Learn more about the Yuri Nosenko Case:

Cold Warrior: James Jesus Angleton - CIA's Master Spy Hunter by Tom Mangold

Molehunt: The Secret Search for Traitors That Shattered the CIA by David Wise

Of Moles and Molehunters by Dr. Cleveland Cram who wrote an internal classified CIA report on the history of the CIA's Counterintelligence Staff under Angleton

James Jesus Angleton: The Kremlin's Favorite Spook by former KGB Major Yuri Shvets

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A Ghost of the Cold War

Spy Wars, by Tennent H. Bagley

...The Nosenko case is one of the gnarly puzzles of Cold War history. It vexed the CIA's fabled counterintelligence chief, James Jesus Angleton, to the end of his days…Now the CIA case officer who initially handled Nosenko, Tennent H. Bagley, has written his own account. And it is a stunner. It's impossible to read this book without developing doubts about Nosenko's bona fides. Many readers will conclude that Angleton was right all along -- that Nosenko was a phony, sent by the KGB to deceive a gullible CIA. That's not the official CIA judgment, of course. The agency gave Nosenko its stamp of approval in 1968 and again in 1976. Indeed, as often happens, the agency itself became the villain, with critics denouncing Angleton, Bagley and other skeptics for their harsh interrogation of Nosenko. In its eagerness to tidy up the mess, the agency even invited Nosenko to lecture to its young officers about counterintelligence.…..(Washington Post, 11 Apr 07)

1978 Memo to CIA Employees about Yuri Nosenko

Yuri Nosenko

Yuri Nosenko was deputy chief of the Seventh Department of the KGB. His main responsibility was the recruitment of foreign spies. In June 1962 Nosenko made contact with the CIA in Geneva. He said he was in urgent need of money and was willing to sell secrets to the West. He added he did not want to defect because he was unwilling to leave his wife and children behind in the Soviet Union. Nosenko, like Anatoli Golitsin, who had defected in December, 1961, provided evidence that John Vassall was a Soviet agent. However, most of his evidence undermined that given by Golitsin. This included Golitsin's claim that a senior figure in the Admiralty was a spy.....(Spartacus Educational)

A Ghost of the Cold War

Spy Wars, by Tennent H. Bagley

...The Nosenko case is one of the gnarly puzzles of Cold War history. It vexed the CIA's fabled counterintelligence chief, James Jesus Angleton, to the end of his days…Now the CIA case officer who initially handled Nosenko, Tennent H. Bagley, has written his own account. And it is a stunner. It's impossible to read this book without developing doubts about Nosenko's bona fides. Many readers will conclude that Angleton was right all along -- that Nosenko was a phony, sent by the KGB to deceive a gullible CIA. That's not the official CIA judgment, of course. The agency gave Nosenko its stamp of approval in 1968 and again in 1976. Indeed, as often happens, the agency itself became the villain, with critics denouncing Angleton, Bagley and other skeptics for their harsh interrogation of Nosenko. In its eagerness to tidy up the mess, the agency even invited Nosenko to lecture to its young officers about counterintelligence.…..(Washington Post, 11 Apr 07)

1978 Memo to CIA Employees about Yuri Nosenko

The Life and Strange Career of a Mole Hunter

Late in 1961, a squat Ukrainian K.G.B. officer named Anatoli Golitsin defected to the West in Helsinki, offering extraordinary tales of various K.G.B. penetrations of Western intelligence services, some of which eventually proved true. Angleton immediately took to this truculent, conspiracy-minded defector, whose dark worldview mirrored his own....(New York Times, 30 June 1991)

SAP still studying on Oracle's legal attack

…Oracle on 22 March sued SAP, alleging that its German rival engaged in corporate espionage by illegally downloading support materials from the company's servers. The documents are protected by copyright law and are available only to customers with current support subscriptions, Oracle alleged….(Computing, 10 Apr 07)

Little dots and the big picture

Six years ago, American intelligence officers failed to connect the dots — and it resulted in 911. As terrorists around the world become more adept at adapting to counter-measures against them, the need for various government agencies to "decompartmentalise" and share information has never been more urgent…Today Online, 10 Apr 07)

USS PUEBLO

The USS PUEBLO was a U. S. Navy vessel sent on an intelligence mission off the coast of North Korea. On January 23, 1968, the USS PUEBLO was attacked by North Korean naval vessels and MiG jets. One man was killed and several were wounded. The Eighty-two surviving crew members were captured and held prisoner for 11 months. The pages on this site tell the story of the Pueblo Incident and present the USS PUEBLO Veteran's Association.

American envoys to board spy ship held in North Korea

Two American envoys were surprised for the North Korean naval colonel told the ship they were about to board was an example of continued U.S. aggression toward his country. "This spy ship, the Pueblo, is considered a vivid, living example of such hostile policies by the U.S. against the DPRK," Col. Pak In Ho said through an interpreter, using the formal name of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the muddy water of the Taedong River flowed beneath the only active-duty U.S. warship in the hands of a foreign power….(Huliq, 9 Apr 07)

Richardson taken on tour of U.S. ship held since 1968

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Monday toured a U.S. warship captured by North Korea in the 1960s that is now used to inspire anti-American sentiment in the reclusive communist regime. The North Korea colonel who served as Richardson's guide smiled as he told the governor the ship was an example of continued U.S. aggression toward his country. Richardson and his traveling companion, former Veteran Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi, were then shown bullet holes circled in red paint and a video describing the maneuvering of "brazen-faced U.S. imperialists." The USS Pueblo was captured by North Korea on Jan. 23, 1968, after being sent defenseless on an intelligence-gathering mission off the country's coast. It was the first U.S. warship captured since 1807, and remains the only active-duty warship in foreign hands. Navy records show the ship was in international waters at the time of its capture; the North insists it was inside the Korean coastal zone….(AP, 10 Apr 07)

Report says former FBI agent in custody; U.S. uncertain

A former FBI agent is being held by Iranian authorities, the Financial Times reported yesterday, but U.S. officials said they were still unable to verify the whereabouts of the missing American. Florida resident and former FBI agent Robert Levinson went missing while on a visit to the Gulf island of Kish in Iran early in March….(Reuters, 14 Apr 07)

Administration Seeks to Expand Surveillance Law

…Currently, under the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, individuals have to be associated with a foreign terrorism suspect or a foreign power to fall under the auspices of the FISA court, which can grant the authority to institute federal surveillance. The White House proposes expanding potential targets to include non-citizens believed to possess, transmit or receive important foreign intelligence information, as well as those engaged in the United States in activities related to the purchase or development of weapons of mass destruction…..(Washington Post, 14 Apr 07)

Legislation Seeks to Ease Rules on Domestic Spying

…..(New York Times, 14 Apr 07)

CIA could get access to even more EU banking records

… According to Germany's Federal Data Protection Commissioner, Peter Schaar, the situation could get a lot messier: SWIFT might soon handle domestic as well as international fund transfers, and US authorities might then have access to every bank transfer in Europe….(Arstechnica, 14 Apr 07)

Hayden says he’s plugged media leaks at CIA
CIA Director Michael Hayden is claiming success at stopping media leaks of the kind that plagued the spy agency under his predecessor, including revelations of secret prisons for terrorism suspects. An in-house policy of open communication between Hayden’s office and the agency’s workforce has effectively reduced employee frustrations blamed for prompting unauthorised disclosures in the past, the four-star Air Force general said in a C-SPAN interview to be aired tomorrow….(Reuters, 14 Apr 07)

U.S. postpones release of alleged Iranian agents seized in Iraq

The Bush administration decided this week that it will hold five seized alleged Iranian intelligence agents for several more weeks, at least, instead of freeing them quickly in the aftermath of last week's release of 15 British military personnel who had been taken by Iran, U.S. officials said Friday….(Haaretz, 14 Apr 07)

U.S. Decides Against Freeing 5 Iranian Agents
…At a meeting of the president's foreign policy team Tuesday, the administration decided the five Iranians will remain in custody and go through a periodic six-month review used for the 250 other foreign detainees held in Iraq….(Washington Post, 14 Apr 07)

Spy trial jury starts deliberations

Because the spy case against Des Plaines resident Sami Latchin is so riddled with inconsistencies, and the star witness against him has admitted to previously lying on the stand, jurors should acquit him of all charges, Latchin’s lawyer Bill Theis told jurors Friday.  But prosecutor James Conway said Theis was ignoring a mountain of evidence and blowing “slight inconsistencies” to an unreasonable proportion. For Latchin to be innocent, said Conway, “I guess you’d have to call Sami Latchin the unluckiest man in the world.” ….(Daily Herald, 14 Apr 07)

'Sleeper' spy case goes to jury

...Jurors will return Monday to deliberate over whether Sami Khoshaba Latchin, 59, acted as a former officer in Saddam Hussein's intelligence service. In closing arguments Friday, prosecutors portrayed Latchin, who was born in Iraq, as a spy deployed to the United States and instructed to fly "under the radar" until needed…..(Chicago Sun-Times, 14 Apr 07)

Chinese Satellite Kill Challenges U.S.

In January, China blasted the Fengyun 1-C into oblivion with a land-based anti-satellite missile from its southwestern Xichang spaceport. It was the first kill of a satellite by a land-based missile ever conducted by any nation, including the United States and Russia. The message was hard to miss: China is ready _ and increasingly able _ to challenge the U.S. military advantage in space…..(Washington Post, 14 Apr 07)

AMCHA: Closing AIPAC trial to public may lead to 2nd Dreyfus affair

According to a legal memorandum filed by the Jewish organization AMCHA, the trial of two former AIPAC lobbyists, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, could have an impact similar to that the Dreyfus affair had in 19th century France if it is held behind closed doors. The document, which the organization filed with the court, claims that "The American Jewish community has a particular interest in ensuring that the trial? does not lead to the same result" as the Dreyfus trial, referring to the widespread anti-Jewish sentiment in France at the time of the trial…..(Haaretz, 13 Apr 07)

'Forgotten War' Yields Another Secret

…Last May, The Associated Press reported the discovery of a declassified July 1950 document in which the U.S. ambassador in South Korea informed Washington the U.S. military had adopted a policy of shooting approaching refugees, to guard against North Korean infiltrators. A subsequent series of such U.S. Army orders, once secret, has been found in the U.S. National Archives….(AP, 13 Apr 07)

Thorn: Spy tale's back - only this time for real

…A Russian Diary: A Journalist's Final Account of Life, Corruption, and Death in Putin's Russia, by Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Random House is calling the book, scheduled to be released in May, a "searing, intimate record" of life in Vladimir Putin's Russia…Encounter Books publishes Blowing Up Russia: The Secret Plot to Bring Back KGB Terror, by Alexander Litvinenko and Yuri Felshtinksy. You may remember photos of Litvinenko that ran in American newspapers: They showed a skeletal man lying on a hospital bed, bald, pale and looking as if he were one fragile moment away from death…(Rocky Mountain News, 13 Apr 07)

Son of the spy

Major Ze'ev Gur Arie was an IDF officer drafted by the Mossad in 1960. His mission: penetrate the circle of German scientists in Egypt who were developing weapons of mass destruction in that enemy country. German-born Gur Arie took on the identity of Wolfgang Lotz, an ex-Nazi German millionaire and horse breeder. Lotz/Gur Arie became so immersed in his covert identity, and the glamorous life that came with it, that he even married a German woman…(Jerusalem Post, 13 Apr 07)

Calls mount for Wal-Mart to disclose surveillance records

More demands for details of Wal-Mart security activities - including records of alleged corporate surveillance - were voiced Thursday. Another shareholder group and the lawyers in a massive class-action sex-discrimination lawsuit in federal court in California called for the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer to shed light on its intelligence gathering….(AP, 13 Apr 07)

Ex-KR chief's son sued by rival newspaper that he once headed

…According to the lawsuit, the departing Ridder "stole" a file of non-competition agreements, including his own, from the Pioneer Press. And, as he "secretly negotiated" with the Star Tribune and Avista Capital Group, Ridder "was accessing the Pioneer Press' confidential and proprietary information," including budget and salary data, advertising customer lists and other competitive files the suit states….(Mercury, 13 Apr 07)

Libby says not seeking new trial but will appeal

A top White House aide convicted on perjury and obstruction of justice charges has decided not to seek a new trial but will move directly to challenge his conviction in the appeals court……(Reuters, 13 Apr 07)

CIA Chief: Military Past Won't Hinder Work

CIA Director Michael Hayden said his position as a four-star general does not hinder his ability to run the civilian spy agency despite concerns raised when he got the job last year…Why are there so many senior intelligence officials with military backgrounds? "They were the best athletes available in the draft at this particular point in time,"….(AP, 13 Apr 07)

Spy agencies take new look at agents with foreign roots

…The director of national intelligence, John "Mike" McConnell, will soon unveil his "100-day plan" for intelligence reform. As part of it, he is expected to roll out new measures to increase hiring of first- and second-generation Americans with language and cultural fluency in critical areas, especially the Middle East…Before the Sept. 11 attacks, the lack of intelligence officers with such expertise was "one of the most serious issues" limiting agencies' ability to analyze terrorist threats…..(Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr 07)

Former FBI agent held in Iran, associate tells FT

…Diplomats fear the case of Robert Levinson could mark a new twist in the round of apparent tit-for-tat detentions involving the United States, Britain and Iran, which began with the detention by U.S. forces in Iraq of five Iranians in January…. The Financial Times quoted Dawud Salahuddin -- himself a U.S. citizen wanted by U.S. authorities for an alleged murder in 1980 -- as saying he and Levinson had shared a hotel room on the Gulf island of Kish on March 8….(Reuters, 13 Apr 07)

Judge Weighs Punishing City Lawyers Over Delay on Protest Log

A federal judge said yesterday he was "deeply concerned" about newly revealed evidence that FBI intelligence agents interrogated war protesters about their political views at a Washington rally in April 2002 and was seriously considering sanctioning D.C. government lawyers for insisting for three years that they had no record of the FBI's involvement…..(Washington Post, 13 Apr 07)

Number of Spies in UK Returns to Cold War Levels

…Counter intelligence officers say there are now 30 agents operating out of the Russian Embassy and trade mission - with the possibility that many more are working undercover for outside agencies across the capital. Sources say the Russians are keeping an eye on technological advances in the UK as well as monitoring senior figures within London's exile community. The increased intelligence activity has caused some consternation among Russians in London, who fear they are being spied upon….(Guardian, 13 Apr 07)

Murdered spy's home still radioactive

Murdered spy Alexander Litvinenko's home is still radioactive and too dangerous to enter five months after his death….(LSE, 13 Apr 07)

Carolyn Purdy Baker CIA Employee

Carolyn Purdy Baker, 73, a retired CIA analyst, died March 13…She analyzed intelligence data for the Central Intelligence Agency until her retirement in 1997….(Washington Post, 13 Apr 07)

Europe needs better espionage control

…Member states should strengthen their parliamentary control options and avoid going soft on the intelligence service of an ally in cases of human-rights shortcomings, Wolfgang Heinz, an official of the institute Thursday told the press in Berlin upon the release of a study called "Combating Terrorism and Protecting Human Rights in Europe." Cases of extraordinary renditions and secret CIA flights over Europe carrying terror suspects to secret prisons showed that control has been poor in the past….(UPI, 13 Apr 07)

Amcha: Secrecy May Turn Aipac Case Into Modern-Day Dreyfus Affair

…Federal prosecutors pursuing a case against two former employees of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, have asked a federal judge in Virginia to keep the public from hearing and seeing some evidence that is the basis of charges that the pair illegally obtained and disclosed classified information. The prosecution contends that disclosing some details publicly could harm American national security. However, the Coalition for Jewish Concerns, also known as Amcha, filed an amicus brief yesterday arguing that secrecy would lead anti-Semites and conspiracy theorists to distort the actions of Messrs. Rosen and Weissman....(New York Sun, 13 Apr 07)

Prosecutors rest in trial  of man charged as spy

…(Sami) Latchin is accused of being a “sleeper” agent sent here by Saddam Hussein to monitor the activities of anti-Hussein dissident groups. His attorneys say Latchin is a normal immigrant who fled Iraq after the first Gulf War and that he is being set up by three professional spies who defected to the United States. They have hinted the three spies, who have received benefits from the American government, needed to hand someone over to the feds, legitimately or otherwise…..(Daily Herald, 12 Apr 07)

Brother of accused testifies in spy trial

The brother of a man accused of being an Iraqi spy was subpoenaed to the witness stand Wednesday to answer questions about his own history and possible work for the intelligence operation of Saddam Hussein. Naji Lachin acknowledged he is the brother of alleged "sleeper spy" Sami Khoshaba Latchin, though the men do not spell their names alike. Lachin told jurors hearing his brother's ongoing federal trial that he has immunity and was ordered to testify….(Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr 07)

Prosecutors Reverse Course in China Spy Case

After complaints from business lawyers and university administrators, prosecutors on a Chinese espionage case have reversed course, acknowledging that the defendant, Chi Mak, may attempt to defend himself by arguing that the military-related reports he sent to China were in the public domain…The government contends that he sent the Chinese sensitive plans for quiet submarine drive technology, electrical systems, and a new generation of Navy warships….(New York Sun, 12 Apr 07)

Bush Threatens a Veto Over Intel Bill

President Bush is threatening to veto a Senate intelligence bill that's laced with provisions that would force the White House and spy agencies to be more responsive to Congress. In a policy statement released Thursday, Bush's advisers said the bill fails to provide enough money, "with sufficient flexibility," to adequately pay for spying operations….(AP, 12 Apr 07)

Intelligence Community to Reshape Personnel Practices

…Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell also outlined a "radical transformation" of collaboration on intelligence gathering and analysis and community-wide standards for clarity in intelligence reports and assessment of source reliability. He revealed plans for an outside audit of the $42 billion intelligence budget and pledged newly aggressive efforts to recruit and vet native Arabic speakers…..(Washington Post, 12 Apr 07)

Newspaper sues Ridder, alleging he took secrets to rival Star Tribune

…The sweeping 46-page lawsuit takes aim at the Star Tribune and its new owner, Avista Capital Partners, as well as Ridder and two other former Pioneer Press employees who left the paper with him. It claims, among other things, Ridder committed fraud and civil theft, and disclosed trade secrets…..(Pioneer Press, 12 Apr 07)

Thousands Expected at FBI Agent Funeral

An FBI agent killed while pursuing a group of suspected bank robbers in New Jersey last week will be buried in the eastern Pennsylvania community where he was raised. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III were among thousands of people expected to attend the funeral Thursday for Special Agent Barry Lee Bush…(Washington Post, 12 Apr 07)

Gertrude Greenslade Economist

Gertrude Schroeder Greenslade, 87, an economist at the CIA and the University of Virginia, died of renal failure March 30… Mrs. Greenslade was an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1954 until 1969 and worked as a consultant to the CIA from 1993 until her death…..(Washington Post, 12 Apr 07)

Leonard Filson Parkinson Lobbyist

Leonard Filson Parkinson, 69, a lobbyist for Aerojet Corp. and a former CIA analyst, died March 31…At the Central Intelligence Agency, which he joined in 1961, he was a Soviet political and military analyst for the Special Research Staff, a branch chief in the Office of Strategic Research…..(Washington Post, 12 Apr 07)

Now, hacking goes mobile

The latest Internet commandment in the age of increasing cyber crime is: don’t download your mail from your mobile phones to your computer…“We still have to witness the best or the worst of hacking in the very near future and this is getting even more complicated with the growth of German and Chinese hackers getting involved in industrial espionage”, (Zone-H founder Mr Roberto Preatoni) said….(Statesman, 12 Apr 07)

Intelligence Chief Announces Renewed Plan for Overhaul

…The plan unveiled by the director, Mike McConnell, and his deputies sets midsummer as the target for completing a number of initiatives, including mandating better collaboration among intelligence analysts, recruiting more first- and second-generation immigrants and slashing the time it takes candidates to navigate security procedures. Although Mr. McConnell praised the work begun by his predecessor, John D. Negroponte, the “100-day plan” he and his colleagues announced Wednesday included many initiatives that have been in the works for some time…(New York Times, 12 Apr 07)

Librarian Who Resisted FBI Says Patriot Act Invades Privacy

A librarian who fended off an FBI demand for computer records on patrons said Wednesday that secret anti-terrorism investigations strip away personal freedoms….(AP, 12 Apr 07)

Venezuela Stages Raid in Posada Case

Intelligence agents raided the home of a close friend of anti-communist militant Luis Posada Carriles, who's jailed in the U.S. but wanted in Venezuela for a 1976 airliner bombing… Military intelligence agents searched attorney Joaquin Chaffardet's home for five hours Wednesday night, saying they were looking for weapons and documents, his wife Maria Teresa Rosas….(AP, 12 Apr 07)

Intelligence experts warn Defence to act quickly on fixing screening process

The Department of National Defence has to move quickly to prevent foreign spies and terrorists from taking advantage of loopholes and delays in its security screening system, security experts said yesterday….(Globe & Mail, 12 Apr 07)

Italy CIA kidnap case: Prosecutors reject charge they harmed intelligence relations

…Milan prosecutors on Wednesday rejected government accusations that they knowingly broke state secrecy laws and damaged relations between Italian and foreign intelligence agencies in their probe into the abduction….(Muslim News, 12 Apr 07)

Disk seized had encrypted files, witness testifies

A Navy investigator testified Wednesday that a computer disk seized from the brother (Tai Mak) of a Chinese-born engineer accused of stealing U.S. defense technology secrets contained encrypted files. Nicholas Mikus, an investigative computer specialist for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, said the files could only be unlocked with a specific ''key,'' a chain of 113 letters that was stored on a floppy disk. Mikus was the latest witness called by the government in its case against Chi Mak, an engineer accused of passing sensitive military information to the Chinese government for more than 20 years….(AP, 12 Apr 07)

Fears that US secret services might gain access to domestic bank transfer data

The German Federal Data Protection Commissioner Peter Schaar has critically remarked that the creation of a Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) will mean that in future the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications) financial network will also handle all domestic transfers. This would make it possible for secret services, including those of the United States, ostensibly out to combat the funding of terrorist organizations, to gain access to such transfer data….(Heise, 12 Apr 07)

Missing woman told kin spouse was Pyongyang spy

A Japanese woman who disappeared with her two children in 1973 had revealed a few years earlier that her ethnic Korean husband was a spy…(Japan Times, 12 Apr 07)

Defense ministry warns personnel of hacker attacks

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday urged military personnel to stay alert, warning of potential attacks from computer hackers. The ministry asked personnel who work with confidential information to be especially on their guard…..(Taipei Times, 11 Apr 07)

Intelligence chief announces 100-day reform plan

…The blueprint identified six areas of focus, including clarifying and aligning the DNI's authorities by proposing "appropriate revisions to existing statutes, regulations and directives." It called for the creation of an executive committee to advise the intelligence director on coordinating the nation's intelligence activities….(Gov Exec, 11 Apr 07)

Document:100 Day Plan for Integration and Collaboration .pdf

Castro: U.S. About to Release 'Monster'

…The charges came in a letter distributed by Foreign Ministry officials after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone refused earlier Tuesday to reverse her decision allowing Luis Posada Carriles to be released.....(AP, 11 Apr 07)

Intelligence Czar’s Wish List Likely to Get a Mixed Reception From Congress

New spy chief Michael McConnell is developing legislative proposals to strengthen his hand, from major changes like authorizing warrantless surveillance to smaller changes such as altering how intelligence analysts are paid….(Congressional Quarterly, 11 Apr 07)

Robobugs set to spy for Pentagon

…The Pentagon's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency has sanctioned work on four 'robobugs' weighing less than 10g (0.3oz) each, and with a 7.5cm (3in) wingspan. It is hoped to have prototypes flying in 2008….(Metro, 11 Apr 07)

Today in History - April 11

In 2001, ending a tense 11-day standoff, China agreed to free the 24 crew members of an American spy plane.

Shoplifting Secrets

This is not a guide to shoplifting, but about the wholesale theft of U.S. strategic material and its consequences. Increasingly, American classified information and material is being compromised, either through espionage, outright theft or though negligence creating a serious breach in Western security…..(American Thinker, 12 Apr 07)

NYC Comptroller Wants Wal-Mart Spy Probe

New York City's comptroller has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department to investigate whether Wal-Mart Stores Inc. illegally spied on some of its shareholders…..(AP., 11 Apr 07)

Mobile security: when will it become necessary?

…The growing popularity of mobile working has given rise to concerns about the risk of mobile viruses and other attacks on handsets and PDAs. But how real is this threat?... The increasing advance of mobile devices into the corporate environment brings its own problems. PDAs and smart phones are being used to transport confidential data, often in sync with the desktop. Aside from the concerns attached to this evasion of the firewall, IT managers face a shift in the ways in which data can be lost….(Secure Computing, 11 Apr 07)

Record Cell Phone Calls at Spy Tools Directory

Cell phone users looking for a way to digitally record cell phone calls may now find tools and resources enabling them to do so at the Spy Tools Directory via the newly created "Record Cell Phone Calls" category….(PR Log, 11 Apr 07)

Huachuca to be Home of Human-Intel Training   

The Department of Defense is establishing a home for human intelligence at Fort Huachuca, AZ. Defense Intelligence Agency Director Army LTG Michael Maples participated in ceremonies opening the new Joint Center of Excellence for Human Intelligence Training. The center will answer a need for developing and exploiting intelligence from human sources….(Armed Forces Press Services, 11 Apr 07)

Federal Official on National Security, Civil Liberties

Live Discussion:

Civil Liberties Protection Officer, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Wednesday, April 11, 2007; 2:00 PM….(Washington Post, 11 Apr 07)

Spy chief wants expanded powers

President Bush’s spy chief is pushing to expand the government’s surveillance authority at the same time the administration is under attack for stretching its domestic eavesdropping powers. National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell has circulated a draft bill that would expand the government’s powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, liberalizing how that law can be used…..(AP, 11 Apr 07)

Intelligence Director McConnell Wants More Government Resources

…National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell wants to liberalize use of the law regulating surveillance operations, to possibly include using listening devices, searching luggage and breaking into homes to make copies of computer hard drives while investigating suspected national security threats…..(AP, 11 Apr 07)

FBI Gets Six Years for FOIA Request

The oldest reported Freedom of Information Act request in the federal government resides at the Justice Department and is 18 years old…the FBI has just told a federal court that it will need until 2013 to process a request for information from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a privacy organization….(Washington Post, 11 Apr 07)

Northrop plans partnership with Israel company: report

…The project, which was code-named "Trinidad" during development and expected to be announced on Wednesday…The Los Angeles-based company proposes to buy and modify several Israeli-built, high-resolution spy satellites, each costing less than $200 million, the Journal said, which is a fraction of what a larger, more complex U.S. satellite would cost….(Reuters, 11 Apr 07)

Senate Urges Quick Opening of Nazi Files

The Senate is urging quick action by six countries to open a secret Nazi archive that documents the lives and deaths of millions of World War II concentration camp inmates….(AP, 11 Apr 07)

Spy case reveals Uzbek-Russian tension

An Uzbek military court rejected an appeal by Lieutenant Colonel Sanjar Ismailov, the 37-year-old former acting head of Uzbek army intelligence. Ismailov was originally arrested in late 2005 on charges of treason, abuse of power and the illegal arms possession…(Eurasia Net, 11 Apr 07)

Ex Economy Min Says Charges Against Him Are “Forced, Absurd”

Former minister of Economy Codrut Seres, placed under criminal investigation in the file concerning state-owned hydropower generator Hidroelectrica, considers the charges brought against him as “forced and absurd” as the ones regarding treason and espionage in the privatizations file….(Media Fax, 11 Apr 07)

Iran TV Shows Images of Diplomat

…State TV also reported that the Iraqi ambassador to Iran and an official from the International Committee of the Red Cross visited Jalal Sharafi in the hospital Wednesday….(AP, 11 Apr 07)

Iranian envoy wounds 'confirmed'

The head of the International Red Cross in Tehran says he saw wounds on an Iranian diplomat who has alleged that US forces in Iraq tortured him. Peter Stoeker said there were marks on Jalal Sharafi's feet, legs, back and nose but he was unable to say if they were the result of torture….(BBC, 11 Apr 07)

Trial of Assyrian Hussein Spy Continues

A series of witnesses testified Tuesday that they gathered information on groups in the U.S. who were opposed to Saddam Hussein for a Des Plaines man accused of being a "sleeper spy." Four witnesses said Sami Khoshaba Latchin regularly contacted them about such efforts…..(Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr 07)

Agent: Engineer Said He Passed Secrets

…Gunnar Newquist, a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, played an hour of excerpts from a 4 1/2-hour, secretly videotaped interview done after the arrest of defendant Chi Mak in which he repeatedly denied passing sensitive military information to China…Newquist said Mak made his confession two days later during an untaped interview….(AP, 10 Apr 07)

More States Rebel Against Real ID Act

…Washington's bill refuses to implement the act unless the federal government pays for it in its entirety and provides privacy protections. Maine legislators passed a resolution opposing the bill because of costs and privacy concerns. And last week the House of Representatives in New Hampshire passed a bill opposing the law….(Information Week, 10 Apr 07)

Ex-CIA agent discusses intelligence failures in stop here

The former senior CIA analyst (Mel Goodman) for Soviet Affairs from 1976 to 1986 spoke for more than an hour Monday afternoon at Franklin & Marshall College, discussing "The Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA."….(Intelligencer Journal, 10 Apr 07)

Border Police officer charged with espionage, drug smuggling

A Border Police operations officer was indicted Tuesday for espionage, narcotics smuggling, fraud and breach of trust. The officer, 33-year-old Bahdi Bisan of Kfar Gat, allegedly gave an Israeli Bedouin man classified information regarding defense forces operations against drug smuggling….(Haaretz, 11 Apr 07)

Unionists' Murders Cloud Prospects for Colombia Trade Pact

…Recent disclosures about the purported role of the Colombian intelligence service, the Administrative Security Department, or DAS, in the murder of Codina and several other union leaders has ignited a political firestorm here that is reaching Capitol Hill just as the Bush administration is fighting for congressional approval of a free-trade pact with Colombia, the third-largest recipient of U.S. aid….(Washington Post, 10 Apr 07)

Former spy Ivanov shadows Putin for Kremlin throne

Sergei Ivanov walks and talks like a man who wants to be the next president of Russia, except for one thing: he has not said he is running for the job…It is still anybody's guess who will succeed President Vladimir Putin when his second and final term ends next year. His potential heirs are careful not to show any naked ambition until Putin himself has expressed a preference….(Reuters, 10 Apr 07)

India Arrests Three LTTE Intelligence Wing Cadres

Police on Monday arrested three suspected LTTE militants from the Mandapam refugee camp here, officials of the Q branch said. The arrested Devajotheeswaran(28), Justin Raj (24) and Sukandan (23) are suspected to be members of the intelligence wing of the naval unit of the LTTE, popularly known as Kadal Puligal (Sea Tigers)….(Island, 10 Apr 07)

Denmark names new intelligence agency chief

The government on Tuesday named Jakob Scharf to head Denmark's domestic intelligence and security agency….(AP, 10 Apr 07)

Easter 1963: a marine collision that never saw the light of day

Finnish self-censorship ensured that the incident between a freighter and a Soviet nuclear submarine was hushed up….(Helsingin Sanomat, 10 Apr 07)

New intelligence director restructures office

Newly confirmed Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell says he doesn't have the authority he needs to lead the 16 agencies he oversees and that his office isn't properly structured to take advantage of the authority he has…He said that 15 of those agencies, all but the CIA, are part of other Cabinet-level departments, and he lacked direct management authority over them….(UPI, 10 Apr 07)

Judge Denies Bid to Keep Militant Jailed

A federal judge has denied prosecutors' efforts to keep anti-Castro militant Luis Posada Carriles jailed pending his trial on charges he lied in a bid to become a U.S. citizen…..(AP, 10 Apr 07)

Russian exiles 'refused to answer poisoned-spy questions'
…Tycoon Boris Berezovsky and Chechen rebel envoy Akhmed Zakayev answered fewer than half the questions they were asked in lengthy sessions, the head of a team of Russian investigators who interviewed them last month in London, Andrei Mayorov, told the official newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta. “In a word, they did not answer the most key questions,” said Mr Mayorov…..(Evening Echo, 9 Apr 07)

Experts: U.S. spies are often in the dark on Cuba

…Last year, President Bush instructed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to appoint a new ''mission manager'' for Cuba and Venezuela to oversee all U.S. spy agencies' efforts on the two countries. Norman Bailey, a former Reagan administration official, was named to the post but was later dismissed. No replacement has been named. ''There's no rigor, no drive. There's no motivation behind our collection,'' said Roger Noriega, a former assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere under President Bush….(Miami Herald, 9 Apr 07)

Ex-CIA official to discuss Mideast

Former CIA official Paul R. Pillar will discuss counter-terrorism, intelligence and the Middle East before the World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond on April 18….(Richmond Times-Dispatch, 9 Apr 07)

Spy Case Reveals Tension in Uzbek-Russian Ties
The case of an Uzbek officer serving a 20-year prison term after being convicted as a Russian spy suggests that the official “close friendship” between Tashkent and Moscow has its limits…..(Eurasia Insight, 9 Apr 07)

Reconsider Internet spy law: RCMP

The RCMP has urged the Harper government to reintroduce a controversial bill that would force Internet service providers to turn over personal information on subscribers, arguing the lack of such legislation has already had "serious consequences" on investigations, newly released documents show….(CanWest, 9 Apr 07)

Gag Order for Former Wal-Mart Employee

Wal-Mart won a gag order to stop a fired security operative from talking to reporters and a judge ordered him to provide Wal-Mart attorneys with "the names of all persons to whom he has transmitted, since January 15, 2007, any Wal-Mart information." The court papers made public Monday follow a string of revelations about the retailer's large surveillance operations and its business plans….(AP, 9 Apr 07)

Singapore says it is holding 39 people for terrorism, espionage involvement

…Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told Parliament that the 39 are being held under the Internal Security Act, which allows for arrest without charge and indefinite detention without trial."They were detained for involvement in terrorism and espionage," Wong said. "A few of the cases have not been publicized. This is because publicity can compromise ongoing operations, or seriously harm national interests."….(AP, 9 Apr 07)

Media Seeks to Keep Lobbyist Trial Open

News organizations filed documents in federal court Monday opposing a government request to close portions of an upcoming trial of two former pro-Israel lobbyists accused of violating the Espionage Act. Media organizations, including The Associated Press, are concerned the government wants to keep large portions of evidence in the case out of public view…(AP, 9 Apr 07)

Cuban exiles differ on Posada

Following a legal victory for anti-Castro militant Luis Posada Carriles, prominent Cuban exiles on Saturday differed over how the U.S. government should now deal with him. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone on Friday ordered that Posada, who is awaiting trial on charges of lying to become a U.S. citizen, be released on bail…Posada, 79, is an ex-CIA operative accused of plotting the deadly bombing of a Cuban airliner in 1976, along with attacks in Havana that killed an Italian tourist in 1997…..(Sun-Sentinel, 8 Apr 07)

Protesters in Prague demand release of Cubans from U.S. prison

About forty people met in front of the U.S. embassy in Prague today to demonstrate in support of the release by the USA of five Cubans sentenced for "conspiracy with the aim of espionage." According to the Communist Youth Association (KSM), which organized the protest, the Cubans were convicted unjustly...The five Cubans managed to penetrate U.S. missile bases and among Cuban expatriates in the USA. In the trial in 2001 they defended themselves saying that they had not harmed the interests of the USA as they gathered information only for the sake of Cuba's protection against terrorism of Cuban emigrants. The Miami court sentenced three of them to life for espionage and conspiracy, while two were given 15 and 19 years in prison respectively....(Ceskenoviny, 8 Apr 07)

Top Cold War spy 'innocent'

Historian says new evidence shows Alger Hiss did not give US secrets to Russia, but intelligence experts remain unconvinced… But Professor Christopher Andrew of Cambridge University, a leading expert on the history of the intelligence services, said that Bird's claims would not change his mind. 'Part of Hiss's KGB file has come out that proves the obvious point he was guilty as charged,'…..(Guardian, 8 Apr 07)

Active CIA terror cells operate inside Iran

The U.S. has long been believed to be secretly funding separatist and radical groups to create chaos inside Iran in an attempt to pile pressure on the government to give up its nuclear program…The CIA is supporting and funding a group, called Jundullah, which includes members of the Baluchi tribe, and responsible for many terrorist acts and violence in Iran. They operate from Pakistan's province of Baluchestan….(Aljazeera, 8 Apr 07)

The China threat: Spies among us

A federal espionage trial in California has begun for engineer Chi Mak. He's accused of conspiring to pass U.S. military secrets to China, including data on quiet-running submarine propulsion systems…" ...China has systematically managed to gain sensitive information on U.S. nuclear bombs and ship and missile designs," Bloomberg News writes, quoting intelligence sources. In addition, industrial spying is a key ingredient in China's plans to become a dominant power….(Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 8 Apr 07)

Iran Searching for Missing Ex-FBI Agent

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Sunday that his country has been searching for a former FBI agent missing in Iran for almost a month. Robert Levinson, a U.S. citizen who retired from the FBI in 1998, was last seen March 11 on the Iranian resort island of Kish….(AP, 8 Apr 07)

One Canuck who really did spy for Israel

The Volunteer: A Canadian's Secret Life in the Mossad, by Michael Ross with Jonathan Kay