simple. In Cover Story, a woman is acting out her cover—a seductress. There’s a codebook at her feet and a mirror in her hand reflecting her two personalities. Even deep in cover, an operative must remember who they really are. Here, she studies her reflection, reminding herself of the “other” person hidden deep inside. ​

Enigma Most things we observe each day reflect what they really are. In espionage, much of what is seen is illusion. A case officer walking into a room may question if he’s heading into a situation, or out of one. When following someone, who’s the pursuer and who’s being pursued? Operatives often wonder if their perspective is correct. For several reasons, The Enigma is Ostrovsky’s most intriguing creation. Rarely does he draw inspiration from another source, but The Enigma was inspired by a sketch from M. C. Escher. Here, Ostrovsky bends reality into a six-sided optical illusion in which up becomes down, and floor becomes ceiling.​

House of Cards The most reliable metaphor for spying is probably a House of Cards. Little about espionage is solid or permanent. At its core, spying is basically a whole lot of nothing. The case officer here may look impressive, but in truth he knows little of what he pretends to be. One day he’s a nuclear scientist, the next he’s a school teacher. He is neither, of course, and if you examine his house of cards closely, you’ll see it lacks a solid foundation. Some cards are balanced in thin air. The laws of reality have been set aside. His house will not stand for long. ​

The next selection of quotes have been grouped around the word organization

Oxford 5
The most interesting spy story ever told is absolutely true. Five students from Cambridge University began spying for Russia in 1934. Over the years, each rose to a position of power in British government. They were so highly placed they were privy to secret conversations between Churchill and Roosevelt. The group was known later as the Oxford Five because they met with their Russian handler at The Tavern at Oxford University. Ironically, Stalin doubted much of their information because he could not believe such high-ranking British officials would betray their country. He feared they had been planted to deceive him.​

Quite interesting that Ostrovsky would cover the story about the Oxford 5... did it only happen then?

Foreign Post
Embassies are hotbeds of spying. Many people believe diplomatic chores dominate the work, but in reality the most important function is intelligence gathering. A handler working from an embassy outranks everyone there except the ambassador. Spies have first dibs on embassy resources, including electronics and space in the diplomatic pouch. Needless to say, the intelligence and diplomatic functions view each other with some suspicion. Embassy staff resents the secrecy, clout and lack of apparent accountability governing spies. And to a spy, diplomats are rule-bound desk jockeys who live in ivory towers far removed from real life.​

Crossing Over

When a combatant prepares to “cross over,” wish him well. It means he’s leaving to work deep undercover in a hostile country. It’s a simple term, but it signifies great courage and danger. In the dangerous game of espionage, being a combatant is the most dangerous work of all. He will be exposed to danger every single moment he is gone. Crossing Over has other meanings as well, including a change of allegiance by an intelligence officer. The happiest meaning of the phrase is the one we see here—people crossing a wooden foot bridge in London’s Hyde Park.​

The Dance
In the world of espionage, there’s never a break in the action. Spy games are an endless cycle of action, played without pause. Time-outs are never allowed. Today’s operations were planned months ago. In The Dance, the present operation is underway outside the window. Inside, a case officer is absorbed with battles yet to be fought, balancing his orders from headquarters with a hundred concerns he has. He’s trying to find the right solution but complicating his task is a distraction—an alluring, teasing woman standing far too close for comfort. Like a juggler, he is keeping track of current operations, planning his next move, and resisting the charisma she projects.​

The Gatekeeper:
In every intelligence operation, there’s a field of play—an actual physical location where the action takes place. This zone is controlled by an operative known as The Gatekeeper who’s stationed above the scene of the operation where he can observe all happenings. Imagine a case officer meeting an agent when the gatekeeper notices suspicious cars stopping a block away. The gatekeeper can warn colleagues and issue defensive instructions. Outside the window in this painting are the stone and brick streets of Jaffa, Israel, one of the most ancient port cities in the world.

Monarch Cover

Every intelligence mission has a monarch with the overall responsibility for planning and execution. Here the monarch gazes into her crystal ball, hoping for insight into the coming operation. She will appraise her resources and develop a strategy. As head of the operation, she will select a cover identity first. Each member of the team will then select a cover story to fit with hers. Her cover is known as the monarch cover and will set the tone for the entire operation. The painting on the wall is Rembrandt’s famous portrait of Jan Six. With apologies to the master, Ostrovsky has discreetly tilted the hat downward.​

The Playing Field
To case officers working in the field, it sometimes seems headquarters has a distant view of what really happens in daily operations. The Playing Field is a commentary on those who observe the game rather than participate in it. To Ostrovsky, every game looks simple from the grandstands. The party here takes place in an exclusive private box high above Yankee Stadium in New York City. The two women in red and black dresses have arrived with secrets, but before the party ends, those secrets will undoubtedly be exchanged for others.​

End Game II

Each operation has an end game, which defines how the mission concludes. There’s a larger end game as well—one that encompasses everything a case officer does. Everyone in End Game is busy with a different activity. But what is the ultimate goal of all this activity, deception and violence? The answer, says Ostrovsky, should be peace. But none of the game players have even noticed the dove flying past them. Peace is invisible because war is the game of espionage, and the players demand the games continue. If peace were realized, the need for spies would end. The game itself has become the object of life.​

The Move

In The Move, secrets are being openly passed from person to person. Spy agencies always claim the information they gather is carefully guarded, but is it? Ostrovsky believes information is available throughout the organization—whether there’s a need to know or not. Here, there are three layers of action. The case officer playing pool is about to be passed a note, while at far right another operative prepares to pass papers to someone else. This is one of Ostrovsky’s rare square paintings because it is a continuation of End Game. Notice the stone wall is the same in both paintings. Examine them side by side and you wind up where you started.​

The Handler
Intelligence operations are supposed to appear simple, and most do. In reality, however, each requires skilled coordination. The Handler plans the operation and supervises everyone involved. He is a puppeteer of sorts, pulling the strings from a distance. In this operation, the handler has arranged a convenient distraction—a beautiful woman. She stands in the doorway, drawing attention to herself and away from the exchange going on in the foreground. Above it all, the shadowy and indistinct handler watches the scene below. In his hands are the strings attached to his players. He pulls them to achieve success, but he is never seen.​

The Palace
Regardless how much preparation is completed prior to an operation, some additional piece of the puzzle always seems to be missing. Sometimes it’s a critical document the case officer would like to see. In The Palace, a plan in underway to steal this missing information. A seductress has worked her way inside the enemy camp and is working to obtain access to their secret place. Her target has eyes for her, but she only has eyes for the key she came to obtain. As we watch, she passes the purloined key to fellow operatives outside. The message is simple—a single operative inside is worth many on the outside.​

Agent's Bride

In real life, spies who betray their own country bear little resemblance to the spies of fiction. They are rarely brave, dashing risk-takers. In fact, they lack strong conviction and are motivated only by money or sex. An Agent’s Bride is a hired escort to help control an agent. The “bride” you’ve hired will meet your agent and stay at his side whenever he leaves his home country. She’s what keeps him providing you with stolen information. In the painting, nothing in the glamorous background is real. It’s only a poster on a wall, placed there for his benefit.​

The next is about the human resource component and probably useful to be aware of, even if much is done electronically these days and there are many other ways.

The Game Plan
At the heart of real-life espionage is the ability to recruit agents—to entice ordinary citizens with specialized knowledge to betray their own side. Threats are rarely successful in doing so. Opulence makes a better trap than a dungeon. In Game Plan, a handler outside Paris is pondering his next step. In the game of deception, greed, lust and revenge all play a part, and a proper strategy takes all of these into account. In Game Plan, our handler has a partner, a woman in a seductive blue dress and hat. Is she friend or foe? Only time will tell.​

The Lead
Espionage is complex and expensive, especially when you’re trying to find a needle in a haystack. One impossibly complicated process is finding a “lead”—an individual who can influence a person you want to recruit. It’s like “six degrees of separation,” only the process happens in reverse. Let’s say you want to recruit an Iraqi pilot who flies MIGS. The challenge is finding someone… who knows someone… etc. You start with a deli owner in Paris, whose cousin owns a bar, whose bartender is married to a factory worker, who works with a guy from Iraq, whose brother is a pilot. In this example, the brother of the pilot is The Lead.​

Upstairs Downstairs
The lady of the house may be breaking decorum, but this tongue-in-cheek look at life also has relevance to the business of stealing secrets. English households are run by butlers, cooks, chauffeurs, maids and gardeners who inhabit the lower floor. They are the “downstairs” staff. The family, of course, lives upstairs in luxury. The staff enjoys access to everything in the house, including secrets and the ladies of the house. But can the butler be trusted? If you wish to steal secrets from a company or organization, look for someone “downstairs” rather than “upstairs.” It’s the cleaning company, for instance, which has the keys to every room.​

The Zone
The zone is a mystical, magical place which exists in a case officer’s mind. Athletes achieve their zone by performing flawlessly without conscious effort. A case officer achieves it by recruiting a valuable, high ranking spy. It is the crowning achievement in espionage, and once he’s a member of the most elite fraternity in espionage he’s unlikely ever to receive severe punishment—even if he makes a mistake. He’s like a university professor with tenure; once he’s in, he’s in forever. Here, a new member of the zone reaches for a door knocker depicting Bacchus, the Roman God of Wine.​

By Invitation
Who doesn’t love to be included in a “By Invitation Only” event? It appeals to the most basic of human emotions—ego. To impress a potential agent, or lure one into a trap, invite him to an exclusive gathering. He’ll never know it was created just for him. In By Invitation, the counterfeit party is about to get underway. The players are in position and the case officer in the foreground is double-checking his plan for the charade. Every detail was planned to make the illusion convincing. All is ready. The trap is ready to spring.

The Club
It’s an honor to be invited to a private club for the evening. Everyone is impressed. The food and drinks are fabulous, and beautiful people are everywhere. Of course, none of it really exists—it’s only an illusion created by spies for your visit. Think of the club as a stage where elaborate illusions can be created. (Remember The Sting with Redford and Newman? You’re the mark.) The “club” can be anything you want it to be. It’s perfect for espionage—you have complete control over who comes, it’s flexible, and it’s only staffed when an operation is underway. It can even double as a safe house.​

The Party
Ostrovsky has given us a complex social gathering to test our powers of observation. See if you can pinpoint the most important person. In other words, who’s controlling events? Is it someone at the meeting in the background? Or the woman with her hand on the man beside her? Could it be the singer? An experienced eye would probably settle on the seductress eyeing the piano player. For the moment, he’s setting the pace, but she’s seducing him with the intention of gaining control. Her offer is being passed as we watch, but will it be accepted?​

La Femme Fatale
Espionage requires individuals with unique skills. Many bring high-tech expertise; others bring more traditional qualities, like sex appeal. A Femme Fatale is so striking she can tease and torment based solely on her appearance. Finding a femme fatale is valuable to any station, particularly in recruiting. What better way to attract a potential enemy agent? But her job is only to whet the appetite. She is the promissory note dangled in front of a potential recruit, but one unlikely ever to be paid. She is there to be seen. And when she does her job properly, she is all they will see.​

The Proposal
Recruiting spies is a discouraging profession. Just when you smell success, the target rebuffs your approach. In that case, you may decide to make a straightforward proposal. After all, you have little to lose. The case officer here is swinging for the fences. He struck out with more subtle approaches, so he boldly extends a flower—his offer—right in front of everyone. The piano player seems to be thinking, “Who do you think you are?” The handler knows his approach is likely to fail, but it’s all he has left, and the potential benefits are so significant he has no choice. Hope springs eternal.​

Cold Contact
Recruiting spies to betray their country is always dangerous and uncertain. Approaching a high-profile target without time to research and plan—that’s foolhardy. Done properly, recruiting is a painstaking process which can consume months or years. But occasionally there’s no time to prepare because the target is only in your country briefly. In Cold Contact, great risk has been undertaken. The case officer has brazenly walked up and knocked on the door, hoping for the best. But he’ll be wondering…who else is in the area? Is this a “dangle”? Is enemy security nearby? The men at the door hope not, but soon they’ll know for sure.​

Greetings
The centerpiece of intelligence gathering is still the human spy. A high ranking enemy official willing to sell his soul for money will always be the backbone of the business. But when does a spy become a spy? He crosses the line when he first receives payment in exchange for doing something he knows is wrong. At that point, he’s committed. A message will be sent to headquarters informing them of the milestone, and after champagne is uncorked both at headquarters and in the field, a letter of congratulations will be sent to the case officer. That letter is known as Greetings.

Cocktails
The most significant achievement in espionage is the recruitment of a new spy. It takes months or years of careful grooming, but when someone new agrees to spy on another country for you, it is cause for great celebration. The process of recruitment is over when he first brings you information you seek, and when he first accepts payment for his disloyalty. Headquarters will acknowledge the victory with a cable of congratulations which in the field is metaphorically known as a “cocktail.” The kudos is nice, but soon it will be business as usual.

Liberty
While being recruited, a spy will be promised lots of things, including money, sex, and a safe retirement. Since there’s a threat their betrayal may someday be exposed, retiring in their own country would be far too dangerous. Many hope to be sent to America, hence Lady Liberty in the background. America is the biggest carrot to dangle in front of potential spies, but in reality most will be placed in Europe or Scandinavia. It is rare for agents to end up in the United States.​

Much of what people like Ostrovsky tell is probably also a screen, why should the deception end.

 

[thorbiorn]

In this post, there is one selection on right and wrong, a couple on the situation before being captured, and a few on spying as a game.
Right and wrong

Cannon Fodder
Why would a painting of English cabs be entitled ‘Cannon Fodder’? This seemingly placid London street scene demonstrates the brutality of spying. When Mossad officers had too few men for an operation, they sometimes hire real London cabbies to pick up dangerous people or cargo. The other side, of course, will always assume the driver is one of your people. So if the cabbie is killed, well…at least it wasn’t one of your own. Others, like the cab driver, are considered expendable. So when case officers walk past a line of taxis in a queue, they might refer to them as “cannon fodder.”​

This "Cannon Fodder" description is okay, but aren't many of the operations and wars initiated for fictive moral reason consuming a great amount of "Cannon Fodder"? A lot of the people participating in operations today probably even do not recognize that their information is being tapped all the time, by companies and service providers or enforced by Government decree - as I write.

Stolen Love
Spying doesn’t just involve spies. It’s possible for civilians to become involved and not even know it. Falling in love is a common one. A woman may be romanced because a handler needs access to her home as a safe haven, or because it’s useful for surveillance. From the case officer’s standpoint, a broken heart is a very small matter. That’s because he knows his operation, if successful, could obtain the release of terrorist hostages, or delay the spread of nuclear technologies. An espionage professional cannot carry the burden of emotion. It is unlikely his convenient lover will even receive a goodbye.​

I wonder if he is completely honest here, that it never bothered him, though some of the agents will probably not have too much conscience to begin with. It is after all not an uncommon condition. But then again are abrupt endings so uncommon even in normal life?

Farewell
Being a spy means saying “farewell” on a regular basis. It doesn’t, however, mean the spy is going anywhere. Even a lover may be deceived to help make your departure more believable. She is not an agent, but she may be an unwitting source for the other side. He is saying goodbye, but only because an operation demands it. Ostrovsky painted Farewell in 1999, and included the World Trade Center towers in the background as a way to symbolize New York City. After September 11, 2001, however, an additional interpretation became evident. Appropriately, Ostrovsky had named this painting Farewell.​

Moon Rider
Moon Riders walk a thin line between right and wrong. They have no boundaries whatsoever because the mission they’ve been assigned is so critical that legalities are not a concern. The ends will justify the means. There’s great danger in moon riding, both to you and others. If you break into a building and unexpectedly encounter a night watchman, for instance, you kill him. There’s too much at stake to worry about rules. Ostrovsky’s Moon Rider stays at water’s edge, ready to turn either way depending on how the operation progresses. Moon riders are always on the edge of right and wrong.

Rumours

A deliberately planted rumor can be nearly as deadly as a bullet, especially to a budding career. The idea of planting a rumor is to allow false and suspicious evidence about an enemy officer fall into the wrong hands. The information may not directly implicate him, but it will cast suspicion, and in espionage, suspicion is very hazardous to your health. Bit by bit, the incriminating trail of bread crumbs is embellished with more leaked information. Eventually, his agency may fear he’s a mole. At best, he will be demoted. At worst, he will be eliminated. Either way, the other side has been significantly weakened.​

Disclaimer
Spying is a brutal business. Sometimes a case officer must ask an agent to do something he knows to be extremely dangerous, but not tell the agent of the jeopardy he faces. What’s fair always takes a back seat to what’s effective. At such times, a handler will have to remind himself that an agent is merely a tool to be used, not a person. The handler may find he has a need to put a disclaimer on his soul. That disclaimer is that his actions have a greater purpose, and that the cause he believes in is more important than any single person.​

The Trap
When beginning surveillance on a new target, you must first make a positive, close-range identification. If all you have is a file photo to work with, how can you get close without arousing suspicion? The case officer will identify a narrow street near where the target lives or works. He’ll then create human roadblocks (using agency employees) to force all foot traffic to pass single file. With control of the street, The Trap has been set. When the target is spotted, others will confirm his identity, and from that point on the target will be kept in sight.​

Is the trap the last stage before assassination or kidnapping? The artist did not tell, but can we guess?

Chess Piece
In the game of spying, breaking rules is a rule in itself. Ostensibly, field operatives must always obey orders from headquarters. But sometimes an operative will decide when to bend or break the rules. Headquarters and the field regularly engage in an ongoing battle over control. The bosses must always follow the law. Field operatives, however, can stretch the rules as needed. Ultimately, only the case officer can decide when to change the game, and he will certainly do so if lives are at risk. The woman wrapped in royal red is the power of government. But in the end, her pawn may choose to make the move himself.​

The lives of his own people we may assume?

Walking the Edge
What’s legal for an intelligence officer and what isn’t is usually separated by a national border. The very nature of being an espionage officer makes you illegal in other countries—although perfectly legal in your own. Spies never lose the feeling of constantly Walking the Edge. And they know that if they are captured, they will face prosecution in the host country, not their own. While their country may suffer embarrassment and diplomatic consequences, it is the officer who will end up paying the ultimate price. The best outcome is prison; the worst, a trip to the gallows.

The Message
This case officer appears confused by the message he’s received. Is that possible? Surprisingly, yes. For one thing, messages are sometimes sent in stages. One day you’re ordered to London; the next day to Yemen. Or possibly, headquarters is unsure themselves what to do. Events change quickly, and agencies are prone to hidden agendas and politics. Is he being sent on a hopeless mission? Messages can also call for actions which are illegal. Such messages always bring concern. Finally, does the message even communicate what it intended? Did the writer mean one thing and the reader interpret another?​

Mixed Signals
Mixed Signals has it all—rushing train, flashing lights, and steam you can almost hear hissing. It’s a metaphor for mixed messages, those memos which say one thing but mean another. Sometimes a case officer will be asked to do something blatantly illegal. His orders may not say so in words, but he knows he’s expected to cross the line. If he’s caught, he knows headquarters will publicly denounce him. But behind the scenes, the agency will not rest until he’s free. What’s the mixed message here? As the train approaches the intersection, the signal arm is facing the wrong way. It is attempting to stop the train, not the automobiles.​

Just before getting caught

Moment of Truth
Ever been caught with your hands in the cookie jar? It happens to spies, too. Agents often live with a cover identity, but will that cover stand up under questioning by police, border guards or customs officials? The spy in Moment of Truth sees unwelcome visitors gathering outside. Should she try to bluff her way out? Or change her story? It’s tempting to flee, but running wouldn’t be a popular decision with superiors. Most likely, she’ll stay and try to talk her way out of it. If that doesn’t work, at least she’s only sacrificing herself—the mission will remain intact. That’s the important thing.​

The Stroll
This couple appears to be taking a leisurely walk in the park, but in fact they are intelligence officers about to be arrested. And they know it. These final moments are critical because they represent the final chance to agree on what they’ll tell authorities. In spy terms, they’re “taking a stroll.” Underneath, of course, their focus is total. They are working to soothe their normal reactions because the calmer they remain, the less vulnerable they will be to the treatment which lies ahead. They know, however, their situation is not good. For a spy, an arrest in some countries could mean a firing squad.​

Spying perceived as game

Chez Bella
Sometimes the spy business goes round and round and round. Here we see an obvious surveillance scene in a hotel room. The baguette, coffee, newspaper and photograph on the table are a dead giveaway. The target of our surveillance is sitting at the Chez Bella Café across the street, but he’s also a spy conducting surveillance judging from the diplomatic envelope on the table. He’s observing someone while under surveillance himself. Nor does it end there. In the window at upper left, a tripod-mounted camera is pointing at us. So someone is watching us, while we watch the man at the café, who is watching yet another target. No wonder they call spying a game.

The above probably happens even in normal life? Fact-checkers and their algorithms keep updated with what the population is doing on social media, while the people on social media comment on the news and on what someone else is doing.

Paper Carousel
Of the many metaphors Ostrovsky has applied to espionage, a children’s carousel may be the most unique. But as he stood in a California mall watching a carousel go up and down, and round and round, it reminded him of spying. There’s lots of activity and running around, but in the end, you always seem to wind up back where you started. The artist made a quick sketch of the carousel, including the clown’s face, and turned it into yet another statement about the game of spying.​

The Game
In The Game, everything is surreal. A checkered playing field stretches to the horizon and we see Ostrovsky’s most traditional metaphors—chess pieces, marbles, diplomatic papers, hats, moonlight, beautiful women and more. Espionage is shown as a self-contained, timeless, perpetual motion machine—a traveling circus looking for an empty field to occupy. As a soldier looks for a war to fight, a spy looks for an opportunity to gather information. At the end of the day, espionage has little to do with noble causes. It’s just a game looking for a place to play.​

 

[thorbiorn]

This will be the last collection and ordering of the descriptions below the pictures by Victor Ostrovsky in his series Metaphors of Espionage. The main theme is:
Safety and danger

Encounters
In espionage, make believe and reality is separated by a razor-thin line. Here we see an encounter, but who’s encountering whom? Is the seated woman encountering the man at left? Is the bartender encountering the woman at right? An operative can never completely trust appearances. Notice the two wine bottles and glass sitting on the shelf? Look closely—they’re merely an illusion, a picture attached to the wall. And the bartender shaking the drink…he’s really a bartender, isn’t he? The primary rule in espionage is simple: never trust what you see. Or believe what you’re told.​

Playin' It Close
Above all, a spy needs to avoid blunders. The title of this painting doesn’t refer to keeping secrets, but rather to saying only what you must. We all say dumb things, but embarrassment is usually all we suffer. For a spy, the penalty can be far greater. Imagine you’re recruiting a new spy and one day you make a negative comment about a particular book. He quickly informs you—with an icy glare—that the book was written by a close friend of his. He may never forget your comment. So if you hope to become a spy, write this down: never make strong statements when you don’t have to.​

Secret Garden
The ability to know if you’re clean—not being followed—is the most fundamental of skills for a case officer. Being in a Secret Garden is arriving for a meeting knowing you aren’t under surveillance, and that the agent you’re meeting is clean too. During training, of course, you learn never to lower your guard. It’s possible to be spotted by accident. The spy in this painting is in her Secret Garden. But despite her counter surveillance efforts, she is being watched from the trees. It’s too late to worry about what went wrong. Now she’s in danger and doesn’t realize it.​

The Bait
The bright lights of New York sparkle in the background, but there’s a saying in espionage that if the view is good, keep in mind you’re not in it. You’re somewhere else simply looking at it. Here, the man is dressed in red and the woman in blue. We can assume someone is being lured with the lights of the city, but whom? It’s easy to assume the woman is the bait, but we must proceed with caution. We know only that someone is being deceived. After all, the game being played is espionage.​

Distraction II
Distraction is classic Ostrovsky: clandestine meetings, beautiful women, faceless spies, and lessons learned from the artist’s past. In the backroom, an exchange is taking place. Privacy is vital so a distraction has been arranged. The woman in red is distracting the man next to her, and she’s succeeding. He’s forgotten the events in the back room. At the same time, her colleague two seats down the bar has turned to check on progress at the meeting. When the meeting ends safely for his side, he will send the woman a subtle signal and she will quietly exit the bar.​

First Contact
The first time a spy turns over secrets to his handler, he has crossed the line. He has now betrayed his country and there’s no turning back. That makes the first meeting extremely dangerous. He may change his mind and balk at his disloyalty. He may even confess his treason and arrive at the meeting with enemy security. In First Contact, we see the first meeting between spy and case officer. The scene is Venice, a stressful city for intelligence work because the canals make movement difficult. There are no buses to pretend you’re catching. But everything appears to be under control—for now. ​

Point of View
Point of View revisits the meeting depicted in First Contact. This time, things look different. The elements are the same—handler, agent, boats, Venice—but now we see that the case officer’s security protection has been outflanked. The enemy is observing the scene, undetected. The adversary is “behind the behind” and has garnered the better view. The lesson is inviolate: never let an agent select the meeting site, no matter how much you trust him, or how innocent his request. Never risk yourself or your team by allowing the other side to secure the better point of view.​

The Pass
Newly recruited spies must be taught the correct way to make a pickup from a dead letter box. Done incorrectly, they endanger their handler, the information, and their own life. The first rule is to make a trial pass maintaining your normal pace while surreptitiously observing the terrain. Are other people in the vicinity? Does anything look suspicious? This drop point is in London’s Hyde Park, where an attaché case awaits by the bench. As instructed, the agents have first made their pass. Did they notice there are interested eyes in the distance?​

Dead Letter Box
Spying is about collecting, storing, buying, stealing, leaking, studying, updating, analyzing, reporting, evaluating and discrediting information. Men have died seeking a single piece of information which was worthless a month later. To transfer information to another, a common technique is the dead letter box—a well-concealed, public location where you leave something for pickup. After you’ve safely left the area, the recipient is notified where the package can be found. Here we see a close-range handoff, but in real life that would never happen.

Spying? Yes, but there may be a few other details to the business:

Agent Provocateaur
Espionage is a dangerous career. Lessons must be learned quickly—there are no second chances. One rule is this: never dirty the territory. That means no matter where you go everything must be left unchanged. You were never there. Any damage or destruction from an operation must appear to have “just happened.” No signs of your involvement can be left behind. In Agent Provocateur, spies gather in a familiar setting—Times Square in New York. They are clustered for a reason—likely to cause damage. But will anyone ever know for sure?​

The Station
Intelligence officers love a great train station, but not because of their historic roots. Trains offer unique safety for making an exchange. If you and the person you’re meeting both board the train clean, you’re safe because new people can’t board. Trains are frequently favored by high ranking case officers who face daily surveillance. Airports also work well due to the increased sophistication of security—your man cannot show up carrying a bomb or gun. At an airport, the preferred location is a café beyond the main security screening checkpoint. But train stations are traditional, and if they’re named Union Station, so much the better.​

The Handover

Possessing forbidden information is extremely dangerous. As a spy, it is your job to obtain information which is illegal. In some countries, it can easily lead to a painful death. Clearly, caution is critical, but without risk there is no gain. In The Handover, an exchange of information is being attempted. It seems, however, to be surrounded by chaos. Hands are appearing from everywhere. Who’s grabbing what? Was the exchange poorly planned? Or is it possible the whole scene is simply a feint for the actual handoff which is happening somewhere else?​

Shaken Not Stirred
Everyone recalls James Bond insisted his martinis be “shaken, not stirred.” This tongue-in-cheek painting by Ostrovsky asks the question, “How did he know if it really was?” People can talk about Bond’s legendary drinking acumen, but could anyone, even the master English spy, tell if his drink had been stirred, not shaken? Either way, the bartender is enough of a distraction for the rest of us.​

The picture, Shaken Not Stirred, shows a bartender passing or receiving a sealed envelope, but I'm, wondering if a remark like "shaken not stirred" could be distraction or message as well?

In Plain View
Espionage is the art of giving and getting things without being caught. Typically, money is exchanged for sensitive information, and usually the exchange is made face-to-face. If neither side wants to risk being seen with the other, a third-person “cutaway” may be used. The basic rule of making an exchange is to be as open as possible. Here, a cutaway has casually placed a package next to her on a chair. Soon, the pickup cutaway will arrive and chat—just two friends enjoying coffee. Then, the lady in blue will leave, without the package, and no one will notice.​

Spy Games

To avoid hassles from local authorities, especially in small towns, a case officer might play Spy Games. It works like this: a completely innocent meeting with a friend will be staged in a local park and made to appear suspicious. He’ll show up late at night, in a trench coat, and carrying bulky envelopes. When police stop to ask what’s going on, he’ll give the officer an unending array of boring details—maybe even tell a few bad jokes. By the time the police leave, they’ll never want to endure such dribble again. They may wave hello, but they’ll never again stop him.​

Reflections
Sometimes a case officer’s best friend is a shiny, reflective surface to see what (or who) is behind them. In this case, the rear view is provided by a sign at the famous Theatre du Vaudeville in Paris. The last thing he’ll do is stop and look back. After all, why give pursuers a reason to think you’re up to no good? If a handler suspects someone is there, he’ll change the pace he’s walking. Every street has a certain pace to it, so he’ll start walking either slower or faster. That forces his tail to alter their pace accordingly, and stand out even more.​

The Offer
When spies have a meeting with a stranger, how can they know they’re meeting the right person? Here’s, there’s an offer of some kind on the table. But before it can be accepted or rejected, you must verify the other person. Does this require a high tech solution? Actually, the oldest, simplest solution is still the best. A playing card was torn in two before the meeting and each side given a half. We see his half on the table and hers in her hat. If they match, each is assured they’re meeting the right person. The technique costs nothing and is virtually foolproof.​

Flight Of The Swallow
Swallows can float into a room—or down a street—and draw every eye to them. In intelligence work, such stunning women are invaluable as a distraction. Here, for instance, the agent assigned to protect his case officer at the meeting in the Florian has revealed his weakness and diverted his attention. Do swallows have to be women? The German Stasi built quite a reputation for using “ravens” to seduce female government workers. In this case, did someone slip unnoticed past the guard? We can’t tell for sure, but if no violence was planned, why would the swallow be there in the first place?​

Walk in the Park

Meetings with agents are never casual affairs. They are carefully choreographed events meant to assure the case officer does not become the target of an ambush. Unfortunately, opportunity may knock without warning and there’s insufficient time for proper planning. In such cases, a plan used for a previous meeting may be hastily pulled from the shelf and reused. It’s basic and simple, and it’s known as a Walk in the Park. In this painting, the meeting is taking place in London’s Hyde Park.​

Rendezvous At Dawn
Lovers embrace at first light. How romantic! But then we notice…he maintains a strong grip on his diplomatic pouch. These two aren’t lovers at all—they are fellow spies and inside that pouch is a lifesaving document known as a bordereau. It identifies him as a simple courier and bestows on him diplomatic immunity. Without it, he is subject to arrest in many countries and execution in a few. After she has delivered the pouch with new instructions and documents, she will say goodbye and return to her station for another assignment.​

Café du Ville
A carefully planned intelligence operation is underway at Café de Ville. A case officer is meeting a foreign agent. One way to protect the officer is to move the meeting at the last minute to foil any traps by the other side. In the background, the target approaches. Armed agents for the case officer will shove him into the back seat of the car and jump in behind him. In the meantime, the three women divert other patrons’ attention. If the target brought protection, they had no time to react. The maneuver is over in seconds and the meeting can take place in a less exposed location.​

Showing Heart
Treachery can be found in the most surprising places and situations. As his loyal lover holds him close, the gambler at the table carefully hides his cards. Still, he is not pleased with his streak of bad luck and wonders where his poor fortune is coming from. He has only to look over his shoulder. His companion’s affection only masks her duplicity. Her ring is actually a mirror to show his cards to his opponent. Everyone knows he is hiding the ace of hearts.​

The 9:15
There are many mistakes a spy can make, but the most unforgiveable is complacency. Danger hides behind carelessness, and here we see a case officer who has followed a routine. He sits with his drink and gazes out the window. His mind is a million miles away. A spy can never be predictable. He cannot always board The 9:15. He must also ride the 7:12 or the 10:38. Those observing him are more alert. They have gathered in the darkness and one has stepped aboard the train. Knowing he’ll take the 9:15, the vultures are circling and he is dangerously exposed.​

L'Chapeau
Something is clearly wrong here. An experienced case officer boarding this train would quickly realize he’d walked into a trap. Pretend you’re the one getting on. Does anything seem ‘not right’? Many people believe in intuition, but professionals rely on reasoning and observation. This French train is full of men. A provocative woman stands alone but attracts no attention—is that realistic? No, something different is going on. The men are busy pretending to read newspapers because they are with her. They’re a team. We can’t tell their purpose, but we can see that this is a setup and everyone in the car is in on it except us.​

Speakeasy I
The closest thing to the public’s image of a spy is called a combatant. It’s the most dangerous job in espionage because combatants work undercover in enemy countries with little support. When things go seriously wrong, and escape is impossible, a combatant will head for a Speakeasy. It’s a legitimate business owned by the combatant’s own intelligence agency, and its only purpose is to keep combatants from being arrested and hung. Inside, he’ll be hidden, protected, and given a new identity. It is all the speakeasy is there for. When he walks back out, he will do so as a different person.​

Avenue of the Angels
The safe house depicted in Avenue of the Angels actually existed in Nice, France and was part of the artist’s life in the Mossad. Safe houses are usually apartments—not houses—where comings and goings are less likely to attract attention. A safe house must never draw attention to itself. Ironically, safe houses are not very safe because of the unusual activities going on inside. Here, we know there’s an operation underway. The musicians symbolize the rhythm of a mission—not too fast, not too slow. Each operation moves at its own tempo.​

Signals
The word safe is a relative term in espionage. Handlers who often work from safe houses know much can go wrong because of both enemies and local authorities. When a safe house is compromised, others who may be arriving must be warned in a way only they will understand. A simple signal is best—all the windows thrown open, a shutter removed, or a brightly colored towel hung in a window. Seeing a predetermined sign, anyone approaching would know to immediately clear the area and call their embassy for further instructions.​

Changing Of The Guard
When a safe house has been compromised, the procedure is very specific—a Changing of the Guard will be ordered. Every embassy employee holding a diplomatic passport will be summoned and everything in the house will be quickly carried away. Every secret hiding place in walls, floors and other nooks—called slicks—will be emptied of money, weapons, equipment and papers. Even dishes will be removed since they may contain fingerprints of recent occupants. At right, the case officer in charge watches his team carry the evidence away. Within an hour, nothing will remain. Nothing. ​

Time Out
The game of espionage provides little in the way of respite. Even in dangerous and tense situations spies need an occasional break from the action. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to call a time out, so small breaks must be seized when they can. Time Out is one of Ostrovsky’s earliest paintings, and shows several operatives huddled out of the wind and rain as best they can.​

Night Coffee

Over coffee, spies can be regular folks again. After a long day of stressful work, cover stories can be forgotten and laughs enjoyed. A late night cup of hot, strong coffee with fellow katsas is the nectar of intelligence, and when you hang your hat at the café door, coffee never disappoints. Just outside, however, the games continue. Your enemies are hard at work and tomorrow you’ll have to deal with whatever damage they’ve caused.​

Commentary on Israel

Jerusalem Factor

In 1999, a peace initiative was underway for the Middle East and people were joyful. Ostrovsky reflects this with music and a sun illuminating a clear, blue sky. The man at a table is studying a plan to divide Jerusalem into three pieces, but he holds a tourist map, an encouraging sign. The chess pieces identify Judaism, Christianity and Islam—the religions which share the Holy Land. Behind the man is a woman holding a codebook. For now, she waits. Behind her is an ominous figure deep in shadows. We know only that he has a stake in what is happening in Jerusalem.​

Jerusalem Paradox
These are dangerous times in the Holy Land. The Jerusalem Paradox was painted five years after The Jerusalem Factor, and much has changed. The sun has set on hopes for peace and the mood is somber. The hopeful planner from the earlier painting now stands outside while the new planner holds a military chart showing troop and gunnery positions. Known as the City of Peace, Jerusalem remains a key to the fighting and violence. The ominous figure in the background has moved even closer but there’s always hope if you know where to look. Jerusalem is always an optimistic city.​

The Bureaucrat
A mob of civil servants stand amid a torrent of flying papers. Do they even realize they’re tying up the dove of peace in red tape? The whole point of government—an end to war—is overpowered by a need to follow procedures. Instead of concentrating on important issues, a bureaucrat’s main objective is complicating the simplest of tasks. It’s easy to see why—the more complicated a procedure, the more job security the bureaucrat will enjoy. Bureaucracy is the purest form of self preservation.​

 

[thorbiorn]

I thought I was done with the pictures, but then discovered something that could be added. When some event happens in world affairs it is subject to analysis. When some agency is involved even more. One can imagine one group thinking if a certain other group was involved and how they might have gone about doing it. This leads to the subject of communication among intelligence agencies. There are a few pictures and descriptions on this topic.

The Exchange
Who would believe rival spies could be friends? But they are bound by the dangers of the business and the appreciation for the skills it takes to be a spy. In truth, a CIA operative may feel more kinship with a Mossad katsa than he would with a domestic FBI agent. In The Exchange, operatives from different countries gather to exchange information for mutual benefit. We can’t tell who is passing or receiving, but everything seems to be progressing smoothly. There’s probably a little shop talk as well. At the end of the day, it seems a spy is a spy is a spy.​

Cabal
Spies often have more in common with spies from foreign countries than they do with their colleagues back home. After all, all spies face the same dangers, limitations and challenges. Nothing unites spies more quickly than a common enemy, and here we see spies from different parts of the world huddling together to explore cooperation. They’ve skipped the well lighted main entrance in favor of a door less noticeable. Tomorrow they may be shooting at each other, but today they’re associates. They are a cabal. In a distant window, a solitary figure watches the scene below.​

L'Univers
In L’Univers, spies from around the world gather to barter secrets. Countries who share common enemies and viewpoints will share “approved” information with fellow spies. They do so, of course, with the understanding they’ll receive equally important information in return. At L’Univers (The Mossad bureau overseeing relations with foreign services was once known as Tevel, meaning “Universe”), groups of spies meet outdoors, but upstairs is the most exclusive area of the café—a private club reserved for spies willing to share unapproved intelligence. The setting is a popular street corner in Paris, and the L’Univers is a real place.​

London Contact
Case officers from around the world look forward to meetings in London’s Theater District. Here, no one attracts attention and it’s impossible to be dressed inappropriately. That’s important because spies are famous for showing up dressed in a way that makes them stand out. They are not trained as intelligence officers. Meeting a spy at the Ritz and having him show up in red shorts is not only inappropriate, it’s dangerous. But the Theater District is packed with people in all types of clothing. Everyone fits in because nothing stands out.​

In the Session, there have been hints about how intelligence gathering can be carried out and who does it. What Ostrovsky reveals is like the gross surface of this game, but a few hints are dropped about how intelligence agencies operate.