Iran lodges protest with UN against U.S. sabotage, spy networks

Iran on Saturday lodged its protest with the United Nations against Washington for engineering sabotage and creating spy networks in the Islamic Republic, the official IRNA news agency reported.  The protest letters was sent to the UN General Assembly and the Security Council by the office of Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations….(Xinhua, 9 Jun 07)

US may soon free 5 Iranian diplomats

The US may soon free the five Iranian diplomats abducted in northern Iraq in what looks like a trade for the four detained Americans in Iran…The officials said that no decision had been made yet, adding that the review offers an opportunity to resolve what has turned into a source of tension between Tehran and Washington…..(Press TV, 9 Jun 07)

Former diplomat says as many as 1000 Chinese spies are operating in Canada.

…Chen Yonglin, who spent 14 years as a dipolomat before defecting, says China uses overseas spies to gather information on everything from military secrets to the Falun Gong. He says Canada's close relationship to the United States makes our country a target……(CKNW, 9 Jun 07)

Taliban kill Pakistani tribesman accused of spying

Pro-Taliban militants shot dead a tribesman who confessed on video to being a U.S. informer, a witness and officials in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region said on Saturday…..(Reuters, 9 Jun 07)

Wartime Treatment of Germans Questioned

…The stories of the Germans have gotten little attention so far, but the Senate took a step toward changing that this week, voting to look into the treatment of Germans and other Europeans in the U.S. during World War II…..(AP, 9 Jun 07)

Report Gives Details on CIA Prisons

…Some of the United States' highest-profile terrorism suspects, including Khalid Sheik Mohammed, considered the prime organizer of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, were detained and interrogated at the facility in Poland, according to the 72-page report completed for the Council of Europe, the continent's human rights agency…..(Washington Post, 9 Jun 07)

U-Va. Officials Announce Database Breach

…School officials announced the security breaches yesterday, about a week after they discovered that, on 54 days between April 2005 and April 2007, someone broke into the records for more than 5,700 faculty members….(Washington Post, 9 Jun 07)

John R. Horton CIA Senior Executive

John Ryder Horton, 86, a CIA senior executive in the directorate of operations who became chief of the Soviet bloc division, died June 3…Mr. Horton joined the CIA in 1948 and was chief of station in Hong Kong, Uruguay and Mexico. He was in Mexico during the 1968 student riots. He was chief of the Western Hemisphere division before retiring in 1975 as chief of the Soviet bloc division, covering the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact nations. He received the CIA's Distinguished Intelligence Medal….(Washington Post, 8 Jun 07)

Removing Pace, Clearing the Decks

With Defense Secretary Robert Gates's decision today to cashier Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the wholesale change in those running the Iraq war — with the notable exception of President Bush — is now complete…Gates announced that Admiral Mike Mullen, the current chief of naval operations, will replace Pace…and Air Force General James Cartwright, the commander of the Strategic Command, who will become vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs — will be able to develop a freshened….(Time Magazine, 8 Jun 07)

State desperate for envoys to learn Arabic

The State Department, in an unprecedented move highlighting its desperate need for Arabic speakers, is allowing U.S. diplomats to curtail their current assignments anywhere in the world and begin Arabic language training in September. Foreign Service officers who are interested in learning Arabic or improving existing skills have until the end of July to apply for more than 100 positions in Arabic-speaking countries that will open in the next two years…..(Washington Times, 8 Jun 07)

Iran: Probe of Missing FBI Agent Yields No Results

Three months after former FBI agent Robert A. Levinson disappeared on Iran's Kish Island, Iran has told the State Department that its investigation into his whereabouts has produced no information, senior State Department officials said today. The letter from Iran's Foreign Ministry, delivered Wednesday through the Swiss government, came seven weeks after the State Department's fifth communication to Tehran…..(Washington Post, 8 Jun 07)

Nominee to Coordinate War Offers Grim Forecast on Iraq
…Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute, tapped by Bush to serve as a new high-powered White House coordinator of the war, told senators at a confirmation hearing that Iraqi factions "have shown so far very little progress" toward the reconciliation necessary to stem the bloodshed. If that does not change, he said, "we're not likely to see much difference in the security situation" a year from now…..(Washington Post, 8 Jun 07)

Democrats May Subpoena N.S.A. Documents

…The subpoena threat came after a senior Justice Department official told a House judiciary subcommittee on Thursday that the department would not turn over the documents because of their confidential nature…Mr. Comey’s testimony, disclosing the sharp disagreements in the Bush administration over the legality of some N.S.A. activities, has increased Congressional interest in scrutinizing the program…..(New York Times, 8 Jun 07)

Spy Act endorsed 368 to 48

The US House of Representatives has endorsed the Spy Act 368 to 48. It's being drawn up to, "protect users of the Internet from unknowing transmission of a personally identifiable information through spyware programs, and for other purposes," it states….(P2P Net, 8 Jun 07)

Judge postpones CIA rendition trial
The first trial involving the CIA’s extraordinary rendition program opened in Italy today, without the presence of any of the 26 American defendants accused of kidnapping an Egyptian terror suspect. After ruling on several motions, Judge Oscar Magi postponed the trial until June 18 so he could consider a defense request to suspend the proceedings until Italy’s Constitutional Court rules on several matters related to the case later this year….(Evening Echo, 8 Jun 07)

CIA agents go on trial in Italy before Bush visit

Hours before President George W. Bush visited Italy, 26 U.S. citizens went on trial in absentia in Milan on Friday accused of carrying out one of Washington's most controversial policies in its war on terrorism. The U.S. citizens, almost all believed to be CIA agents, have been charged with kidnapping a Muslim in Milan in 2003 who was on Washington's list of terrorist suspects and flying him to Egypt where he says he was tortured under interrogation…..(Reuters, 8 Jun 07)

European Report Addresses CIA Sites
A European investigator said he has "factually established" that Poland and Romania allowed the CIA to operate secret prisons where alleged al-Qaeda operatives were detained and interrogated, according to documents scheduled to be presented Friday to Europe's official human rights organization…..(Washington Post, 8 Jun 07)

Russia plans trial against exiled ex-oligarch Berezovsky

Russia is to hold a fresh trial for embezzlement against the former oligarch Boris Berezovsky, a fierce Kremlin critic who now lives in London, Russian prosecutors said today… The businessman, who gave money to the late Russian former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, has blamed President Vladimir Putin for being behind Litvinenko's radiation poisoning in London last year…..(Thomson Financial, 8 Jun 07)

Czechs likely to have two intelligence services

The Czech Republic will probably have two secret services, intelligence and the counter-intelligence, instead of the current three, Interior Minister Ivan Langer told journalists today…the civilian intelligence UZSI is to merge with the military intelligence and the civilian counter-intelligence BIS with the military counter-intelligence …..(Prague Daily Monitor, 8 Jun 07)

Egyptian handed over to CIA demands damages from Sweden

An Egyptian national who was handed over to the CIA in 2001 and deported to Egypt in a much-criticized decision has demanded 30 million kronor (4.3 million dollars) in compensation from the Swedish government, his lawyer said Thursday. Mohammed al-Zari and fellow national Ahmed Agiza were in December 2001 handed over to CIA agents and flown to Egypt where they were suspected of terrorist activities…..(DPA, 8 Jun 07)

Poland, Romania said to harbor clandestine prisons for terrorism suspects

The CIA ran secret prisons in Europe, including in Poland, said the head of a European investigation who was to present new findings Friday on what he has called a “spider’s web” of human rights abuses during the war on terror. “We have proof, on the basis of information collected, of the existence of illegal prisons in countries closely collaborating with the United States, such as Poland,”….(AP, 8 Jun 07)

Poland denies Council of Europe accusations on CIA secret prisons
The Polish authorities denied accusations in a Council of Europe report released today that it housed secret CIA prisons between 2003 and 2005. 'There were no secret bases in Poland,' foreign ministry spokesman Robert Szaniawski….(Thomson Financial, 8 Jun 07)

Romania Denies Accusations of Secret CIA Prisons

Romanian officials made a statement Friday that the country had not hosted any secret CIA prisons on its soil, following a report by a European investigator who said he had proof of such detention centers. The accusations are contained in a new report, published today at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg by Swiss politician Dick Marty…..(BIRN, 8 Jun 07)

Secret Prisons in 2 Countries Held Qaeda Suspects, Report Says

…Dick Marty, the Swiss senator leading the inquiry, said in a recent interview that his conclusions were based on information from intelligence agents on both sides of the Atlantic, including members of the C.I.A. counterterrorism center. The report is to be released on Friday….(New York Times, 8 Jun 07)

Ex-KGB agent to speak at Tiger Bay

A former KGB agent whose support for democratic reforms in the Soviet Union led to his demotion is the guest speaker at the Panhandle Tiger Bay Club’s June 15 meeting…Oleg Kalugin ended an illustrious career in the KGB when he joined forces in 1989 with Soviet dissidents to advocate democratic reforms and denounce the Soviet intelligence service…..(Pensacola News Journal, 8 Jun 07)

Great program at Maltz Museum

Milt and Tamar Maltz and the Maltz Museum gave us the opportunity May 31 to attend the multitalented Elaine Rembrandt’s portrayal of three female Jewish spies…Peter Earnest, a retired senior CIA official, is the executive director of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. He is also a professor at the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies and chair of the Association For Intelligence Officers. Mr. Earnest made the point that every spy recruitment and every espionage agent is a story in itself….(Cleveland Jewish News, 8 Jun 07)

Four decades later, an Israeli attack on a U.S. ship in the heat of battle won't go away

In the dramatic story of Israel's lightning victory over three Arab armies 40 years ago, one incident stands out as a stain _ a deadly attack by Israeli jets and torpedo boats on a U.S. spy ship on June 8, 1967. Widely accepted to have been a mistake made in the heat of battle, the attack on the USS Liberty nonetheless still fuels persistent charges of a cover-up by the Israeli and American governments. The Liberty was off the coast of Egypt's Sinai desert at the war's height, equipped with advanced intelligence hardware, when it was strafed and bombed by Israeli jets, then torpedoed by an Israeli vessel. The assault left 34 American servicemen dead and 173 wounded, out of a crew of 294…..(AP, 8 Jun 07

In pictures: Attack on the USS Liberty

Why did Israel attack USS Liberty?

For former US seaman Gary Brummett, the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Middle East war has stirred painful memories… The attack on the Liberty - the gravest incident in the history of US-Israeli relations - has been a source of controversy for the past four decades. Claim and counter-claim as to what happened have been fought out in every corner of the media, with the advent of the internet helping to reinvigorate the debate.….(BBC, 8 Jun 07)

Coverup theory alive at USS Liberty reunion

Former crewmembers gathered near Washington this weekend to remember a controversial attack 40 years ago today when a U.S. spy ship was nearly sunk by an ally. The Israeli naval and air bombardment of the USS Liberty on June 8, 1967, during Israel's Six Day War against three Arab nations left 34 Americans dead…..(USA Today, 8 Jun 07)

Companies focus on boosting security

As corporations expand overseas and workers travel, executives are paying attention to security. Experts at a Cary forum offered tips on handling potential threats…In an age of bioterrorism, corporate espionage and cyber threats, security is top of mind for more corporations -- especially those with operations and workers abroad.…(News Observer, 8 Jun 07)

Working Smart, Not Scared

Technology connects us and exposes us. It is critical to have a security plan, and to practice that plan…This model conference is designed with interactive panel discussions that focus on five critical areas of business including business continuity planning, cyber security, intellectual property protection, physical security, and protecting people….(TMC Net, 8 Jun 07)

Iran probing fourth U.S.-Iranian: report

Iran is investigating a fourth Iranian-American citizen detained on security-related accusations…The United States has said Iran was holding Ali Shakeri, a Californian businessman, but until now Iran had not confirmed his case was being investigated. "The case of Ali Shakeri ... is now being investigated in the assistance office of Tehran's public prosecutor,"….(Reuters, 8 Jun 07)

Iranian Judge Cites ‘Activities’ of 2 Detainees

…The Iranian judiciary on May 29 said that the two, Haleh Esfandiari, an academic, and Kian Tajbakhsh, a social scientist, were accused of spying. “They have accepted that they have carried out some activities, but they say their aim was to help,”….(Reuters, 7 Jun 07)

American Detained in Iran Appeals for State Dept. Help

Parnaz Azima, one of several Americans detained in Iran, said yesterday that her lawyers and Iranian officials have warned that her case could take years to resolve and appealed to the State Department to keep pressure on Tehran over the fate of the imprisoned or detained Americans…..(Washington Post, 7 Jun 07)

The politics of wiretapping and encryption

Book Excerpt: Privacy on the Line, by Whitfield Diffie and Susan Landau   

…Side by side with the growth of telecommunications there has grown up a major "industry" of spying on telecommunications. Communications interception has played a crucial role in intelligence since World War I, and despite improvements in communication security it continues to grow. The growth of interception is a consequence of the essential fact that the most important effect of the improvements in communications technology on communications intelligence has been to draw more and more valuable traffic into telecommunications channels. As a result, spying on such channels becomes more and more rewarding for governments, businesses, and criminals….(Computer World, 7 Jun 07)

HOT accuses Bezeq Int'l of industrial espionage

In the latest round in the struggle to corner the Israeli telecommunications market, Hot has accused rival Bezeq International of engaging in corporate espionage as part of an attempt to take control of the Internet service industry…..(Jerusalem Post, 7 Jun 07)

Charles W. Maynes, 68; Foreign Policy Expert at State Department

Charles William Maynes, 68, a foreign policy expert who was a senior State Department official, influential editor and president of an international development foundation, died June 2… After serving as a Foreign Service officer, Capitol Hill aide and think-tank official, Mr. Maynes was assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs in the Carter administration….(Washington Post, 7 Jun 07)

Libby Asks Judge to Delay Sentence

…In documents filed with the court, Libby's attorneys say they have a good chance of winning an appeal of Libby's conviction for perjury and obstruction in the CIA leak case. Jurors found that Libby lied to investigators about how he learned that the wife of an outspoken war critic worked for the CIA, and whom he told….(AP, 7 Jun 07)

RETURN OF THE SPYING GAME

…While Canadians were worrying about terrorists, foreign spies have been busy in the shadows -- recruiting agents, infiltrating government, planting listening devices and using other tricks of the trade to steal Canada's military, economic, scientific and political secrets. Canadians got a rare glimpse of the world of espionage last fall when a Russian spy was arrested in Montreal, and Ottawa has recently made uncharacteristically frank comments about widespread Chinese intelligence-collection in Canada……(National Post, 7 Jun 07)

U.S. intelligence chief says Russian spies at "Cold War levels"

The United States national counterintelligence chief said the number of Russian agents operating in the country had reached "Cold War levels," but added that this was normal and would not affect bilateral relations. Joel Brenner said in a radio interview, "They are sending over an increasing and troubling number of intelligence officers into the United States," adding that Russia, China, Iran, Cuba were the most persistent and aggressive intelligence threats to the U.S.  Former head of FBI counterintelligence David Szady backed up Brenner's claims adding that Russian agents operated at the UN and embassies, and also arrived in the U.S. under the cover of students or businessmen….(RIA Novosti, 7 Jun 07)

Even scientists get screened

Recently some Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists have objected to being subjected to background screening in order to continue to do security sensitive work. Whatever the emotional appeal of this objection, it cannot be considered rational. Any employer or investor (such as NASA, which contracts with JPL) has a clear right to require, in return for funding a project, that the persons entrusted with the work be both qualified and trustworthy….(Pasadena Star, 7 Jun 07)

Trial Opens Involving CIA Rendition

The first trial involving the CIA's extraordinary renditions program opens Friday in the absence of all 26 American defendants accused of kidnapping an Egyptian terrorist suspect…The government has asked Italy's highest court to throw out indictments against 26 Americans _ all but one of them believed to be CIA agents _ accused of abducting Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, from a Milan street on Feb. 17, 2003…..(AP, 7 Jun 07)

Ex - Wis. State Senator Had Ties to Hmong

Former state Sen. Gary George's alliance with the Hmong has always raised eyebrows… A federal agent has implicated George and a former aide who led the Democrat's outreach to the Hmong community in a plot with the former general to overthrow the communist Laotian government…..(AP, 7 Jun 07)

Judge Detains 4 Suspects in Laos Plot

Four Hmong elders were ordered by a federal judge Thursday to remain in jail while they await trial in what prosecutors allege was a plot to violently overthrow the government of Laos. The four, from California's Central Valley, are among 10 suspects the U.S. attorney's office says formed an elaborate plan to begin sending mercenaries and nearly $10 million in weapons to Laos as soon as next week….(AP, 7 Jun 07)

As It Happened: The Umbrella Assassin

One of the most famous unsolved murder cases of the Cold War…The program takes us back to 1978, where we meet Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian dissident who was employed by the BBC World Service, Radio Free Europe and the German radio service Deutsche Welle…The "Umbrella Murder", as it became known, remains one of the most famous - unsolved - cases of the Cold War….(Sydney Morning Herald, 7 Jun 07)

Tales my father told me

…As war was approaching, the villages around Zichron Ya'akov formed the Gideonates, which evolved into the NILI group under the leadership of the agronomist Aaron Aaronson. It was the NILI espionage group - an amazing story in its own right - that provided the British with valuable information, contributing to the success of the liberation from the Turkish Empire…..(Jerusalem Post, 7 Jun 07)

Venezuela Calls for Leftist Defense Bloc

President Hugo Chavez called for the creation of a common defense pact between Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and Bolivia, while the leftist Latin American bloc announced the creation of a development bank to finance joint projects… Chavez denounced countries in the region that collaborate with the United States on defense and security through the Washington-based Inter-American Defense Board….(AP, 7 Jun 07)

Spy plane mission revealed

Australia’s sophisticated AP-3C Orion aircraft are being used over Iraq to track people and vehicles and to pinpoint roadside bombs.The air force announced yesterday that two Orions stationed in the Middle East were being adapted to allow them to beam live images to commanders below. That could include, for example, video of a house about to be raided…..(Sydney Morning Herald, 7 Jun 07)

Suspended CJ accused of using spy agencies against judges

In the affidavit, Military Intelligence Chief Gen Mian Nadeem Ijaz alleged that Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice Iftikar M Chaudhry has used MI's Lahore bureau to spy against some of the judges…..(Deccan Herald, 7 Jun 07)

5th defendant in spy case pleads guilty

A Downey woman accused of being part of a ring that sent information about sensitive U.S. military technology to China pleaded guilty on the eve of her trial. Rebecca Chiu, 63, pleaded guilty Tuesday night to acting as an unregistered agent of China and agreed to serve 36 months in federal prison, said defense attorney Stanley Greenberg. Chiu, a naturalized U.S. citizen, also agreed to renounce her American citizenship, he said… She is the last defendant in a case involving five family members convicted of passing unclassified but sensitive data about U.S. naval technology to the Chinese. Chiu's husband, Chi Mak, was found guilty last month of conspiracy to violate export-control laws, attempting to violate export-control laws, acting as an unregistered agent for China and lying to the FBI. Mak, 66, is an electrical engineer who worked at an Anaheim-based defense firm. He will be sentenced in September and faces up to 45 years in prison…..(LA Times, 7 Jun 07)

Woman admits to acting as agent for China

In what a prosecutor called a "historic" plea, a Downey woman who is a naturalized U.S. citizen pleaded guilty Wednesday to acting as a foreign agent without registering with the United States government. Rebecca Chiu, 63, was set to go to trial Wednesday, but under an agreement reached late Tuesday night she will face a three-year prison term and voluntarily leave the country when she is released…..(Franklin City News, 7 Jun 07)

Plea Deal Ends China Tech Export Case

Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, 63, reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors late Tuesday on the eve of her trial on charges of conspiracy to export defense articles, failure to register as a foreign agent and making false statements to the FBI. Chiu instead pleaded guilty to one count of acting as a foreign agent without registering with the U.S. government and will serve three years in prison….(AP, 6 Jun 07)

Beijing Denies Spying Charges

China yesterday denied it was trying to steal US military secrets, one day after US federal prosecutors said three people had pleaded guilty to trying to send China sensitive data on submarine technology. “The idea of so-called Chinese theft of US military secrets is groundless and reflects ulterior motives,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters….(Agence France-Presse, 6 Jun 07)

Relatives of US engineer convicted of China spying plead guilty

Three relatives of a Chinese-American engineer convicted earlier this year of conspiring to smuggle sensitive naval intelligence data to China have pleaded guilty to related charges as part of a plea agreement….(Jurist, 6 Jun 07)

U.S. urges Russia, Britain to cooperate on extradition

The United States has urged Russia to collaborate more with Britain over extradition requests by both countries, but Russia's foreign minister denied a lack of cooperation. Russia wants Britain to extradite tycoon Boris Berezovsky on fraud charges and Chechen separatist leader Akhmed Zakayev. Britain is seeking the extradition of a former FSB guard turned businessman, Andrei Lugovoi, accused of poisoning Alexander Litvinenko, a former intelligence officer, in London in November….(RIA Novosti, 6 Jun 07)

Ex-spy chief to lead airport security agency

The former chief of Canada's electronic spy agency is the new chairman of the country's front-line airport security agency. D. Ian Glen replaces Maurice Baril as head of the board of directors of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, responsible for pre-board screening of passengers and explosives detection equipment at Canada's airports….(Ottawa Citizen, 6 Jun 07)

Libby gets 30 months, $250,000 fine

Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr. was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison on his conviction last month on four counts of perjury, obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI in an investigation into the disclosure of the identity of a CIA agent. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton also fined Libby $250,000 and ordered him to serve two years' probation after he leaves prison. The judge did not set a date for Libby to report to prison. He said he sees no reason to allow Libby to remain free pending appeal, but would accept written arguments on the issue and rule later…..(Washington Times, 6 Jun 07)

Libby Moves to Delay Prison Sentence

Attorneys for I. Lewis ''Scooter'' Libby are preparing a last-ditch effort to delay the former White House aide's 2 1/2-year prison sentence. Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was sentenced Tuesday for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation….(AP, 6 Jun 07)

Cable company HOT accuses Bezeq International of industrial espionage

Cable company HOT filed a civil suit yesterday in the Tel Aviv District Court against Bezeq International, alleging that the long-distance carrier committed industrial espionage and stole secrets. Bezeq International planted moles inside HOT to find confidential information about subscribers to HOT's Internet service, the cable company claims…..(Haaretz, 6 Jun 07)

Net firms lose in House spyware vote

Over objections from Internet companies and online advertisers, the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill touted as an antispyware measure, a move that sets the stage for a political showdown in the Senate later this year…The more regulatory version approved Wednesday, which has been revised (PDF) in the last few weeks, proposes punishments for anyone who slips code onto computers without authorization in an attempt to "impair" a machine's security features….(CNet, 6 Jun 07)

Russia-Britain Spy Case May Affect Summit

The diplomatic row between Russia and Britain over the key suspect in a spy murder case has entered another round. Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview with journalists from Group of Eight countries said London's call for the extradition of the key suspect in the murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was "stupidity."….(UPI, 6 Jun 07)

Libby Given 30 Months for Lying in C.I.A. Leak Case

I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney and one of the principal architects of President Bush’s foreign policy, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison for lying during a C.I.A. leak investigation that became part of a fierce debate over the war in Iraq…..(New York Times, 6 Jun 07)

ODNI Document Suggests a Larger Intelligence Budget

Classified budget numbers concealed in an unclassified PowerPoint document suggest that total U.S. intelligence spending is significantly larger than generally assumed, perhaps around $60 billion annually. The briefing document (ppt), prepared by Terri Everett of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)….(FAS, 6 Jun 07)

ODNI Freedom of Information Act Policy

…"The proposed regulations address all aspects of FOIA processing, including how and where to submit FOIA requests, fees for record services, procedures for handling business information, requests for expedited processing and the right to appeal denials of information," according to the notice published in the June 4 Federal Register…..(FAS, 6 Jun 07)

US arrests former CIA leader in Laos

The ageing former leader of the CIA's "Secret Army" in Laos was in an American prison last night, accused of mounting a coup against his and Washington's old Communist enemy. General Vang Pao, 77, and nine other people were arrested in dawn raids by more than 200 federal agents in dawn raids across California…..(Telegraph, 6 Jun 07)

Former Air America/CIA asset Vang Pao arrested

Vang Pao, prominent Laotian exile leader and legendary CIA asset during the CIA’s clandestine Indochinese wars of the 1960s and 1970s was among 10 men arrested on June 4, 2007, and accused of plotting a catastrophic military strike against the Laotian government using mercenary forces. According to US attorney Bob Twiss, the ten individuals are the plot leaders, but “thousands of co-conspirators remain at large, many in other countries.” The other leading co-conspirator arrested was Harrison Ulrich Jack, a member of the California National Guard, and a retired Army officer who was a CIA covert operative in Southeast Asia before leaving active duty in 1977.….(Global Research, 6 Jun 07)

Why ex-soldier got involved with Hmong

 Fresh off a long and prosperous military career, 60-year-old Harrison Jack spent the past several months in headlong pursuit of a new goal. He wanted to help ethnic Hmong who had fought on the CIA's behalf in Laos only to see the communists take power, igniting a long refugee crisis….(Chronicle, 6 Jun 07)

Iran judge says held U.S.-Iranians admit "activities"

Two Iranian-Americans detained in the Islamic Republic on spying charges have "accepted that they carried out some activities", an Iranian judge was quoted as saying on Wednesday. Judge Hossein Haddad said a third dual national, journalist Parnaz Azima, had been detained for cooperating with "anti-revolutionary" media. But a judiciary source later told Reuters she was released on bail and was not now under arrest. The Iranian judiciary on May 29 said Azima, academic Haleh Esfandiari and social scientist Kian Tajbakhsh were accused of spying….(Reuters, 6 Jun 07)

US-Iranians charged with spying after 'admissions'

Tehran's hardline prosecutors have formally charged two detained US-Iranians with spying after they made "admissions" during interrogation, the ISNA news agency reported Wednesday.  A third US-Iranian, who is not being held in jail but has had her passport confiscated, has been accused of working for a "counter-revolutionary" radio station and her case is ready to go to court, the agency said.  "Haleh Esfandiari and Kian Tajbakhsh are accused of espionage," said Hassan Hadad, the Tehran deputy prosecutor in charge of security issues.  "They have admitted carrying out activities but said that their intention was to help Iran. Individuals have been identified in Tehran who are linked to this affair,"….(Middle East Times, 6 Jun 07)

Prosecutors Appeal Judge's Dismissal of Cuban Militant Case

Federal prosecutors have appealed a judge's decision to drop an immigration fraud case against anti-Castro militant Luis Posada Carriles. The case was dismissed last month….(KTSM, 6 Jun 07)

Prosecutors file appeal in Posada case

…In May, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone threw out an indictment against Posada (Luis Posada Carriles), 79, who was charged with lying about how he sneaked into the United States in 2005 during his application for citizenship. She also tossed out Posada's citizenship interview with immigration authorities, in which he said he crossed the Texas border to enter the country that March. Authorities charged he came by boat from a Mexican island…..(Miami Herald, 6 Jun 07)

Spy suspect keeps job

…The officer is accused of having leaked secret NATO and United Nations documents to a Serbian spy with whom she had a love affair. An army disciplinary committee decided on May 31st to postpone a decision on whether or not the woman should be relieved of her military duties. The woman was sent home to Sweden last year following preliminary investigations by the Military Intelligence and Security Service (Militära underrättelse- och säkerhetstjänsten - MUST)…..(Local, 5 Jun 07)

Agent: Laos Plot Began Unraveling Early

…Authorities acted because weapons shipments were set to begin this month to areas in Thailand along the Laotian border, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento. The buildup was in preparation for a coordinated set of mercenary attacks that investigators said were designed to kill communist officials and destroy government buildings….(Forbes, 5 Jun 07)

Libby sentenced to 30 months

Former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby was sentenced to 2½ years in prison Tuesday for lying and obstructing the CIA leak investigation…Walton did not set a date for Libby to report to prison. Though he saw no reason to let Libby remain free pending appeal, Walton said he would accept written arguments on the issue and rule later. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons will decide where Libby serves his sentence and set a reporting date. The agency tries to place prisoners close to home whenever possible….(AP, 5 Jun 07)

CIA Leak Case Timeline

A timeline of events leading up to the conviction of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on charges stemming from the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name….(AP, 5 Jun 07)

Intelligence Personnel commits suicide after killing his wife.

…According to details, Zulfiqar Ali son of Gulzar Khan resident of Shah Jeven Colony get married with 18-years old Mona some five months ago…..(Pak Tribune, 5 May 07)

Iran dismisses U.S. concern over held Iranian-Americans

…Iran has charged three dual nationals with spying. Washington has said a fourth has also been detained and has demanded that they all be released unconditionally. "Instead of giving useless advice, it is better for Americans to evaluate their own approach in secret prisons, bad behavior and inhumane confrontation with prisoners in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini was quoted as saying….(Reuters, 5 Jun 07)

Did the U.S. Incite Iran's Crackdown?

Tehran's jailing of Haleh Esfandiari, a 67-year old grandmother who holds dual Iranian-American citizenship, as well as the interrogation of others with similar papers, is evidence that Washington's latest attempt to foist change on Iran is backfiring — as Iranian democracy advocates had warned…..(Time Magazine, 5 Jun 07)

The corporate takeover of U.S. intelligence

More than five years into the global "war on terror," spying has become one of the fastest-growing private industries in the United States. The federal government relies more than ever on outsourcing for some of its most sensitive work, though it has kept details about its use of private contractors a closely guarded secret. Intelligence experts, and even the government itself, have warned of a critical lack of oversight for the booming intelligence business….(Global Research, 5 Jun 07)

Libby Faces Sentencing in CIA Leak Trial

…Libby has not spoken publicly about the case since his 2005 indictment on perjury and obstruction of justice charges. Throughout his month long trial, and following his conviction in March, he always let his lawyers do the talking. On Tuesday, however, before U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton hands down a sentence, he will ask the former vice presidential chief of staff whether he has anything to say….(AP, 5 Jun 07)

Today in History – 5 June

1986:  A federal jury in Baltimore convicted Ronald W. Pelton of selling secrets to the Soviet Union. (Pelton was sentenced to three life prison terms plus 10 years.)

1997:  Harold J. Nicholson, the highest ranking CIA officer ever caught spying against his own country, was sentenced to more than 23 years in prison for selling defense secrets to Russia after the Cold War.

3 plead guilty in military data conspiracy

…Tai Mak, 57, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana to violating export-control laws. His wife, Fuk Heung Li, 49, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the violation of those laws. Their son, Billy Yui Mak, 26, pleaded guilty Friday to the same charge as his mother. All three live in Alhambra. Chi Mak, 66, of Downey, was found guilty May 10 after a six-week trial of acting as an unregistered agent for China, lying to the FBI, conspiracy to violate export-control laws and attempting to violate export-control laws. The trial of Chi Mak's wife, Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, 63, is scheduled to begin today. Chi Mak, a naturalized U.S. citizen, worked at Anaheim-based Power Paragon Inc., a firm with many Navy contracts. The FBI kept him under surveillance for 18 months using cameras, wiretaps and microphones hidden in his car and work cubicle…..(LA Times, 5 May 07)

Engineer's Family To Plead Guilty In Spy Case

Three family members of a Chinese-American engineer convicted last month of spying for China have agreed to plead guilty to charges stemming from an investigation into the transfer of submarine technology. A jury found Chi Mak guilty of conspiring to violate export laws, operating as a Chinese agent in America, and lying to the FBI. Mak's brother and sister in law, Tai Wang Mak and Fuk Li, and their son, Billy Mak, were set to go on trial today in Santa Ana, Calif…..(New York Sun, 5 Jun 07)

Relatives plead guilty in Aegis secrets case

…All three were set to stand trial Tuesday. Instead, engineer Chi Mak’s brother Tai Mak pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to export control laws; Tai Mak’s wife, Fuk Li, pleaded guilty Monday to aiding and abetting the violation of export control laws; and the couple’s son, Yui “Billy” Mak, pleaded guilty last week to aiding and abetting the violation of export control laws. Chi Mak’s wife, Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, is still scheduled to face similar charges in trial Tuesday…Chi Mak faces up to 45 years in prison when he is sentenced Sept. 10. Tai Mak faces up to 10 years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, “Billy” Mak will be sentenced to time already served and Fuk Li will be sentenced to three years probation, according to court papers….(AP, 5 Jun 07)

SoCal engineer's kin plead to role in technology exports to China

Three family members of a Chinese-born engineer convicted of attempting to export U.S. defense technology to China have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy, authorities said Monday…(Fresno Bee, 4 Jun 07)

Questions remain over 1967 attack on U.S. intelligence ship 'Liberty'

…Forty years ago, the USS Liberty, an American intelligence-gathering ship, was sailing on a calm, clear day off the Sinai Peninsula. The ship was clearly marked with her name and identification numbers, flying the American flag and cruising in the Mediterranean's international waters. Without warning or provocation, the ship was attacked by Israeli warplanes with rockets, napalm and machine-gun fire. Israeli boats then attacked the ship with torpedoes and more machine-gun fire. Thirty-four young American servicemen were killed, and an additional 174 were wounded….(AZ Central, 4 Jun 07)

DIA May Have Spy Planes Flying Overhead

DIA may soon have unmanned spy planes flying overhead. The drones would be part of a homeland security program to stop a ground-based attack on an airplane. The spy planes would fly higher than commercial planes to avoid a collision….(Fox21, 4 Jun 07)

Oracle extends Cases Against SAP

…Oracle has now filed new charges against SAP in the corporate espionage case between the rival enterprise software vendors. Oracle first sued the Waldorf, Germany based SAP in March 2007, claiming that SAP's TomorrowNow subsidiary had infringed on Oracle copyrights by downloading support material from an Oracle website intended only for paying customers. The new amendments to the complaint allege that SAP also used login credentials from legitimate clients to download software for which SAP and its clients had not purchased a license….(SDA-Asia. 4 Jun 07)

Ugandan journalist takes refuge at US envoy`s residence in Kigali

A Ugandan journalist, Robert Mukombozi, accused of espionage by the Rwandan authorities, has taken refugee at the residence of the US Ambassador to Kigali to avoid being arrested, a local daily reported Sunday…..(Angola Press, 4 Jun 07)

Suspected Spies Confess

…"Regarding the espionage of some Iranians, we have had good results. They have confessed to many issues," the Tehran-based Ham Mihan newspaper quoted the Tehran deputy prosecutor for security affairs, Hassan Haddad, as saying. Iran has said it is holding Iranian-American Haleh Esfandiari and Kian Tajbakhsh on charges of harming national security, in cases that several officials have linked to US efforts to topple the Islamic Republic ruling system in Iran. Washington and some Iranian media have said that a third dual national, California-based businessman Ali Shakeri, has also been arrested, although this has yet to be confirmed by the authorities. A fourth US-Iranian, journalist Parnaz Azima, faces the same charges and has had her passport confiscated even though she remains at liberty….(Fars News, 4 Jun 07)

Australia: protesters face jail for opposing spy base’s role I Iraq war

…The hearing before a jury in the Northern Territory Supreme Court may shed further light on the Howard government’s contribution to the war crimes committed by the US-led forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Four Christian pacifists face charges under a previously-unused law for entering the top secret US-Australian spy satellite base at Pine Gap, some 20 kilometers from Alice Springs. The government is so sensitive to the base’s involvement in the Iraq war that Attorney-General Philip Ruddock personally authorized the prosecution under the 1952 Defense (Special Undertaking) Act….(WSWS, 4 Jun 07)

Putin: UK Calls for Lugovoi 'Stupidity'

Britain's call for the extradition of a suspect in the killing of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko is "stupidity," President Vladimir Putin said in an interview released Monday. Putin's harsh characterization is likely to further trouble British-Russian relations that already have hit a post-Cold War low amid the controversy of the killing of Litvinenko, who died in London in November from poisoning by a rare radioactive isotope….(AP, 4 Jun 07)

Guantanamo inmate sues US company

A British resident held by the US is suing a company for allegedly organising flights that took him to Guantanamo Bay. UK-based legal charity Reprieve has filed the claim for Binyam Mohamed, an Ethiopian who lived in the UK, who claims he was tortured at the camp. Legal papers have been filed in California against Jeppesen Dataplan, a subsidiary of Boeing…..(BBC, 4 Jun 07)

Law Enforcement Associates Reports Strong Demand For New Covert Tracking System; Orders to Date Total $425,000

..."Response to this classified product offering has been very

encouraging," said Paul Feldman, president. "We believe this strong order

volume is indicative of the tracking system's effectiveness in the field,

as well as an increased level of spending within many of the law

enforcement and intelligence agencies we target….PR News wire, 4 Jun 07)

"Islamic Terrorists" supported by Uncle Sam: Bush administration "Black Ops" directed against Iran, Lebanon and Syria
The Bush administration has admitted that covert actions of an aggressive nature were applied against Iran and Syria. The stated objective was to wreck the countries' economies and currency systems.….(Global Research, 4 Jun 07)

Analysis: Israel intelligence debate

Two former intelligence chiefs, Israel's Gideon Ezra and the Palestinians' Jibril Rajoub, sometimes fought one another, sometimes cooperated, and May 30 tried a dialogue.  Ezra, 70, rose through the General Security Service's ranks to become deputy director. He was public security minister and now minister of environment. ajoub, 54, spent 17 years in Israeli jails, much of it for hurling a hand grenade at a military convoy. Israel then deported him to Lebanon and he returned when the Palestinian Authority was formed, headed its Preventive Security Service in the West Bank, was national security advisor, and is now on leave to complete his master's studies…(Middle East Times, 4 Jun 07)

Iran Blasts Demand on Detainees

Iran on Sunday accused President Bush of intervening in the Islamic Republic's internal affairs days after the American leader demanded that Tehran release four Iranian-Americans detained for alleged espionage. "Such expression is an obvious case of intervention in our domestic affairs," said Mohammad Ali Hosseini, spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry, during a weekly news briefing. "They are Iranian nationals, and authorities are reviewing their case. They are in the investigations process."…(AP, 3 Jun 07)

Iran, US Intelligence wars

With direct talks taking place between Iran and the US last week, a clear intelligence war between the two nations has hit a new dimension. US Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, told reporters he was pleased the issue of the five Iranian diplomats detained by US troops in Iraq was not brought up during Tehran-Washington talks in Baghdad….(Press TV, 3 Jun 07)

Before War, CIA Warned of Negative Outcomes

...Titled "The Perfect Storm: Planning for Negative Consequences of Invading Iraq," the paper, written seven months before the war began, also speculated about al-Qaeda operatives taking "advantage of a destabilized Iraq to establish secure safe havens from which they can continue their operations," according to a report about prewar intelligence recently released by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence….(Washington Post, 3 Jun 07)

A Laconian's story of espionage

Almost 50 years since his death, Laconia native Thomas Eftim Stefan might finally get credit for helping free Albania during World War II… Stefan's life story, as told by Lucas in "The OSS in World War II Albania/Covert Operations and Collaboration with Communist Partisans" (to be released by McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers in July) ends very badly on Sept. 6, 1959 on a sidewalk in Tinseltown, where Stefan collapsed and died poor, unknown, far from home, and alienated from his wartime comrades….(Citizen, 3 Jun 07)