Why The FBI Undercovered John Walker's Explosion?

In 1968, the United States (U.S.) Navy was changed. The metaphorical fist of espionage began to jab Navy communications and formed a massive hemorrhage of information compromised. John Walker was mastermind behind it all. Between 1968 and 1984, Walker was the top spy for the Soviet Union. For 17 years, Walker was untouchable. The Navy was enormously damaged by his espionage. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger concluded the Soviet Union made significant gains in naval warfare were attributable to Walker’s spying. His espionage provided Moscow “access to weapons and sensor data and naval tactics, terrorist threats, and surface, submarine, and airborne training, readiness and tactics,” according to Weinberger (Prados, 2014) I will explore
Walkers background, Counterintelligence (CI) indicators, material he compromised ,Walkers handler, and the investigation. I will thoroughly outline the impact Walker actions had on the US, Walkers success in his activities, and what the US could have done to prevent Walker from committing espionage.
Walker was born July 28, 1937, in Washington, D.C. As a teen, Walker was involved in many petty crimes. 1955 changed his life completely. Walker was arrested for breaking into a gas station. Before his court appearance John’s Brother Arthur, a Commissioned Officer in the Navy pleaded with the Judge and asked him to consider the option of allowing John to join the Navy instead of jail. Arthur was a well-educated, professional man and used his persuasive personality to sway the Judge. John agreed to the Judges terms and enlisted in the Navy as a Radioman.
In 1957, John completed submarine training in Groton, Connecticut and received a Top-SECRET Cryptographic security clearance. Shortly after, Walker passed the Department of the Navy (DON) Nuclear Personnel Reliability Program (NPRP), a psychological evaluation to ensure only the most reliable personnel have access to nuclear weapons. He was assigned to the United States Ship (USS) Razorback Submarine (SS-394) for a pacific deployment. He met 19-year-old Barbara Crowley. They dated for a few months and she eventually became pregnant. John, shocked by the news decided to marry Barbara in spite of not knowing her very well. (Defense, 2012)
In 1967, Walker was assigned as a Watchman officer at Atlantic Fleet Submarine Force Headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia. He decided to open up a small restaurant and bar outside of Charleston, South Carolina. Walker, a Chief Warrant Officer, borrowed money from his older Brother Arthur to start the business. He opened the bar not really knowing what it took to run a business. Shortly after, he became in massive debt. Walker had more issues following is debt. His marriage was failing because he spent too much time away from him family with his Navy friends. He also developed a drinking problem and began to cheat on Barbara with random women. Barbara and John soon separated and John moved to his Basic Officers Quarters (BOQ) on the Navy base in Norfolk. Troubled with debt and his separation from Barbara, John decided enough was enough. One day while in his BOQ cleaning his pistol, he decided to take his life. John put his pistol to the temple of his head but could not squeeze the trigger. He realized it would be easier to sell secrets to the Russians than kill himself. This was the start of 17 years of espionage.
In October 1967, Walker photocopied a TOP-SECRET document and put it in his pocket. He then hopped in his car and drove four hours to Washington D.C. to the Russian Embassy. He walked into the Embassy and asked to speak with the head of security. Yakov Lukasevics, an internal security specialist at the embassy stated the documents needed evaluation. Yakov telephoned the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (KGB) station chief, Boris A. Solomatin. Solomatin met Walker and began to explore his motivations. He asked Walker a series of questions. With no hesitation, Walker answered. Walker wanted to establish a long lasting relationship with the KGB and provide them with information on a reoccurring basis. Solomatin recognized Walker’s documents concerned U.S. submarines vessels particularly plagued the Soviet Fleet. The document Walker had purloined before leaving work listed the following month’s settings for the American KL-47 encryption machine. The Soviets had already received some NSA papers from a different spy, they then realized the documents were real.(Prados, 2014)
The KGB maintained a close eye on Walker. “Solomatin assigned Oleg Kalugin, his deputy for political intelligence (Line PR), as Walkers manager and Yuri Linkov, a naval spy, as his case officer. Kalugin spent weeks driving around the Washington area to identify and carefully record spots for “dead drops,” places Walker would deposit packages of intelligence and pick up cash and instructions. During a meeting outside a northern Virginia department store within a month of Walker’s embassy visit, the warrant officer handed over a bigger pile of Navy documents, and Linkov gave him the locations for his first few drops-offs, plus more money.” (Prados, 2014)
In 1969, Walker lost his placement and access due to Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move to San Diego, California. The Soviets reduced his usual payments from 4,000.00(US) to 2,000.00 (US) a month. Walker was very uncomfortable with his finances being cut in half by the KGB. He knew he had to figure out a way to increase his revenue. He devised a plan to recruit someone in the Navy who could maintain a high level of placement and access. He needed someone gullible. He began to check the veracity of his long time friend Senior Chief Radioman Jerry Whitworth. Whitworth had access to highly classified communications data. Walker, being a master manipulator, decided to pitch the idea of committing espionage to Jerry at a private dinner in a fancy restaurant one summer evening. To Walker’s surprise, Jerry accepted the invitation before the appetizers came to the table. (UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Jerry Alfred WHITWORTH, Defendant-Appellant., 1987)
In 1971, With John and Jerry both committing Espionage with different types of TOP-SECRET documents the two were very financially successful. The KGB wanted more from Walker. They provided him an electronic device to read the cryptographic images and a mini camera to take photos. Many of the cryptographic information he photocopied was done is his BOQ. He copied only what he needed and discarded the rest. “Walker estimated photographing just 20 of the hundreds of messages that crossed his desk during a watch would have required more than 100 rolls of film over six months, yet initially everything he left at a dead drop needed to fit inside a single soda can.” (Prados, 2014)
In 1971, Barbara suspects John of cheating. Her suspicions were accurate but Barbara knew John was involved in more. She began her investigation. She found a grocery bag Walker left inside his garage that had piles of documents stamped TOP-SECRET. Confronted with the discovery, Walker admitted to his espionage and took Barbara along to one of his dead drops. The FBI believed he only took her to the dead drops to attempt to involve her in his crimes. She later admitted to picking up a bag of cash from the dead drop the night of the incident.
By 1972, John realized his days in the Navy were numbered. He decided the best way to continue his success in espionage is to become a Spy Network Manager. The KGB had no idea this was his plan. Without approval from Linkov he began to orchestrate his plan.
In 1975, Walker retired from the Navy. He ended up recruiting His older brother Arthur. Arthur was now a retired Lieutenant Commander from the Navy. He obtained a job as a government contractor, but fell on financial hard times. Arthur did not have any classified information but the information he could provide was very informative to the KGB. Arthur Produced repair records on certain warships plus damage-control manuals and casualty reports. Casualty reports originates as a message sent by the commanding officer of a Navy ship when one of the ship's systems or pieces of equipment malfunctions, resulting in a reduction of the ship's mission capability. (Samuel W. Meekins, Argued 1986.)
According to www.usni.org ,“With Walker free to travel after his retirement and Whitworth delivering the goods, the spymaster offered the Soviets more frequent intelligence deliveries. The KGB specifically refused, although it invited Walker to a face-to-face meeting in Casablanca in the summer of 1977 during which Linkov denounced his recruitment of a new agent. Walker agreed to annual clandestine meetings in Vienna. Linkov made Walker agree not to recruit any more agents.(Prados, 2014)
In 1980, Jerry and John began having financial conflicts. Jerry knew the risk he was taking by providing the information to KGB and its value. Jerry complained to John the information on classified satellites are worth millions of dollars and not 6,000.00(US). Jerry then told John about his plans on retiring from the Navy. John realized Jerry’s value to his spy ring and demanded to KGB to pay him a million dollars under his own behalf. The KGB settled for a lump sum of 200,000(US). John split the sum with Jerry. Gullible Jerry, never receiving a massive payday, decided to stay in the Navy and continue committing treason. (UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Jerry Alfred WHITWORTH, Defendant-Appellant., 1987)
In 1982, John’s ego began to expand and he began to do consider pitching the idea of illegal activities to his daughter Laura Walker. Laura was a Specialist in the U.S. Army. John had several conversations via telephone enticing her with quick financial pay for any classified information she could provide. Laura, at the time was pregnant, thought it would be a good idea to support her child as a single mother. Eventually Laura knew committing espionage was wrong. She told her father she could not help him. He immediately told Laura he would pay for her abortion if she changed her mind. She became irate with John and decided to end her relationship with her father. John had no worries about Laura and decided he would pitch his idea to his son Michael Walker. Michael idolized his father and would have done anything to please him. These notions played into John’s hands. John began to mold Michael into joining the Navy when he turned 17. John ensured Michael took every high school class to ensure he could receive a TOP-SECRET clearance from the Navy. When Michael graduated from high school, he set his sights on committing treason for his father. He immediately joined the Navy. John began teaching him tactics in tradecraft. (Earley, 2014)
In November 1984, Barber contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and divulged information about John’s treason activities. The Agent who received the information reported during the interview stated in his report Barbara was drunk and may be divulging the information to get back at her husband due to a bitter divorce. The Agent filed the in information in the FBI records repository. (Prados, 2014)
A month later, Joseph R. Wolfinger, Special Agent in charge at Norfolk, obtained headquarters approval to open an investigation. The FBI interviewed Laura. She corroborated the information Barbara gave to the FBI along with her own personal testimony. The Naval Investigative Service (NIS), started investigating Michael Walker and interviewed over 100 of his colleagues and known associates. The FBI had Laura call John and recorded a conversation of John having interest in her rejoining the Army or the CIA. (Prados, 2014)
On 20 May 1985, the FBI arrested John Walker after confiscating 127 classified documents from the USS Nimitz taking from his dead drop in Maryland.
The FBI searched his home and found documentation of his spy ring. They found records of payments to "D" (Jerry Whitworth), who turned himself in to authorities in June. The FBI arrested Arthur soon after. (Prados, 2014)
In exchange for limits to his charges, John Walker made a deal to discuss his espionage in detail and plead guilty, and Michael also copped a plea. Arthur Walker was tried in August and found guilty. Whitworth went before a court in the spring of 1986. Whitworth received a $410,000(US) fine and 365 years in prison. Arthur was sentenced to three life terms plus a $250,000 fine, John received a life term, and Michael 25 years. In February 2000, Michael Walker was released for good behavior. (UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Jerry Alfred WHITWORTH, Defendant-Appellant.,
1987)
According to Army Regulation 381-12, John Walker had over 20 CI indicators. These indicators include frequent or regular contact with foreign persons from countries which represent an intelligence or terrorist threat to the U.S. Walker had reoccurring contact with his handler by the use of dead drops. He provided classified information by the means of unauthorized photocopying of over one million cryptographic messages in which he sold for a substantial profit for 17 years. Walker started spying to get out of his financial debt. He bought a private plane, a few sports cars, a 20 foot boat and took frequent trips the Caribbean. His motivations were strictly tangible and he did not hide this from his handler. He also had an ego to match his motivations. He considered himself a master of denial and deception. The FBI considered this truth because of his elaborate details of classified information given to him from his family spy ring and the consistency of information he provided to the KGB. (Defense, 2012)
Capacities of naval fleets and air-to-air missiles were transmitted through naval crypto channels were compromised. Data on satellites for tracking adversary submarines and data on satellites that provided US photographic and electronic information. Technical operations of the Navy’s submarine missiles were also compromised. Repair records and damage-control manuals on certain warships were compromised. More than 1,500 documents, including material on weapon systems, nuclear weapons control, command procedures, hostile identification and stealth methods, and contingency target lists proved valuable to the KGB. Ordinary items as copies of the USS Nimitz ship's newspaper were taken.
Yuri Linkov was a senior KGB officer stationed in at the Russian Embassy in Washington D.C.
Linkov had a number of successful recruited sources. Besides John Walker, he also recruited an American journalist and a diplomat from Chilean. John Walker was his most prized possession of spy’s. Although Linkov and Walker only met on several occasions in Virginia, Casablanca and Vienna, Walker was the only reason Linkov received promotions within the KGB. He provided Walker with written specific detailed information on dead drops in the D.C. and Maryland area for 17 years.
John Walker and family destroyed the Navy’s communications systems programs. The Walker spy ring, also compromised the Navy's theater cipher settings. These settings estimated to decode over one million cryptographic messages of technical characteristics of the Navy’s systems. This enabled the KGB and its allies to develop countermeasures against the Navy. If the U.S. decided war was inevitable, Russia strongly believed they would have won. Today over one billion dollars have been spent to replace the equipment that was compromised by the
Walkers.
John walker was only successful because no one around him or any of his spy ring ever questioned them or brought anything to the attention of NCIS. The entire time John Walker was in the Navy, he had compromised millions of documents and the person who was closest to him (his ex wife) was who turned him in to the FBI. The insider threat was unheard of in the 1960s. No one thought John was capable of committing espionage. There were too many indicators to count from Army Regulation 381-12. Had anyone would have asked John what he was doing photocopying classified documents maybe he would have stopped. Relaxed security practices also played a major role in John Walkers favor. Documents were easily photocopied inside of a busy command operating station with no one questioning John. This was due to his rank and position at the time.
The Navy took a loss in the John Walker case because there were no mitigating factors established to identify the insider threat. Educating the service members who handled SECRET and TOP-SECRET information annually would have been the first step. Established clear reporting channels directly to NIS needed to be available for service members. The proper reporting procedures would have given personnel the confidence to report incidents. The DON should enforce annual Polygraph examinations for the handlers of cryptographic information. This would have checked ensured the there were no denial and deception factors within their fleet.
In conclusion, the U.S. Navy suffered a massive blow to the hands of John Walker and his infamous spy ring. Unfortunately, the Navy never saw it coming. There were so many lessons learned and changes in the Navy due to this incident. Today the insider threat is active and wants to collect on the military’s intentions. As a CI Agent, it is our job to identify, exploit defeat and neutralize this threat with the precision of a Swiss watch. John Walker is just an example of pride and ego getting the best of a Seaman.