Writing About the White House, President & Secret Service in Thriller Fiction
For those who attended my presentation at ThrillerFest IX, following is my outline:
Writing About the White House, President & Secret Service in Thriller FictionJames Brunoangkor456000@yahoo.comDIPLO DENIZEN (http://jameslbruno.blogspot.com/)
Verisimilitude: Separating the Plausible from the B.S:
· Just as a murder mystery reads better when the detective work and forensics reflect true life, so is it with national security thrillers. These include spy, political and military thrillers.
· What separates the outstanding national security thrillers from the rest of the pack is verisimilitude: creating characters, situations and plots that closely resemble the real thing.
· John LeCarre, Daniel Silva and David Ignatius.
· The Situation Room:
“Sit Room” – in the basement of the West Wing; linked to all op centers; bank of computers in darkened alcove behind the Sit Rm. Staffed 24/7 by ~25 watch officers – linked by secure conference lines to all op centers (State, DoD, CIA). Watch officers in Sit Rm. contact relevant officials re important events- NSC advisor if of presidential importance. Can’t overestimate importance of the Sit Rm. for the role of the President as commander-in-chief.
· President’s Daily Brief (PDB)Prepared by the Director of National Intelligence office.
· Presidential Policy Directive (PPD)
Covert vs clandestine:Covert Op: Sponsor is concealed – plausible deniability (mostly CIA ops); must report to Congress. Example: Iran hostage op.Clandestine Op: Operation is concealed (mostly military ops); no need to report to Congress. Example: Bin Laden raid.
Disposition Matrix: targeting program against individual terrorists.
· Military Aide Carries the “presidential emergency satchel” aka “The Football” – authentication codes and presidential emergency declarations. Locked briefcase contains a code book. To launch a nuke strike, must read code to DoD from a plastic authentication card (“Biscuit”).
In event of a nuclear threat, Pres. is to be whisked from WH by chopper to either a “doomsday plane” (National Airborne Command Posts) to secret relocation centers.
· Presidential Aide Aide: “the loyal shadow,” or “body man,” who carries binder with 2 sets of papers: 1) daily schedules; and 2) president’s daily briefing book (subdivided for each daily event with briefing papers).
· WHCAWhen Pres. travels, WHCA deploys all commo gear, including INMARSAT satellite relay stations for secure coms – often in ATICS vans (incl. generators). If necessary, encryption cards can be inserted into cell phones to enable secure coms. Secure wireless conference video as well as email.
· Air Force-1 & the 89th Military Airlift WingTwo 747-200B’s – both called AF-1 (only when Pres. is aboard) – at Andrews. “Flying WH.” Has sophisticated anti-jamming & anti-missile gear; wiring protected against electromagnetic effects of nuclear blast. Pres. suite near front with a stateroom, dressing room, bath/shower, office, combo conference/dining room. Rear: staff, USSS, guests, press.
· Marine One (HMX-1 "Nighthawks" Squadron)Marine-1 is a Sikorsky VH-3D Sea King. Operates from Anacostia Naval Air Station. Helipad on South Lawn. But abroad, use a modified VH60N Black Hawk.
· The “Beast”Each motorcade has a CAT and an intel vehicle.Pres. limo codenamed “Stagecoach” – informally “Beast.” Secure commo, oxygen, etc. Often the first limo is a decoy. The second is a backup. Pres. could actually be in a third limo or in any car in the motorcade. An “informal package” = 7-8 cars. “Formal package” = up to 40 vehicles. Agents refer to their vehicles as “G-rides.”
· Secret Service
· Several hundred Uniformed Division officers on duty in shifts at the outer perimeter; middle perimeter within buildings. On the inner protective perimeter are ~200 Secret Service agents. USSS presidential protective command post is immediately under Oval Office (rm. W-16).
· Any movement on WH grounds is detected by infrared, electric eye, audio and pressure sensors. Videocams on the roof and grounds record every movement. A sniper teamis on the roof any time Pres. leaves or enters. A digitized locator box tracks each member of first family. Electronic eyes and ground sensors 6 feet back monitored 24/7. Infrared detectors closer to WH. Audio and video cover everything.
· Panic buttons under Pres’s desk and strategically in Residence.
· WH codenamed “Crown.”
· Secret Service agents refer to any possible assassin as “The Jackal.”
· Big hotel receptions: President almost never ushered through front entrances but rather through garbage dumpsters and kitchens.
· The normal protective working shift consists of a shift leader and four shift agents. These are the “body men” around the protectee. Other agents include 3-4 transportation agents, countersurveillance agents and a 5-6 Counter Assault Team (CAT) members.
· Intel car tracks people assessed as threats and can even jam the coms of anyone deemed a threat. Normally, a local law enforcement chopper is overhead.
· Presidents generally wear Kevlar vests.
· Emergency Operations Center– a bunker of rooms deep underground.
· Airspace over downtown DC prohibited to all air traffic below 18,000 feet.
· SAM’s: Shoulder-fired Red Eye anti-aircraft weapons to shoot down incoming aircraft.
Useful references:
The White House Staff: Inside the West Wing and Beyond by Bradley H. Patterson
In the President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect by Ronald Kessler
Inside the White House: The Hidden Lives of the Modern Presidents and the Secrets of the World's Most Powerful Institution by Ronald Kessler
Life Inside the Bubble: Why a Top-Ranked Secret Service Agent Walked Away from It All by Dan Bongino
America's Book Of Secrets: The White House – The History Channel (TV)
White House Revealed – Smithsonian Channel (TV)
Writing the National Security Thriller, Part I: Tips for the Lay Author
Writing the National Security Thriller: Tips for the Lay Author Part II: People, Places & Things
Writing the National Security Thriller, Part III: Spy Tradecraft