State Dept. Agents Say Jobs Were Threatened
Two career investigators in the office of State Department Inspector General Howard J. Krongard have charged that they were threatened with firing if they cooperated with a congressional probe of Krongard and his office. Told by Terry P. Heide, Krongard's congressional liaison, that he should not agree to a request for a "voluntary" interview by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Special Agent Ron Militana said he was then advised that reprisals could be taken against him. "Howard can fire you," he said Heide told him. "It would affect your ability to get another job……(Washington Post, 29 Sep 07)

Iraq Wiretap Delay Not Quite as Presented

Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell told Congress last week that a May wiretap that targeted Iraqi insurgents was delayed for 12 hours by attempts to comply with onerous surveillance laws, which slowed an effort to locate three U.S. soldiers who had been captured south of Baghdad. But new details released this week portray a more complicated picture of the delay, which actually lasted about 9 1/2 hours and was caused primarily by legal wrangling between the Justice Department and intelligence officials over whether authorities had probable cause to begin the surveillance. Justice officials also spent nearly two hours trying to reach then-Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to authorize the emergency wiretap….(Washington Post, 29 Sep 07)

Big Brother Britain: Government and councils to spy on ALL our phones

Officials from the top of Government to lowly council officers will be given unprecedented powers to access details of every phone call in Britain under laws coming into force tomorrow. The new rules compel phone companies to retain information, however private, about all landline and mobile calls, and make them available to some 795 public bodies and quangos. The move, enacted by the personal decree of Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, will give police and security services a right they have long demanded: to delve at will into the phone records of British citizens and businesses…..(Daily Mail, 29 Sep 07)

US UAV 'shot down' in North Waziristan

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the US was reportedly shot down in North Waziristan. Local residents have reportedly seized sensitive espionage paraphernalia from the downed vehicle… Confirming the incident, military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said, "The likely cause of the crash [is] technical malfunction. The local residents have seized the equipment onboard the plane."….(Daily India, 29 Sep 07)

Nigeria: Niger Delta - SSS Nabs 3 Persons for Espionage

Three persons suspected to be engaging in espionage activities have been arrested by men of the State Security Services (SSS). Sources at the National Security Adviser's office (NSA) in Abuja told our correspondent that the leader of the gang, a well-known lady, and her alleged collaborators are now being interrogated by the SSS. It was gathered that the suspects were arrested while filming parts of the Niger Delta area of the country and had been gathering information seen as security threat for which they are being detained for explanations. It was learnt that one man (names withheld) who claimed to be the executive director of Academic Associates Peaceworks (AAP) and secretary of another non-governmental organization (NGO) known as Civil Society Partnership for Democracy (CISPAD) was among those arrested…..(Daily Champion, 28 Sep 07)

Ex-Nazi spies had dubious benefit for U.S.: report

The U.S. government apparently derived no clear benefit by recruiting ex-Nazis as Cold War spies, but potentially huge gaps remain in the public record of U.S. ties to World War Two war criminals…The group, created by the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act of 1998 and Japanese Imperial Government Disclosure Act of 2000, has released more than 8.5 million pages of previously classified government documents dating back to 1933. The list includes the entire 1.2 million-page operational file of the CIA's World War Two forerunner, the Office of Strategic Services. The 139-page report addressed a post-September 11 trend toward greater government secrecy by laying out recommendations to improve what it called a broken declassification system. It said agency resistance to disclosure drove overall project costs up nearly three-fold to $30 million…..(Reuters, 28 Sep 07)

US 'spy' arrested in Niger Delta

A well-known US aid worker has been arrested in the troubled Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria. Security officials confirmed they had detained Judith Burdin Asuni and two German nationals. Newspaper reports suggest they are suspected of spying. They were said to have been filming masked youths from the Ijaw community in Delta State. Delta militants have been conducting a violent campaign for the oil-rich area to get a larger share of the oil money. Dr Burdin Asuni is married to a Nigerian and has lived in the region for more than a decade. She runs the non-governmental organization Academic Associates Peace Work and has run workshops with the Nigerian police on conflict management…..(BBC, 28 Sep 07)

SSS Arrests 1 American, 2 Germans in N’Delta

…The suspects, Florian Alexander Opitz, 34, and Andy Lehmann, 33, were arrested last week in Ogbe Ijoh community, Warri, Delta State where they were filming masked Ijaw youths…According to intelligence sources, their trip to Nigeria was allegedly facilitated by Dr. Judith Burdin Asuni, an American married to a Nigerian and who runs a non- governmental organisation (NGO) called Academic Associates Peace Work (AAPW). Asuni is also in SSS custody with her guests in Abuja. The two Germans were said to have arrived the country through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on the invitation of the American on September 8, 2007. They allegedly made no contact with the German Embassy either in Lagos or Abuja but were escorted and guided by officials of the AAPW where they met with Asuni…..(This Day, 28 Sep 07)

U.S. expert condemns Simon Wiesenthal Center's Nazi loot claims

An Irish museum was formally cleared Friday of claims that its founders were Nazi spies who bought art works from dealers trafficking in items stolen from Jews. The report from U.S. expert Lynn Nicholas, published by the Royal Irish Academy following two investigations over three years, called the Simon Wiesenthal Center's allegations "unprofessional in the extreme." Nicholas found no evidence that the late John and Gertrude Hunt—founders of one of Ireland's best-loved museums, the Hunt Museum in Limerick—did anything wrong……(AP, 28 Sep 07)

Analysis: New defense intelligence policy
A new Pentagon policy directive for U.S. military intelligence mandates information-sharing with U.S. domestic agencies and foreign partners and recognizes the leading role of the new director of national intelligence. Although both have been longstanding priorities for the Bush administration, the new directive, drafted in the office of the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, retired Gen. James Clapper, and quietly published last month, is the first time they have been promulgated in such a high-level policy document inside the Pentagon…The directive, the product of two years of work by the policy team, says defense intelligence agencies “have an affirmative responsibility to share collected and stored information, data, and resulting analysis with … other relevant federal agencies, and civilian law enforcement officials, as appropriate.”…The directive also says sharing with foreign coalition partners should be “the broadest possible,” and to accomplish this, “Original classifiers shall draft intelligence products with a presumption of release, and in such a manner as to allow the widest dissemination to allies, coalitions and international organizations………(UPI, 28 Sep 07)

System proves it can handle intelligence-sharing capabilities

By providing interoperability among 19 systems, four security domains, four networks, six countries and three continents, the Electronic Systems Center here recently demonstrated a level of connectivity some previously thought impossible…..(Air Force Material Command, 28 Sep 07)

What Is Putin's Plan?

…The word among Moscow insiders today is that the Kremlin is looking very closely at the experience of four-time U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the man who led the United States through the Great Depression and WWII. Putin may have convinced himself that he is the only one who could "save" the Russian nation, and the job is unfinished, as it was in 1940 when FDR decided to run for a third term. The problem with the FDR analogy is twofold. First, Russia is neither in the midst of a world war nor an economic depression; there is no need for a "savior" now. And second, unlike the United States in the 1930s, Russia has not established a tradition of transfer of executive power through free and fair elections……(Washington Post, 28 Sep 07)

Aquino Appeals; Aragoncillo Waives Right

He obtained these from a US Marine Leandro Aragoncillo who worked under two US vice presidents and who worked as a FBI intelligence analyst. Aragoncillo waived his right to file an appeal when he did not file a notice of appeal 10 days after he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $40,000. He had pled guilty to four counts of an indictment: Conspiracy to Transmit National Defense Information; Transmission of National Defense Information; Unlawful Retention of National Defense Information; and Unlawful Use of a Government Computer. Under the rules, Messrs. Aquino and Aragoncillo have the right to appeal their sentences 10 days after their sentences were handed down two days apart by US District Court Judge William H. Walls in Newark, New Jersey before the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania……(Asia Journal, 28 Sep 07)

Two charged with espionage sought funding in China

…The two, Lan Lee, 42, of Palo Alto and Yuefei Ge, 34, of San Jose, are accused of trying to steal trade secrets from their employer, chip maker NetLogics Microsystems Inc. The indictment indicates the two allegedly hoped to win funding from China's General Arms Department and the863 program, which is a government-led project aimed at boosting technology research in China… A large amount of evidence against the two men appears to have come from their home computers, according to the original indictment made on June 15. Wednesday's indictment supersedes that one…..(PC World, 28 Sep 07)

Video: Amy Zegart  Spying Blind

Spying Blind

Spying Blind: The CIA, the FBI, and the Origins of 9/11, by Amy Zegart

…Zegart finds that political leaders were well aware of the emerging terrorist danger and the urgent need for intelligence reform, but failed to achieve the changes they sought. The same forces that have stymied intelligence reform for decades are to blame: resistance inside U.S. intelligence agencies, the rational interests of politicians and career bureaucrats, and core aspects of our democracy such as the fragmented structure of the federal government. Zegart argues that these three systemic adaptation barriers allowed nagging organizational weaknesses to endure--ultimately leading the CIA and FBI to miss twenty-three opportunities to disrupt the 9/11 plot…..(New America, 27 Sep 07)

Spies 'stole secrets' to arm Chinese military

…Lan Lee, an American, and Yuefei Ge, who is Chinese, are accused of stealing trade secrets from their employer, NetLogics Microsystems, and a second company, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation. The two men allegedly set up a business, SICO Microsystems, for the purpose of developing and marketing products using the stolen designs. They then attempted to secure funding from China's General Armaments Department and a Chinese government programme created to develop communications and laser technologies for the military, according to a statement from prosecutors…..(Telegraph, 27 Sep 07)

From China, With Love: Cyberwar the Next Big Threat to the U.S.?

…After a series of cabinet-level meetings this month at the White House, computer security analysts say the Bush administration is considering creating a new agency or cyberwar center to better protect the federal government's computers and find ways to help private companies and public utilities fend off computer attacks. Those attacks, which could be just a few key strokes away, could shut down U.S. power grids and communication and banking systems, security analysts warn. "Basically we would find the lights go out, the dial tone stop and we have no ability to access our money,"…..(ABC Blotter, 27 Sep 07)

The Mideast Money Flows

… The investment attention on the Middle East comes at a particularly delicate moment. Lawmakers in the United States have increasingly questioned the public-policy implications of pension fund investments…When Halliburton, the military contractor based in Houston, announced in March that it was moving its headquarters to Dubai, some lawmakers expressed outrage. The politics has not stopped the buyout firms…..(New York Times, 27 Sep 07) 

Federal judge rules Patriot Act search, surveillance provisions unconstitutional

A US district judge ruled Wednesday that two provisions of the USA Patriot Act [JURIST news archive] that deal with physical search and electronic eavesdropping are unconstitutional. Brandon Mayfield, the Oregon attorney arrested and detained for two weeks in May 2004 after the FBI mistakenly concluded that his fingerprints matched those found on a bag containing detonators used in the 2004 Madrid train bombings….(Jurist, 27 Sep 07)

Pardon Recommended for Activist Jo

A state-run fact-finding panel Thursday recommended the government to make an official apology, and pardon and honor the late Jo Bong-am (1898-1956), an independence activist who was wrongfully executed in 1959. It also called for compensation to be awarded to his surviving family members. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission said the fact that Jo won more than two million votes in the presidential election of 1956 made him a threat to the Syngman Rhee regime and the then president may have used his influence to get his rival sentenced to death. “It was a human rights infringement and political coercion,”….(Korea Times, 27 Sep 07)

U.S. Charges 2 Californians With Economic Espionage

…Lee and Ge allegedly stole secrets from NetLogic Microsystems Inc., a Mountain View, California-based computer chip design company, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., a Taiwan company with offices in San Jose. They sought funding from a program in China's General Armaments Department and a Chinese government program created to develop communications and laser technologies for the military…Lee and Ge were first indicted last year for stealing trade secrets. A federal grand jury in San Jose returned a superseding indictment against the two men yesterday adding the economic espionage charges, said Matt Parrella, assistant U.S. Attorney in San Jose. The case is U.S. v Lan Lee, 06-424, U.S. District Court, San Jose…..(Bloomberg, 27 Sep 07)

2 Silicon Valley engineers charged with economic espionage over design theft

… Wednesday's indictment overrides the previous charges against Lee and Ge from June 2006, when they were accused only of stealing trade secrets, not trying to benefit China. Jury selection for their trial was set to begin Nov. 27. Each remains free in lieu of $300,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court again Oct. 29 on the new charges…..(Canadian Press, 27 Sep 07)

Enemies of Intelligence
Enemies of Intelligence: Knowledge and Power in American National Security, by Richard K. Betts

…One of the nation's foremost political scientists, Betts draws on three decades of work within the U.S. intelligence community to illuminate the paradoxes and problems that frustrate the intelligence process. Unlike America's efforts to improve its defenses against natural disasters, strengthening its strategic assessment capabilities means outwitting crafty enemies who operate beyond U.S. borders….(Columbia, 27 Sep 07)

In Print: Enemies of Intelligence

In his new book "Enemies of Intelligence," Columbia University political scientist Richard K. Betts warns that ambitious attempts to correct failures in U.S. intelligence may cause more damage than they repair. "The awful truth is that the best of intelligence systems will have big failures," he writes. Eliminating failure altogether is therefore not a reasonable or achievable goal. Nor can any one component or function of intelligence be optimized without incurring damage to others. So prudent reformers, he says, will seek incremental changes, not radical ones…..(FAS, 27 Sep 07)

Foreign attacks prompt FBI warning to enterprises

…In October, the FBI’s Counterintelligence Domain Program — which aims to foster cooperation between the agency and private entities to help organizations identify and protect potential intelligence risks — will mark its first year in existence. The program is already making significant steps in helping to close the gap between businesses and law enforcement to defend intellectual property from being left vulnerable to potential theft, FBI officials maintain. “In the past, we’ve always been reactive to this type of scenario and essentially showed up after the fact to bring resources to bear on this type of crime, but we want to be more proactive to help businesses and academic institutions protect themselves before an incident occurs,” says Tom Mahlik, who serves as chief of the Domain program for the FBI…..(Computerworld, 27 Sep 07)

Spy charges for US computer duo

…US citizen Lee Lan and Chinese national Ge Yuefei are accused of stealing computer chip designs from their employer Netlogics Microsystems. The two are alleged to have formed a company to develop chips based on the stolen designs. They then contacted the Chinese army to sell the chips, prosecutors said. Their indictment also alleges they stole documents from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, which has an office in California's Silicon Valley….(BBC, 27 Sep 07)

Two charged with espionage sought funding in China

A federal grand jury indicted two men in California of conspiring to steal high tech trade secrets and develop them with venture capital funding they sought to obtain from China. The two, Lan Lee, 42, of Palo Alto and Yuefei Ge, 34, of San Jose, are accused of trying to steal trade secrets from their employer, chip maker NetLogics Microsystems. The indictment indicates the two allegedly hoped to win funding from China's General Arms Department and the 863 program, which is a government-led project aimed at boosting technology research in China. Lee is an American, while Ge is a Chinese national. The grand jury indicted the men on a total of six counts, including two counts of conspiracy and as well as two counts of economic espionage and two of theft of trade secrets…Lee allegedly downloaded chip technology belonging to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) from a server at NetLogics and installed it on his home computer sometime between May, 2002 and the end of July, 2003; while Ge allegedly installed data sheets for network coprocessor chips from NetLogics on his home computer around the same time. The two men also allegedly established a Delaware company, SICO Microsystems, to further develop the technologies and sell them in tandem with a Chinese venture capital company, Beijing FBNI Electronic Technology Development Co…..(IDG News, 27 Sep 07)

Chinese, US citizens charged with espionage in San Francisco

…The US Attorney's office in northern California said Lee Lan and Ge Yuefei had been indicted on multiple charges of conspiracy to commit economic espionage and to steal trade secrets…Lee and Ge have been released on 300,000 dollars bail and must reappear in court on October 29. They face up to 15 years in jail and a 500,000 dollar fine if convicted……(AFP, 27 Sep 07)

Two indicted on IC economic espionage

…A federal grand jury in San Jose returned a superseding indictment against Lan Lee, a.k.a Lan Li, of Palo Alto, and Yuefei Ge, of San Jose. Lee, an American Citizen, and Ge, a Chinese national, had been released on the original indictment on $300,000 bonds…The case originally surfaced last year. The indictment alleges that Lee and Ge conspired to steal trade secrets from their employer at the time, NetLogics Microsystems, and from TSMC…The superseding indictment further alleges that the defendants created a company, SICO Microsystems, Inc., for the purpose of developing and marketing products derived from and using the stolen trade secrets…..(EE Times, 27 Sep 07)

Judge Rules Provisions in Patriot Act to Be Illegal

…The ruling by Judge Anne L. Aiken of Federal District Court in Portland was in the case of Brandon Mayfield, a lawyer in Portland who was arrested and jailed after the Federal Bureau of Investigation mistakenly linked him to the Madrid train bombings in March 2004. “For over 200 years, this nation has adhered to the rule of law — with unparalleled success,” Judge Aiken’s opinion said in finding violations of the Fourth Amendment prohibitions against unreasonable search and seizure. “A shift to a nation based on extraconstitutional authority is prohibited, as well as ill advised.”….(New York Times, 27 Sep 07)

Document: Judge’s ruling .pdf

Federal judge rules Patriot Act search, surveillance provisions unconstitutional

….(Jurist, 27 Sep 07)

Judge rules for Mayfield in Patriot Act challenge

…Mayfield, wrongly arrested by the FBI, filed suit claiming that the Foreign intelligence Surveillance Act, as amended by the Patriot Act, was unconstitutional. These amendments changed the laws governing physical searches, electronic eavesdropping, and wiretapping, as well as the government's retention of those materials. The judge ruled Wednesday that those amendments violated the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which protects against unlawful searches and seizures….(KGW, 27 Sep 07)

Patriot Act Provisions Voided

…The ruling in Oregon follows a separate finding on Sept. 6 by a federal judge in New York, who struck down provisions allowing the FBI to obtain e-mail and telephone data from private companies without a court-issued warrant. The decision also comes amid renewed congressional debate over the government's broad powers to conduct searches and surveillance in counterterrorism cases….(Washington Post, 27 Sep 07)

Blackberry receives Common Criteria certification

Blackberry has been awarded the EAL2+ Common Criteria certification. Blackberry vendor Research in Motion (RIM) says that the Blackberry Enterprise Server and the Blackberry software used on end devices are the first mobile platform to be validated by Common Criteria…EAL Certification is generally a requirement for a product to be used in security fields of governmental agencies or organizations in the finance and health sectors. However, the security of the system has been a subject of considerable concern in Europe including France, and particularly in Germany because the route servers that handle European traffic are in London and therefore theoretically accessible to foreign secret services…..(Heise-Security, 27 Sep 07)

Another Round of Reform in the FBI – Will it Make a Difference?

… A new (and depressing) book by Amy Zegart, “Spying Blind,” argues that there were 12 major intelligence reform studies from 1991 and the end of the Cold War, to just before 9/11. Out of those, she finds 340 terrorism-related reforms, almost all of them the major themes of the 9/11 Commission, where most were recommended again. Of those 340 recommendations, mostly directed to the CIA and FBI, only 35 were fully implemented. Another 30 were partially implemented and seven were implemented to an unmeasurable extent, meaning that 79% of the total -- 268 recommendations -- were not acted on at all. Many of those that were implemented, she notes, were “minor recommendations that urged continued study of a problem rather than adoption of a particular solution.”….(Family Security Matters, 27 Sep 07)

Experts slam mobile spying software

Security experts have slammed applications used to spy on mobile phone users. The warning from researchers at F-Secure comes as a growing number of programs are being launched to track and record mobile phone conversations and text messages…..(VNU Net, 27 Sep 07)

OK to Spy on Kidnappers Took 9 Hours

Last spring, with insurgents apparently holding three American soldiers in Iraq, it took the U.S. government more than nine hours to begin emergency surveillance of some of the kidnappers' electronic communications. The bulk of that time was spent on internal legal deliberations by Bush administration lawyers and intelligence officials, according to a timeline from the office of the director of national intelligence…..(AP, 27 Sep 07)

Senate Panel Moves Forward on Press Bill

A Senate committee on Thursday decided to push ahead with legislation shielding reporters from being forced to reveal their sources in federal court, despite objections from the federal law enforcement and intelligence community. Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess, acting principal deputy director of national intelligence, and Brian A. Benczkowski, principal deputy assistant attorney general, in letters objected to the bill being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would create the first federal media shield law for journalists…..(AP, 27 Sep 07)

Agnes Daluge, 79, was a young spy in WWII

When Agnes Daluge told her children years ago that she was a teenage spy for the Allies during World War II in Germany, her children thought she was joking. But it was no joke. She helped save 300 people…..(Star Tribune, 27 Sep 07)

China commutes life sentence of Hong Kong spy

A Hong Kong resident and naturalized British citizen jailed in China for life as a spy has had his sentence commuted to 19 and a half years, a human rights watchdog said on Friday. Chan Yu-lam's new sentence will expire on February 14, 2027, after a court in the Guangdong commuted his sentence in August, the San Francisco-based Dui Hua Foundation said in an e-mailed statement…..(Reuters, 27 Sep 07)

Psychiatrist Who Evaluated FBI Spy Loses Appeal

A Maryland court Wednesday upheld disciplinary action against the psychiatrist who leaked details about the sexual habits and mental health of convicted spy Robert Hanssen in 2001. A three-judge panel of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals upheld lower court rulings against Alen J. Salerian, who had been hired by defense attorneys to evaluate Hanssen, a former FBI agent arrested for giving highly classified information to Russia. The two met over the course of a week in April 2001, during which Hanssen admitted he had a "long history of sexual betrayal and exploitation" of his wife -- a fact that Salerian later shared with Hanssen's wife……(Capital News, 27 Sep 07)

Spy consultant setback

…The board found Alen J. Salerian guilty of “immoral or unprofessional conduct in the practice of medicine” and punished him with probation and a $5,000 fine…Among other things, Salerian had argued that his visits to Hanssen did not constitute the practice of medicine, but the Court of Special Appeals dismissed that claim. Salerian “was retained by [Hanssen’s attorney Plato] Cacheris to diagnose Evaluee,” Judge Peter B. Krauser wrote for the appellate court. “In fact, in the report appellant eventually submitted to Cacheris, appellant included some of his opinions under a hearing entitled ‘FINAL DIAGNOSIS.’ Thus, we agree with the Board that a forensic evaluation is the practice of medicine. Moreover, appellant gave Evaluee a prescription for Paxil and was thus irrefragably practicing medicine.”….(MD Daily Record, 26 Sep 07)

Russia Turns Over Wallenberg Documents

The main successor agency to the KGB on Wednesday gave a top Russian rabbi copies of archival documents on Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat credited with saving thousands of Hungarian Jews from Nazi death camps. Nikolai Patrushev, director of the Federal Security Service, handed photographs and copies of formerly classified materials about the diplomat, who disappeared at the end of World War II, to Rabbi Berel Lazar for inclusion in a new Museum of Tolerance being built in Moscow…..(AP, 26 Sep 07)

CIA funded Finnish Social Democrats since 1940s -Book

The US Central Intelligence Agency began to fund Finland's Social Democratic party in the latter half of the 1940s, according to a book launched Tuesday by Mikko Majander, a Finnish historian. Dr Majander, having studied new primary sources consisting of SDP treasury records taken to Sweden in the 1950s, estimates that up to 80 per cent of the party's funding came from abroad in the 1940s and 1950s. The total figure includes aid from other Nordic countries and Finnish immigrants in the US…..(NewsRoom Finland, 26 Sep 07)

The Forgotten War That Set a Pattern for Years to Come

THE COLDEST WINTER: America and the Korean War, by David Halberstam

… Over virtually every page of “The Coldest Winter,” the American misadventure in Indochina casts its shadow. The twisted cold war calculations and domestic political posturing that turned the war into geopolitical theater explain events not just in the 1950s but in the ’60s as well, and perhaps, the author suggests in a brief epilogue, the current war in Iraq…Cutting back and forth, he shows in “The Coldest Winter” how domestic politics in the United States, and the emerging cold war struggle between the United States, the Soviet Union and China, shaped not only the general course of the war but also specific military decisions……(New York Times, 26 Sep 07)

Breaking Ground at Last

Standing next to a field of rocks and tree stumps, wearing white construction hats and holding shiny shovels, members of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency broke ground for their new office complex at the Engineer Proving Ground on Tuesday, Sept. 25. In line with Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) orders, 8,500 NGA workers will call the EPG their home by September 2011, bringing together current offices in Reston, Bethesda and the Potomac Navy Yard in a central site to better serve military and civilian needs…..(Connection Newspapers, 26 Sep 07)

Spy Officials Tracking Key Scientists

Tracking scientists moving from country to country to share their expertise in building biological weapons is a major challenge…Unlike nuclear weapons or missiles, biological weapons can be manufactured in relatively nondescript facilities that are hard to detect. That makes tracking the people with the know-how to build the weapons themselves even more critical, said Vice Adm. Robert Murrett, director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. The agency analyzes imagery intelligence that comes from aircraft and satellites….(AP, 26 Sep 07)

Intelligence gathering subject of Keefe talk, Oct. 2

Writer and commentator Patrick Radden Keefe will present a talk titled "The Espionage Industrial Complex: Costs of Privatizing Intelligence Post-9/11" at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, in 16 Robertson Hall. Keefe, a program officer and fellow at the Century Foundation think tank, is a frequent commentator on issues of international security, with a focus on the impact of globalization and new technologies on cross-border security threats, and on the legal and ethical dimensions of intelligence and homeland security policy…..(Princeton, 26 Sep 07)

Counterintelligence is looking for a few good Marines

Career opportunities and bonuses up to $61,000 are being offered to Marines who qualify and are accepted in the counterintelligence and human intelligence field. According to Master Sgt. Alan Taylor, CI/HUMINT chief, U.S. Marine Forces, Pacific here, Marines who are energetic, possess unusually high levels of initiative and who don’t need to be frequently told what to do should apply. “We’re looking for self starters. Most important is integrity. Take a Marine with integrity and multiply it 100 times. We want that Marine.”…(US Marine Corp, 26 Sep 07)

Interview: The confessions of ex-intelligence officer, EP candidate Daianu

A candidate for the National Liberal Party (PNL) at the European Parliament elections due to take place in Romania this fall, reputed Romanian scholar, economist and politician Daniel Daianu told in an exclusive interview for HotNews.ro how and why he came to work for Romania’s communist-era foreign intelligence service DIE. Daianu, who admitted as early as in 1990 his links to DIE but denied involvement in any political police or other abusive activities, also explained how he came to leave DIE in 1978 as General Ion Mihai Pacepa, a former head of the communist Romania’s espionage, flew to the United States…..(Hot News, 26 Sep 07)

Polish official sues Marty over CIA prisons

A former senior Polish intelligence official is suing a Swiss investigator over a report accusing him of direct knowledge of secret CIA operations in Poland. Marek Siwiec, who is now vice-president of the European Parliament, has filed a libel suit against Swiss senator Dick Marty in the district court of Poznan, Siwiec's office said. Marty identified Siwiec as one of several local officials privy to the United States secret detention program in Europe after the 2001 attacks…..(Swiss Info, 26 Sep 07)

Militants Behead "U.S. Spies" In Pakistan

Pro-Taliban militants beheaded two men in Pakistan's restive tribal region on the Afghan border on suspicions they were spying for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, intelligence officials said on Wednesday….(Reuters, 26 Sep 07)

China Replaces Air Force Chief

China has replaced the head of its air force and other top military chiefs ahead of a major Communist Party congress next month at which President Hu Jintao is expected to fill several top posts with younger leaders loyal to his rule. Lt. Gen. Xu Qiliang, a former deputy chief of the People's Liberation Army's general staff, has taken over from Gen. Qiao Qingchen as head of the PLA Air Force, the official China Daily newspaper said Wednesday…..(AP, 26 Sep 07)

Ex-king of Bulgaria 'was spy for KGB'

The accusation comes as the country delves through its Communist-era files to discover the identity of former collaborators and informants. But instead of producing the intended "healing effect on society", the process has resulted in political mayhem and mudslinging, with a host of high-profile casualties…Yane Yanev, the ORLJ leader, alleged that the Saxe-Coburg, who returned to Bulgaria in 1996 amidst scenes of public adulation, was recruited after KGB agents preyed on his weakness for gambling. "There are undisputed facts and documents proving that Simeon, the ex-king, was noticed by the Russian KGB in the early 60s and was later offered money to pay his gambling debts in exchange for his collaboration with the service," Mr Yanev told a party meeting……(Telegraph, 26 Sep 07)

FBI may probe J&K official’s US citizenship
The arrest of a top Jammu & Kashmir State Forest Corporation (SFC) official on charges of concealing his American citizenship has got the US intelligence service, FBI, interested, which is planning to send a team to the state to investigate the matter. The managing director of SFC, Aijaz Ahmed Bhat, was arrested on September 18 and removed from the post last month after J&K forest minister Qazi Mohammed Afzal complained about his frequent trips to the US. Interestingly, Qazi, too, was subsequently divested of his forest portfolio by chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad…..(Times of India, 26 Sep 07)

Ex-King of Bulgaria was KGB spy, says leading opposition leader
The former King of Bulgaria, the only Monarch in history who became the head of the government through a landslide victory in democratic nationwide elections after 55 years of Communist-imposed exile, was a "KGB spy". Yane Yanev, a leading opposition leader of Order, Rule of Law and Justice party, has alleged that Simeon Saxe-Coburg was recruited by the Soviet secret services during his long exile in Spain…the former king, who had returned to Bulgaria in 1996 amidst scenes of public adulation, was recruited after KGB agents preyed on his weakness for gambling. "There are undisputed facts and documents proving that Simeon, the ex-king, was noticed by the Russian KGB in the early 60s and was later offered money to pay his gambling debts in exchange for his collaboration with the service," Yanev was quoted as saying. The accusation comes as the country delves through its Communist-era files to discover the identity of former collaborators and informants, the daily claimed. However, the 70-year-old former king has refuted all the allegations. He said that the latest accusations were only intended to smear him in the run up to upcoming local polls….(Times of India, 26 Sep 07)

Agent, former colleague detained for China spying

One agent of the Investigation Bureau (IB) and a former colleague were detained yesterday for their alleged espionage work for China. Lin Yu-nung, an agent from the Economic Crime Prevention and Control Center at the Ministry of Justice's IB (MJIB), was accused of having collected intelligence about Taiwan and the bureau's internal operations for China in exchange for money. He was allegedly solicited to act as a spy for China by Chen Chih-kao, a former MJIB agent. The two had previously received training for intelligence and investigation work together….(China Post, 25 Sep 07)

NSA to help protect communications networks from cyberattacks and infiltration by terrorists and hackers

…The NSA's game plan is for it to co-ordinate with the Department for Homeland Security, the FBI and numerous other agencies in developing a monitoring system for major public, as well as private, communications and control networks across the US, and so help prevent any form of attack. This "Cyber Initiative" will be run by the Department of Homeland Security and is coordinated by Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, a former NSA chief. It is understood that up to 2,000 people could be assigned to this project. Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said that "as the lead agency responsible for assuring the security, resiliency and reliability of the nation's information technology and communications infrastructure, our department is working to unify further and integrate the security framework for cyber operations throughout the federal government. The move is not before time, as there can be no doubt that much of North America's communications, transport and utility infrastructure is now controlled across the Internet….(Security Park, 25 Sep 07)

Today in History -

On Sept. 25, 1959 Khrushchev capped a visit to the U.S.

On this day in 1959, Nikita Khrushchev capped a 12-day visit to the United States, the first by a Soviet leader, by meeting with President Dwight Eisenhower at Camp David. Khrushchev (1894-1971), who came to power after the death of Josef Stalin in 1953, denounced the “excesses” of Stalinism and said he sought “peaceful co-existence” with the United States. Before the summit, Khrushchev and his wife spent several days traveling across America, making stops in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Des Moines, Iowa. He became infuriated after being denied a visit to Disneyland, ostensibly for security reasons…..(Politico, 25 Sep 07)

White House Drops Choice for CIA Lawyer

The White House withdrew its nominee to become the CIA's top lawyer on Tuesday after Democrats raised concerns that the agency's interrogation techniques may be illegal. John Rizzo, the president's choice to become the CIA's general counsel, asked President Bush to withdraw his name, saying it would be in his best interest and that of the agency where he has worked for 32 years. The Senate Intelligence Committee had been expected to consider Rizzo's nomination at a hearing Tuesday afternoon….(AP, 25 Sep 07)

Germany charges man with spying for Syria

Prosecutors said Tuesday that they have charged a man with dual German-Syrian citizenship with spying on Syrians living in Germany. Federal prosecutors said they charged the man, identified only as 57-year-old Atef N. from Bonn, with working as an agent for a secret service. The charges were filed at a Duesseldorf court on Aug. 10…..(AP/Jerusalem Post, 25 Sep 07)

German indicts Syrian man for espionage
German prosecutors said Tuesday they have indicted a Syrian man for espionage, accusing him of entering the employ of Syrian intelligence five or six years ago.  Atef N, 57, was accused of collecting information about Syrian exiles living in Germany and their meetings……(DPA, 25 Sep 07)

Bipartisan Group Of Senators Offers Response To NSL Abuses

A bipartisan group of senators is introducing legislation today to address the serious misuse of the FBI's national security letter (NSL) authorities…The bill offered by the senators, who have previously worked together on legislation to amend the Patriot Act to safeguard the rights of law-abiding Americans, provides new statutory safeguards that allow the FBI to continue investigating terrorists and spies but also protect Americans' personal information….(All American Patriots, 25 Sep 07)

Intelligence chief scolded for being 'disingenuous'

…Echoing testimony from his House Judiciary Committee last week, National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell told the panel that recent, temporary changes to the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act were vital in light of technological advances. Updates to electronic spying provisions that were rushed through Congress in August addressed deficiencies because "FISA was enacted before cell phones, before e-mail and before the Internet," he said…..(National Journal's Technology Daily, 25 Sep 07)

Terrorists could exploit visa program, intelligence chief warns

…Congress is again wrestling with how to renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Before its summer recess, Congress approved the Protect America Act, which allows the government to intercept, without a warrant, phone calls and e-mails from people outside the United States who are contacting individuals inside the country. While supporters of the new law say it protects America from terrorists, critics say the law harms Americans' right to privacy……(CNN, 25 Sep 07)

Software Takes Aim at Altered Photos

… Shoot & Proof shows where a photo was shot (if the phone is equipped with global positioning software), as well as when and on whose device…. Near the opposite end of the spectrum, another participant in DEMOfall, MotionDSP Inc., introduced a Web site, www.fixmymovie.com, where consumers can sharpen pictures and videos taken on cell phones, images that are typically jumpy and heavily pixelated. MotionDSP, based in San Mateo, Calif., got its start by licensing software from the University of California at Santa Cruz and targeting military and intelligence agencies. In-Q-Tel, an investment firm launched by the CIA in 1990 to support U.S. intelligence work, announced in July that it was an investor……(AP, 25 Sep 07)

Meteorite in Puno, Peru Reported to be a U.S. Spy Satellite

Peru's RPP news reported today that according to the Russian daily, Pravda, what landed in Puno, Peru on Saturday August 15 was a North American spy satellite targeting Iran. According to the Russian daily, Russian Military Intelligence Analysts reported that the U.S. spy satellite KH-13 was destroyed in its orbit with its main power generator surviving re-entry and crashing in Peru. In addition, it was reported that the sicknesses caused in Puno were due to the radiation in the generator…..(Living in Peru, 25 Sep 07)

Congressmen want investigation of Homeland Security hackings; Unisys denies lax network management

…The FBI is reportedly investigating Unisys for failing to detect cyberattacks linked to a Chinese-language website, then trying to cover up the breaches. The Post also reported that in 2002, Unisys won a $1 billion deal to deploy and securely manage the IT networks of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a division of the DHS……(SC Magazine, 25 Sep 07)

Unisys Denies Coverup Of Security Breaches

…In a written statement, Unisys, of Blue Bell, Pa., denied the report and rejected allegations it had neglected to install proper security safeguards on Homeland Security computer systems. "We believe that a proper investigation of this matter will conclude that Unisys acted in good faith to meet the customer's security requirements," the company said. Federal law-enforcement officials said the FBI was taking a look at the incidents -- and Unisys's response -- but said the allegations were so far not viewed as a major breach of national security. "The FBI is making sure that this was not something out of the ordinary," one official said, noting that attempts by hackers to infiltrate U.S. government computers are "everyday occurrences." One key issue is whether Unisys failed to install the security programs or whether DHS cut them to save money…..(Wall Street Journal, 25 Sep 07)

Hackers Crack Homeland Security Computers

Hackers have broken into several Homeland Security computers and moved sensitive information to Chinese language Web sites, according to government officials. Now, a top homeland security official is charging that Unisys Corp— the company contracted to maintain the network — is at fault for the security breaches and neglected telling inform department brass of the breach. The FBI is now investigating the incidents and two members of Congress have asked the department's inspector general to also launch an investigation…said the initial la investigation has turned up dozens of compromised computers, however it was months after the initially breach that the incidents were noticed. The vital information, the nature of which was not disclosed by Thompson, was snatched from the department and moved to Chinese Internet sites….(TMC Net, 25 Sep 07)

Iran Releases American-Iranian Activist

Iran has released from jail peace activist Ali Shakeri, the last of four Iranian-Americans imprisoned in recent months after being accused of stirring up a revolution, a judiciary spokesman said Tuesday. Shakeri, a businessman and member of a California-based democracy group, the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, was arrested while trying to leave Iran after visiting family. He was jailed four months ago in Tehran's Evin prison…..(AP, 25 Sep 07)

U.S. intelligence discussed at UVSC

Expanding the authority of U.S. intelligence agencies will not prevent terrorism, espionage or sabotage, a leading scholar on the FBI says. "The result (of expanding intelligence authority) will ensure civil liberties and privacy will probably be violated," said Athan Theoharis to about 100 students at Utah Valley State College on Monday… Successful counterintelligence is difficult to achieve, Theoharis said. An example of FBI success was its investigation of the World Trade Center bombing in 1993. The bureau interviewed someone who provided information about a plot to blow up the United Nations building in New York, which the FBI was able to prevent…..(Deseret News, 25 Sep 07)

A Speech About Saying No, From a Man Who Would Know

The following are excerpts from a newly published speech by former deputy attorney general James B. Comey, who addressed the National Security Agency in May 2005. A year earlier, Comey and other Justice Department lawyers had waged a fierce battle with the White House after determining that parts of the NSA's warrantless surveillance program were illegal….(Washington Post, 25 Sep 07)

Judge steps up pace in Oracle-SAP spying case

The U.S. judge in a trade secrets case brought by Oracle Corp (ORCL.O) against arch rival SAP AG (SAPG.DE) on Tuesday called for speedy resolution of the dispute and encouraged the sides to consider mediation. Judge Martin Jenkins of the U.S. District Court for Northern California said case filings left him unsure whether the case at hand was a minor business dispute that could be settled quickly or a major case of corporate malfeasance. Germany's SAP has admitted wrongdoing but argues that the dispute over contentious downloads of Oracle customer support materials by a U.S. subsidiary of SAP should be treated as a minor business licensing matter……(Reuters, 25 Sep 07)

Detained Israeli 'was here for gay sex, not espionage'
Israeli man arrested last week in Lebanon on suspicion of involvement in murder and espionage does not appear to be involved in spying, a Lebanese security official said on Monday. Daniel Sharon, a 32-year-old who holds German and Israeli citizenships, was arrested Thursday on tips from security and judicial authorities over his frequent visits to Lebanon using his German passport…..(Daily Star, 25 Sep 07)

Telecoms Deny Helping Ex-military Spy Wiretap Cell Phone Conversations

Officials from the two major mobile phone service providers denied a former military spy's allegations that their companies were involved in wiretapping on Tuesday. Smart Communications Inc. spokesman Ramon R. Isberto and Globe Telecom Inc. senior vice-president Rodolfo A. Salalima told senators investigating the "Hello Garci" scandal that they don't have the equipment capable of listening to mobile phone conversations of their clients…..(AHN, 25 Sep 07)

Italian commandos rescue two kidnapped intelligence agents

Italian commandos, aided by other NATO forces and aircraft, rescued two kidnapped Italian intelligence operatives Monday in a daring ambush and gunbattle in western Afghanistan that left at least nine of the captors dead. Although both freed Italians were wounded, one seriously, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi called the operation a success that could put a dent in Afghanistan's rising kidnapping industry….(AP, 25 Sep 07)

Mexico Official Cites Intel Failures

…Answering angry questions by lawmakers in Congress, Interior Secretary Francisco Ramirez said the government has formed a special anti-subversion task force in response to the Sept. 10 and July 11 attacks claimed by leftist rebels, which affected gas and oil deliveries and cost businesses hundreds of millions of dollars. Ramirez said President Felipe Calderon inherited a weakened Center for National Security and Investigation, or Cisen, when he took office Dec. 1……(AP, 25 Sep 07)

Doble’s wife denies being detained by military intelligence

Arlene Doble, the estranged wife of ex-intelligence agent Vidal Doble, who claimed to have wiretapped the conversation between President Arroyo and former poll official Virgilio Garcillano, disputed her husband’s claim that they were detained at the intelligence compound at the height of the “Garci” exposé…..(Sun Star, 25 Sep 07)

Iran watching U.S. troops, says in missile range

…"Iran has now a strong intelligence system and missiles. We are closely watching the foreigners' moves in neighboring countries by highly advanced satellite technology and advanced radars. If they enter our airspace or our territorial waters, they will get a fair response," Rahim Safavi said. "It seems very unlikely that foreign troops in the region could start another attack because they have been busy with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and they should focus on that," he added in comments carried by Iran Daily. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a U.S. television interview on Sunday his country was not heading for war with the United States…..(Reuters, 24 Sep 07)

Surveillance Showdown

Would any sane country purposefully limit its ability to spy on enemy communications in time of war? That is the question Congress must answer as it takes up reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) this week. Privacy activists, civil libertarians and congressional Democrats argue that both foreign and domestic eavesdropping must be subject to judicial scrutiny and oversight, even if this means drastically reducing the amount of foreign intelligence information available to the government, without ever acknowledging the costs involved……(Wall Street Journal, 24 Sep 07)

MoD admits navy divers spied on Soviet ships

The Ministry of Defence has disclosed that Royal Navy divers undertook an unauthorized espionage operation against a Soviet warship docked in Portsmouth in 1955. The “successful” covert mission to examine the sonar equipment fitted to the Soviet cruiser Sverdlov and other warships was six months before the notorious “Commander Crabb affair” in which a navy frogman vanished after being commissioned by MI6 to check the cruiser that brought Nikita Khrushchev on an official visit to Britain. A headless body, presumed to be that of Commander Lionel “Buster” Crabb, was washed ashore in Chichester 14 months later. It was one of the biggest spy dramas of the Cold War……(Times, Online, 24 Sep 07)

Experts cast doubts on Chinese hacking scare

Attacks may appear to come from developing nations, but attacks are only coming from an IP address, with no real idea what is behind that IP, says security expert… Security experts are voicing their doubts about suggestions that China tried to hack New Zealand government IT systems, saying it is technically very difficult to identify the point of origin of such attacks…..(Computer World, 24 Sep 07)

Spies Gone Wild

While American intelligence agencies have been busy collecting information on terrorists, their counter-intelligence departments, which try to disrupt enemy spying efforts, have been swamped. Espionage efforts by Russia are back to Cold War levels, and increasingly active Chinese spies exceed the Russian efforts. In addition, there are powerful new spying tools, like Internet hacking, or simply making good use of Internet search tools to vacuum up all manner of useful information…..(Strategy Page, 24 Sep 07)

Congressmen Call For Investigation On Government Cyberattacks

Unisys, a major government IT contractor, reportedly is being investigated for allegedly failing to detect cyberattacks, and then covering up its failings…..(Information Week, 24 Sep 07)

Germans Drop Bid for Extraditions In CIA Case

…A court in Munich issued arrest warrants for the CIA operatives in January after prosecutors said they were wanted on suspicion of kidnapping and inflicting bodily harm on Khaled el-Masri, a German citizen of Lebanese descent. The warrants remain in effect despite Germany's decision not to seek extradition; the agents could still face arrest if they travel to Germany or other countries in the European Union…..(Washington Post, 24 Sep 07)

Germany Drops Pursuit of CIA Kidnappers

The German government has said it will not pursue extradition requests for 13 CIA agents charged with kidnapping a German citizen and taking him to Afghanistan for interrogation and abuse. Relations with the US government, Berlin says, are more important. For a moment earlier this year, it seemed as though Germany might turn international relations on their head…..(Der Spiegel, 24 Sep 07)

MoD admits navy divers spied on Soviet ships

The Ministry of Defence has disclosed that Royal Navy divers undertook an unauthorized espionage operation against a Soviet warship docked in Portsmouth in 1955. The “successful” covert mission to examine the sonar equipment fitted to the Soviet cruiser Sverdlov and other warships was six months before the notorious “Commander Crabb affair” in which a navy frogman vanished after being commissioned by MI6 to check the cruiser that brought Nikita Khrushchev on an official visit to Britain. A headless body, presumed to be that of Commander Lionel “Buster” Crabb, was washed ashore in Chichester 14 months later. It was one of the biggest spy dramas of the Cold War……(Times, Online, 24 Sep 07)

Investigators: Homeland Security computers hacked

Hackers compromised dozens of Department of Homeland Security computers, moving sensitive information to Chinese-language Web sites...Investigators pointed a finger at a government contractor, saying the firm hired to protect DHS computers tried to hide the incidents from the department. The FBI is investigating the incidents, a congressional staffer said, and two members of Congress have asked the department's inspector general to also launch an investigation. "The results of our [committee] investigation suggest that the department is the victim not only of cyber attacks initiated by foreign entities, but of incompetent and possibly illegal activity by the contractor charged with maintaining security on its networks,"….(CNN, 24 Sep 07)

State-secret overreach

…The battles over the state secrets privilege go back more than 50 years. Close your eyes and it could be Aug. 9, 1950. In a federal courthouse in Washington that humid day, others faced a similar issue during litigation over the crash of an Air Force B-29 two years earlier near Waycross, Ga. A lawyer for the widows of three civilian engineers who died in that crash wanted the Air Force's accident report, expecting it would shed light on the cause of the disaster…..(LA Times, 24 Sep 07)