Jim Geraghty of National Review Online highlights one disturbing aspect of the American war against Iran. Federal officials have indicated the likelihood that Iran hopes to activate “sleeper agents” operating on American soil. Geraghty urges Americans to exercise caution.
I would have figured, if you’re the Iranian regime, and you have sleeper agents or sleeper cells on U.S. soil, and you find yourself in an all-out war with the United States, you would activate those sleeper cells and agents as quickly as possible. After all, each day you wait is one more day that the FBI or the currently unpaid agents of the Department of Homeland Security can catch them. I certainly would have figured that if Iran had sleeper agents or sleeper cells on U.S. soil, they would want to activate them within the first ten days of a military conflict.
But … perhaps not:
The U.S. has intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated in Iran that may serve as “an operational trigger” for “sleeper assets” outside the country, according to a federal government alert sent to law enforcement agencies.
The alert, reviewed by ABC News, cites “preliminary signals analysis” of a transmission “likely of Iranian origin” that was relayed across multiple countries shortly after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, was killed in a U.S.-Israeli attack on Feb. 28.
The intercepted transmission was encoded and appeared to be destined for “clandestine recipients” who possess the encryption key, the kind of message intended to impart instructions to “covert operatives or sleeper assets” without the use of the internet or cellular networks.
It’s possible the transmissions could “be intended to activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country,” the alert said.
As always, if you see something, say something.
