A Battle We’re Losing By Mike Robinson, Former Army Special Forces Officer & International Business Executive

I lived in West Germany and West Berlin from 1984 to 1987, during the final years of the Cold War. At the time, I was an Army officer, witnessing firsthand how intelligence agencies—Soviet, American, and others—used diplomacy, business, and cultural exchanges to advance their agendas.

Back then, intelligence gathering required patience, human interaction, and deception. But today, thanks to artificial intelligence and social media, even a single individual can execute complex influence campaigns with global reach. In 1988, I became a Special Forces officer, gaining experience in counterterrorism, insurgency, and intelligence operations. Later, I transitioned into the corporate world, serving as Global Manager with Procter & Gamble from 1994 to 2002, where I had direct reports in China and worldwide. Later, at my own agency, LAVERDAD Marketing and Media, I hired and supervised dozens of international professionals while working on strategic campaigns for major clients like Toyota North America.

I have personally encountered foreign influence operations, particularly since 2016 and now during the war in Ukraine. Shaping the Global Information Battlefield During the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), I served on General John Abizaid’s Expert Advisory Board for Strategic Communications, advising on how to use open-source intelligence to shape the operational environment in the Middle East. The goal was to counter enemy narratives before they took root—an essential strategy in both warfare and geopolitical influence.

Years earlier, I saw the reach of backchannel influence firsthand. While I was at Procter & Gamble, my boss’s boss, Steve David, received a direct call from Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Arafat’s message? He wanted David to relay a backchannel communication to President George H.W. Bush: the PLO did not support Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. These kinds of backdoor communications—whether through corporate leaders, academics, or journalists—are not unusual. They are a core part of influence operations. Foreign Intelligence Operations in Plain Sight Intelligence agencies worldwide use international travel, student visas, and corporate work assignments as tools for gathering information and exerting influence.

These tactics aren’t new, but their scale and effectiveness have exploded with digital technology. The U.S. remains a top destination for foreign students, with over a million international enrollments. China alone sends 290,000 students annually.

While most are here for education, China’s Communist Party (CCP) expects its citizens abroad to serve the state’s interests. Intelligence gathering, technology theft, and influence operations are often conducted under the cover of academia and research.

Work visas provide another avenue.

Indian nationals receive over 72% of H-1B visas, giving them critical access to the U.S. tech sector.

Russian and Ukrainian professionals have been placed in roles within major industries, some of whom have ties to foreign intelligence services. These individuals don’t have to be spies in the traditional sense—just pawns in a larger influence network.

AI and Social Media: The New Frontline of Influence Warfare In the past, espionage required human assets, coded messages, and in-person surveillance. Today, a single actor with AI-powered bots can manipulate U.S. public opinion, distort media narratives, and even influence elections.

Russia, China, and Iran have weaponized social media to spread disinformation, infiltrate American political discourse, and destabilize U.S. institutions from within. Intelligence agencies use AI to generate deepfake videos, fake news reports, and automated propaganda, pushing false narratives on topics like COVID-19, Ukraine, and U.S. energy policy. This isn’t speculation. We’ve already seen foreign actors manipulate major political events. Their goal isn’t always to push a specific agenda—it’s often to create chaos, division, and distrust in American democracy.

Spies in Our Midst: From Special Forces to the White House Think this is just paranoia? Look at the number of spies and double agents caught in recent years:

• Peter Debbins, a former Special Forces officer, sentenced to 15 years for spying for Russia.

• Robert Hanssen, an FBI agent who sold U.S. secrets to the Russians for over two decades.

• Jerry Chun Shing Lee, a former CIA officer who compromised U.S. operations in China.

• Foreign operatives inside the White House—past and present—who infiltrated American decision-making circles.

And let’s not forget the CIA itself has embedded with media and corporate America for decades. The idea that journalists and executives operate independently of intelligence agencies is naïve.

Front companies are real, and many “business professionals” in Washington, New York, and Silicon Valley are not just here for business.

How Do We Fight Back? The United States cannot afford to be naïve about foreign influence. Policymakers must:

1. Tighten security screening for student and work visas.

2. Demand accountability from social media platforms to combat AI-driven disinformation.

3. Invest in counterintelligence training for business and political leaders.

4. Educate American citizens on how they are being targeted—at work, online, and in their communities.

As someone who has worked in international business, military intelligence, and strategic communications, I can tell you: foreign influence is not an abstract threat. It is happening every day, at every level of American society. I spent my military career defending U.S. interests abroad. Now, the real fight is happening right here at home. If we don’t take action, we will wake up one day to find that our businesses, policies, and democracy itself are being shaped by forces beyond our control.

The battle for influence is ongoing—and right now, we’re losing.