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News you may have missed #0250

January 12, 2010 by intelNews Leave a comment

Pakistanis ask US to quit drone strikes. A Pakistani intelligence official has told the Associated Press that the response to the December 30 suicide bombing that killed seven CIA agents should not include intensifying unmanned drone strikes inside Pakistan. However, the CIA has reportedly “stepped up drone strikes” since the bombing.
Bush, Obama administrations guilty for neglecting info sharing. Thomas E. McNamara, former head of the US federal Information Sharing Environment, says the Bush and Obama administrations are both guilty of either losing interest or not focusing at all on promoting information sharing among often-secluded US government agencies.
China ends probe into Rio Tinto espionage case. Chinese prosecutors have now taken over the case of Stern Hu, the jailed boss of Anglo-Australian mining corporation Rio Tinto, after officials ended their investigation. Hu was arrested last July on espionage charges.

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with Afghanistan, Australia, Bush Administration, China, CIA, energy resources, espionage, intelligence sharing, News, news you may have missed, Obama Administration, Pakistan, Predator drones, Rio Tinto, Stern Hu, Thomas E. McNamara, UK, United States, US Information Sharing Environment

Missing Polish intel officer probably defected to China

December 26, 2009 by intelNews 1 Comment

Stefan Zielonka

By JOSEPH FITSANAKIS | intelNews.org |
We have been keeping an eye on the mysterious case of Stefan Zielonka, a senior signals intelligence officer with Poland’s Military Intelligence Services (SWW), who disappeared without trace in early May. The seriousness of Zielonka’s disappearance stems from his extensive knowledge of Polish undercover intelligence networks operating overseas, including names and contacts of illegals –i.e. agents operating without diplomatic cover. Consequently, Polish intelligence officials have expressed fears that, if Zielonka defected, or was kidnapped by foreign intelligence agents, “much of the country’s intelligence network could be compromised”. Read more of this post

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with China, defectors, disappearances, double agents, Eastern Europe, espionage, Military Intelligence Services (Poland), NATO, News, Poland, SIGINT, Stefan Zielonka, SWW (Poland)

News you may have missed #0231

December 24, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment

Chinese honey trap methods net another victim. This time it was M.M. Sharma, an Indian diplomat posted with India’s mission in China, who reportedly had an affair with “a Chinese female spy”. She managed to gain access to his personal computer and “peruse [classified] documents without any restraint”. London’s ex-deputy mayor, Ian Clement, must feel better knowing he is not alone.
NSA’s $1.9 billion cyber spy center a power grab. Extensive –if a little ‘light’– analysis of the US National Security Agency’s planned new data storage center in Utah, by Chuck Gates of Deseret News.
Connecticut police spying on Democratic Party activists? Kenneth Krayeske, a political activist and free-lance journalist is suing the Connecticut State Police, claiming that officers engaged in “political spying [by using] cloaked Connecticut State Police addresses [to] subscribe to e-mail bulletin boards and lists […] that contain political information relating to the Green Party, the Democratic Party” and independent political activists.

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with Analysis, Camp Williams (Utah), China, civil liberties, Connecticut, Connecticut State Police, databases, Democratic Party (US), domestic intelligence, espionage, Green Party (US), honey traps, Internet, Kenneth Krayeske, M.M. Sharma, News, news you may have missed, NSA, Pakistan, political activism, Utah

News you may have missed #0230

December 23, 2009 by intelNews 3 Comments

Ukrainians claim netting ‘spies among diplomats’. In the last 6 months of 2009, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has “exposed 7 spies among diplomats”, according to its director, Valentyn Nalyvajchenko. He apparently cited “a case of a Russian spy who was charged with obtaining defense industry secrets for a Chinese special service”. If anyone out there has information on this case, please contact us.
France launches new spy satellite. France has launched a military spy satellite, Helios 2B, part of a boost in spending on independent surveillance. The satellite can reportedly tell whether a truck convoy is moving or halted and whether a nuclear reactor is operational or not.
Seized N. Korean weapons destined for Middle East: US spy chief. An illicit North Korean arms shipment seized in Thailand last week was destined for the Middle East, US director of national intelligence Dennis Blair, has claimed. Blair’s comment, which was meant to tout improved cooperation among America’s 16 intelligence agencies, was the first official confirmation of the US role in the case.

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with China, Dennis Cutler Blair, DNI, espionage, France, Helios 2B, News, news you may have missed, North Korea, Russia, satellite reconnaissance, Security Service of Ukraine, Thailand, Ukraine, United States, Valentyn Nalyvajchenko, weapons smuggling

News you may have missed #0226

December 19, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment

CIA tries to increase numbers of women leaders. CIA Director Leon Panetta is taking steps to increase the number of women at the Agency’s highest levels. The US is apparently “behind the curve when it comes to promoting women to the top ranks of intelligence services”.
CIA denies employing David Headley. CIA spokesperson Marie E. Harf said that “any suggestion that [David Coleman Headley] worked for the CIA is flat wrong”. The comment was in response to persistent rumors that Headley, who was arrested by the FBI in October, for plotting to attack a Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, is in fact an undercover CIA agent gone wild.
Taiwan wants to swap jailed spies with China. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense, which proposed the exchange, said the plan follows its policy of “do[ing] our best to take care of agents and their family members in accordance with the law and regulations”. There have been several espionage-related arrests involving the two bitter rivals in recent months.

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with China, CIA, David Coleman Headley, Denmark, double agents, FBI, imprisoned spy swaps, intelligence recruitment, Leon Panetta, Marie E. Harf, News, news you may have missed, Taiwan, Taiwanese Ministry of Defense, United States

News you may have missed #0225

December 18, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment

Pacific nation recognizes breakaway Georgian republics. The tiny island nation of Nauru has become the fourth nation (after Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela) to recognize the Georgian breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
US relying more on Special Forces in Afghanistan. US Special Forces operations in Afghanistan have been increased as part of a strategy to get faster results, according to US officials. “This is General [Stanley] McChrystal’s play”, said one Pentagon official.
Sweden charges man for spying on Chinese exiles. IntelNews regulars will remember the arrest in June of Babur Mehsut, a Uighur exile with dual Chinese-Swedish nationality, who was apparently monitoring the political activities of Sweden’s Uighur community on behalf of Beijing.

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with Abkhazia, Afghanistan, Babur Mehsut, China, Georgia, immigration intelligence, lawsuits, Nauru, News, news you may have missed, Nicaragua, Russia, South Ossetia, Stanley McChrystal, Sweden, Uighurs, US DoD, US Special Forces, Venezuela

News you may have missed #0223 (Iran special)

December 17, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment

US tells China it can’t stop Israel from striking Iran indefinitely. Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz claims that “senior officials in Jerusalem” said US President Barack Obama recently warned his Chinese counterpart that “the United States would not be able to keep Israel from attacking Iranian nuclear installations for much longer”.
Iranian memo puzzles Western spy agencies. Does this two-page memorandum, written in Persian, provide an accurate account of the status of Iran’s nuclear program? “Some people think this is the smoking gun”, one senior European official said on Tuesday, “and others say it will be very hard to prove if it’s authentic”.
Iran claims capture of Western spy in Qom. An Iranian state-owned television station has announced the alleged capture two months ago of a spy for a Western intelligence agency who is said to have gathered information on Iran’s uranium enrichment site at Qum. But some observers have questioned the report.

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with China, espionage, Iran, Iranian nuclear program, Israel, News, news you may have missed, Qum (Iran), United States

News you may have missed #0216

December 11, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment

China launches new spy satellite. Beijing says the satellite will be used for “land resources surveys [and] crop yield estimates”, but outside experts say it is likely an electro-optical spy satellite that will be operated by the Chinese military.
Man accused of spying on Israeli military chief may go free. Arab Israeli Rawi Sultani was arrested last August for allegedly spying on Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, on behalf of Lebanese group Hezbollah. But he may be released due to a technical oversight by the prosecutors.

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with China, Chinese armed forces, espionage, Gabi Ashkenazi, Hezbollah, Israel, News, news you may have missed, Rawi Sultani, satellite reconnaissance

News you may have missed #0208

December 7, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment

Georgia denies entry to Russian ‘spies’. Georgia has denied entry to a delegation of Russian scholars from the Russian State Archive and the Center for Caucasian Research at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. It’s the second time this year that the Georgians have accused Russian researchers of being spies.
US monitors China’s hiring of foreign journalists. A report by the Open Source Center of the US Directorate of National Intelligence notes that China has been hiring a growing number of foreign reporters to serve as overseas correspondents.
Audio interview with NSA’s information assurance director. Dickie George, technical director of information assurance at the US National Security Agency, has given a rare audio interview to GovInfo Security. The first part of the interview is available here. The second part will be posted in a few days.

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with academic freedom, Center for Caucasian Research at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, China, Dickie George, espionage, Georgia, information security, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, News, news you may have missed, NSA, Russia, Russian State Archive, US DNI Open Source Center

Israeli listening bugs found in UN meeting room: Swiss paper

December 2, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment

The UN in Geneva

By JOSEPH FITSANAKIS | intelNews.org |
Switzerland’s most esteemed newspaper has revealed that a number of listening devices, most likely of Israeli origin, were discovered in a room designated for sensitive meetings on disarmament issues, at the United Nations building in Geneva. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), quoted “a senior official” of the Service for Analysis and Prevention (Dienst für Analyse und Prävention), Switzerland’s domestic intelligence agency, who said the bugs were among several discovered throughout the building during regular maintenance work in 2006. The anonymous official said counterintelligence experts drew on “technical and geopolitical criteria” to create a shortlist of the possible culprits. Israel topped the list, which also included North Korea, Britain, China, Russia, France and the United States. Read more of this post

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with Britain, China, communications interception, counterintelligence, espionage, France, Geneva (Switzerland), Israel, News, North Korea, Russia, Service for Analysis and Prevention (Switzerland), Switzerland, United Nations, United States

London ex-official admits falling for Chinese honey trap

December 1, 2009 by intelNews 2 Comments

Ian Clement

By JOSEPH FITSANAKIS | intelNews.org |
London’s former deputy mayor, Ian Clement, has admitted he was lured by a female Chinese secret agent, who drugged him and ransacked his Beijing hotel room after having sex with him. Clement said he fell for “the oldest trick in the book”, euphemistically known as ‘honey trap’ in intelligence circles, while accompanying UK Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell to Beijing to “build contacts with potential investors” for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He said he became acquainted with an attractive Chinese woman at the exclusive official party on the opening night of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and had a few drinks with her. He then invited her to his hotel room, where he eventually became unconscious. Upon waking up, several hours later, he found that “the woman had rifled through confidential documents and downloaded details about how the capital is run from his BlackBerry Smartphone”. Read more of this post

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with 2008 Summer Olympic Games, 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Beijing (China), China, Chinese Ministry of State Security, espionage, FSB, honey traps, Ian Clement, James Hudson, London, MI6, News, Olympic Games, Russia, UK

Germany arrests Chinese informants for spying on exiles

November 25, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment

Chinese consulate

By JOSEPH FITSANAKIS | intelNews.org |
German federal and local detectives yesterday raided the homes of four Chinese residents of Munich, who are suspected of spying on the city’s Uighur Chinese community on behalf of the government in Beijing. The four were charged after German counterintelligence agents spotted them holding secret meetings with a Chinese diplomat operating out of China’s consulate in Munich (photo). Munich has the world’s largest Uighur population outside of China, and is home to the World Uighur Congress, which Beijing views as an anti-Chinese organization. The Uighur people are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia, and are primarily concentrated in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Read more of this post

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with Babur Mehsut, China, Chinese consulate in Munich, Germany, immigration intelligence, informants, Munich (Germany), News, SAPO (Sweden), Sweden, Uighurs, World Uighur Congress, Xinjiang (China)

News you may have missed #0193

November 23, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment

Colombian rebels say US spying on Venezuela from bases. Colombia’s National Liberation Army, the smaller of the country’s two main guerrilla groups, has echoed Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s recent claims that the new US bases in Colombia will be used for “electronic spying” against Caracas.
Hawaii resident accused of spying for China to stand trial. Noshir Gowadia is not insane and is legally able to stand trial, a US federal prosecutor asserted on Friday.
British communications spy agency to recruit via Xbox Live. The General Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Britain’s version of the US National Security Agency, says it is trying to attract 18- to 34-year-olds to its ranks. It’s not the first time it has resorted to gaming.

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with China, Colombia, ELN (Colombia), gaming, GCHQ, Hawaii, Hugo Chávez, intelligence recruitment, military bases, National Liberation Army of Colombia, News, news you may have missed, Noshir Gowadia, UK, United States, Venezuela, Xbox, Xbox Live

News you may have missed #0182

November 13, 2009 by intelNews 2 Comments

China to keep Rio Tinto boss in prison. The Chinese government has extended (again) by two months a probe into Stern Hu, the jailed boss of Anglo-Australian mining corporation Rio Tinto. Hu was arrested by the Chinese last July on espionage charges.
Czech spy agency objects to outing Cold War agents. Recently a Czech research center published an extensive list of names of agents of StB, the country’s main intelligence agency in the communist era. But StB’s post-communist successor, the ÚZSI, condemned the airing of the names, calling it “a massive violation of protection of sources that is part of intelligence work, which also may have a negative impact on the Czech Republic’s [current] interests”.
Iran reportedly creates new domestic spy agency. A radical dissident Iranian group in Paris, with known ties to Washington, claims the Iranian regime has undertaken “the largest overhaul of the [country’s] intelligence structure since 1989”.

Filed under Expert news and commentary on intelligence, espionage, spies and spying Tagged with Australia, China, Cold War, Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia, declassification, Eastern Europe, energy resources, espionage, history, informants, intelligence reform, Iran, News, news you may have missed, People's Mujahedeen Organization, Rio Tinto, StB (Czechoslovakia), Stern Hu, UK, UZSI (Czech Republic)

News you may have missed #0170

November 6, 2009 by intelNews Leave a comment

US wants to set up spy base in Afghanistan, says Afghan lawmaker. Ataollah Loudin, who chairs the Afghan parliament’s Justice and Judiciary Committee, told journalists that Washington wants to establish a base in Afghanistan “to collect intelligence on and organize espionage operations against Iran, Russia, and China”.
CIA settles DEA agent’s lawsuit for $3 million. The US government has agreed to pay $3 million to a former US Drug Enforcement Administration agent who accused a CIA operative of illegally bugging his home.
UN to help Colombia sort through spy files. Colombia’s government and the UN have reached an agreement that will allow the UN to participate in the cleansing of intelligence files belonging to the soon-to-be-dismantled DAS spy agency. Interestingly, the project will be used as a pilot example for a wider process which may be extended to the Colombian Armed Forces and Police.