SA Intelligencer Editor: Dalene Duvenage Contributions and enquiries dalene@4knowledge.co.za
7-23 May 2011 Click on titles below to access the articles North America Page 2 U.S. intelligence chair urges attorney-general to stop CIA probes Panetta to employees: Keep a lid on it Houses Passes Intelligence Authorization Bill Va. Beach-based sailor gets 34 years in espionage case Obama Seeks to Extend Term of FBI's Mueller Domestic Intelligence Surveillance Grew in 2010 Top DHS cybersecurity official to resign CIA, ISI back in business Canada: Libyan Diplomatic expulsions often fly under radar, says intelligence expert Canada: CSIS fails accountability standards Africa Page 8 Zimbabwe: Chinese to pay for spy centre Zimbabwe: Mugabe Favours Minister of Intelligence, Sekeramayi, to Succeed Zimbabwe: Former member of Mugabe secret police granted asylum in UK UK hits Libya bodyguard training base, spy centres Nigeria, Niger to cooperate in tackling terrorism, other crimes No torture centre at Moroccan intelligence HQ: official Former Sudan spy chief stripped of his position at ruling party Middle East Page 12 Egyptians Doubtful About New Secret Security Agency Spy scandals mar Netanyahu's trip to U.S. Israeli 'spy' sought info on Russia-Arab arms trade: FSB Israel blasts former spy chief over Iran Palestine Authority PA Intel Revises Targets Iran, Kuwait clear way to ease diplomatic rift after spy ring claims Asia Page 16 Iran: CIA Spy Network Disclosed through Public Cooperation India: Turf war delays national intelligence grid project PRC spy sentenced to life imprisonment North Korea Purges Deputy Spy Chief Russia spy chief has talks with North Korea's leader Europe Page 20 Threat to GCHQ spying' from broadband networks UK Treasury facing daily 'hostile, pre-planned' cyber attacks by hostile intel agencies Oceania Page 21 Australia: ASIS sets sights on people smugglers New laws to widen ASIO spy powers New Zealand: Govt tight-lipped on spy bug in minister's house New Zealand: Surveillance bill clears another hurdle New Zealand: New Intelligence Building in Wellington And more about the building itself South America Page 25 Colombia: Former intelligence official charged with assassination of senator The FARC Files: Colombia's very own WikiLeaks
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From the editor The successful intelligence operations that led to the death of OBL still reverberate worldwide, especially in Pakistan where the ISI and its alleged links with terrorism will continue to make that region unstable in the foreseeable future. We might never know the exact trade craft and results of the CIA’s raid, but the events in Abbottabad have put the usually silent work of intelligence agencies into the limelight – in many countries that are not usually that vocal about the secret services. This SA Intelligencer is an example of the heightened media focus on all things intelligence-related… from Colombia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The SA Intelligencer is published on an ad hoc basis and aim to inform decision makers and intelligence professionals on recent developments in the world of intelligence agencies. It is compiled from free open English sources and is distributed to our main client base here in South Africa, our neighbours and further north in Africa, as well as several thousand readers in the US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and South America. These readers prefer a document that they can print, read and distribute for their own and their agency’s situational awareness. All the articles are excerpted – click on the source link at the beginning of each report to access the original. Dalene Duvenage Pretoria, South Africa
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U.S. intelligence chair urges attorneygeneral to stop CIA probes The Associated Press; May. 17, 2011
U.S. House of Representatives intelligence chairman Mike Rogers says the Justice Department should stop investigating CIA interrogators for alleged abuse of detainees under the Bush administration. Rogers says the interrogators' work helped lead to the killing of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden. In a letter to Attorney-General Eric Holder, obtained by The Associated Press, the Michigan Republican says the interrogation program was a “vital part of the chain” that
led to the successful raid on bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan two weeks ago. The Justice Department on Tuesday said “no comment.” Since 2009, the Justice Department has been investigating cases involving CIA interrogation tactics, including what the CIA inspectorgeneral called a mock execution. There's no indication that the interrogations under investigation are related to bin Laden's capture.
Panetta to employees: Keep a lid on it AP; May. 18, 2011
CIA director Leon Panetta is warning his employees that leakers will be investigated and possibly prosecuted after a flurry of reports in the media about the technology and methods used to track and ultimately kill Osama bin Laden.
In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, Panetta told staff Wednesday that the disclosure of classified information to anyone not cleared for it - reporters, friends,
colleagues in other agencies or former CIA officers - can endanger lives. The warning follows media reports that the CIA operated a safe house, as well as new stealth drone technology reported by The Washington Post, to spy on bin Laden's Pakistani hideout. Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen also said Wednesday it's time to move on and stop talking about the raid.
Houses Passes Intelligence Authorization Bill New York Times; 13 May 2011
The House of Representatives departed from its usually partisan caviling on Friday and approved a 2011 intelligence authorization bill that increases spending for 16 intelligence agencies, but at a lower level than requested by President Obama. The amount of the increase is classified but is reported to be substantial. The bill, which passed on a 392-to15 vote (3 Republicans and 12 Democrats
voted against it) cuts unclassified intelligence programs by $47 million, was also used as a vehicle to congratulate the people and agencies that helped discover and kill Osama bin Laden though an amendment. That event helped push the overall bill to an easy bipartisan legislative victory. Among various amendments that passed was one offered by Representative John Carney, a Democrat
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from Delaware and frequent train rider, that earmarks rail security as a priority for intelligence agencies. With the support of 40 Republicans, and the amendment was
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approved 221 to 189, the first amendment offered by a freshman Democrat to pass the House in this Congress.
Va. Beach-based sailor gets 34 years in espionage case Hamptington Roads; May 21, 2011
Bryan Minkyu Martin, the Navy intelligence specialist convicted of attempted espionage, said Friday that he was "blinded by greed" when he sold classified documents to a man he believed was a Chinese spy. A military judge Friday sentenced Martin to 34 years in prison a day after he pleaded guilty to 11 charges. The judge also issued Martin a dishonorable discharge. Just before being sentenced at the military court at Norfolk Naval Station, prosecutors played about three hours of surveillance tape showing Martin and a man he knew only as Mr. Lee, actually an undercover FBI agent, exchanging cash for classified information on four occasions last year at motels near Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The undercover agent paid Martin $11,500 total in exchange for three packets of documents containing information about current naval operations and intelligence assessments, including photos, satellite images and details about U.S. operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. "My soul was blinded by greed," he said. "I am filled with remorse and self-loathing," he continued. "I was arrogant and greedy and selfish." He then turned to his parents sitting behind him and wept as he apologized to them. His parents adopted him from South Korea and raised him in the small town of Mexico in upstate New York. Martin, a 22-year-old reservist, was officially assigned to the Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia Beach. Until Friday, he
was a petty officer second class working as an intelligence specialist. Last fall, he was at Fort Bragg getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan. Military prosecutors would not reveal to whom Martin initially reached out or how he connected with the undercover agent. In the first surveillance video, Martin tells the undercover agent that his personal finances "haven't worked out" and that he needed "long-term" extra income. He also said he was engaged. In that first meeting, Martin offered secret and top secret documents and images on Afghanistan and the Taliban, North Korea, Russia and China, even asking whether there was a difference in compensation between information on Afghanistan and China. "I know exactly what I'm getting into," Martin said. Martin received $500 from the agent that day. "If you can do what you say you can do, you will not be poor," the agent told Martin. "I'm very happy that you called." At the next meeting, Martin handed over documents and received $1,500. At the third meeting, Martin received the same amount but asked for between $7,000 and $10,000. Martin also chose his own code name: Harrington. The biggest payment was the last, for $8,000. By avoiding a trial, Martin agreed to serve 34 years in prison. The military judge, Capt. Moira Modzelewski, initially sentenced Martin to 48 years but suspended 14 years because of the pre-trial agreement. He could have gotten life.
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Obama Seeks to Extend Term of FBI's Mueller WALL Street Journal; 12 May 2011 (ed: excerpted)
President Barack Obama on Thursday proposed to extend by two years the term of Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller, seeking continuity on his national-security team amid changes at the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency. The move came as a surprise because the White House had begun a search for a successor to the 66-year-old Mr. Mueller, whose 10-year term is set to expire in early September. In recent weeks, administration officials circulated lists of several candidates being considered. Mr. Mueller, an appointee of President George W. Bush, took office a week before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Mr. Obama said in a statement: "In his ten years at the FBI, Bob Mueller has set the gold standard for leading the bureau. Given the ongoing threats facing the United States, as well as the leadership transitions at other agencies like the Defense Department and Central Intelligence Agency, I believe continuity and stability at the FBI is critical at this time." The job Mr. Mueller took on in 2001 has undergone major change since the 9/11 attacks, with national security now the FBI's top focus. The White House was considering several candidates, but officials had concerns about finding someone who could pass Senate confirmation and who possessed law-enforcement and national-security credentials. The president's proposal also helps postpone what could be another politically sensitive fight in Congress over national-security policy. Confirmation hearings for a new FBI director could give the political left and right another opportunity to clash over Bush-era policies such as the use of harsh interrogations. The proposed two-year extension would require approval from both the House and Senate. Under the president's proposal, the extension would apply only in this instance, and existing law limiting FBI directors to one term of 10 years would remain in place. While the FBI has weathered several controversies, Mr. Mueller, a former Marine who earned combat medals in Vietnam, has emerged from the last decade with admirers in both parties, owing in part to his lowkey style and aversion for publicity. Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of the FBI, said he supported the extension. "I was delighted when President Obama informed me that he has asked Director Mueller to stay on at the Bureau for an additional two years," Mr. Leahy said. The ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, was more cautious, saying the extension could set a "risky precedent." In the 1970s, Congress passed restrictions on the job after revelations of abuses during the decades-long tenure of J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI's first director, who died in office in 1972. Other Republicans signaled the president's proposal would win swift approval. Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said they supported the idea. "I am happy to support this extension in light of the leadership changes that are set to occur later this year at CIA and the Department of Defense," Mr. Rogers said. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is leaving his post. CIA Director Leon Panetta has been nominated to succeed Mr. Gates, while Gen. David Petraeus was nominated for the CIA post.
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Domestic Intelligence Surveillance Grew in 2010 Secrecy News; May 6th, 2011
By every available measure, the level of domestic intelligence surveillance activity in 2010 increased from the year before, according to a new Justice Department report to Congress on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. “During calendar year 2010, the Government made 1,579 applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (hereinafter ‘FISC’) for authority to conduct electronic surveillance and/or physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes,” according to the new report (pdf). This compares to a reported 1,376 applications in 2009. (In 2008, however, the reported figure — 2,082 — was quite a bit higher.) In 2010, the government made 96 applications for access to business records (and “tangible things”) for foreign intelligence purposes, up from 21 applications in 2009. And in 2010, the FBI made 24,287 “national security letter” requests for information pertaining to 14,212 different U.S. persons, a substantial increase from
the 2009 level of 14,788 NSL requests concerning 6,114 U.S. persons. (In 2008, the number of NSL requests was 24,744, pertaining to 7,225 persons.) While the 2010 figures are below the record high levels of a few years ago, they are considerably higher than they were, say, a decade ago. There is no indication that intelligence oversight activity and capacity have grown at the same rate. A copy of the latest report to Congress, dated April 29, was released under the Freedom of Information Act. A recent report from the Congressional Research Service addressed“Amendments to
the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Set to Expire May 27, 2011″ (pdf). FISA
Amendments in the USA Patriot Act were discussed at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on “Reauthorization of the Patriot Act” (pdf) on March 9, 2011, the record of which has just been published. Related issues were discussed in another House Judiciary Committee hearing on “Permanent Provisions of the Patriot Act” (pdf) on March 30, 2011.
Top DHS cybersecurity official to resign thehill.com- 05/18/11
The Department of Homeland Security's top cybersecurity official announced plans to resign just days after the White House released its most detailed guidance for how the government should protect its networks and combat cybercrime. Federal News Radio reported Wednesday that DHS Deputy Undersecretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate Philip Reitinger will leave his post June 3. Reitinger has spent the last two years leading the department's efforts to safeguard federal networks and fight cyberattacks. "I have decided that the time has come for me to move on from the department," Reitinger told staff in an email
obtained by Federal News Radio. "With significant progress having been made in activities across NPPD, with growing recognition of DHS's roles and authorities, and the cybersecurity legislative proposal now delivered to the Hill, it's a logical point for me to leave the Department of Homeland Security and allow the team that we have developed together to carry our initiatives forward." Reitinger said in the email that he hasn't decided what he will do next but that he intends to spend more time with his family and decide how he "can best play a role in advancing infrastructure protection and cybersecurity." There is no word yet on a possible replacement.
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CIA, ISI back in business The Nation; May 22, 2011
Pakistan Saturday sought signing of a cooperation agreement with the United States in war on terror, while demanding it to handout details of the CIA’s operations and operatives inside Pakistan. These issues were raised during meetings of the visiting Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Deputy Chief Michael Morrell with officials of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), including ISI Director General Ahmed Shuja Pasha.The top officials of the two spy agencies pondered on the ways to mending the soured relations between the two organisations and launching of joint operations against the terrorists, revealed the informed sources. The sources said that the issue of US drones attacks also came under discussion with a view to finding ways to stop
them, while the CIA deputy chief called on ISI director general to play his role in normalisation of agency-to-agency ties in the post Abbottabad operation, which led to widening of the trust deficit between the two spy organisations. Sources said that ISI chief emphasised signing of a cooperation agreement with regard to the war against terrorism that would standardise the ways, level and conduct of the joint effort and help in better coordination and synchronisation, the sources said. In an effort to improve the level of trust, the ISI officials also sought from the CIA details relating pertaining to its operations and operatives engaged in counter terrorism.
Canada: Libyan Diplomatic expulsions often fly under radar, says intelligence expert POSTMEDIA NEWS and CBC News; MAY 18, 2011 (ed: excerpted)
The type of espionage being linked to the expulsion of five Libyan diplomats from Canada is actually commonplace, but usually flies under the radar in this country, an intelligence expert said Wednesday. The Foreign Affairs Department announced this week that diplomats working at the Libyan Embassy in Ottawa had been expelled for "inappropriate" activities that were "inconsistent with normal diplomatic functions." One of five Libyan diplomats ordered out of the country this week is the head of Libya's intelligence operation in Canada, CBC News has learned. Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday declared five diplomats persona non grata
and gave them one week to get out of the country. Foreign Affairs has not named the diplomats, but CBC has learned one is embassy counsellor Saleh Ramadan Zaidan, an officer in Libya's intelligence service. Another is attachĂŠ Musbah Abu-Hajjar Saeed, who some Libyan students have accused of threatening them via phone and email. Also expelled were counsellors Issa Rawab and Meri Ali Meri and second secretary Adel Elzaiani. The expulsions came amid accusations the diplomats were trying to intimidate Libyan citizens in Canada, particularly those who were sympathetic to anti-Gadhafi forces.
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Michel Juneau-Katsuya said the likely reason for their removal extends beyond the traditional definition of espionage, noting that monitoring of Canadian citizens and potential intimidation tactics are also a form of spying called "foreign interference." He said foreign interference has seen other diplomats previously tossed from the country, but with less fanfare. He said there have been cases in recent years that saw similar expulsions of Chinese and Iranian diplomats. "It's a form of espionage because in a clandestine way, they are trying to obtain information about Canadian citizens," said JuneauKatsuya, former senior officer at CSIS and co-author of Nest of Spies, which looked at international espionage within Canada. "So, it definitely goes into the espionage category, but it doesn't appear to be a form of (traditional) espionage . . . of trying to steal military or economic secrets or intellectual property. We're talking about trying to monitor or perhaps eventually intimidate members of the community that are dissident to the (Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi) regime." He said the current NATO mission in Libya may have led to the publicized expulsion. Canada has contributed a frigate, CF-18 fighters and support aircraft to the mission. At the end of March, the CBC reported that some Libyan students in Canada who had spoken out against Gadhafi's regime had received threatening phone calls that they believed came from diplomatic staff. Juneau-Katsuya said Wednesday that because Libya has not undergone a shift in power, Libyan diplomats
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around the world "are assumed to be loyal to the Gadhafi regime." "There's many ways these (diplomats) operate — they are basically bullies," Juneau-Katsuya said. "They are collecting information, and unfortunately, because of the nature of the regime, it has to be taken very seriously by the Canadian government because these guys can turn out to be very dead serious — no pun intended — on what they can do against people. "In a sense, we are at war with the Libyan regime, so these (diplomats) were obviously perceived to be a threat to our citizens and our national security." The announcement Tuesday that the diplomats had been expelled came after two other countries involved in the NATO mission in Libya also took action against Libyan representatives. Earlier this month, France sent 14 Libyan diplomats home, while Britain declared two diplomats persona non grata and ordered them to leave. Like Canada, neither country specified the reason behind the expulsions, but "inappropriate," "unacceptable" and "incompatible" behaviours were cited. "The activities carried out in Canada by the five Libyan diplomats are considered inappropriate and inconsistent with normal diplomatic functions," said a release from the Foreign Affairs Department. A spokesman said Wednesday the department does not comment on state-to-state communications.
Canada: CSIS fails accountability standards Canadian Press; May 21
Canada’s spy service has failed to meet strict new accountability standards set by the Supreme Court, says a watchdog report obtained by The Canadian Press. The latest
annual review from the inspector general of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service says the spy agency hasn’t lived up to a highcourt ruling that requires it to retain all
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operational notes, electronic intercepts and other investigative material. Almost three years ago, in the case of Montrealer Adil Charkaoui, the country’s top court found the agency’s destruction of notes violated its legal duty to keep documentation and — out of fairness — disclose the material during judicial proceedings. Charkaoui, a native of Morocco, was arrested in 2003 under a national security certificate for suspected terrorist links. He was set free in 2009 after the case buckled and the certificate was quashed. As a result of the 2008 high court decision, CSIS made it a policy to file away all notes and other information that make up a case record. The agency also gave personnel a training seminar on note-keeping. During her review, CSIS inspector general Eva Plunkett
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asked the service for original, hard-copy notes cited in agency reports. "In a number of cases the service was unable to locate hard copies of the operational notes," Plunkett wrote. After further examination, CSIS determined that its own reports were wrong and that no notes had been taken to support the information in them, she found. The Canadian Press obtained a declassified version of Plunkett’s top secret November 2010 evaluation under the Access to Information Act. Overall, Plunkett concluded CSIS had not strayed outside the law, contravened ministerial direction or exercised its powers "unreasonably or unnecessarily." She also praised CSIS employees for their "level of commitment and dedication," saying they "deserve our respect and appreciation."
Zimbabwe: Chinese to pay for spy centre The Zimbabwean; 15 May 2011
The Chinese are pumping $98million into the completion of the military intelligence base being built at Chitamba Farm in Mazowe Valley. Defence minister Emerson Mnangagwa has told Parliament that the Chinese would challenge the money through Treasury for the completion of the Robert Mugabe School of Intelligence. He told the Senate this week that the "$98million loan" was "for the construction of the college which is ideal for addressing the current global challenges”. It is not clear how and when the money is to be repaid by the government of Zimbabwe. “The college will provide senior military officers with intellectual tools to address complex defence and national security challenges which in turn will contribute to national security,” said Mnangagwa. “Construction of the National Defence College is now underway and we hope to
complete the project in the next three years. This college will act as a think tank for providing research on military, defence and national security for the National Security Council, Ministry of Defence and other government organizations.” But he also said only invited candidates would be enrolled – which is unsurprising given Zanu (PF)’s penchant for absolute control of all forms of power and information. Construction started in 2007. A mid-ranking intelligence source told The Zimbabwean that the College, which will recruit from the entire SADC region, would produce Cryptologic Linguists, Signals Intelligence Analysts, Human Intelligence Collectors, Military Intelligence (MI) Systems Maintainers and Integrators, Counterintelligence Agents, Imagery Analysts, Common Ground Station (CGS) Analysts, Intelligence Analysts, Signals Collectors or Analysts. And all this expertise
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will be provided by Chinese instructors. Mugabe has said in the past that the country can no longer afford to rely on "mediocre officers" to counter the "growing threat" to his rule. The College will reportedly offer a Bachelor of Science in Intelligence and a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence and is poised
to annually award both graduate and undergraduate degrees in Intelligence. It will work closely with the Political Administration division at the University of Zimbabwe. The loan underlines China's growing foothold on Zimbabwe, where it is heavily involved in mining diamonds and chrome, as well as in the retail sector.
Zimbabwe: Mugabe Favours Sekeramayi, to Succeed
Minister
of
Intelligence,
The Standard; 21 May 2011 (ed: excerpted – in same vein as reports in March 2011, most probably aired now again because of concern about Mugabe’s health)
President Robert Mugabe has dumped the two main rival factions in Zanu PF, which for years have been plotting against each other to succeed him, in favour of the Minister of State Security in his office, Sydney Sekeramayi, authoritative sources said. The sources said the 87-year-old leader confided in his inner circles in February that he preferred Sekeramayi to succeed him ahead of both Vice- President Joice Mujuru and Defence minister Emmerson Mnangangwa. Although he may not openly choose a successor, Mugabe has vast influence on who can take over from him in Zanu PF. The issue of succession has become so hot in Zanu PF in recent months amid increased reports of Mugabe's ill health compounded by his advanced age.
For a long time, Mugabe has been oscillating between supporting Mujuru and Mnangangwa, causing confusion among his party supporters. This is not the first time that Sekeramayi's name has been tossed in the succession ring. Sekeramayi, described as very intelligent and calculating, is seen as a presidential contender partly because of his powerful voice in Zanu PF's upper echelons. The "spymaster", as he is affectionately known in party circles, has served as a minister in Mugabe's cabinet since the country's Independence in 1980. He also still commands both support and respect among the military. Sekeramayi is considered a moderate and is also "acceptable" among the hawks due to his close links with the army and intelligence.
Zimbabwe: Former member of Mugabe secret police granted asylum in UK The Telegraph; 20 May 2011 (ed: excerpted)
A former member of Robert Mugabe's feared secret police in Zimbabwe who admitted kidnapping dozens of his political rivals and carrying out acts of torture "too gruesome to recount" has been granted asylum in the UK
under European human rights legislation. Phillip Machemedze, 46, came to the UK in 2000 along with his wife because he had "enough of the torture", but waited eight years to apply for leave to remain.
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He was originally turned down by the Home Office in March this year because he had committed crimes against humanity. But on May 4, he was granted asylum on appeal under European human rights laws because a tribunal ruled he would be killed by his former Central Intelligence Organisation colleagues if he returned to Zimbabwe. According to sources close to the case, he and his wife are living on social support benefits in Newport, south Wales. An estimated 800 people were kidnapped or disappeared, 80 were killed and 90 more tortured in the run-up to the 2000 elections in Zimbabwe, which saw Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF beat the rival Movement for Democratic Change party by a slim majority. The CIO, along with the police and armed forces, was widely blamed for the worst of the violence – and there are fears that it could be preparing another crackdown ahead of elections planned within the next year. Mr Machemedze spent four years in the CIO and admits smashing the jaw of an MDC activist with pliers before pulling out his tooth and stripping another naked and threatening
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to force him to rape his daughters if he did not give information. He also confessed to electrocuting, slapping, beating and punching "to the point of being unconscious" a white farmer suspected of giving money to the MDC, and to "putting salt into the wounds" of a female MDC member who imprisoned in an underground cell before being stripped naked and whipped. But he claims he tried to leave the CIO and was supplying information to the MDC. He said his wife was tortured after he left the country, prompting her to leave behind their three children and follow her husband to the UK. Mr Justice David Archer, of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber in Newport, said there was no doubt that Mr Machemedze was "deeply involved in savage acts of extreme violence". "Some were killed slowly and their bodies disposed of. He witnessed people with their limbs cut off. Other acts of torture were too gruesome to recount," he said. But he said that under the European Human Rights Convention, he himself should be protected from torture and threats to his life.The Home Office has said it will not appeal the ruling.
UK hits Libya bodyguard training base, spy centres Reuters; May 17, 2011
British armed forces attacked a training base used by bodyguards for Muammar Gaddafi's inner circle in the latest strikes on Libya, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday. Libyan intelligence agency buildings were also attacked in the overnight raids on the Libyan capital Tripoli, using Tornado aircraft and Tomahawk missiles fired from a submarine, HMS Triumph. One of the intelligence centres
hit played a "significant role in the collection of information by Colonel Gaddafi's secret police" and the other was a headquarters for Libya's External Security Organisation, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. The targets appeared to indicate a broadening of British operations, which until now have concentrated on knocking out Libyan weapons and command and control systems.
Nigeria, Niger to cooperate in tackling terrorism, other crimes PANA; 17 May 2011 (ed: excerpted)
Nigeria and Niger Republic are to strengthen military cooperation in order to have a common strategy to guard against the effects of terrorism and other crimes that may affect the sub-Saharan Africa as a result of the uprisings in most countries in North Africa.
Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, made the disclosure here Monday while exchanging views with the visiting Nigerien Chief of Defence Staff, Brig. Gen. Salou Souleymane. Petirin said both countries would work to tackle
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terrorism, armed banditry and influx of criminal elements within their borders, assuring of Nigeria's preparedness to train Nigerien military personnel. Brig. Gen. Salou Souleymane, who began a five-day working visit to Nigeria, is already holding bilateral talks with Petinrin on ways of actualising the goals of containing terrorism and other crimes within their
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borders. Souleymane will, after the meeting, visit the major training institutions of the Nigerian military, including the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji, National Defence College, Abuja, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) and the Nigerian Army Counter Terrorism School, Jaji.
No torture centre at Moroccan intelligence HQ: official AFP; May 18 2011(ed: excerpted)
A Moroccan prosecutor said there is no secret torture centre at the headquarters of the country's intelligence service, after visiting the site on Wednesday. The visit came days after Moroccan police broke up a gathering of about 100 reform activists who tried to reach the site to protest against the illegal detention and torture they claim happens there. "Under guidance of the justice minister, I visited the headquarters (of the intelligence service) this morning and I found it is not housing any secret detention centre," Hassan Eddaki, general prosecutor of the appeals court said. Eddaki explained that he visited all sections, including "a kitchen and a restaurant," and
found nothing to indicate "human dignity" is being violated at the site. Several NGOs, including Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International, have alleged human rights violations are committed at the secret centre.According to HRW, people suspected of terror offences, including Islamists, have been tortured there especially after the 2003 suicide attacks in Casablanca that left 44 dead including 13 suicide bombers. Eddaki said the headquarters is "in compliance" with the mission of Morocco's intelligence services, which is to "collect information," and "do intelligence work."
Former Sudan spy chief stripped of his position at ruling party Sudan Tribune; May 8, 2011 (ed: excerpted)
The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in Sudan conducted a mini-reshuffle in its top jobs and removed the former director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) Salah Gosh from his position as head of the party’s workers’ secretariat. A statement by the NCP emphasized that the shakeup was not made for the purpose of expelling Gosh from the party leadership but it was part of a reform effort and a preemption of an NCP conference next
September. Gosh, who was considered a powerful figure within the state and the ruling party, was abruptly fired by president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir from his position as presidential adviser for security affairs last month. No reason was given for the decision. It was in the same manner Gosh was unexpectedly sacked by Bashir from his adviser. A few days before his dismissal, Gosh and powerful presidential assistant Nafie Ali Nafie clashed in the media over dialogue with opposition parties.
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Some observers in Khartoum have speculated that Gosh was planning a coup against Bashir with the consent of the US administration while others linked his removal to an Israeli strike carried out in East Sudan against suspects arms smugglers in early April. The government had claimed that Israel had informants on the ground who provided the intelligence to carry out the operation. Qutbi Al-Mahdi confirmed one of the theories last week by saying that Gosh had "presidential ambitions" but did not elaborate. Gosh is better known internationally for being the engineer of enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation with the United States over the last decade. It was revealed in 2005 that the Central Intelligence
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Agency (CIA) flew him on a private plane from Khartoum to Washington. The links with the CIA generated criticism from the regime’s Islamic base but Gosh defended it in 2007 by saying that this has prevented a "destructive backlash" from the U.S. in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Sudan remains on the U.S. list of countries that sponsor terrorism for harboring Islamic militants in the 90’s but officials in Washington promised to remove the East African nation as a reward for recognizing the South Sudan referendum result which came in favor of secession from the North. Gosh is also accused by human right groups for being instrumental in the brutal counterinsurgency campaign against rebels in Darfur which took a heavy toll on civilians.
Intelligence developments Egyptians Doubtful About New Secret Security Agency Hiraan.com; May 09, 2011 (ed: excerpted)
Egypt's newly created National Security Service (NSS) marked its first success this week when it succeeded in apprehending a Somali national in Cairo's international airport suspected of belonging to a terrorist cell, the airport police reported. Youssef Hassan had arrived in Cairo from Casablanca, Morocco, on a false diplomatic passport. After being searched, 26 forged travel documents were found on him, including United Nations and diplomatic passports. Hassan, who was also carrying nine tickets to different destinations, admitted to belonging to a Somali gang. Authorities said the tickets were a tracking decoy, a method used by the terrorists who carried out the 9/11 attacks against the U.S. The NSS, which began operating in Cairo Airport on May 3, has replaced the notorious State Security Investigation Service (SSI), disbanded by Egypt's new Interior Ministry on
March 15. Last Friday, a court sentenced Habib Al-Adly, the country's widely despised former interior minister and the SSI’s boss, to12 years in jail. But as Egypt transitions into more democratic rule, many will be watching carefully to see whether the new NSS will be any different than the old SSI. And, they won’t be watching for homeland security successes like Hassan’s arrest, rather whether the new government and its chief domestic security arm observe human rights. Gamal Munib, head of the opposition Nasserist Party in the city of Damanhour, said that the change of name meant nothing, since the SSI had also replaced agencies which were in fact the same, but carried different names such as "the Political Police" and "the General Security." "The word 'secret' should no longer exist, everything must be transparent," Munib told
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The Media Line. "What authorities will this new body have? Will it be allowed to intervene in politics? In the elections?" What’s more important is the founding charter of the new agency and understanding its authorized prerogatives, Munib said. The Nasserist Party has sent a request for clarification to Egypt's Supreme Military Council and the Ministry of Interior, but has received no reply as of yet. The SSI, its officials and its practice were high on the list of change the opposition protestors demanded as they called for President Husni Mubarak to step down. It was routinely accused of arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detention and torture A US diplomatic cable reported that police brutality and torture are "routine and pervasive." In early March, Egyptian protesters stormed the SSI’s Cairo headquarters and took secret documents. But they also discovered that
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many sensitive and incriminating documents had been shredded by agency operatives. Last week, the Coalition of Youth Revolution, an umbrella organization uniting Egypt's opposition movements, conducted a conference titled "The National Security Service: Between Cleansing and Forming." Judge Zakariya Abd Al-Aziz, a speaker at the conference, asserted that SSI staff shouldn’t be employed in the new NSS. He suggested the new agency should employ recent law graduates, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported. But Said, the Al-Ahram researcher, told The Media Line it was unrealistic to expect the entire security establishment, which employed an estimated 10,000 people in the Mubarak era, could be replaced all at once. "I think there will be a comprehensive change, but not of 100%. All the top officials will be substituted, but not mid-level employees, who had carried out professional work in the SSI. It takes time to rebuild everything from scratch," Said said.
Spy scandals mar Netanyahu's trip to U.S. UPI; May 19, 2011 (ed: excerpted)
As
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu heads to Washington for an important speech to Congress on troubled Middle East peace efforts, he's grappling with an intelligence crisis involving the United States and his former national security adviser. He was also caught up in another intelligence problem following the arrest and expulsion of the military attache at the Israeli Embassy in Moscow, Col. Vadim Leiderman, on charges of espionage. Neither the Russians nor the Israelis shed any light on the case, beyond saying Leiderman was arrested May 12 at a meeting in a Moscow restaurant, interrogated and given
48 hours to leave Russia. The Israeli Defense Ministry would only say that the Russian allegations were "unfounded." The liberal Haaretz daily reported that Israeli authorities imposed a news blackout on the case that was lifted Wednesday evening. There have been several instances of Russia accusing Israelis of spying in recent years. These have generally been linked to Moscow's nuclear cooperation with Iran, a country Israel sees as an existential threat, and with arms sales to Iran and Syria. Israel claims both states provide missiles and other weapons to their proxy, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. But it is the case involving Uzi Arad, one of Netanyahu's closest allies, that is the most
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politically bothersome and of much longer standing. It could embarrass the hawkish Israeli leader during his crucial visit to Washington and reopen damaging rifts with the Americans. U.S. President Barack Obama is striving to bolster the flagging peace process, due in large part because of Netanyahu's refusal to make key concessions to the Palestinians proposed by the Obama administration, and to revive the United States' waning influence in the Middle East. Israel's General Security Service, known as Shin Bet, found that Arad, a prominent rightwing hawk, was responsible for the leakage of sensitive security information to the media in July 2010 which caused a major crisis with the Obama administration. The leak asserted that the United States and Israel had reached substantive understandings in secret talks in June 2010, with Washington giving Israel unequivocal guarantees that its "strategic capabilities" in the nuclear field would be preserved and strengthened. Washington was outraged and demanded the leaker be identified. Netanyahu complied. Arad resigned in February and insisted the leak was unintentional, but Shin Bet stripped him of his high-level security clearance. Israeli lawmakers are now demanding to know why Arad was not indicted. Arad, a former director of intelligence with the Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, is well known in Israel's foreign policy, security and strategic circles. He has made political waves with his voluble support for Netanyahu's advocacy of Israeli pre-emptive strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, despite U.S. objections to military action. He also has been implacably opposed to Palestinian statehood. These high-octane
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views made Arad many enemies among Israeli leaders across the political spectrum, and in Washington. But Netanyahu has remained fiercely loyal to him. In April 2009, Netanyahu, starting his second time as premier, appointed him his national security adviser. The appointment did not go down well in Washington, where the State Department had denied him an entry visa for two years, citing "espionage and sabotage" provisions in U.S. immigration laws, because he was linked to a Pentagon spy case involving the Israelis. He had been tied to Lawrence Franklin, who was accused of passing U.S. intelligence on Iran to Israeli officials in Washington and the powerful Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, in 2003-04. Franklin was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment in January 2006, later reduced to 10 months' house arrest. Two AIPAC executives, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, were charged with illegally disclosing highly sensitive national defense information to a foreign power. But charges against them were dropped in May 2009. Arad was also reportedly linked to Naor Gilon, former head of the political department at the Israeli Embassy in Washington who was involved with Jonathan Pollard, a U.S. Navy analyst sentenced to life imprisonment March 4, 1987, for passing high-value U.S. intelligence to Israel in 1984-85. Pollard's arrest caused a major rift between Israel and its strategic ally and benefactor, the United States. Israel pledged never to spy on the Americans again, but there have been several cases involving alleged Israeli spies in the United States since then.
Israeli 'spy' sought info on Russia-Arab arms trade: FSB AFP; 21 May 2011
The Israeli military attache expelled from Moscow was trying to obtain details about Russia's arms trade with the Arab world, the country's powerful Federal Security Service
(FSB) said Friday. Russia's foreign ministry said that Soviet-born Colonel Vadim Leiderman was "caught red-handed" while trying to receive secret information on May
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12. RBC television channel later aired footage of a man identified as Leiderman being approached by several men while he was dining with another man in a Moscow restaurant. The Israeli official was then shown being interrogated in a Russian office, with his various accreditation and bank cards being laid out on a table for the camera. His expulsion sparked protests in Israel and was the first such incident to occur between the two countries in nearly 20 years. An unnamed Russian security official told news agencies on Thursday that Leiderman had engaged in industrial espionage. But the FSB issued an official statement Friday saying the attache was trying to collect details about Russia's arms trade with its Soviet-era partners in the Arab world. Leiderman had approached "a number of Russian state workers for secret information about ... Russia's military and technological cooperation with -- and assistance for -- a
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number of Arab nations," the FSB statement said. It added that Russia had decided to keep the expulsion secret as a "gesture of goodwill." The information about Leiderman's expulsion initially appeared in Israel and was sourced to local defense officials. The FSB said the Israeli media leak left it "seriously perplexed". Israeli media reports said the brief detention and search prior to Leiderman's expulsion appeared to breach his diplomatic immunity. Channel One television said he was the first Israeli military official to be expelled from Russia since the early 1990s. Russia and Israel now enjoy close economic ties based on the Jewish state's vast ex-Soviet diaspora. But Russia is also a key arms supplier to the Arab world and continues to sell advanced missile systems to Syria that Israel fears make their way to the Shiite Hezbollah movement in neighbouring Lebanon
Israel blasts former spy chief over Iran PressTV; May 8, 2011
Israeli officials have criticized ex-Mossad chief Meir Dagan for calling a possible attack on Iran "a stupid idea," saying he should not share his personal views with others. In his first public appearance since leaving office in early January, Dagan publicly argued against an airstrike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Addressing the Hebrew University on Friday, he described the possibility of a future Israeli airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities as “the stupidest thing I have ever heard.� Dagan noted that any military strike may prompt a regional war and missile attacks from several fronts on Israel, adding that any attack on Iran would have no
advantage for Tel Aviv. On Sunday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Dagan's statement was not correct, and that he should not have shared his personal thoughts with everyone, Ynetnews reported. Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz also said that Dagan should have kept the remarks to himself. “It is a shame that he made such an unnecessary statement," Steinitz said. Another former head of Mossad Dani Yatom, sharing his Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's views, said that he personally would not rule out military action against Iran if all other actions are unsuccessful. Earlier in the month, a source close to prominent Iraqi
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cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's group said Israeli fighter jets had conducted drills at a military base in Iraq in order to strike targets inside Iran, Press TV reported. According to the report, a considerable number of Israeli warplanes, including F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, and KC-10 jet fighters, were seen at Al Asad
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Airbase -- the second largest US military airbase in Iraq located in Al Anbar Province. Based on the report, Iraqi officials had not been notified about the drills conducted in collaboration with the US military.
Palestine Authority PA Intel Revises Targets Middle East Newsline; 18 May 2011
The Palestinian Authority has ordered its intelligence community to revise collection targets in 2011. Officials said PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has directed intelligence and security agencies to decrease its surveillance on the opposition Hamas
movement. They said Abbas ordered the intelligence community to focus on threats to plans to declare unilateral Palestinian statehood in the West Bank later this year.
Iran, Kuwait clear way to ease diplomatic rift after spy ring claims Associated Press : May 18
Iran’s foreign minister says his nation and Kuwait’s leaders have agreed to allow the return of ambassadors recalled in a dispute over an alleged Iranian spy ring.The accord is part of efforts to ease tensions after Kuwait accused Iran of masterminding an espionage ring that included surveillance of U.S. and Kuwaiti military sites. Iran denies the claims, but they led both nations to expel diplomats
in recent months and withdraw ambassadors. The official news agency KUNA says Iran’s foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, held talks Wednesday with Kuwait’s emir and other top officials. Iran’s relations with Gulf Arab nations are under severe strain. Iran has sharply criticized a Gulf force aiding Bahrain’s crackdown on protesters.
Iran: CIA Spy Network Disclosed through Public Cooperation FARS News Agency; 23 May 2011 Moslehi said that the suspicious activities carried out by the spies had drawn the attention of their colleagues in the governmental bodies and even caused suspicion among the other people outside these organizations. "The government employees and the people outside these
governmental bodies grew suspicious of the actions taken by these spies who wanted to gather sensitive information," he said."Hence, their cooperation resulted in their arrests," the minister continued. "Proper planning and useful information on different sectors prevented the spies from achieving their
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goals," Moslehi added."The most important outcome of our operation was that the Americans did not achieve their objectives," information minister said. "The US intelligence officials thought that they could win the trust of Iranians who traveled abroad for research and study purposes, but few Iranians were deceived by the foreign intelligence agents and worked for them," he stated. Referring to the activities of 30 detained spies working for CIA in Iran, Moslehi noted that they were after gaining information in scientific, technical and energy sectors. The network was trying to obtain information on Iran's power grid and facilities, shipping facilities, airports and customs administrations of Iran, he added. The Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced on Saturday that it had identified and disbanded a large US spy network with tens of centers, cells and nodes in different world countries, adding that it has arrested 30 spies during the operation. In a statement released on Saturday, the Intelligence Ministry said it could disband a "complex sabotage and espionage network affiliated to the US spy agency (CIA) following a series of extensive intelligence and counterespionage measures and operations inside and outside Iran". The statement further pointed out that senior CIA agents had
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created a number of nodes for this network in different world countries, and said these centers "which worked in disguise deceived Iranian citizens under different pretexts like job associations and educational centers to collect information and intelligence on Iran". "The network used a wide range of data bases and US embassies and consulates in several countries, specially in the UAE, Malaysia and Turkey, to collect information on Iran's scientific, research and academic centers in areas of nuclear energy, air and defense industries and biotechnology," the Iranian Intelligence Ministry said. The statement further pointed out that the US spy network also collected information on Iran's oil and gas pipelines, power and telecommunication grids, airports, customs departments, network security and banks for future sabotage operations. "The skillful and faithful forces of the Intelligence Ministry have arrested a number of 30 American spies in their strong confrontation with the CIA agents," the statement said . The Intelligence Ministry also stated that it has succeeded in feeding misinformation to the CIA through a number of double-agents. "Hence, not only was the CIA's heavy aggressive operation defused, but a number of 42 CIA field officers and operatives in different countries were identified by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry," it added.
India: Turf war delays national intelligence grid project The Times of India; May 21, 2011
Fate of the ambitious national intelligence grid project (NATGRID) of the home ministry is hanging in the balance due to "turf war" among various stakeholders and it may lead to the exit of the team which has drafted the model. "The Detailed Project Report (DPR) was ready in December 2010. A note on the project was prepared and circulated to all ministries concerned and
views were taken. But unfortunately, no date has been given for a presentation of the draft report before the CCS," a source privy to the development said. NATGRID will have access to about 21 categories of databases like railway and air travel, income tax, bank account details, credit card transactions, visa and immigration records in the country.The project will facilitate robust information sharing by security/intelligence agencies
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including IB, RAW and military intelligence and law enforcement agencies to combat terror threats at home and abroad. As per the initial plan, access to the combined data will be given to 11 agencies, which include various central intelligence agencies and the National Investigation Agency among others. The idea was floated after the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Many feel that had NATGRID existed, Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Headley would not have had a free run prior and after the 26/11 attack. Sources said that since NATGRID will function under the home ministry, it is believed that
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there is a fear among other stakeholders mainly finance and defence ministries -which feel the home ministry will have uninterrupted access to all information under their jurisdiction. "Due to this turf war, the whole project is heading for collapse," a source said. Nearly 40 percent staff of the over 100 people working for the project have left due to the uncertainty. The term of chief executive officer Raghu Raman, who has been getting a remuneration of Rs 10 lakh per month, is set to expire this month-end.
PRC spy sentenced to life imprisonment The China Post/Asia News Network; Sat, May 21, 2011
Major General Lo Hsien-che was prosecuted by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) Advanced Military Prosecutor's Office, which made a recommendation of life imprisonment on May 19 for Lo having been a spy for the People's Republic of China (PRC) since 2004. The MND said that Lo was arrested for spying for the PRC and was originally given the death penalty. However, after taking into account his initiation in confessing and handing over his corruption earning of US$150,000 (S$185,000), Lo's sentence recommendation was reduced to lifelong imprisonment. He was charged for spying, providing the enemy with classified information from the military and accepting bribes for actions contrary to his position. According to the MND's press release, Lo was recruited to spy for the PRC when he was
stationed in Thailand between 2002 and 2005. It was said that Lo was threatened by photos that PRC intelligence agents had captured of him soliciting and having sexual intercourse with prostitutes. In early 2004, agents approached Lo in Bangkok and threatened to spread the photos or to report him to the Taiwanese representative office in Thailand. Lo agreed to pass on confidential information about the Taiwanese government fearing that the pictures would influence his image and promotion. Lo had returned to Taiwan in 2006 as Deputy Director of International Intelligence Affairs, became head of the Electronic Communications and Information Department in the ROC Army and was promoted to Major General in 2008.
North Korea Purges Deputy Spy Chief Chosun.com; 20 May 2011
Ryu Kyong, a deputy director of North Korea's State Security Department and formerly one of the closest aides to leader Kim Jong-il, was purged early this year in a power struggle in
Pyongyang, according to a source. The source in North Korea said Ryu Kyong was summoned by Kim Jong-il in early January and on his way to Kim's residence, was arrested
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by members of the General Guard Bureau. He was interrogated and secretly executed. A South Korean government official backed the story. "Ryu has disappeared from public view since early this year. It seems he was either purged or sent to the provinces. We're trying to find out if he was executed," he said. The North Korean source said Ryu was suspected of being a double agent. A North Korean defector said Ryu held real power in the spy agency and had been on a roll. Last September when Kim Jong-il's third son and heir Jong-un was promoted to four-star general, Ryu was also promoted from lieutenant general to colonel general. He reportedly wielded more power than Gen. U Dong-chuk, his ostensible superior, because of Kim Jongil's confidence in him. But he is believed to
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have been eliminated by the Kims and the leader's brother-in-law Jang Song-taek, seen as the grey eminence in the North, because he was getting too powerful. The source in North Korea said, "I heard that Kim Jong-un was at one time very keen on his work in the security department but didn't have much to do because almost everything was taken care of by Ryu Kyong and his cadres." Jang, who is in charge of the security department and the Ministry of Public Security, reportedly had an uneasy relationship with Ryu. About 100 security department officials, including counterespionage bureau chief Kim Yong-sik, who were regarded as Ryu's cadres, were also kicked out, the source added.
Russia spy chief has talks with North Korea's leader Reuters; May 18, 2011
Russia's spy chief recently held talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, the Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday. Foreign Intelligence Service director Mikhail Fradkov and Kim discussed economic projects, humanitarian aid and North Korea's nuclear programme, Interfax reported, citing an unidentified Russian diplomatic source. The economic projects involving North and South Korea included a railway junction, a gas pipeline and a power line from Russia to South Korea via North Korea, the report said. The source said talks on humanitarian aid included plans for a shipment of 50,000 tonnes of grain to North
Korea. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to comment and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) could not be reached for comment late on Wednesday. Russia and North Korea share a short border, but ties worsened and trade fell steeply after the collapse of the Communist Soviet Union in 1991. Russia is involved in long-stalled sixparty talks aimed at curbing Pyongyang's nuclear programme, but it has far less influence on North Korea than China. Fradkov was once Russia's envoy to the European Union and he was prime minister during Vladimir Putin's presidency.
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Threat to GCHQ spying from broadband networks Telegraph; 17 May 2011(ed: excerpted)
Technology meant to spread broadband access is likely to endanger British lives and national security, according to a document that emerged from GCHQ, the signals intelligence agency. The rare public intervention by the Cheltenham-based organisation, later withdrawn, said interference from power line networking “is likely to cause a detrimental affect to part of the core business of this Department”. GCHQ is responsible for electronic spying: intercepting, decoding and analysing phone calls and military signals. It said that power line networking had already caused a rise in high frequency interference around its receiving stations. It uses highly-sensitive antennae at locations such as Bude in Cornwall to gather even the weakest long-range radio signals. Power line networking allows owners to use the mains wiring in their home as a readymade alternative to a WiFi network, allowing multiple devices to share the same broadband line. Comtrend, the leading manufacturer, says it has supplied the technology to more than 1.5 million UK households via BT. But it is also criticised by the Civil Aviation Authority, which says that power line networking could interfere with critical
navigation, landing and communication systems. At a meeting in February, its officials said the technology is likely to pose a safety risk. “The CAA is considering how practical testing could be undertaken to confirm the potential likelihood and extent of interference,” it said. “We are also actively working with Ofcom and UK government to address the regulatory and legal position around this issue.” Jonathan Lishawa, managing director of Comtrend, said the firm would work with GCHQ, the CAA and others to address their concerns. “The technology is not going to go away and consumers have a right to use it,” he said, adding that most the damaging interference could only be caused by equipment operating at higher frequencies than Comtrend produces. A GCHQ spokesman said the agency had withdrawn its statement, which called for action to stop further use of power line networking, because it “contained inaccuracies and was not authorised”.“GCHQ has concluded that [power line networking] technology is not impacting on GCHQ's capability,” he said.
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UK Treasury facing daily 'hostile, pre-planned' cyber attacks by hostile intel agencies Telegraph; 16 May 2011(ed: excerpted)
Chancellor George Osborne has said that 20,000 emails were sent by "hostile intelligence agencies" to the UK Government in 2010. Speaking at Google’s Zeitgeist Conference in Hertfordshire, Mr Osborne said that in one instance a legitimate email relating to the G20, sent to a number of countries, had been followed up minutes later with an almost identical, hostile replica. Although Government systems identified the threat and it was not allowed to do any harm, he added that the Treasury alone faces an average of more than one attack per day. “During 2010, hostile intelligence agencies
made hundreds of serious and pre-planned attempts to break into the Treasury’s computer system. This makes the Treasury one of the most targeted departments across Whitehall,” said Mr Osborne. He reiterated the Government’s commitment to cyber-security, however, and said it was essential to allow Britain to take advantage of the benefits of both the internet and freely available data about public spending. The Spending Review last year announced a £650m investment in a new National Cyber Security Programme to enhance online security
Australia: ASIS sets sights on people smugglers AAP; May 10, 2011 (ed: excerpted)
The government is ramping up the war on people smuggling, providing $14.8 million to Australia's overseas intelligence agency. The top secret Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), part of the Department of Foreign Affairs, will use this money to enhance its intelligence related capabilities. That's all part of an escalating assault on people smugglers who have played a key part in the surging number of boat arrivals. But what the government gives it also takes away, with ASIS handing back $7.4 million in 201112 and the same the year after. The government said it had identified the savings of $14.8 million through implementing a range of efficiencies in ASIS' intelligence
gathering effort. That money will be redirected to support "other national security priorities." This year's budget was at best mixed for the national security community, treated with great generosity following the terrorist attacks in the US in 2001. The domestic security agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) will lose $8.8 million over the next four years through shifting of resources for training and overseas liaison. But both ASIO and ASIS will gain some additional funding to meet the increased operating costs of their new office, co-located in a new building now under construction in Canberra.
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New laws to widen ASIO spy powers Sydney Morning Herald; May 19, 2011
ASIO will be able to engage in industrial and economic espionage as well as spy on groups such as WikiLeaks on behalf of Australia's two foreign spy outfits, under one of the most significant widening of its powers in a decade. According to the Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, the changes are being made to allow ASIO to work better with Australia's two overseas spy agencies, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and the Defence Signals Directorate. But legal experts and the Greens have expressed concerns that the changes are not needed and fundamentally change the way Australia's main domestic spy outfit operates.''I think [the ASIO amendments] are dangerous. In a sense they're unprecedented,'' the Greens spokesman on national security, Senator Scott Ludlam, told the Herald. ''I think it is a good example of a bill that needs genuine scrutiny. My gravest concern is that it will slide through the parliamentary process without getting due consideration.'' The amendments, found in the Intelligence Services Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 and currently before a
Senate committee, are set to pass Parliament in June. They will widen ASIO's ability to work with and on behalf of the overseas agencies in collecting what is known as ''foreign intelligence''. Such collection can only be made when approved by the AttorneyGeneral. His approval is dependent upon the matter being in ''defence of the Commonwealth or the conduct of the Commonwealth's international affairs''. But the amendments will provide a far broader definition, involving Australia's national security, foreign relations or national economic well-being. ''[This] will afford the minister and the agency almost unfettered discretion to determine when and how ASIO's powers may be used to gather information about people's activities, communications and relationships abroad,'' the SecretaryGeneral of the Law Council of Australia, Bill Grant, wrote in a submission. And by changing the meaning of ''foreign'' in the ASIO Act from ''a foreign power'' to ''people, organisations and governments outside Australia'', ASIO will be able to monitor a whole new range of people and entities.
New Zealand: Govt tight-lipped on spy bug in minister's house New Herald; May 22, 2011
The Government is tight-lipped about the reported discovery of a listening device during sweeps for bugs at government ministers' homes. Government
Communication Security Bureau (GCSB) searches were done following fears surveillance devices had been planted ahead of the November election, The Sunday Star
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Times reported. Government sources said that ministerial homes and offices have been swept, sometimes secretly, and at least one listening device was found. GCSB ensures politicians are free from intrusion, and staff
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inspect New Zealand embassies and offices around the world. Prime Minister John Key's office would not comment on the discovery.
New Zealand: Surveillance bill clears another hurdle Stuff.co.nz: 17/05/2011
A bill that gives the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) stronger surveillance powers has been reported back to Parliament with only minor amendments. The bill was introduced in December last year and earlier this year the Intelligence and Security Committee heard submissions on it in secret, against the wishes of the Labour Party and the Greens. The Security Intelligence Service Amendment Bill gives the SIS explicit authority to use modern technology for surveillance, such as electronic tracking devices. It also extends the range of information the SIS can intercept by warrant to include email addresses, phone numbers, user account identifiers and Internet protocol addresses and storage accounts. The committee has inserted a new clause requiring the destruction of irrelevant records obtained by electronic tracking, and another to provide safeguards against mistaken identities coming under surveillance. It agreed with the Human Rights Commission that there should be a reference to human rights in the principal Act, and it has inserted a clause requiring the SIS to perform its functions ''in accordance with a comprehensive set of principles that include a reference to human rights''. The new clause
doesn't impose any new duties or obligations on the SIS. The Green Party opposes the bill and put in a minority report saying it should be scrapped. ''The Green Party understands that the free society has its enemies and accepts that there is a role for State security services to protect a free society,'' the party said. ''But the Green Party also knows that the State response to threats to the free society can be even more dangerous to freedom.'' The minority report said the Greens believed the SIS operated without adequate oversight or accountability. The committee is chaired by Prime Minister John Key and its members are Labour Party leader Phil Goff, ACT's Rodney Hide, Green Party co-leader Russel Norman and Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia. Mr Key, who is the minister responsible for the SIS, said when the bill was introduced that for security reasons he could not go into the reasons why it was needed, apart from saying the Rugby World Cup tournament was one of them. ''We obviously needed to make sure that we provide all the national security that is appropriate,'' he said. ''We're not predicting instability but we have to have the right legislation in place.''
New Zealand: New Intelligence Building in Wellington Voxy.com: 20 May 2011
Much of New Zealand intelligence community is now housed under one roof following the official opening of Pipitea House in Wellington by the Prime Minister, The Rt Hon John Key. The nine floors will accommodate the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Government Communications
Security Bureau, the Defence Force and the Combined Threat Assessments Group. Prime Minister John Key said being housed in the same building will make it easier for the 600-700 staff to work together. Director of the GCSB, Jerry Mateparae, told the hundred invited guests that; "The building provides an
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important resource for the intelligence community because it will allow greater cross agency coordination. The building truly is an expression of "One community, many agencies." Being the home of much of the
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intelligence community the building's physical security is very important. Biometric fingerprint scanners are in use and security blinds remain lowered all the time.
And more about the building itself From the architects
Fortunately, the opportunity to relocate to “Pipitea House” in Pipitea Street and purpose build their new premises arose in 2007 and the decision to move was made quickly. Driving their entire approach to the new building was the need to ‘plan for the unknown’. In terms of their workplace design, this meant how many people they might have, working on what, with whom would be virtually impossible to predict. Other departments might join them at their premises for short or long periods, as subtenants or partners on projects. So how to put in place workplace strategies with so many unanswerable questions? Planning the design brief for their premises, took the form of overseas research to understand what other intelligence agencies around the world were doing and a staff environment survey to identify the baseline for their accommodation expectations. This enabled critical success factors to be set including encouraging staff interaction, allowing flexibility for whatever the future may hold and supporting staff recruitment and retention. “Bruce’s response was to not only progress with the most extreme ‘open plan’ option, but to remove the Executive Leadership Team offices. This constitutes an enormous cultural and practical change for an organisation that previously not only had offices, but doors that were locked, and lights that signalled when it was acceptable to enter.”
The open plan layout, designed by Planet Design, has been put together specifically to facilitate communication and create opportunities for staff to interact. An important aspect is the glass feature staircase, a requested tenant addition, connecting floors two to nine which aims to break down physical separations between floors. Simple yet effective features like a staff cafeteria, centralised kitchenettes and printing facilities will also get people up and out of their seats and talking to one another. “With all workstations being modular and lineal, the design has been set up to allow the GCSB to create new short or long term teams without worrying about the effect on real estate. Numbers can be increased or decreased by simply moving staff along and placing a screen up, instead of having to rearrange existing clusters of desks.” Paul Belchamers, Director, Planet Design. To help keep staff through one of life’s most dramatic changes, the GCSB will soon be one of the few government departments to set up their own crèche within the new building. On the same level as their gym, it will have its own outdoor area and will be able to take 30 children. The environmental credentials of the building will also tick important boxes with employees. The five green star rated Pipitea House (as designed by Athfield Architects) has
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feature landscaping at the street frontage and green roofs on the building’s stepped levels. Outside of the visual benefits, the green roofs will reduce stormwater runoff and protect the roofing membrane. All the rainwater is collected into two ten thousand litre potable tanks in the basement and it is used for toilet
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flushing and non drinking water. Other green features include solar water heating on the roof, double glazing, lighting sensors, balanced air conditioning and 54 bike parks.
Colombia: Former intelligence official charged with assassination of senator colombiareports.com; 17 May 2011
A former deputy director of Colombia's intelligence agency DAS ordered the assassination of a leftist politician by paramilitaries, the Prosecutor General's Office said Tuesday. According to prosecutors, there is enough evidence that prove the responsibility of Jose Miguel Narvaez in the murder of the prominent Union Patriotica politician. Narvaez, already in jail for his responsibility in the illegal wiretapping of political opponents of former President Alvaro Uribe, has been accused by paramilitary leader of being their representative in the intelligence agency. Judicial sources told Spanish press agency EFE that human rights prosectors linked ex subdirector of DAS Jose Miguel Narvaez to the murder of leftist senator Manuel Cepeda
Vargas in 1994. The judicial body explained in a communiqué that Narvaez was indicted as the alleged person responsible for the death of Cepeda Vargas, a Union Patriotica congressmen who was shot to death August 9, 1994 in the south-east Bogota. Cepeda was one of the most prominent member of the Union Patriotica party. Hi case reached the Interamerican Court of Human Rights which last year held the Colombian state responsible for the crime. Polo Democratico Senator Ivan Cepeda Castro, son of the late senator said that he was pleased with the judicial decision about Narvaez and asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to declare his father’s death as “a crime against humanity.”
The FARC Files: Colombia's very own WikiLeaks International Institute for Strategic Studies; 16 May 2011
The dossier “The FARC Files” that was launched May 10, 2011 by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reported strong ties between FARC and both the Venezuelan and the Ecuadorean governments. Despite all of that, relations continue to be good with both countries and the Colombian government doesn’t seem to be willing to do anything about the IISS’ findings. However one may judge Colombia’s
actions, they may prove to be the smartest choice. The dossier “The FARC Files” that was launched May 10, 2011 by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reported strong ties between FARC and both the Venezuelan and the Ecuadorean governments. Despite all of that, relations continue to be good with both countries and the Colombian government doesn’t seem to be willing to do anything about the IISS’
SA Intelligencer
23 May 2011
Number 88
findings. However one may judge Colombia’s actions, they may prove to be the smartest choice. It is argued that the files cannot be used in a legal process because the chain of custody was broken. If this is so, then all the Colombian government could do is to severe relations with Ecuador and Venezuela, demand and explanation or, and this is quite farfetched, resort to arms. None would be a suitable choice of action: when diplomatic crises erupted in 2008 (and then some) following the attack on Raul Reyes encampment and the leaking of exactly the same information by the government, Colombia suffered a severe blow on its economy, as trade with Ecuador and Venezuela, at that time of great importance to Colombia’s exporters (especially Venezuela), fell down by quite a bit. This led Colombians to find other markets and to renounce the traditional trade relations, although reluctantly. Nowadays, trade has been reestablished and it flourishes again with Ecuador (not so much with Venezuela), as it has become the 4th exports destination, even more important than Venezuela. If relations were to suffer like in 2008, then Colombia would see its commerce with these two neighbors crumble.
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More importantly, Venezuela and Ecuador would also lose a great deal, as Colombia is Venezuela’s second trade partner both in imports and exports (17.% and 11.4% respectively), and Ecuador’s second import partner (10.6%) and fourth export partner (4.9%). Thus, Colombia’s best bet, both economically and politically, is to not make a big deal about this report. In fact, it is quite similar to the situation with WikiLeaks that the U.S. faces: Many Colombians (and others) already knew what “The FARC Files” are revealing, just as many already knew, in general terms, what WikiLeaks was going to inform. The Colombian government is reacting in a somewhat similar way as the U.S. government did (although there is no chained Bradley Manning nor ambassadors resigning). Santos’ silence may not please many, and may be viewed as immoral, but state relations seldom are, and they are a strategic game that the Colombian administration cannot risk losing now. In fact, because of this “leak” of information, the Colombian government may well now have the upper hand in regional affairs. Its two neighbors, now strongly collaborating in the war against the illegal groups and drug trafficking, cannot step back from their commitments or they risk confirming what the IISS report says. Indeed, Santos’ silence may well be his ace up his sleeve.
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