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U.S. Military Opposed Surge, Spying on Iraq Prime Minister
Bob Woodward discusses new book "The War Within" on 60 Minutes
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Domestic plan would turn cops into spies, ACLU says
WASHINGTON — A proposed domestic spying measure, which would make it easier for state and local police to collect intelligence about Americans and share the sensitive data with federal agencies, would "turn police officers into spies on behalf of the federal government," an ACLU official said.
Michael German, a former FBI agent who is the policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, said that easing established limits on intelligence-gathering would lead to abuses against peaceful political dissenters.
Civil liberties groups have also warned that forthcoming Justice Department rules for the FBI may permit the use of terrorist profiles that could single out religious or ethnic groups such as Muslims or Arabs for investigation.
The proposal, unveiled quietly last month by the Justice Department, would revise the federal government’s rules for police intelligence-gathering for the first time since 1993 and would apply to any of the 18,000 state and local police agencies that receive roughly $1.6 billion each year in federal grants.
It is part of a flurry of domestic intelligence changes issued and planned by the Bush administration in its waning months.
Taken together, critics in Congress and elsewhere say, the moves are intended to lock in policies for Bush’s successor and to enshrine controversial post-Sept. 11 approaches to surveillance.
Liberties protected?
Supporters say the measures simply codify existing counterterrorism practices and policies.
They say the measures preserve civil liberties and are subject to internal oversight.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said the administration agrees that it needs to do everything possible to prevent unwarranted encroachments on civil liberties.
Under the Justice Department proposal for state and local police, published for public comment July 31, law enforcement agencies would be allowed to target groups as well as individuals and to launch an investigation based on the suspicion that a target is engaged in terrorism or is providing material support to terrorists.
Results could be shared with federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Criminal intelligence data starts with sources as basic as public records and the Internet, but also includes law enforcement databases, confidential and undercover sources, and active surveillance. WASHINGTON — A proposed domestic spying measure, which would make it easier for state and local police to collect intelligence about A... more -
MoD scraps £227m Phoenix spy drone that hated heat and landed upside-down
As a spy drone, it had its disadvantages. To land, it had to flip on its back. It could not operate in extreme heat or in thin air and became known as the “bugger off” because it frequently did, never to return.
The Phoenix unmanned air vehicle, which cost an estimated £300,000 each and was brought into service with the British Army in 1998 after a protracted development programme, is now officially dead.
MPs on the Commons Defence Committee revealed in a report published last week that the Phoenix, which provided target information for the Army's artillery regiments from an operating height of about 9,000ft, was unable to cope with the heat in Iraq when it was deployed in 2003. It had to be used only in the cooler months. The Ministry of Defence also confirmed that it was never sent to Afghanistan because the air was too thin there.
The Phoenix has now been taken out of service and replaced by a more sophisticated aerial spy platform called Hermes 450. The MPs said that the Hermes had to be acquired as a “stop-gap” filler because the Phoenix “could not be operated effectively in a hot and high climate”.
The rise and fall of the Phoenix has been one of the more quixotic stories in the history of MoD equipment purchases. The total cost of the programme was £227 million. The development took so long and involved so many technical hitches that there were some moves to abandon it.
The biggest problem was landing. The surveillance pod was slung under its belly, so the spy drone had to flip on to its back to avoid damaging the equipment on landing. But too many crash-landed and bits fell off. As a spy drone, it had its disadvantages. To land, it had to flip on its back. It could not operate in extreme heat or in thin air and... more -
Spy Case Casts Light on Hezbollah Recruitment in Germany
Shiite Militants in Europe: A young Israeli man who studied in Germany has been arrested on espionage charges in Israel. Khaled K., of Palestinian descent, allegedly spied for the Hezbollah Shiite militia. His case is expected to highlight Hezbollah recruiting activities in Germany.
When Khaled K. stepped off the plane from Germany to start his summer vacation, it wasn't his family that awaited him at the gate. Instead Shin Bet agents and police greeted the 29-year-old Israeli man of Palestinian descent when he arrived on July 16 at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport. He was arrested and disappeared into custody for two weeks until Israeli officials filed charges against him on Wednesday and lifted a gag order on coverage of his arrest.
The charges filed by state prosecutors are serious. They allege the man, who comes from the Israeli-Arab town of Kalanswa, sought contact with an agent with connections to Hezbollah in an effort to pass on information.
The indictment alleges he also supplied names of potential recruits to the Shiite militia and that he had expressed his preparedness to take a job at the Rambam Hospital in the Israeli city of Haifa after completing his studies in Germany, where he is enrolled as a student at the University of Göttingen near Hanover. Israeli soldiers in the 2006 war against Hezbollah are still being treated at the Rambam Hospital, and K. was apparently supposed to sound them out in order to obtain information that could be useful to Hezbollah.
Read more... Shiite Militants in Europe: A young Israeli man who studied in Germany has been arrested on espionage charges in Israel. Khaled K., of... more -
Hawaii man accused of helping China design missile
In Chengdu in 2003, Gowadia allegedly gave Chinese engineers and officials classified information about missile exhaust systems that emit little heat and thus are hard to detect. The city is home to the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute, which created the J-10, a state-of-the-art fighter plane China unveiled last year.
Prosecutors allege Gowadia pocketed $110,000 over two years for his exhaust nozzle design.
He's also accused of attempting to sell classified stealth technology to the Swiss government and to businesses in Israel and Germany. In Chengdu in 2003, Gowadia allegedly gave Chinese engineers and officials classified information about missile exhaust systems that e... more -
Spies helped bomb Indian Embassy
"U.S. intelligence agencies, using intercepted communications, say Pakistan's spy agency officers helped in the July 7 Indian embassy bombing in Afghanistan.
The bombing, which killed 54 people including the Indian defense attached, is seen as the clearest evidence thus far of Pakistani officers working against U.S. efforts to fight militancy in Afghanistan, The New York Times reported, quoting American government officials.
Immediately after the embassy bombing, Indian officials said Pakistan's notorious Inter-Services Intelligence officers had a hand in it.
U.S. intelligence officials concluded that the Pakistani spy officers, communicating with the militants, helped plan the embassy attack. The officials did not say what assistance the officers gave the militants, but indications were that they had clearance from higher ups for their actions, the newspaper said.
U.S. officials told The Times new information showed the Pakistani officers are increasingly providing militants with details about the American campaign against them, which in some cases allow the militants to escape missile strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas.
The concerns have strained U.S. relations with Pakistan and heightened India-Pakistan tensions, as evidence by reported clashes among their border troops in Kashmir, The Times said.
The Times had previously reported that a top U.S. Central Intelligence Agency official visited Pakistan this month to present information about ISI members providing information to militant groups." "U.S. intelligence agencies, using intercepted communications, say Pakistan's spy agency officers helped in the July 7 India... more -
UK's top spy, the head of the Joint Intelligence Committee, seriously ill
Britains Top Spy Alex Allen, has fallen Ill and is a coma. The question Illness or assassination attempt?
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Spy Camera in a Cigarette Pack
Ever wonder how your babysitter treats your children when you're not there or what your employees do when you're not at your business? Now you can watch them with a camera hidden inside a pack of cigarettes. No one will know that this cigarette pack contains a miniature, high-tech spy camera. Ever wonder how your babysitter treats your children when you're not there or what your employees do when you're not at your... more
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Blackberry spurns Indian spy call
The Canadian manufacturer of Blackberry mobile phones has rejected demands by the Indian government that it help decrypt suspicious text messages.
Research in Motion says its technology does not allow any third party - even the company itself - to read information sent over its network.
The Indian authorities have been reluctant to allow the widespread use of Blackberries in the country.
They fear militants and criminals may take advantage of the secure system.
A number of other countries around the world have expressed similar fears.
Master key
"The Blackberry security architecture for enterprise customers is purposefully designed to exclude the capability for Research in Motion (RIM) or any third party to read encrypted information under any circumstances," the company was quoted by Times of India newspaper as saying.
The Indian government's department of telecommunication and the security agencies have asked the Canadian firm to provide the master key so that they can access the contents transferred between the handheld devices.
In India, Blackberry services are provided by Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, Vodafone and BPL Mobile.
The country has only about 115,000 Blackberry customers at the moment, but it is a rapidly growing market. The Canadian manufacturer of Blackberry mobile phones has rejected demands by the Indian government that it help decrypt suspicious te... more -
Israel charges Iran spy suspect
An Iranian-born Israeli has been arrested and charged by the Israeli authorities with spying for Iran, police say.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly confessed to passing information to Iranian agents in Turkey while in Istanbul in 2006.
Charges were pressed behind closed doors and no other details were given.
Last year, Israel's Shin Bet security agency said it had foiled an Iranian plot to recruit Israelis as spies.
Earlier this year, an Israeli army psychiatrist, David Shamir, received a five-year prison sentence for attempting to make contact with foreign powers including Iran, with a view to selling them classified defence information. An Iranian-born Israeli has been arrested and charged by the Israeli authorities with spying for Iran, police say. ... more -
Porsche files law suit on CEO spies!
Someone suspected of eavesdropping on the German luxury sportscar maker has been slammed with a law-suit for espionage. So I guess we can expect top secret snapshots of the upcoming 2010 models! Someone suspected of eavesdropping on the German luxury sportscar maker has been slammed with a law-suit for espionage. So I guess we ... more
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Israel caught Spying On USA ...Again!
I can't tell ya what would happen if it were Russia or China, maybe a major confrontation...but Israel? er-hummm-I thought they were friends??? I can't tell ya what would happen if it were Russia or China, maybe a major confrontation...but Israel? er-hummm-I thought they ... more
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Surveillance: administration set to use new spy program in US
...Congressional critics want more assurances of legality... The Bush administration said yesterday that it plans to start using the nation's most advanced spy technology for domestic purposes soon, rebuffing challenges by House Democrats over the idea's legal authority.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said his department will activate his department's new domestic satellite surveillance office in stages, starting as soon as possible with traditional scientific and homeland security activities -- such as tracking hurricane damage, monitoring climate change and creating terrain maps.
Sophisticated overhead sensor data will be used for law enforcement once privacy and civil rights concerns are resolved, he said. The department has previously said the program will not intercept communications.
By Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 12, 2008; Page A03 ...Congressional critics want more assurances of legality... The Bush administration said yesterday that it plans to start using the n... more -
Spy caught by anti-aviation group was ‘more Austin Powers than 007’
A spy who infiltrated a direct action anti-aviation group has been exposed after making a series of elementary errors that aroused the suspicions of genuine activists.
Toby Kendall joined Plane Stupid, the group that occupied the roof of the Houses of Parliament last month, after graduating from Oxford last year. He told the activists that his name was “Ken Tobias” and said that he was deeply concerned by the impact of the aviation industry on climate change and that he wanted to help to organise protests.
However his habit of wearing a Palestinian scarf with his Armani jeans and designer shirt made some members question his identity. He was also the only member to turn up early to every meeting but had no friends in the activist community. He took part in protests, dressing as a penguin in one stunt, but always tried to remain in the background.
Plane Stupid began a mole hunt and, after feeding him false information that found its way within two days to the aviation industry, discovered his real name and employer. The activists remembered his supposed Oxford connection and showed a friend there his photograph. He immediately recognised Ken as Toby Kendall, an Oriental Studies student from Wadham College.
"He was always trying to up the ante," said a Plane Stupid activist. "I remember him saying we should block the escalators at the T5 opening and make complete and utter nuisances of ourselves. This appeared in the Standard almost verbatim."
Mr Kendall, 24, works for C2i International, a counter-intelligence company run by former special forces officers. Its website puts “aerospace” at the top of a list of industries for which it works.
BAA, which owns Heathrow, has repeatedly been targeted by Plane Stupid. BAA deny any involvement with C2i or Mr Kendall. Mmm hmmm?..... A spy who infiltrated a direct action anti-aviation group has been exposed after making a series of elementary errors that aroused the... more -
Network of U.S spies discovered in Belarus
The intelligence agency in Belarus, an ex-Soviet state locked in a diplomatic row with Washington, has confirmed that an espionage ring working for the United States had been uncovered in the country.
"We hereby confirm that the information about this group being exposed is completely true," said a representative of the service, still known by its Soviet-era initials KGB. "A group conducting espionage for the United States has been uncovered."
The network consists of 10 Belarusian nationals have now been exposed to the public as American spies in another blow for U.S and Belarusian relations. The intelligence agency in Belarus, an ex-Soviet state locked in a diplomatic row with Washington, has confirmed that an espionage rin... more -
Nasa Spies
Four people have been arrested in the United States for allegedly passing secret defense information to China. A former Boeing engineer is accused of giving China details about the space shuttle and other aerospace programmes. Chinese-born Dongfan "Greg" Chung, 72, of California, faces charges including eight counts of economic espionage, conspiracy, and making false statements to FBI investigators. Mr Chung, worked at Rockwell International and Boeing on the space shuttle programme. The charges claim he took Boeing trade secrets relating to the space shuttle. In 2008 he retired but was working for Boeing as a contractor until 2006.
The three other suspects where accused in a separate case, of handing over US defense department documents and information to China, and with conspiracy to disclose national defense information to a foreign government. They are named to be; Yu Xin Kang, 33; Gregg William Bergersen, 51; and Tai Shen Kuo, 58.
Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7239829.stm Four people have been arrested in the United States for allegedly passing secret defense information to China. A former Boeing enginee... more -
Sinn Fein driver was undercover spy
It has been reported that a former driver for Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams had also worked as a spy gaining information for British intelligence services..
A Sinn Fein spokesperson has confirmed the revelations and told reporters that the driver, Roy McShane had fled his home and sought exile in protective custody amidst fears for his safety.
The same spokesman went on to explain that McShane had nothing to fear if he returned home, however did reveal they had him under suspicion for a number of years.
"He is under no threat from republicans. If he wishes to return, it is up to him to make peace with his community and in particular his family."
He is seen in the photograph, wearing the green jacket. It has been reported that a former driver for Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams had also worked as a spy gaining information for British... more -
Israel launches satellite to spy on Iran
Israel has successfully launched a spy satellite to track events in Iran -- even at night and in cloudy weather. Israel spent tens of millions of dollars developing and launching this bit of technology so they could 'keep tabs on Iran's nuclear programme' which they and the US fear is a nuclear weapons cover up. Iran (AND the report released by the US' own intelligence about a month ago) insists that nuclear programme is for power generation only. Israel has successfully launched a spy satellite to track events in Iran -- even at night and in cloudy weather. Israel spent tens of ... more
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Personal music player records detective illegally interrogating teenager
Now the detective is facing perjury charges
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Hard Drives Spying on Computers?
Seagate hard drives made in Thailand apparently come with preloaded trojans. An investigation of computers used by the Taiwanese government showed that the trojans upload files to Beijing web sites, causing speculation that the Chinese government is involved in a clandestine spy program. Seagate hard drives made in Thailand apparently come with preloaded trojans. An investigation of computers used by the Taiwanese gove... more
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