What Is A Sleeper Cell?
Transcript
00:00What is a sleeper cell?
00:03One of the most insidious tactics at a terrorist organization's disposal is the implementation of a sleeper cell.
00:11This consists of secret agents who receive specialized training in their home countries
00:16and are then assigned to assimilate into another country's culture and society.
00:21These agents may spend years performing their regular duties while living deep undercover,
00:26then suddenly receive orders from their overseas handlers to either commit an act of terrorism or provide aid to those who will.
00:35Individual members of a sleeper cell may not even be aware of each other,
00:39since plausible deniability during police interrogations can be vital.
00:44One sleeper agent may work for an airline ticket office, for example,
00:48while another may work at a car rental company or a chemical plant.
00:52When the commanders of the terrorist organization want to activate a cell,
00:56each agent may only receive the name of one contact person or receive only his or her specific orders.
01:03The airline ticket agent, for example, may only be told to provide tickets for four men traveling from Germany to New York.
01:11The car rental agent may only be told to pick up these men from the airport and deliver them to the chemical plant.
01:17This process ensures that no individual is aware of the entire plan.
01:22It can be extremely difficult for government agencies to track and dismantle sleeper cells because of their nebulous construction.
01:30If the individual members are well trained and dedicated to their cause,
01:34they can easily blend into society without raising any suspicions.
01:39A cell doesn't necessarily need to hold regular meetings or undergo additional training to carry out its missions.
01:46Members simply go about their daily routines until a handler contacts them for an assignment.
01:52Some agents may not even be fully aware of their obligations,
01:55believing that a benevolent government agency simply paid for their education and immigration expenses.
02:02The events surrounding September 11th pointed out the dangers of such cells,
02:06since a number of U.S. citizens did provide material assistance to the actual terrorists.
02:12While some may have simply been performing their regular duties,
02:15others were most likely members of sleeper cells activated to perform crucial support operations.
02:22A student pilot who only studied take-off procedures, for example, would be an ideal member.
02:28An airline baggage handler who could smuggle weapons onto a plane without notice would also be useful.
02:34Some agents may be fully aware of their roles in an operation,
02:38while others may be deliberately kept in the dark until called upon to act.
02:43This is why an attack can be so notoriously difficult to thwart.
02:47A cell is often discovered through covert surveillance and infiltration by a double agent.
02:52For more clear, concise answers to common and not-so-common questions,
02:57visit the Conjecture Corporation website.