John's Covert Operations Fragments - English Page

Jim Sanborn has several pulped paper style sculptures with enciphered text as well as his metal enciphered sculptures. One of these encoded sculptures is the Covert Ops Fragment - English...
I saw this one for the 1st time at Dragon*Con 2005. I deciphered it after about an hour... ***Update*** : Oct 29-30, 2005 : DC trip to visit Sanborn & Scheidt. Saw this small English COF in Sanborn's studio.
Got to a computer the next morning, transcribed/double-checked (10 min), and decrypted (5 min)...


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*John's Kryptos Pages*
====================
John's Main KRYPTOS Page
John's KRYPTOS Simulator + John's Collected KRYPTOS Hints + John's KRYPTOS Details
John's KRYPTOS Solutions & Analysis + John's KRYPTOS Part-4 Solution
John's KRYPTOS Cipher-Wheel
John's Antipodes page | John's Cyrillic Projector page
John's Covert Ops Fragment - English page | John's Covert Ops Fragment - Cyrillic page | John's Covert Ops Fragment - Zola page
John's Secret Code-Systems page
John's RuneQuest Cipher Challenge! Win $$$
===============================
*Elonka Dunin's Excellent Kryptos Pages* + Elonka's Kryptos Aerial Page + Elonka's Kryptos FAQ
groups.yahoo.com/group/kryptos
kryptos.yak.net + kryptos.prestemon.com -user: kryptos -pass: iqlusion
Xenon's Kryptos Wiki -user:(blank) -pass: KryptosSecret
Jim Gillogly's Kryptos Pictures + Elonka's Kryptos Pics
Gary Warzin's Kryptos Pages
NPR - ATC: Kryptos
Kryptos Info at CIA Headquarters

John's Secret Code-Systems page has the COF-English for analysis and decoding
Please let me know if you notice any mistakes below.

Covert Ops Fragment - English

	Covert Operations Fragment - English (original)
	123456789012345678901234567890123456
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15	HZQJRJZQQJRDUQTFTBFZJLQAUFJIKTLPJK SNPIQFXIGIFFQLEMRJRNPQHPTWWMYUQZH XHKBLESILTEPPJKSEPUJIEEQKHSUBZPQLQB XVDLKUUQGKEIYMXYVBDVYTKHFMXFMCEI XTBSNKGGTMZLHHKOLIXJBNQQKSZIQTHIQ WRGGZKAXJGJYOLHWKBLIWIVSINIQUNBUPI QRVLKKIPIMSKEQJHZQIVTUKYAQUSVNPVB HVDLCJZTGVJWLYMVXZEKGGTWHVDVUBAZ XQPRLLNKUDUPXTVBUUGJNMUWQUKOLYLS JILSHWTWSVIITLLIXJBBXKIHJCWFJPTDPJSK BEQJDPVWHLGMNIGVYUTWWMNVXBJKHYV DHJSVBMUFGZKCGVDMBBITSKSUMVMJBBZT TVZCEMLJSBJZQUZUHTNBXKYEBMUHFKC VKWVVLUTMGFEIVOVJAU(.)TPVGFVBUUJISI LMGBPNRVXBVDHZQFKWINHULMLL____

There are, as seems to be typical with some of Sanborn's encoded messages, several mistakes in the coding.
Whether this is intentional or not, is of course, a mystery...

	Covert Operations Fragment - English (corrected)
	123456789012345678901234567890123456
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15	HZQJRJZQQJRDUQTFTBFZJLQAUFJIKhLPJK SNPIQFXIGIFFQLEMRJRNPQHPTWWMYUQZH XHKBLESILTEPPJKSEPUJIEEeKHSUBZPQLQB XVDLKUUQGKEIYMXYVBDVYTKHFMXFMCEI XTBSNKGGnMZLHHKOLIXJBNpQKSZIQTHIQ WRGGZKAXJGJYOLHWKBLIWIVSINIQUtBUPI jRVLKKIPIMSKEQJHZQIVTUKYAQUSVNPVB HVDLqJZTGVJWLYiVXZEKGGTWHVDVUBAZ XQPRLLNKUDUPXTVBUUGJNMUWQUKOLYLS JILSHWTWSVIITLLIXJBBXKIHJCWFJPTDPJSK BEQJDPVWHLGMNIGVYUTWWMNVXnJKHtV DHJSVnMUFGZKCGVDMnnITSKSUMVMJBBZT TVZCEMLJSnJZQU_xx_ZUHTNBXKYEnMU_Q_HFKC ViWVVLUTMGFEjVOVJAU(.)TPVGFVBUUJISI LlGBPNRVXBVDHZQFKWINHULMLL____
	x's and Q are nulls that have to be inserted to get correct key alignment

Another interesting note. The (.) DOT just above the letters for "WIN" indicates a position where characters have to be inserted/removed to get the correct PT. This occurs within the PT word PENETRATED.
This is very similar to John's metaphorical solution to K4, in which the word/metaphor CANDLE has to be "inserted" into the "hole", which oddly enough occurs above the word "WIN" in Kryptos Part 4. See Kryptos Part 4
And, if that isn't enough, U (you) are making a breach/opening/penetration at (T) of "T is your position" U(.)T
I will also note that adding the extra x's moves the T in that line over U(.)T = TUT? (King Tut)?

**NOTE**: 2013-04-29 Nicholas LaMey noted that the correct decryption in the lower part of the text should read THE CORE, by inserting an additional Q
He also noted that one could remove the UxxxxT to also get correct key alignment, while keeping the (.) as a Morse Code E, still giving PENETRATED
I had originally added extra null x's, giving "TBDORE", but "THE CORE" definitely seems more correct.
Also, if you put in the double _xx_ nulls, they decode to CQ, which is really coincidental since you need to add a Q to get a C in CORE
CQ is also a radio code, very similar to the RQ in Morse code segment of Kryptos K0
Very Interesting!! :)

	Covert Operations Fragment - English (decoded)
	123456789012345678901234567890123456
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15	THEOFFICEOFSECURITYHASOPERATEDAMAI LINTERCEPTPROGRAMOFINCOMINGANDOUT GOINGRUSSIANMAILANDATVARIOUSTIMESOT HERSELECTIVEMAILATKENNEDYAIRPORT INNYCITYTHISOPERATIONINCLUDEDNOTO NLYTHEPHOTOGRAPHINGOFSELECTEDITEMS OFMAILTHEBULKOFTHETAKEINVOLVEDMAT TERSOFINTERNALSECURITYINTERESTWH ICHWASDISSEMINATEDTOTHEFEDERALBU REAUOFINVESTIGATIONTHISPROGRAMISNOWI NADORMANTSTATEPENDINGADECISIONA STOWETHERTHEOPERATIONWILLBECONTIN UEDORABOLISHED_xx_IDONTTHINKTHE_C_OREO FTHEAGENCYWASEVERP(.)NETRATEDATLE ASTWHILEIWASTHERENOBODYHAS____
	x's and Q are nulls that have to be inserted to get correct key alignment Encipher Method: Double-Key Vigenère / Quagmire III Keywords: (KRYPTOS) & (DECEIT)

	Covert Operations Fragment - English (easy to read)

	THE OFFICE OF SECURITY HAS OPERATED A MAIL INTERCEPT PROGRAM OF INCOMING AND OUTGOING RUSSIAN MAIL AND AT VARIOUS TIMES OTHER SELECTIVE MAIL AT KENNEDY AIRPORT IN NY CITY THIS OPERATION INCLUDED NOT ONLY THE PHOTOGRAPHING OF SELECTED ITEMS OF MAIL THE BULK OF THE TAKE INVOLVED MATTERS OF INTERNAL SECURITY INTEREST WHICH WAS DISSEMINATED TO THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION THIS PROGRAM IS NOW IN A DORMANT STATE PENDING A DECISION AS TO W(H)ETHER THE OPERATION WILL BE CONTINUED OR ABOLISHED _xx_ I DON'T THINK THE CORE OF THE AGENCY WAS EVER P(.=E)NETRATED AT LEAST WHILE I WAS THERE NOBODY HAS____
	Encipher Method: Double-Key Vigenere / Quagmire III Keywords: (KRYPTOS) & (DECEIT)

Nicholas also notes that the inserted letters H and C, used to get correct spellings, could also reference HC-Howard Carter

There are at least 4 large Covert Operations Fragments by James Sanborn, all having similar styles but differing languages:
Arabic - currently UNDECODED
Cyrillic - currently UNDECODED
English - Decoded by John Wilson - Sept 2005 - Double Key Vigenère (keywords Kryptos & Deceit)
Zola Spy Restaurant - Decoded by Keith Edkins - Dec 2003 - Modular Transposition ([decrypted=(16*encrypted+15) mod 513]

There are at least 2 small Covert Operations Fragments by James Sanborn, all having similar styles but differing languages:
English (small) - Decoded by John Wilson - Oct 2005 - Double Key Vigenère (keywords Kryptos & Shadow)
Cyrillic (FRB fragment) - currently UNDECODED

	Covert Operations Fragment - English Small (original)
	1234567890123456789012345
01 02 03 04	RAJIRBAPKMQJDZKHQYZQVJTEL QEEDJNLFZXREKUOWTZZGGQYZ UQUGMDPEZETZZOLMDLIHHQYZ MFJFZDYHHDJWJMEBFEEHWJSE

	Covert Operations Fragment - English Small (corrected)
	1234567890123456789012345
01 02 03 04	RAJIRBAPKwQJDZKHQYZQVJcEL QEEDJNLFZXREKUOWTZZGGQYZ UQUGMDPEZETZZOLMDLIHHQYZ MFJFZDYHHDJWJMjBFEaHWJSE

	Covert Operations Fragment - English Small (decoded)
	1234567890123456789012345
01 02 03 04	UNCOVERINGINTENTIONSISTHE STRONGPOINTOFHUMANESPION AGEBUTITISANEXAGGERATION TOSAYTHATONLYESPIONAGECO
	Encipher Method: Double-Key Vigenere / Quagmire III Keywords: (KRYPTOS) & (SHADOW)

	Covert Operations Fragment - English Small (easy to read)
	1234567890123456789012345
01 02 03 04	UNCOVERING INTENTIONS IS THE STRONG POINT OF HUMAN ESPION- AGE BUT IT IS AN EXAGGERATION TO SAY THAT ONLY ESPIONAGE CO...
	Encipher Method: Double-Key Vigenere / Quagmire III Keywords: (KRYPTOS) & (SHADOW)

**NOTE**
According to another Kryptos fan "Krazy Kryptos":
The full quote is this:

Uncovering intentions is the strong point of human espionage, but it is an exaggeration to say that only espionage can do that. Reading another country’s messages through electronic intercepts or listening to its leaders talk to each other through a concealed microphone can reveal intentions, often with greater accuracy than an agent’s reporting… (With regard to HUMINT) two key limitations are frequently overlooked. One is the difficulty in placing an agent in just the right place at just the right time. The other is the question of whether there are any reliable sources who can divulge a country’s intentions.

---- Stanfield Turner : the 12^th Director of the CIA from 1977 to 1981.

Kryptos in the Turkish News

** John's Covert Operations Fragments - English Page **

John's Covert Operations Fragments - English Page