SPY NEWS: 2023 — Week 10

Summary of the espionage-related news stories for the Week 10 (March 5–11) of 2023.

1. Ireland Vulnerable to Russian Espionage with Many Spy Agents ‘Likely’ to Be Across the Country Already

The Times published this article on March 5th stating that “the mystery surrounding the Marina Sologub case highlights Ireland’s extreme vulnerability to Russian espionage. Moscow’s secret services have been spying in Ireland since the foundation of the state in 1922. In recent years the Russian GRU military intelligence branch and its sister SVR foreign intelligence service have become more aggressive on Irish soil. This has caused relations between Dublin and Moscow to sink to new lows. Both the GRU and SVR are involved in clandestine activities that include kompromat (personal blackmail), the theft of intellectual property, money laundering and more traditional cloak-and-dagger spying. Agents have also tried to influence political debate, spread disinformation and have supported the political wings of both republican and loyalist terrorist groups.”

2. Spy Collection: Tradecraft Sunday: SIGINT Cyclic Survey

On March 5th we published our 4th episode of Tradecraft Sunday. As per its description, “one significant challenge that the internet adoption brought to Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) agencies was how to monitor this massive amount of network traffic. One of the solutions to this challenge is a method known as cyclic survey.”

3. Media Boss Charged with Murder of Journalist in Cameroon

ANews reported on March 5th that “Amougou Belinga was placed under provisional detention Saturday at the central prison in Cameroon’s capital of Yaounde, according to Anecdote — the media group he leads. The decision “came after his appearance before the investigating judge at the military court,” according to the group’s head of communications Ines Belinga. He was arrested Feb. 6 and placed in custody with his alleged collaborators for 26 days in the cells of the Secretariat of State for Defense following the murder of Martinez Zogo — a fellow journalist who fiercely denounced Belinga’s financial misappropriations in complicity with statesmen. Zogo was found dead with signs of torture Jan. 22, five days after he was abducted in Yaounde. Belinga’s collaborators, including Anecdote’s Media Director Bruno Bidjang, have “all been released,” according to Belinga. Bidjang will be tried as a free suspect. Maxime EKo EKo, the head of the country’s counter-espionage service, was also detained along with Lieut. Col. Justin Danwe and members of the military who allegedly participated in Zogo’s assassination.”

4. United States: The Pentagon: China May Be Using Dock Cranes as Espionage Tools

Nova News reported on March 6th that “the US Department of Defense fears that the in China may make use of large dockside cranes in major US cargo ports as tools of espionage. According to the “Wall Street Journal” newspaper, “some national security and Pentagon officials” believe that the large quayside cranes manufactured by the Chinese company Zpmc could be used by Beijing as “Trojan horses”. These are “well-built and relatively inexpensive” cranes, which contain “sophisticated sensors capable of recording and locating the origin and destination of the containers”. The Pentagon fears that China could draw on the data processed by those sensors to glean information about the logistics of US military operations abroad. Commenting on the rumors, former US counterintelligence officer Bill Evanina also speculated that if necessary, the cranes could somehow be controlled remotely to disrupt the flow of goods in the United States.” The same day, Weekly Blitz reported that “Chinese Foreign Minister Mao Ning commented on reports that China is using huge port cranes to spy on the United States. According to her, such statements mislead citizens.” Here you can find the original Wall Street Journal story that revealed this. This was published on March 5th.

5. Saudi Arabia: OceanX Helps Riyadh Boost Best Up-and-Comers in GEOINT

On March 6th Intelligence Online released this article saying that “the Saudi Space Commission has given OceanX the difficult task of developing national geospatial intelligence via an accelerator programme with high ambitions and meagre means.”

6. Sri Lankan Communists Demand Answers Over CIA Chief’s Secret Visit

Following last week’s story #108, on March 6th it was reported by Morning Star Online that “Sri Lankan communists have demanded clarity over whether the head of the CIA made a secret visit to the country last month — and if so what was discussed. Communist Party of Sri Lanka general secretary Dr G Weerasinghe said a US delegation arrived in a special aircraft on February 14 and were not subject to immigration controls or required to show passports. “In essence, there are no records of some people who came in,” he said. It was later reported by Indian newspapers that CIA director William Burns was denied entry to Nepal, having travelled from Sri Lanka. The Indian Express said that the Nepalese authorities had told the US embassy that given an impending presidential election it would not be appropriate for the spymaster to enter the country. Dr Weerasinghe said it was unacceptable that Mr Burns had apparently visited Sri Lanka without it being made public. The government should reveal who he had met and why, he said.”

7. Austria: “Urgent Suspicion”: Why Jan Marsalek’s Family History Could Be a Key

Following last week’s story #103, on March 5th historian Thomas Riegler published this article saying that “in the case of the fugitive Wirecard manager Jan Marsalek, there is one aspect that has not yet been considered. Both he and his grandfather, Hans Marsalek, who died in 2011, were connected to the Austrian intelligence service. While Jan Marsalek is believed to have helped the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counter-Terrorism (BVT) “go under” in 2021, his grandfather helped rebuild BVT’s predecessor, the State Police, after 1945. New documents from the state archives show that Hans Marsalek was suspected of having passed on information to the Soviet occupation forces. Perhaps this aspect can contribute to a better understanding of the enigmatic Jan Marsalek.”

8. New Videos Released by Former CIA Officer Jason Hanson

Throughout this week, former United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer Jason Hanson published the following videos: 1) Ex-CIA Jason Hanson Explains How to Be Your Own Bodyguard, 2) How to Stay Off the Government’s RADAR Explained by Former CIA Jason Hanson, 3) Here’s How to Punch an Attacker With a Pistol…

9. Turkish MIT Publishes 2022 Annual Report

As it was reported by AA on March 5th, “Head of MIT Hakan Fidan emphasised in the presentation letter of the report that the organisation continues to carry out its duties and activities resolutely to eliminate the current and potential threats directed against the Republic of Turkey internally and externally. Pointing out that last year, the whole world was tested by regional and global power struggles, threats from non-state actors and various transnational problems, Fidan said, “In this process, where the current international system is in a radical and dynamic transformation, transnational problems require cooperation in the global arena. “The socio-economic difficulties caused by these problems and the competition between countries and alliances bring along an inevitable power struggle. This situation, which makes the scope of national security more flexible and complex, adds a hybrid and asymmetrical dimension to the threats against our country.” used the phrases. Fidan stated that MIT continues to use its different abilities in the face of diversifying and complex threats in coordination with a global understanding in 2022 and continued as follows: “In this context, the activity of compiling current and strategic intelligence, which is one of the main tasks of the organisation, has been duly fulfilled. The pre-receptive intelligence produced has been analyzed from the point of view of technological capabilities and intelligence, and it has been given importance to ensure that the upper level of our state reaches the right information on time. In the new international system, where uncertainties are accepted as normal, “Quality intelligence produced on time and on time has become much more important. Within the framework of this awareness, the organization, which operates the intelligence wheel in the form of intelligence collection, analysis and submission to the relevant authorities, quickly and efficiently, has reached a capability to compete with the major intelligence services.”.” You can find the full report in MIT’s official website here. It’s a 16-pages long report split in the following sections: 1) General information, 2) Aims and goals, 3) Information and evaluation of activities, 4) Evaluation of institution’s capability and capacity.

10. Climate Change Threatens Canadian Security, Prosperity, Warns Stark Spy Agency Brief

On March 5th the Canadian CBC stated that “Canada’s spy service warns that climate change poses a profound, ongoing threat to national security and prosperity, including the possible loss of parts of British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces to rising sea levels. A newly released analysis by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) also foresees an increase in ideologically motivated violent extremism from people who want to speed up climate change solutions and those more interested in preserving their current way of life. The brief was prepared in April 2021 but only recently disclosed to The Canadian Press in response to an Access to Information request filed in October of that year. CSIS spells out several concerns presented by global warming, ranging from looming dangers to Arctic, coastal and border security to serious pressures on food and water supplies.”

11. Israel: Ex-Spy Jonathan Pollard Says ‘Huwara Must Be Destroyed,’ But Without Killing People

The Times of Israel reported on March 6th that “former Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard said on Sunday that Israel should destroy the Palestinian town of Huwara in the West Bank, but without killing anyone, in response to the terror attack that killed two brothers over a week ago. “It’s up to the government right now to reestablish credibility, not only with our own people, but with our enemies as well, and that means unfortunately for some that Huwara must be destroyed,” Pollard told the Kan public broadcaster at a memorial service for Hallel Yaniv, 21, and Yagel Yaniv, 19, in Jerusalem. “The graves mark the end of two wonderful men. The destruction of Huwara will mark the beginning of our reconquest of our land,” he added. Hours after the Palestinian shooting terror attack that killed the brothers over a week ago, dozens of settlers ran riot through Huwara and other nearby towns, setting fire to buildings and cars, leaving one Palestinian dead and several others badly injured, in what the top general in charge of the area labeled a “pogrom.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also said on Wednesday that the state should “wipe out” Huwara, then walked back the remarks on Saturday as a “slip of the tongue” made in a “storm of emotions.” The comments caused an international uproar and put the top minister’s expected trip to the United States next week in question.”

12. Cyber Espionage Operation Targeting Colombia

On March 6th the BlackBerry Research & Intelligence team published this technical analysis of a new cyber espionage operation attributed to an actor dubbed as APT-C-36 or BLIND EAGLE, associated with an unidentified South American espionage group. As per the article, “on Feb. 20, the BlackBerry Research & Intelligence team witnessed a new spear-phishing campaign where the threat group APT-C-36, also known as Blind Eagle, impersonated a Colombian government tax agency to gain access to the target’s machines. The scam targeted key industries in Colombia, including health, financial, law enforcement, immigration, and an agency in charge of peace negotiation in the country.”

13. Armenia Arrests Former POW on Suspicion of Espionage

ArmenPress reported on March 7th that “a former POW is suspected of spying for Azerbaijan after his release and subsequent service in the military, the prosecution announced on Tuesday. The suspect, a major in the Armed Forces of Armenia, is one of the Armenian troops who were taken captive by Azerbaijani forces in July 2021 in Ishkhanasar, Syunik Province. The Armenian POW was then taken to Baku. In custody, he gave written consent to spy for Azerbaijan after his release, according to investigators. He was released on September 7 of the same year. Months later he was assigned to a new post at a military base, where he served as the communal service chief. The general prosecution said that during his service the suspect “being recruited by a foreign intelligence agency, conveyed classified information [state secrets] to the foreign intelligence agency, thus committing high treason…” He was paid 20,200 dollars by the foreign intelligence agency. The suspect is charged with state treason. The case was lodged at the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction on March 6, 2023.”

14. Ukrainian SBU Neutralised Russian GRU’s Subversion Plan

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced on March 7th that they “thwarted Russian intelligence’s plans to seize power in Ochakiv. Counter-intelligence of the Security Service thwarted Russian plans to create conditions for occupation of coastal areas of Mykolaiv region. As a result of a large-scale special operation, an agent of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation (better known as GRU) was detained in Ochakiv, who was collecting intelligence for the capture of the Ukrainian city. According to the investigation, Russian military intelligence gave him the task of inducing the leadership of the city government to cooperate with the occupiers. For this, the mayor of the city was offered to “elect a position” in the event of the capture of the southern region. However, he showed a patriotic attitude, informed the SBU about recruitment attempts and contributed to the exposure of the enemy’s plans. It was established that the former commander of one of the special operations centres of the Armed Forces of Ukraine turned out to be the agent of the GRU. Later, he got a job at the Ochakiv City Council. After the full-scale invasion, the official was contacted by Russian military intelligence to carry out intelligence-subversive activities against Ukraine. It was established that he was in constant contact with the agency’s staff member Serhiy Oleksandrovich Kolesnikov (Сергий Олександрович Колєсніков), born on July 31, 1971, a native of Ukraine. It was on his instructions that the official secretly collected information about the locations and movements of units of the Defence Forces, which are involved in the protection of coastal areas. For this, he tried to use his connections among former soldiers and current officials. He was also engaged in the formation of his own extensive network of informants to collect and transfer intelligence for the benefit of the aggressor country. During searches of the enemy agent’s residence, SBU officers discovered a “secret” phone that he used for conspiratorial correspondence with the occupiers. In addition, thermal imagers and unregistered weapons with ammunition were seized.”

15. US Counterintelligence in Turmoil Over Internal Flaws

Intelligence Online reported on March 7th that “with its internecine quarrels, the indictment of a former high-ranking officer and a structure sometimes deemed deficient, even Congress is worried about the state of US counter-espionage. These concerns have been fuelled by seemingly growing attempts at interference by foreign entities, notably those from Russia and China.”

16. Lebanese Resistance Find Israeli Spy Device in South Lebanon

On March 6th Al Mayadeen reported that “the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon announced that it had found an Israeli espionage device near the Al-Abbad site on the Palestinian-Lebanese borders on Lebanese soil. The Lebanese Army was on a high state of alert on Sunday at the border with occupied Palestine after an officer in the Lebanese army pushed an Israeli officer and uprooted an iron stake that the occupation was planting outside the Blue Line. UNIFIL forces intervened to de-escalate the situation and separate the two sides. Furthermore, earlier in the year, the Lebanese army prevented an Israeli bulldozer from operating outside the Blue Line at the borders of the settlement of “Metula” in southern Lebanon.”

17. Huawei Accused of Tracking Visitors via Security Badges at MWC 2023

GizmoChina reported on March 6th that “the recent accusation against Huawei has created a buzz in the tech industry, and many MWC attendees are not happy with the situation. Huawei, the Chinese tech giant, has been accused of tracking visitors who visited its booth at the most significant tech event, MWC 2023, held in Barcelona. The allegations against the company are not new. In recent years, Huawei has been considered a national security threat in the United States due to its close ties with the Communist Chinese government. The allegation against Huawei’s tracking devices arose when some visitors failed to return their security badges, which were needed to access the Huawei booth. Upon further investigation, it was found that the plastic container of the badge contained a tracking device that looked suspiciously like a tracker. Nokia‘s new Senior Vice President of Europe, Rolf Werner, took his badge apart and displayed the circuits that could be used as trackers. The possibility of Huawei using low-powered Beacon technology to track visitors has also been discussed. Huawei has denied the allegations, and the company spokesperson said, “The Huawei pass is used only in the booth and returned when visitors get out. There is no need to track location.”.”

18. Belgian Intelligence Services Knew Nothing About Espionage by the US and Germans for Years

On March 6th Nieuwsblad reported that “the Committee I, the Belgian regulator of the intelligence services, has examined the Crypto AG case. During that operation, Belgium was spied on for years by the US, Germany and other friendly countries. This emerged three years ago from secret reports from the American intelligence service CIA and the German service BND. The operation, code-named Rubicon, revolved around the Swiss company Crypto AG, of which the CIA and BND had secretly become shareholders in 1970. Crypto AG was for years the market leader in machines to encrypt communication. However, some countries received crypto machines that the Americans and Germans could crack, while other countries received watertight devices. From 1973 to at least 1993, Rubicon was one of the most successful intelligence operations since World War II. Leaked documents indicated that Belgium was not a partner, but a target. Confidential messages sent by Belgian diplomats from the embassies to the central administration in Brussels and vice versa have probably been spied on by the American and German services for three decades. In its final report, Committee I writes that the Belgian intelligence services were never aware of the Crypto AG case until it leaked to the press. The Belgian intelligence services have been “intentionally kept out of the secret SIGINT network Maximator”, concludes the Committee I. Maximator, named after the German beer, is an alliance of the intelligence services of Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark, founded in 1976. They intercepted electronic messages (‘signals intelligence’ or SIGINT) via the Crypto AG machines. “There is a good chance that Belgium has been the subject of interception activities of its encrypted messages.” Although the affair is old, Committee I urges our intelligence services to remain alert that their encrypted messages may be subject to deciphering activities.”

19. Russia: Ex-FSB Officer Anton Nemkin Acts as Middleman Between Duma and Cybersecurity Sector

Intelligence Online reported on March 10th that “the investor and Duma cyber security specialist acts as the industry’s advocate in the lower house of the Russian parliament, in order to deal with the shortage of personnel faced by many cybersecurity companies.”

20. Chinese Cyber Espionage Operations Against Southeast Asian Government Entities

On March 7th Check Point Research published a technical analysis for cyber espionage activity associated with an actor dubbed as SHARP PANDA, previously associated with the intelligence services of China. As per its executive summary, “in 2021, Check Point Research published a report on a previously undisclosed toolset used by Sharp Panda, a long-running Chinese cyber-espionage operation targeting Southeast Asian government entities. Since then, we have continued to track the use of these tools across several operations in multiple Southeast Asian countries, in particular nations with similar territorial claims or strategic infrastructure projects such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.”

21. Burundi Sends Spy Chief, Attorney General to Kigali

Taarifa reported on March 6th that “relations between Kigali and Gitega are seemingly normalising as evidenced by busy shuttle diplomacy between both sides. On Sunday, Burundi government sent to Rwanda a high level delegation including; Ezéchiel Nibigira Minister of East African Community Affairs, Sylvestre Nyandwi the Attorney General, and Maj. Gen. Ildephonse Habarurema the head of the National Intelligence Service (SNR). President Paul Kagame received the Burundian delegation at Village Urugwiro; “were in Rwanda to deliver a message from President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, who is also the current Chair of East African Community,” Rwandan Presidency said without giving extra details. This visit comes after tete-a-tete between the Rwandan President and the Burundian Head of State on the sidelines of the 20th extraordinary summit of the EAC held on 4 February in Bujumbura. It had been more than 10 years since the Rwandan president had set foot on Burundian soil, following the deterioration of relations between the two countries, following the political and security crisis of 2015. Despite public and behind the curtains engagement between Gitega and Kigali authorities, Burundi is still calling for the extradition of the personalities responsible for the failed coup of May 13, 2015 allegedly exiled in Rwanda. However, Kigali is still maintains a position that the personalities claimed by Gitega are under the protection of the UNHCR. And this is the point of contention between the two countries, which continue to show signs for the normalization of their relations.”

22. Spying by Mexico’s Armed Forces Brings Fears of a ‘Military State’

On March 7th the New York Times reported that “Mexico’s armed forces spied on a human rights defender and journalists who were investigating allegations that soldiers had gunned down innocent people, documents show, providing clear evidence of the military’s illegal use of surveillance tools against civilians. The government has been embroiled in scandal for years over the use of sophisticated spyware against a wide range of people who stand up to Mexico’s leaders. But surveillance experts say this is the first time a paper trail has emerged to prove definitively that the Mexican military spied on citizens who were trying to expose its misdeeds. Documents and interviews show how the spying that tarnished the previous government has continued under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who vowed that his administration would not engage in such surveillance, which he called “illegal” and “immoral.” Mexico’s armed forces are not authorized to spy on civilians, legal experts say, but the military has long wielded spying technology and has grown ever more powerful under Mr. López Obrador. In a 2020 Defense Ministry report, unearthed last year in an extensive hack of the Mexican armed forces and reviewed by The New York Times, military officers described the details of private conversations between a human rights advocate and three journalists discussing allegations that soldiers just weeks earlier had executed three civilians in a confrontation with a cartel. The report contended that the advocate, Raymundo Ramos, was trying to “discredit the armed forces” by discussing allegations of unlawful killings by the military with reporters. It recommended that the military glean information from his private conversations, but not include it in official case files, perhaps in an attempt to keep its spying secret. Forensic tests show that Mr. Ramos’s cellphone had been infected multiple times by Pegasus — extremely powerful spyware — around the same time that the military produced the report on his conversations, according to an analysis by Citizen Lab, a research institute at the University of Toronto.”

23. Podcast: Spycraft 101: An International CIA Pilot with Lee Gossett

On March 10th Spycraft 101 published a new episode. As per its description, “as part of the Central Intelligence Agency’s artwork collection, an oil painting of a Pilatus PC-6 Porter STOL aircraft was unveiled at their headquarters in 2010, with veteran pilot Lee Gossett in attendance. The Pilatus Porter was a workhorse of covert operations in Laos and elsewhere for decades as its short-takeoff-and-landing capability made it ideal for remote, unimproved airstrips worldwide. Lee was working as a smokejumper for the US Forest Service when he volunteered for a position in Laos as a cargo kicker for Air America in 1964. Two of his close friends had already been killed in Laos, and another captured, but Lee was undeterred. After a tour as a kicker, he returned in 1966, this time as a pilot. Lee spent six and a half years altogether in Laos, transporting supplies and personnel in support of the secret war there before the US finally pulled out of the region entirely. Afterwards, Lee was one of just four pilots called back in 1979 when the CIA rebuilt its air operations wing, and he spent thousands of hours over the ensuing decades working for Air America, Continental Air Services, and Southern Air Transport all over the world, supporting covert operations in low-intensity conflicts wherever they were found. For episode 75 of the Spycraft 101 podcast, I spoke with Lee for the second time, as he previously appeared in episode thirteen. This time we discussed his photo surveillance assignments in Central America, night operations in a Schweizer motor glider over Mogadishu, Somalia in late 1993, the friends he made — and lost — along the way, and his work on one of the earliest unmanned aerial vehicle programs in existence, among other topics.”

24. Crypto Museum Adds 3 New Items to Online Collection

The Netherlands-based Crypto Museum published 3 new pages this week for: 1) DSP-9000 Enhanced Domain Transform (EDT) voice scrambler, 2) CryptWare Board Hardware Security Module (HSM), 3) SAFE-Board HSM.

25. The Daring Ruse That Exposed China’s Campaign to Steal American Secrets

The New York Times published this story on March 7th concluding that “one day last September, I traveled to Cincinnati to ask Hua about what he had gone through. He agreed to meet on the condition that I protect his identity. Even though he testified in court under his real name, he wanted to draw as little attention to himself as possible, especially out of a concern for his family. We met at a Chinese restaurant for lunch. Walking over to the table where I was sitting with his attorney, he greeted me with a gentle handshake and asked me to excuse him for speaking softly because of a rib injury he’d suffered while jogging. Hua told me he had spent the past few years rebuilding his life. During the time he was helping the F.B.I. with its investigation, he was effectively unemployed — G.E. fired Hua after he was on leave for several months — except for a couple of weeks when he worked as a driver for Uber Eats. He finally found a job with an engineering company unrelated to his expertise. Still, he didn’t see himself as a victim. “Why did I have to accept the invitation without consulting my employer, my family?” he said. “I bear the consequences of what I did.” He brightened when I asked him about his interest in composites. “It’s a fascinating field,” he said. “You can design a composite in many ways. You can think out of the box, you have a lot of flexibility in engineering it.” When I asked if he’d thought about returning to the field, however, he shook his head. “I don’t want to,” he said. He seemed worried that going back to designing composite structures would somehow open a fresh portal to the trauma he was trying to leave behind. A few times during our conversation, I saw his eyes glisten and his lips quiver. But whenever I pressed him to describe how he felt about what he had been through, his face would take on a stoic expression, as if he was trying to keep his emotions in check. “If you ask me, are there days when I have trouble falling asleep? Yes, there are. I regret what I did. But I always tell myself, that’s the past, what can I do? I can only look forward, to see what I can do tomorrow.” When Hua told me how he agreed to assist the F.B.I. to save himself and his family, I couldn’t help thinking of him and Xu as chess pieces in a geopolitical game that they had little control over — two men of similar background whose lives had collided, with unfortunate results for both. I asked Hua if he felt any anger toward Xu for arranging his visit to Nanjing. “No,” Hua replied. “He was just doing what he was asked to do.”Weeks later, after Xu’s sentencing on Nov. 16, Hua relayed a message to me through his attorney to say that he was saddened to hear that Xu would be spending such a long time in prison. “He’s not my enemy,” Hua said. “We are all just normal people.”.”

26. New Indian Cyber Espionage Operation Targeting Pakistan

On March 10th cyber security researcher Kimberly discovered and disclosed technical indicators of a new cyber espionage operation attributed to an actor dubbed as SIDEWINDER, previously associated with the government of India. The operation involved a lure document titled “Leakage of Sensitive Data on Dark Web.docx” which impersonated a report from the Government of Pakistan Cabinet Secretariat Cabinet Division (NTISB) which, if opened, was installing a cyber espionage software implant.

27. Ukrainian SBU Detained Russian Agent in Novomoskovsk

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on March 7th that they “detained an enemy informer who was pointing Russian missiles at shopping centres in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. He turned out to be a resident of Novomoskovsk, who was collecting information for the Russian intelligence service about the locations and movements of the Defence Forces in the region. In addition, he gave the occupiers the coordinates of the city’s shopping establishments, central squares and other places of mass gathering of people. At the same time, in the “reports” he changed their names and marked them as military locations. The invaders needed the information obtained to prepare targeted missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. For this, the aggressor promised his henchman money and a “position” in the ranks of the occupation administration in the event of the capture of the region. SBU counter-intelligence officers documented the criminal activity of the enemy informer and detained him in his own apartment. According to the investigation, he was in constant contact with a representative of the Russian intelligence service, with whom he came into contact in one of the pro-Kremlin pubs. In the future, the person involved transmitted the locations of Ukrainian sites to the enemy through the messenger in the form of electronic coordinates or photographic materials linked to the area. During the search of the attacker’s place of residence, law enforcement officers found computer equipment and mobile phones that he used to communicate with the aggressor. Racist symbols were also confiscated from the suspect.”

28. Podcast: Grey Dynamics: OSINT and SOCMINT for Threat Intelligence with Jordan Ponath

On March 10th Grey Dynamics published this new podcast episode. As per its description, “today I spoke with Jordan Ponath, senior intelligence analyst at Lockheed Martin, ex-US Marine, and self-described ‘data geek’. Jordan leads a team constantly on the lookout for threats to his organization using OSINT and SOCMINT techniques. In this episode, we get into the tools he and his team use as well as unconventional routes into the sector.”

29. India: 5 arrested in Assam for Supplying SIM Cards to Pakistani Agents, Hunt on for 5 Others

Rediff reported on March 8th that “five people were arrested from Nagaon and Morigaon districts of Assam for allegedly supplying SIM cards to Pakistani agents, a police spokesperson said on Wednesday. Several mobile phones, SIM cards and other incriminating materials, including a handset used to share defence information with a foreign embassy, were seized, he said. Assam police spokesperson Prasanta Bhuyan said the arrests were made during an operation carried out on Tuesday night, based on inputs from a central agency and other sources. “There were inputs that around 10 people from the two districts were involved in fraudulently procuring SIM cards from different service providers and supplying those to some Pakistani agents, thus working against the integrity and sovereignty of the nation,” he said. Five of the accused were arrested on Tuesday night, he added. Those arrested were identified as Ashiqul Islam, Bodor Uddin, Mijanur Rahman and Wahiduz Zaman, all from Nagaon, and Baharul Islam from Morigaon. Among the items recovered from the arrested people and houses of the five absconding accused are 18 mobile phones, 136 SIM cards suspected to have been procured for fraudulent purposes, one fingerprint scanner, one high-tech CPU and some documents such as birth certificates, passbooks and photographs. Bhuyan said that during interrogation, it was revealed that Ashiqul Islam was using a mobile handset with two IMEI numbers from which a WhatsApp call was made, sharing defence information with a foreign embassy. “That specific mobile phone was found in his possession. Other nabbed people were also found technically involved in this connection. A thorough interrogation is underway,” the spokesperson added.”

30. Arrested for Arms Trafficking, Israeli Expert Gal Luft has Close Ties to the US Security Establishment

As reported by Intelligence Online on March 9th, “arrested on charges of arms trafficking to China and Libya, Luft has extensive ties in Washington, including a role at two think tanks whose officials and members include prominent retired US spy chiefs.”

31. North Korean Hackers Used Polished LinkedIn Profiles to Target Security Researchers

CyberScoop reported on March 10th that “hackers believed to be working on behalf of North Korea have in recent years posed as recruiters and targeted workers in a variety of industries with offers of extravagant jobs at big-name firms with massive salaries. In the past, that campaign has mostly been carried out over email, but now researchers are seeing North Korean hackers shift their phishing attempts to LinkedIn and WhatsApp. By first constructing convincing profiles on the career-focused social media platform LinkedIn, reaching out to their victims with phony job offers and convincing them to move the conversation over to WhatsApp, where they would be targeted with malware, North Korean hackers have crafted a sophisticated method for targeting computer security researchers, according to a two-part report released by Google’s Mandiant on Thursday. Michael Barnhart, a principal analyst at Mandiant, describes this North Korean threat actor as “one of the more skilled groups coming out of this closed off nation,” and in targeting security researchers, the group deployed a range of new tools.”

32. Japan: Nikkei Expresses Regret Over Taiwan Military Espionage Report

Taiwan News reported on March 7th that “Japan’s Nikkei newspaper has expressed regret over an article that said many retired Taiwan military officers provide intelligence to China.”

33. Italy: Espionage, Asked for Life Imprisonment for Biot: “He Traded Top Secret Documents”

L’unione Sarda reported on March 9th that “the military prosecutor’s office in Rome has requested a life sentence for naval officer Walter Biot accused of espionage. In March 2021, he would have handed over classified documents to an official of the Russian Embassy in Italy in exchange for money. During the indictment, the prosecutor reconstructed the story also referring to the photos in which Biot is seen taking pictures of the office PC screen with his cell phone and a series of documents. «Among the 19 documents photographed by Biot there were some NATO secret, very confidential, and one Top secret». For the representative of the prosecution «Biot traded in secret documents» and demonstrated «high degree of infidelity and criminal capacity, but also the sad venal gain. The cunning with which he wanted to conceal his action. That of March 30, 2021 was only that discovery, but there may have been others ».” On March 9th, Reuters reported that “an Italian navy captain was found guilty on Thursday of selling secrets to Russia and sentenced by a military tribunal to 30 years in jail. Walter Biot, 56, was arrested in 2021 as he was handing information to a Russian embassy employee in a Rome car park. Italy subsequently expelled two Russian diplomats and accused Biot of selling documents, including classified NATO documents, for 5,000 euros ($5,280).”

34. US Says Intelligence Shows Russia Stirring Unrest in Moldova

The Associated Press reported on March 10th that “U.S. intelligence officials have determined that people with ties to Russian intelligence are planning to stage protests in hopes of toppling the Moldovan government, according to the White House. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the intelligence shows that actors, some connected with Russian intelligence, are seeking to stage and use protests in Moldova as a basis to foment an insurrection against Moldova’s new pro-Western government. Kirby said the intelligence shows that another set of Russian actors would provide training and help manufacture demonstrations in Moldova, which was granted European Union candidate status in June, on the same day as Ukraine, its war-torn neighbor.”

35. Documentary: Journalists Under Surveillance: Stalked by Spies for 30 Years

The Witness YouTube channel published a new documentary on March 8th. As per its description, “why was journalist Roger Milliss stalked by Australian spies for 30 years? In this episode, journalist and author Roger Milliss dives back into his past to recount the trauma of having been stalked by Australian intelligence service ASIO for two générations, a constant surveillance that would destroy his relationship with his father. Followed by spies for thirty years, even his wife and brother became targets… How many lives has ASIO ruined in the name of the state? There are two kinds of history–official history, the kind that is taught in schools. Then there’s secret history — a scandalous kind of history, which explains how things really happened. In this series, a ‘person of interest’ is given their previously secret Australian intelligence file and recounts the allegations contained within it. These are highly personal stories taken from ASIO intelligence files from the Cold War and its aftermath, through to the decades of student radicalism and dissent of the 1960’s and 70’s — a time when fear of Communism, outsiders, and perceived threats to the established order fostered a secret network of surveillance on ordinary Australian citizens.”

36. Ukraine’s SBU Detained Russian Agent in Odessa

On March 8th Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “detained one more enemy informer in Odessa. The Security Service exposed one more accomplice of the Rashists as a result of counter-subversive measures in the south of Ukraine. He published information about the bases of the Defence Forces and the location of critical infrastructure facilities in the Odessa region on banned social networks. The occupiers used information “captured” in social networks to prepare and carry out targeted missile strikes. In the case of “arrivals”, an enemy informant went to the area to find out and publicise their consequences for repeated air attacks. Counter-intelligence officers of the SBU identified and detained the perpetrator in Odessa. According to the investigation, the suspect is a local resident who supports the armed aggression of the Russian Federation and justifies the war crimes of the Russians. In addition, on his own pages in banned social networks, he called for the violent seizure of state power and the destruction of the Ukrainian people. During the search of the detainee’s residence, law enforcement officers found computer equipment with evidence of criminal activity.”

37. United States: What TikTok Withholds is as Concerning as What it Posts, Nakasone Says

C4ISR.Net published this article on March 8th saying that “what TikTok doesn’t tell you in its digital feed is at least as concerning as how its posts can influence opinion, according to the leader of both U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency. Gen. Paul Nakasone told the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 7 that while the organizations he oversees are wary of the popular Chinese-owned app’s data collection, its tightly tailored algorithms and its international reach, what TikTok withholds can be just as damaging. “TikTok concerns me, for a number of different reasons,” said Nakasone, whose teams are tasked with protecting U.S. defense networks and tending to cryptographic standards and intelligence. “It’s not only the fact that you can influence something, but you can also turn off the message, as well, when you have such a large population of listeners.” The short-form video-sharing app, free to download, has more than 100 million users in the U.S. alone.”

38. Paragon Carves New Place for Israeli Cyber in Singapore

Intelligence Online reported on March 9th that “Paragon, backed by former PM Ehud Barak, recently landed a major contract in Singapore, confirming its status as the new star of Israeli cyber-intelligence.”

39. Russia Has Been Sending Captured US Javelins and Stingers from Ukraine to Iran, Which May be Able to Reverse-engineer the Weapons

MSN reported that “Russia has been sending Western-supplied weapons captured on the battlefields of Ukraine to its ally Iran, which may be able to reverse-engineer the technology, according to CNN. US, NATO, and other Western officials have observed several instances of Russian forces capturing US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft systems that the Ukrainian army has left behind, CNN reported, citing four sources familiar with the matter. According to the sources, Russia has flown some of these weapons to Iran, likely so that it can take them apart and analyze the technology in order to create its own versions of the weapons.”

40. Gold Mining Firm Accused of ‘Espionage’ Against UK Activist

Open Democracy reported on March 7th that “a mining firm operating in Northern Ireland has been accused of “espionage” by an environmental activist, after documents revealed it monitored his online activity for at least four years. The Canadian-owned company, Dalradian Gold, has long faced opposition to its plans to extract up to £3bn of precious metals in the Sperrin Mountains in County Tyrone. The firm’s 2017 planning application received almost 37,000 objections, leading Northern Ireland’s then-infrastructure minister, Nichola Mallon, to announce a public inquiry on the proposals. But despite widespread local resistance, records seen by openDemocracy have revealed that the firm has been monitoring campaigners’ social media activity.”

41. China Has Become a Tough Target for U.S. Spies

On March 8th the NBC News published this story saying that “the U.S. has yet to fully recover from a catastrophic setback in which an informant network inside China was unmasked and dismantled. At least 20 were executed. With Washington and Beijing locked in a tense superpower rivalry, the United States faces a daunting task in discerning the intentions of leaders in a country where power is increasingly concentrated and surveillance widespread, former American intelligence officials said. Reliable information about decision-making in China is in high demand in Washington amid fears Beijing could opt to arm Russian forces waging war in Ukraine or try to seize control of Taiwan by force. But under President Xi Jinping’s rule, China has become an elusive target for U.S. intelligence agencies, according to five former senior intelligence officials and congressional aides. Xi’s tightening grip on power, his government’s vast electronic surveillance apparatus, a crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, and a strict three-year Covid lockdown have all made intelligence gathering exceedingly difficult, former officials said. Some of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic.”

42. Virtual Spy Chat: Spy Chat with Chris Costa — Guest: Dexter Ingram

On March 8th the International Spy Museum published the recording of a virtual chat. As per its description, “join us for an online discussion of the latest intelligence, national security, and terrorism issues in the news. Spy Museum Executive Director Chris Costa will lead the briefing. Costa, a former intelligence officer of 34 years with 25 of those in active duty in hot spots such as Panama, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq is also a past Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council. He will be joined by Dexter Ingram, Senior Advisor, US Department of State. Ingram is a counterterrorism and counter weapons of mass destruction strategist with over 25 years of experience. He has served as an Advisor to the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS; Senior Counterterrorism Advisor to INTERPOL in Lyon, France; Senior Political Advisor in Helmand, Afghanistan; Deputy Director of the State Department’s Preventing WMD Terrorism team; and as a senior liaison to the FBI and DHS. Ingram led many US interagency delegations to Asia and Africa focusing on nuclear proliferation deterrence. In 2010, Ingram became the first US recipient of the International Counterterrorism Fellowship at National Defense University. He has focused extensively on how information-sharing through law enforcement channels ensure Americans’ safety. Ingram began his career as a Naval Flight Officer, fueling his dedication to public service. Ingram serves on the Spy Museum’s Advisory Board, and he is actively involved in educational initiatives that empower underserved public schools.”

43. Russian Intelligence Mobilised to Create Framework for Drone Development

On March 8th Intelligence Online reported that “the Russian intelligence services are getting more closely involved in the development of drones, a key weapon in its war with Ukraine.”

44. Pakistani Cyber Espionage Operation Targeting India

On March 10th cyber security researcher Kimberly discovered and disclosed technical indicators of a new cyber espionage operation attributed to an actor dubbed as TRANSPARENT TRIBE, previously associated with the government of India. The operation involved a lure document titled “omthrpa.zip” which was also impersonating Indian government’s National Informatics Centre and, if opened, it was covertly installing a cyber espionage software implant.

45. Ukrainian SBU Detained 3 FSB Agents Across Ukraine

On March 9th Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced that they “detained enemy informants who were spying on the leadership of the capital’s military commissars. The Security Service exposed new members of the FSB intelligence network, which operated in various regions of Ukraine. The perpetrators collected intelligence on the locations of the Defence Forces, and also informed the aggressor about the technical condition of critical infrastructure facilities after enemy strikes. The SBU detained six Russian agents from this network at the end of February. Three more FSB informants have been detained so far. They tried to covertly collect classified information near Ukrainian military units. Among those involved is a resident of the capital region, who tried to identify a spare command post of the leadership of the territorial centre of procurement and social support of Kyiv. He also received a task from the FSB to get “under the guise” to the premises of one of the military commissariats and conduct intelligence there. Another attacker went to cooperate with the enemy, because he was counting on a “position” in the occupation administration in the event of the seizure of part of the southern region of Ukraine. According to the investigation, the informants were in remote communication with a case officer of the FSB, who involved them in secret cooperation after the start of the full-scale invasion. A specially created anonymous Telegram channel was used for communication.”

46. Espionage Against Swedish Universities Continues to Increase

PostsEn reported on March 9th that “already last year, Säkerhetspolisen, Säpo, wrote in its yearbook about how China, Russia and Iran pose the biggest threats to Swedish security. According to Säpo, Sweden is an attractive country for foreign powers that “illegally want to get hold of both knowledge, information and technology”. As the university teacher have written about before, that image is shared by several security managers at Swedish universities.”

47. The Approach of Chinese TA413 for Tibetan Targets

This week malware analyst Gameel Ali published a detailed technical analysis on how a cyber operator dubbed as TA413, previously associated with the intelligence services of China, has been targeting Tibetan individuals for cyber espionage purposes.

48. AIVD: China Collects Dutch Personal Data on a Large Scale

On March 9th the BNR reported that “although most people will point to Russia when asked which country poses the greatest cyber threat, the AIVD explicitly looks at China. Director Erik Akerboom: ‘In the long term, that is China. Unmistakable. In that sense, Russia is China’s little brother. And China has become a superpower and has the ambition to become a world leader in all areas.’.”

49. Spy Way of Life: CXIII REX, the Cigar Bar Where CIA Contractors Mingle Over Pasta and a Puff

This week’s selection for Intelligence Online’ Spy Way of Life series is the CXIII Rex Humidor, located in Old Town Alexandria, United States. As per the article, “this week, Intelligence Online takes a peak inside the very select CXIII REX club in Alexandria near Washington, where Pentagon, CIA and FBI contractors can enjoy some fine cigars and Italian fare while mixing with peers.”

50. Turkey: The “Espionage” Case Against Metin Gürcan Postponed

Following 2022 week 2 story #3 and 2022 week 13 story #53, on March 9th News in France reported that “the trial in which Metin Gürcan, a founding member of the Democracy and Atılım Party (DEVA), was tried for “espionage” continued. The pending defendant Gürcan and his lawyers attended the closed hearing at the Ankara 26th High Criminal Court. According to the information received, the president of the court gave the floor to the accused and his lawyers after the documents in the case file were read. The lawyers of the accused stated that they wanted to make a defense in the hearing, which was the main member of the committee and was not present at the hearing due to his excuse. Thereupon, the court adjourned the case to June 15.”

51. New Zealand Public Servant Accused of Spying for China

On March 9th The Age reported that “a senior analyst for the New Zealand government has been accused of providing privileged information to the Chinese government by the country’s Security Intelligence Service. Yuan Zhao, who also goes by the name Jason, says he and his family were “detained” at Wellington Airport in October by New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service (SIS) as they were returning from a holiday in Australia. His phone was seized, and his son’s laptop was searched. The Chinese-born New Zealand citizen has said on a fundraising website, which has since been removed from the internet, that he was then accused of being an “insider threat risk” because he provided “privileged insights” and reported to the Chinese government and held “close personal relationships” with officials of a foreign government in New Zealand. He said he felt threatened by the SIS, compelled to participate in a voluntary interview in another room while his wife and three children were “hostage”, and told not to talk about the matter as the SIS could find him anywhere. He has been suspended from his job at New Zealand’s Public Service Commission. His colleagues at the commission noticed he disappeared from the workplace late in 2022. Zhao, when approached on Tuesday, denied he had provided the Chinese government with information. He said the SIS had no evidence to substantiate the accusation. “I’m innocent. Someone framed me up,” he said. Both the SIS and Public Service Commission declined to comment.”

52. Ukraine: “People’s Satellite” Helps to Destroy Thousands of Units of Enemy Equipment

On March 9th the Universe Magazine reported that “the ICEYE satellite, acquired with donations from Ukrainians by the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, helped to detect and destroy thousands of units of Russian equipment. This is stated in the statement of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The military intelligence of Ukraine began using the “people’s satellite” from September 24, 2022. Since then, the security and defense forces of the State have been receiving the necessary intelligence from space every day. For 5 months of using ICEYE, employees of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine conducted space radar reconnaissance of almost 1,000 areas of the location of the aggressor state units in the temporarily occupied and other territories of interest to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

53. NorthStar Lights Way for China to Enter Saudi Arabian GEOINT

Following this week’s story #5, on March 8th Intelligence Online reported that “Star.vision, founded and operated by veterans of Chinese telecoms company ZTE, is carving a place for itself in Saudi Arabia thanks to the startup NorthStar, which recently joined the Saudi Space Commission’s Space Accelerator Programme.”

54. Czech Cyber Watchdog Warns Against Using TikTok

Reuters reported on March 8th that “the Czech cyber security watchdog warned on Wednesday against using TikTok, joining a growing number of Western agencies alleging the Chinese-owned social media app poses a security risk. The NUKIB agency recommended that TikTok should not be installed on phones whose users access critical and other significant infrastructure. “The Agency is concerned about potential security threat stemming from the use of TikTok primarily due to the amount of user data that is collected by the app as well as the way the data is handled.” NUKIB said.”

55. Trial of 41-Year-Old Man for Espionage Begins in Russian Region

Pledge Times reported on March 10th that “a 41-year-old man is on trial in the Kursk region for espionage and attempted drug trafficking. In the Kursk region, a trial has begun against a 41-year-old man on espionage. On Friday, March 10, “Lente.ru” was informed by the representative of the joint press service of the courts of the region Anna Polyanskaya. The defendant is charged under Article 276 (“Espionage”) and Part 3 of Article 30, Part 5 of Article 228 (“Attempted to illegally sell drugs using the Internet by a group of persons by prior agreement on an especially large scale”). Consideration of the case by the collegiate composition began on March 6. The court session is closed. Additional information was not disclosed. The defendant is currently in jail. Earlier it became known that a resident of the Amur region was detained for collecting classified data for foreign intelligence services.”

56. Iran Jails Ill Irish-French National for Six-and-a-Half Years on Spying Charges

RFi reported on March 8th that “Iran has sentenced an Irish-French citizen to six-and-a-half years in jail. Bernard Phelan has been held since his arrest in October in the northeastern city of Mashhad. The 64-year-old suffers from a number of health problems, some requiring daily medication. His family say his life is in danger. Bernard Phelan, a Paris-based travel consultant, is accused of transmitting information to an enemy state, a charge he denies. At an initial hearing on 20 February, where he was assisted by a regime-appointed lawyer, Phelan was sentenced to three and a half years, a reduced penalty in view of his health condition and age. However, a second hearing on 26 February saw the sentenced increased to six-and-a-half years.”

57. Ukrainian SBU Exposed Russian Penetration in the Agency

On March 9th Ukraine’s SBU announced that “one more supporter of the “Russian peace” has been exposed. The Main Directorate of Internal Security of the SBU, together with the State Bureau of Investigation, has exposed another official of the regional division of the Service for anti-Ukrainian activities. She justified the full-scale invasion and war crimes of the Russian occupiers. Also, the employee tried to present the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine as an “internal civil conflict” and called the mass killings and torture of people in Buch “reenactments”. In addition, she reacted negatively to the liberation of Ukrainian territories, including Fr. Serpentine. On the basis of the collected evidence, the suspect was notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Art. 436–2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (justification, recognition as legitimate, denial of armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants, committed by an official).”

58. Video: WIRED: Spy Historian Debunks Chinese Spy Balloon Theories

On March 10th WIRED published this short video. As per its description, “Dr. Andrew Hammond, Historian & Curator at the International Spy Museum, breaks down some common misconceptions about the Chinese ‘spy’ balloon that was shot down in the United States. Did the U.S. shoot down the balloon too late? Was this a dry run for a military attack? Was this the first time this has happened? Could the spy balloon see into our homes?”

59. United States: ODNI: 2023 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community

On March 8th the US ODNI published the 2023 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community. The same day, The Independent published the video recording of the “US intelligence chiefs testify before Senate Intelligence Committee on global threats.”

60. Spymaster: Li Wei, Xi’s Intelligence Gathering Champion

Intelligence Online published this article on March 10th saying that “General Li Wei, an intelligence specialist who trained in Xinjiang and is close to President Xi Jinping, is using new information sharing and training programmes to turn the People’s Liberation Army’s Strategic Support Force into a well-oiled intelligence machine.”

61. Philippines: Army Eyes New Intelligence Unit to Monitor Dismissed Soldiers

The Malaya Business Insight reported on March 10th that “the Philippine Army yesterday said it is planning to form a counter-intelligence unit to monitor and subsequently prevent dishonorably discharged soldiers from getting involved in criminal activities. Army spokesman Col. Xerxes Trinidad made the statement following the involvement of four discharged Army soldiers in the March 5 killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and eight others. Four former Army soldiers have been arrested for the crime and are now cooperating in investigations, including ex-Sgt Joven Javier, a former member of the elite Light Reaction Battalion under the Army’s Special Operations Command. The three others are ex-sergeant Joric Labrador of the 4th Military Intelligence Battalion, ex-corporal Benjie Rodriguez of the 35th Infantry Battalion, and Osmundo Rivero, also a former Army soldier who became a taxi driver. The military said the soldiers were discharged from the service for violations of Articles of War such as involvement in illegal drugs, absence without official leave, and disorder and neglect to the prejudice of good order and military discipline. “We are strengthening our counter-intelligence efforts to keep track of the activities of former soldiers, especially the dishonorably discharged personnel who possess special skills,” said Trinidad.”

62. China Reportedly Stole US Military Technology for its J-20 Fighter Jet

The New York Post published this article on March 9th saying that “China ​ripped off US military technology to build an advanced high-tech jet fighter, and experts warn that more must be done to protect American weapons information​ and keep Beijing from making such huge developmental leaps​ in the future, according to a report​ Thursday​. “What we know is that because of the espionage efforts, [China’s] J-20 is more advanced than it otherwise would be, and that’s the important point here,” former Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy James Anderson ​told Fox News Digital in an interview. “They have profited greatly from their thievery over the years,” ​Anderson said. “They’ve put it to good use, and they’ve come up with an advanced fifth-generation fighter​.”​ But he said it’s difficult to determine how the J-20 matches up against the US F-22 Raptor “short of actual combat.”​​ Beijing started development on the J-20 stealth fighter for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force in 2008 with the aim to develop a warplane that would be able to compete with American fighters, the report said. The J-20 embarked on its first flight in 2011 and was introduced into service in 2017.”

63. Germany: Right-wing Extremism: Trail Leads to the BND

The German BR24 reported on March 9th that “two brothers from Upper Bavaria were caught with weapons, Molotov cocktails and Nazi memorabilia. Explosive: The men’s mother works for the BND. This is shown by research by BR and the ARD political magazine Kontraste. It all started in October of last year. In a parking lot on the A92, the brothers Max (21) and Leo B. (18) from the Upper Bavarian district of Miesbach were checked by the police.” The article also says that “what is particularly explosive about the case is that Elona B., the young men’s mother, is an employee of the BND foreign intelligence service and works in the branch office in Bad Aibling in the middle service. This is shown by investigation by BR Recherche and the ARD political magazine Kontraste. Did the intelligence service employee know about her sons’ activities and the Nazi memorabilia? At least the neighbour Gabriel S., who describes himself as a “monarchist” and, according to his own statement, temporarily hoisted a Reich flag in front of his apartment with the tolerance of the B. family, said in an interview with the camera team of the ARD political magazine Kontraste that one of their sons, wore a T-shirt with the imprint “Gott mit uns”, a motto that the Wehrmacht also used. A swastika flag is said to have hung in one of the brothers’ rooms. The mother, intelligence service employee Elona B., is said to have worn eye-catching jewellery. According to Gabriel S., it was a chain with the “Black Sun” logo. The symbol is often used as a sign of identification in the neo-Nazi scene, but it is not forbidden and is also used elsewhere. The sun consists of twelve mirrored Victory Runes set in a ring or three superimposed swastikas. Elona B. didn’t want to talk to the TV crew that was filming in front of her house. When asked if he wanted to reveal what he intended to do with the weapons and Nazi memorabilia, one of the sons replied with a simple “No!”. The father, Manfred B., said in front of the camera: “We are definitely not neo-Nazis or citizens of the Reich or anything that has been assumed of us.”.”

64. Ukrainian SBU Detains Russian Agent in Mykolaiv

On March 10th Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “detained an enemy informer who was correcting missile strikes on Mykolaiv. Cyber ​​specialists of the Security Service exposed another accomplice of the aggressor during counter-subversive measures in the front-line areas of southern Ukraine. According to the investigation, the person involved is a local resident who, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, supported the Russian occupiers and actively talked about it on social networks. In this way, she came into the field of view of the enemy, who remotely involved her in cooperation. The attacker collected information about the bases of the Defence Forces and the location of critical infrastructure on the territory of Mykolaiv Oblast. In order to collect information, the perpetrator went to the area and covertly photographed the location of Ukrainian sites, as well as recorded the surrounding territory. The received data was sent through an anonymous messenger. In the future, the enemy could use the intelligence to prepare and carry out targeted missile strikes on the city. The SBU employees detained an enemy informant while trying to collect and distribute secret information. During the search of the suspect’s place of residence, law enforcement officers found a mobile phone with evidence of correspondence with the aggressor.”

65. Documentary: Radical Student Revolutionaries in the Cold War: Hunted by Spies

Following this week’s story #35, on March 10th Witness published this documentary. As per its description, “this episode covers the tumultous era that was 1960s, as Michael Hyde revisists his past as a student revolutionary who called for the violent overthrow of the state. A prime target at the top of ASIO’s watchlist, his life was documented in detail, phone tapped and he himself followed relentlessly. This instalment also interviews retired members of ASIO — some of which decided to remain anonymous — giving an insight into the lives of spies who spent decades watching from the shadows. There are two kinds of history–official history, the kind that is taught in schools. Then there’s secret history — a scandalous kind of history, which explains how things really happened. In this series, a ‘person of interest’ is given their previously secret Australian intelligence file and recounts the allegations contained within it. These are highy personal stories taken from ASIO intelligence files from the Cold War and its aftermath, through to the decades of student radicalism and dissent of the 1960’s and 70’s — a time when fear of Communism, outsiders, and perceived threats to the established order fostered a secret network of surveillance on ordinary Australian citizens.”

66. Manchester Arena: Ex-Bomb Suspect Regained Citizenship in MI5 U-Turn

Following 2022 week 7 story #16 and 2023 week 9 story #23, on March 11th BBC reported that “a former suspect in the Manchester Arena bombing had his British citizenship revoked and then returned after MI5 changed its view of his role in the attack, the BBC can reveal. Mohammed Soliman, 26, was arrested in Libya after being stripped of his citizenship over suspicions he helped prepare the May 2017 attack. He appealed the decision and said he was mistreated while detained in Libya. But the government avoided a court case by returning his citizenship in 2021. He has always said he did not knowingly help the bombers. The Home Office declined to answer specific questions about the case, but said the UK has one of the world’s most robust counter-terror systems. By not proceeding to a full hearing, the court did not consider Mr Soliman’s claims about ill treatment in Libya or how he came to be arrested there, including any role played by British intelligence. He was detained for eight months, his mother said in a police witness statement. The BBC has been told he was arrested on the basis of information from the UK.”

67. New Indian Cyber Espionage Operation

On March 8th cyber security researcher Kimberly discovered and disclosed technical indicators of a new cyber espionage operation attributed to an actor dubbed as BITTER, previously associated with the government of India. The target(s) have not been identified. The operation involved a lure document titled “Patches updates.rar” which, if opened, was covertly installing a custom cyber espionage software implant.

68. India: Pigeon Used for Spying! The Fishermen Caught Them and Handed Them Over to the Police

As reported by Old UP Excise on March 9th, “you may have seen a lot of pigeons carrying messages of boyfriend and girlfriend in movies, but the spying messages from pigeons may not have crossed your eyes. A case has come to light from Odisha where pigeons may have been used for espionage. According to reports, a pigeon fitted with a camera and microchip was caught from a fishing boat near Baradeep beach in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district. After seeing the equipment found on the pigeon, the police suspected that it was used for espionage. The police informed about this, while fishing in the sea a few days ago, the fishermen saw a pigeon sitting on the boat. They immediately nabbed him and handed him over to the Marine Police at Paradeep on Wednesday. Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul PR said that the pigeon will be examined by veterinarians. He said that the help of the State Forensic Science Laboratory would be taken to analyze the instruments attached to the leg of the pigeon.”

69. Podcast: Everyday Espionage: Consumers vs. Producers

Former CIA operative Andrew Bustamante published a new episode on March 7th. As per its description, “human beings have an inherent desire to be useful, but people are not all useful in the same way. Maximizing your success requires that you tap into the usefulness of others just as much as you lean on your own personal strengths. In this episode, Andrew shares a powerful hack that CIA uses to get the most out of every officer and human asset they recruit.”

70. UFWD: ‘Magic Weapon’ in China’s Espionage Arsenal

On March 8th FirstPost reported that “one of the key constituents of the global Chinese Spy Network is the United Front Work Department (UFWD). It is entrusted with coordination and operational aspects of ‘united front’ activities. The Chinese initially defined ‘united front’ more as a concept. Later it set up UFWD to carry out these activities as the nodal agency.” As per the article, “the modus operandi of the UFWD is one of the least discussed issues in the public domain when it comes to Chinese covert operations. It is not surprising as UFWD operates through a complex web of organisations which act as a front for united front work. There are thousands of organisations which work for UFWD under the garb of cultural, educational, commercial and philanthropic organisations. Alex Joske explains the philosophy behind UFWD in his ground breaking expose of Chinese intelligence operations Spies and Lies, “Party leaders since Mao Zedong have referred to the united front as one of their three ‘magic weapons’. Together with armed struggle and efforts to strengthen Party organisation, the two other magic weapons, the CCP credits the united front work with major contributions to its victory in 1949, China’s modernisation and subsequent economic development.” The key task of UFWD is to build a global network of influencers and ‘operators’ who manipulate the global narrative by hook or crook. The UFWD specifically brings into its spy net intellectuals, local community leaders, religious and ethnic figures, journalists, academia and business magnates.”

71. Danish Defence Ministry Bans TikTok on Employee Work Phones

Following this week’s stories #37 and #54, on March 8th Albanian Daily News reported that “NATO-member Denmark’s Defense Ministry on Monday banned its employees from having video-sharing app TikTok on their work phones as a cybersecurity measure. It’s the latest government-related ban over security and data privacy for the app, which is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd. In a statement, the ministry said the Scandinavian country’s Center for Cyber Security had assessed there was a risk of espionage, and said TikTok “asks for certain rights and access on the device.” The military agency is part of Denmark’s foreign intelligence service.”

72. Nation-state Hackers Set a Honeytrap to Ensnare Victims

On March 10th cyber security firm ESET published this video with its description saying that “have you ever been asked to move an online conversation to another — and supposedly more secure — platform? This technique, often used by romance scammers, was recently used against a number of Indian and Pakistani netizens, possibly with a military or political background. The targeted campaign — courtesy of the Transparent Tribe APT group and described in detail by ESET researchers earlier this week — distributed CapraRAT backdoors via trojanized secure messaging and calling apps branded as MeetsApp and MeetUp.”

73. Micronesia: China Bribed Our Officials, Engages in Political Warfare — Micronesian President

The Vibes reported on March 10th that “Micronesia’s president has accused China of bribery, harassment, and “political warfare”, in an explosive letter to his country’s legislature obtained by AFP today. “Simply put, we are witnessing political warfare in our country,” outgoing leader David Panuelo warned leading lawmakers, detailing allegations of Chinese espionage, coercion of government officials, and “direct threats” against his personal safety. Panuelo has previously voiced concerns about Beijing’s growing power in the South Pacific, most notably opposing a security deal that could allow Chinese troops to be deployed to the region. But his letter goes much further, warning the incoming government about a barrage of threats that he believes risk making the sparsely populated island federation a vassal state.”

74. Video: International Spy Museum: The Sound: Mystery of Havana Syndrome

The International Spy Museum published this video recording on March 9th. As per its description, “in December 2016, a US official in Havana went to the embassy medical centre to report a debilitating and confounding illness. The symptoms included headaches; nausea; hearing loss; problems with memory and vision. And its onset was characterized by hearing… something. A buzzing, hissing, grinding…sound. Soon, a second official came down with the same symptoms. Then a third. Then a fourth. By the time the story went public in summer 2017, dozens of US diplomats, as well as some Canadians, had come down with what was becoming known as “Havana Syndrome.” In recent years, The US agencies have failed to agree even on the basic premises. State department said it’s a “sonic device,” then rolled that back. The CIA have hinted microwave radiation might be involved. The FBI said there was no “there” there. Now they seem to be rolling that back as well. A new investigative podcast series — THE SOUND: Mystery of Havana Syndrome — from Project Brazen and PRX, peels back the layers of one of the most bizarre mysteries of the modern age. In collaboration with Goat Rodeo, join us along with Spy Museum historian/curator Dr. Andrew Hammond for a live panel discussion with Nicky Woolf, investigative journalist and host of THE SOUND podcast; Marc Polymeropoulos, the CIA officer who suffered debilitating symptoms in Moscow; and Mark Zaid, the American attorney who says new victims are coming forward all the time. They’ll explore the wide variety of theories that have been put forward surrounding Havana Syndrome. Could it be caused by noisy crickets? Or mosquito spray? A mass delusion? Or a foreign attack? After their conversation, guests ask Nicky, Marc and Mark for their insight into other aspects of the mystery they have come to know and understand so well.”

75. Hiatus Campaign Infects DrayTek Routers for Cyber Espionage

On March 7th Dark Reading reported that “a cyber-espionage campaign featuring novel malware has been uncovered, targeting DrayTek routers at medium-sized businesses worldwide. Unlike most spyware efforts, this campaign, dubbed “Hiatus” by Lumen Black Lotus Labs, has dual goals: to steal data in targeted attacks and to co-opt routers to become part of a covert command-and-control (C2) infrastructure for mounting hard-to-trace proxy campaigns. The threat actors use known vulnerabilities to target DrayTek Vigor models 2960 and 3900 running an i368 architecture, according to an analysis this week on Hiatus from Black Lotus. Once the attackers achieve compromise, they can plant two unique, malicious binaries on the routers. The first is an espionage utility called tcpdump, which monitors router traffic on ports associated with email and file-transfer communications on the victim’s adjacent LAN. It has the ability to passively collect this cleartext email content as it transits the router.” The article also highlights that “the campaign is unusually small, having infected only around 100 victims, mainly in Europe and Latin America. “This is approximately 2% of the total number of DrayTek 2960 and 3900 routers that are currently exposed to the Internet,” according to Adamitis. “This suggests the threat actor is intentionally maintaining a minimal footprint to limit their exposure and maintain critical points of presence.” In terms of espionage, some of the victims are “targets of enablement,” says the researcher, and include IT service and consulting firms. “We believe the threat actors target these organizations to gain access to sensitive information about their customers’ environments,” using the scraped email communications to mount downstream attacks, Adamitis says. He adds that a second grouping of victims can be considered targets of direct interest for data theft, “which included municipal government entities and some organizations involved in the energy sector.” While the number of primary victims is small, the scope of the data theft suggests an advanced persistent threat as the culprit behind Hiatus.”

76. The KGB Double Agent Who Prevented a Nuclear World War III

We Are The Mighty published this article on March 8th saying that “it was Gordievsky who warned the U.S. and NATO through MI6 that the Soviet Union was planning its own first strike in response to NATO’s Able Archer activity. The news impressed upon President Reagan that the Soviet Union was genuinely fearful of an American first strike, and led to his rapprochement with Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Gordievsky was eventually betrayed by the work of the CIA’s own double agent Aldrich Ames. Weeks after being named KGB station chief, he was recalled to Moscow, drugged, and interrogated. He wasn’t executed, but the KGB suspected him of treason and Ames’ revelation sealed it. He would never work abroad again. Luckily, Gordievsky was able to contact MI6 in Moscow, despite being under KGB scrutiny. British intelligence operatives were able to whisk him away from the USSR and to London, where he openly divulged Soviet secrets for the next six years.”

77. Iran Targets Female Activists in Espionage Campaign

InfoSecurity Magazine published this article on March 9th saying that “security researchers have uncovered a new Iranian state-backed cyber-espionage campaign aimed at rooting out female human rights activists causing trouble for the regime. Secureworks fittingly released its analysis of the latest Cobalt Illusion campaign a day after International Women’s Day. The group is suspected of operating on behalf of various Iranian government entities and the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC-IO). Targets were typically contacted by a fake Twitter user, ‘Sara Shokouhi,’ who spoke to them about an opportunity to contribute to an article for think tank the Atlantic Council. The threat actors would then try to phish for credentials, perhaps via a malicious link, and/or deploy malware to the target’s machine or device. “Phishing and bulk data collection are core tactics of Cobalt Illusion. We’ve seen this happen in several guises in recent years. The group undertakes intelligence gathering, often human-focused intelligence, like extracting the contents of mailboxes, contact lists, travel plans, relationships, physical location, etc.,” said Secureworks principal researcher, Rafe Pilling. “This intel is likely blended with other sources and used to inform military and security operations by Iran; foreign and domestic. Which could include surveillance, arrest and detention, or targeted killing.” All of those targeted in the campaign were identified as woman actively involved in political affairs and human rights in the Middle East, the report claimed.”

78. United States: Former Counterintelligence Chief Says FBI Searched NYC’s Chinese Police Station in January

On March 10th the National Review reported that “while a New York Times report said that FBI counterintelligence officers searched an illicit Chinese police station in New York City during a raid last fall, the bureau has not yet actually confirmed that the raid took place. In testimony submitted to a House of Representatives subcommittee yesterday, a former chief U.S. counterintelligence official offered a slightly different timeline, saying that the FBI search took place in January of this year. The former official making the claim is Bill Evanina, who served as the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center until January 2021. Although he no longer serves in government, Evanina has remained a frequent commentator on national-security and intelligence-related issues. He testified before a House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing on “Confronting threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to the U.S. homeland” yesterday morning. While he mentioned the Chinese overseas police station in Manhattan — one of over a hundred around the world, including several others in the U.S. ­ — he did not speak specifically about the timing of the raid in his oral testimony. But in his written statement to the committee, he discussed at length Operation Fox Hunt, a wide-ranging Chinese government surveillance, stalking, and kidnapping effort to repatriate Chinese nationals from countries all over the world. “In January 2023, the FBI conducted a search warrant of a suspected Chinese police station in New York City which was furthering this effort, and most likely more undisclosed illegal activity,” Evanina wrote. The FBI didn’t respond to National Review’s request for comment on Evanina’s testimony, and a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York — which is carrying out a criminal investigation under which the raid occurred, according to the Times — declined to comment.”

79. Podcast: True Spies: American Radical, Part 1: The Bump

On March 7th SpyScape’s True Spies series released a new episode. As per its description, “Tamer El Noury is a patriotic American, a proud Muslim, and a highly-effective undercover agent. As part of the FBI’s elite counter-terrorism taskforce, he’s made a living out of fooling some of the worlds most dangerous radicals. In Part 1, Tamer goes undercover to meet with a Tunisian scientist whom the FBI suspects of holding extremist views. But in his world, there’s no such thing as simple meet-and-greet. When things start to go sideways, Tamer has to think fast to stay on course. Sophia Di Martino narrates.”

80. TikTok, An Ex-employee Fuels Allegations of Chinese Espionage

Following this week’s stories #37, #54, and #71, on March 11th Tech Game World reported that “a former employee of the department Trust and Safety on TikTok met with members of US Congress, going so far as to say that ByteDance, the parent company of the social network, is lying about allegations of Chinese espionage. The Chinese company, however, denies the allegations and assures its complete availability to collaborate. Nonetheless, the discussion on social media is raging in the US. The former TikTok staffer met with Congress, which has long expressed concerns about deficiencies in the company’s plan to protect US users’ data. But she also spoke to the Washington Post, explaining to the press why he fears the company is lying about the spying allegations. The former employee worked for six months until early 2022. And before Congress he said the data of TikTok’s more than 100 million US users could be accessible to China-based employees of its parent company ByteDance. An accusation that, if verified, could suggest an act of espionage by the Chinese through TikTok towards the USA. Something that would not only be seen as a problem for the company. But even direct aggression could result: the issue becomes geopolitical. TikTok is introducing new security rules to block access to US user data after the company fired employees who tracked American journalists. This had led several institutions and universities to block access to the TikTok network. More recently, the European Parliament also banned employees from downloading the app. And the situation in America continues to escalate.”

81. When China Shot Down Five U-2 Spy Planes at the Height of the Cold War

On March 10th the CNN published this article stating that “when a Chinese high-altitude balloon suspected of spying was spotted over the United States recently, the US Air Force responded by sending up a high-flying espionage asset of its own: the U-2 reconnaissance jet. It was the Cold-War era spy plane that took the high-resolution photographs — not to mention its pilot’s selfie — that reportedly convinced Washington the Chinese balloon was gathering intelligence and not, as Beijing continues to insist, studying the weather. In doing so, the plane played a key role in an event that sent tensions between the world’s two largest economies soaring, and shone an international spotlight on the methods the two governments use to keep tabs on each other. Until now, most of the media’s focus has been on the balloon — specifically, how a vessel popularly seen as a relic of a bygone era of espionage could possibly remain relevant in the modern spy’s playbook. Yet to many military historians, it is the involvement of that other symbol of a bygone time, the U-2, that is far more telling. The U-2 has a long and storied history when it comes to espionage battles between the US and China. In the 1960s and 1970s, at least five of them were shot down while on surveillance missions over China. Those losses haven’t been as widely reported as might be expected — and for good reason. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which was responsible for all of America’s U-2s at the time the planes were shot down, has never officially explained what they were doing there.”

82. Yemen: The Houthi Militia Officially Acknowledges the Introduction of Iranian Spying Systems on Communications and the Internet

On March 9th Almontasaf reported that “the Iranian-backed terrorist Houthi militia approved, on Wednesday, the introduction of new systems and technologies to the communications and internet system under its control and control since its coup in 2014. Engineering and technical sources in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, which is under the control of the Houthis in Sana’a, revealed the installation of modern Iranian systems and technology to impose censorship and espionage on communications and the internet, under the name of “preventive technology”, in service of the Houthis’ orientations and ideas derived from the Iranian terrorist ideology. The Houthi leader, Misfer Al-Numeir, appointed Minister of Communications in the internationally unrecognised Houthi government, acknowledged before the dissolved Sana’a parliament that new programs and projects had been implemented and the infrastructure had been modernised, in addition to the introduction of new services and systems on mobile and fixed communications systems, and international internet traffic, as well as the introduction of new regulations within the framework of what he called “modernisation and development” of telecommunications and internet services.”

83. In Poland, a Russian and a Belarusian Are Tried for Spying for Russia

The Ukrainian New Voice reported on March 8th that “according to investigators, the defendants took part in the activities of Russian military intelligence to collect information about Poland’s military installations that are critical for defense. The intelligence services of the Republic of Poland established that the men had been legally in Poland for many years. In particular, the Belarusian studied in Bialystok and worked in an organisation that was engaged in parachute training. But the Russian was engaged in cultural and tourist activities. Both face up to ten years in prison for espionage. Earlier, citizens of Russia and Belarus were detained in Poland in April 2022. Both were charged with an offence under article 130 of the Polish Criminal Code (espionage). Since the beginning of the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine, several people have been detained in Poland, suspected of collaborating with the special services of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. In particular, at the beginning of March last year, Polish intelligence services detained a Spanish citizen of Russian origin in Przemysl, who allegedly worked for the Russian GRU under the guise of journalistic activities.”

84. Foreign Cyber Spies Stole Data of State Bodies of Kazakhstan

On March 8th the New Times of Kazakhstan reported that “State Technical Service JSC, together with the National Security Committee, discovered attacks by hacker groups on the data of government agencies and organisations in 2022, NewTimes.kz reports with reference to the press service of the State Customs Service. According to the information, cyber spies secretly collected documents from the infrastructures of unnamed state bodies and organisations. Hackers “compromised the main elements of information and communication infrastructures” of government agencies and organisations. The attackers collected data on network diagrams and accounts. The GTS claims that by studying the activity of the group and their methods, they assumed that “these organisations were operating a hacker group” acting in the interests of an unnamed foreign state. The information claims that the assumption about the actions of the group in favour of foreigners “given a completely different colour” to the hacker attack and “made it clear that the group consists of highly qualified specialists” and has “serious” financial support. It is said that cyber spies had stable communication channels with the infrastructures of the victims, in addition to which there was also an arsenal of backup ones. Hackers, as befits them, used only “sensitive” information. The State Customs Service, the National Security Committee, and unnamed government agencies and organisations have carried out work to study the methods of penetration of intruders.”

85. Inside Turkey’s Operation to Capture a Senior PKK Fighter in Iraq

Middle East Eye reported on March 7th that “the hum of Turkish drones overhead has become a common and foreboding sound for Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. But for Ramazan Gunes, a suspected senior member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the threat did not come from above. Last month, Turkish intelligence announced it had captured Gunes in northeastern Iraq’s Sulamaniyah, part of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, and brought him back to Turkey. Gunes was reportedly snatched off the streets by undercover Turkish agents. Though Turkish operations in northern Iraq against the PKK have become routine, this one attracted attention. Turkey rarely captures its targets alive, usually preferring to kill them with drone strikes.”

86. Pakistan: Former Spy Chief Accused of Role in Nawaz Ouster

The Asian Lite reported on March 11th that “Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif insists that former spy master Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed played a key role in removing Nawaz Sharif from premiership, local media reported. Asif feigned ignorance about any investigation related to Gen Hameed’s brothers, as opposed to the claims made by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Samaa TV reported. The defence minister said if party leader Maryam Nawaz has made any comments about the probes, she must have some information. He said a lot of evidence has come into the public domain that a process had started during Nawaz Sharif’s prime ministership. An agenda was ruthlessly pushed against the then Nawaz Sharif government, Samaa TV reported. Asif also alleged that Lt Gen (retd) Hameed played a key role in removing Nawaz Sharif, and bringing PTI chief Imran Khan to power.”

87. Documentary: The Truth About the Spy Who Saved the World

On March 11th Philip Thompson published a new documentary. As per its description, “Colonel Oleg Vladimirovich Penkovsky was a senior military intelligence officer working for the GRU in the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. A joint operation between the CIA and MI6 was established, and Penkovsky would for the next 18 months, and with the help of ‘courier’ Greville Wynne, supply top-secret Soviet documents and information to the West. For decades it was believed that the intelligence provided by Penkovsky allowed the United States to determine that the U.S.- Soviet missile gap was in its favour, discern Nikita Khrushchev’s intentions in Berlin, and ultimately identify Soviet missiles in Cuba. Few names have been as mythologized in spy history as that of Oleg Penkovsky. According to popular lore and even mainstream media, he is the “spy who saved the world” during the Cold War’s most perilous moments, the Berlin and Cuban missile crises. But in recent years, newly declassified information and the testimony of those involved in the Penkovsky operation on both sides of the Iron Curtain have told a somewhat different tale. An alternate hypothesis suggests that Penkovsky’s contribution to US and British intelligence and policymaking has been grossly exaggerated, distorted, and in some cases, entirely falsified. Some now believe that Penkovsky was in fact a genocidal maniac and a self-aggrandizer. Far from helping to avert a global nuclear conflict, he nearly provoked one. Oleg Penkovsky was compromised by the KGB many months before his arrest. The unanswered questions that remain are, what happened during that time? Why did the KGB knowingly allow Penkovsky to continue supplying Soviet secrets to Western intelligence? Did they have a hand in what was being passed on, and if so, had Penkovsky become a triple agent? As is often the case in matters of espionage, the facts are murky and the records incomplete. So, what then is the truth about the spy they say saved the world?”

88. Greece: Council of Europe on Wiretapping Validates Evidence and Publications that “Incriminate” the Mitsotakis Administration

On March 7th the Greek newspaper Avgi reported that “a new blow to the public profile of Kyriakos Mitsotakis — and even a European one — is the publication of the new report of the Council of Europe on Freedom of the Press. The editors’ reports validate the value of information that the Administration’s HQ tries in vain to describe as the product of slander and “shadow centres.” The report specifically mentions that the resulting cases of illegal surveillance concern “especially Greece where the Predator was allegedly used by the EYP to monitor journalists”. What follows is an extensive report on the wiretapping scandal in our country, where, among other things, the targeting of “Koukaki and top politicians” is noted , as well as the Mitsotakis administration’s initial denial that it bought or used the Predator, even though it is sold in Greece by Intellexa, and journalistic investigations they indicated the relations of Grigoris Dimitriadis, General Secretary of the Administration’s HQ and nephew of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, but of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which the latter heads, with Intellexa . As it turned out, Koukakis, who was investigating financial crimes, was being monitored by the EYP before being targeted with the Predator, the report notes. The cases of other journalists, such as Stavros Malihoudis and Tasos Telloglou, are also recorded in detail. Noteworthy is the use of the term “Greek Watergate” in the Council of Europe report and the quoting of a publication by the Documento newspaper on November 6 last year, about journalists, owners and media executives, who are among those targeted with the Predator.”

89. Turkey’s Intelligence Agency Confirms Abduction of More Than 100 People with Alleged Links to Gülen Movement

Following this week’s story #9, the Stockholm Centre for Freedom published this article on March 6th saying that “Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has confirmed in its yearly report that it conducted operations for the forcible return of more than 100 people with alleged links to the Gülen movement, the Habertürk daily reported. “… [M]ore than 100 members of the [Gülen movement] from different countries were brought to Turkey as a result of the [agency’s] increased operational capacity abroad,” MİT’s 2022 report said. Vice President Fuat Oktay earlier said in a speech in parliament that Turkish agents had conducted “diplomacy” with their counterparts in countries where Turkish nationals were abducted. Since a coup attempt in July 2016 the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has employed extralegal methods to secure the return of its critics after its official extradition requests were denied. Turkey’s efforts at transnational repression against critics abroad do not seem to be winding down. Most recently, Uğur Demirok, a Turkish businessman who went missing in Azerbaijan on September 6, was abducted and illegally brought to Turkey by MİT.”

90. The Story Behind Germany’s Embarrassing Intelligence Leak

Following 2022 week 51 story #31, 2022 week 52 story #4, 2023 week 1 stories #32 and #40, 2023 week 2 story #52, 2023 week 5 story #69, and 2023 week 9 story #35, on March 10th Spiegel International published this article saying that “from the shores of a lake near Munich to a brothel in the German capital city and a brasserie in Moscow: It is one of the biggest intelligence scandals in Germany’s postwar history. How was Russia able to pilfer information about Ukraine from Berlin’s most accomplished spy organization?” The article concludes that “Carsten L. is currently in pretrial detention. The only person still free is the third man in the group, Visa M. The investigations in Germany don’t seem to have troubled multimillionaire Visa M. all that much. According to reporting by DER SPIEGEL, Visa M. was still in Europe in January, even after Carsten L.’s arrest. Data from a flight database indicates that he flew back to Moscow from the airport in the Serbian capital Belgrade using his real name only on January 16. Visa M. is likely now using a different identity on his travels. Two weeks ago, a Russian named Oleg Shishkin flew from Moscow to India. He happened to be born on the same day as Visa M. Research in Russian passport databases shows that a man with his data has never existed in Russia. The passport number given by the purported Mr. Shishkin at the time of the booking, on the other hand, should look familiar to German investigators: It is the same as that of the entrepreneur Visa M.”

91. Russian Agent in Ukraine Will Spend 13 Years in Prison for Espionage

On March 9th Ukraine’s SBU announced that “the traitor who “sold” himself to the enemy for a car will spend 13 years behind bars. On the instructions of the aggressor, he carried out covert visual surveillance and photo-fixation of the locations and movements of units of the Defence Forces. First of all, the enemy was interested in the exact coordinates of the positions of the Ukrainian troops in the Severodonetsk area. In the future, the occupiers used this information for targeted missile strikes on military facilities of the Armed Forces. In exchange for such “cooperation”, the invaders promised their agent a car they had stolen from a local resident. However, the attacker did not manage to get the car. SBU employees and the military detained an enemy henchman as a result of a special operation in March of last year. According to the materials of the Security Service, the court sentenced him to 13 years of imprisonment. According to the investigation data, the perpetrator is a resident of Severodonetsk. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he was recruited by an intelligence representative of the Russian occupying forces, who fought in the 2nd Army Corps of the Southern Military District of the USSR. To communicate with the “handler”, the agent used previously practiced anonymous messengers.”

92. More Stories Related to the Nord Stream Pipelines Attacks

Following week 6 story #82, week 7 story #85, and week 9 story #73, on The Guardian published this story on March 10th titled “divers used chartered yacht to sabotage Nord Stream pipelines.” On March 7th the New York Times published this story titled “Intelligence Suggests Pro-Ukrainian Group Sabotaged Pipelines, U.S. Officials Say.” The Intercept published this article on March 10th titled “Conflicting Reports Thicken Nord Stream Bombing Plot”. According to investigative journalist, and former member of the US special operations and intelligence communities, Jack Murphy from March 11th, “I don’t believe any of the stories we’ve heard thus far, but I’ll lay one thing on you that I know for a fact. The narrative about rogue Ukrainians is a controlled leak that comes directly from the 7th floor.” The “7th floor” refers to the CIA headquarters which is where the Agency’s executive leadership is located.

93. The Dark Face of Erdoğan’s Neo-nationalist Allies in Turkey Exposed in Intercepted Secret Chats

The Nordic Monitor published this article on March 6th saying that “a review of secret communications among members of the neo-nationalist Ulusalcı group, allied with the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reveals a mindset that is xenophobic, antisemitic, autocratic and anti-Western as well one that advocates assassinations. Members of the group, also called the Eurasianists (Avrasyacı), who favor the Russia/China/Iran axis, have long been embedded in Turkey’s media, politics and state security institutions. They survived criminal prosecutions between 2008 and 2014 and still wield considerable influence on Turkey’s domestic and foreign policy, thanks to their alignment with Erdoğan during the last decade. The communications obtained by Nordic Monitor were between Ümit Sayın, an academic and ideologue for the neo-nationalists, and Lt .Col. Zafer Yener, then a first lieutenant working in military intelligence. The two were talking on an MSN chat program in 2005, sharing their thoughts and discussing strategies on how to drive the neo-nationalist agenda in Turkey through plots, murders and influence operations. The communications were seized from the computer of Sayın, who recorded the private conversations he had on MSN, when police executed a search and seizure warrant. They were incorporated into a new indictment filed on November 11, 2022 in a cold case concerning the murder of Necip Hablemitoğlu, a neo-nationalist academic who was killed on December 18, 2002 in front of his apartment building in Ankara. At the time Sayın enjoyed access to high-ranking neo-nationalist generals, was hosted in top security facilities, provided with classified information and writing books and reports to shape the national debate in Turkey. Officially he was a member of an academic team at Istanbul University’s Institute of Forensic Medicine, but in practice he was an ideologue, devising strategies for the neo-nationalists and advising various courses of action on how to govern Turkey.”

94. Iran Hacked Israeli University’s Advanced Weapons Research

Tikun Olam reported on March 7th that “two weeks ago, Israel’s Technion announced that hackers had penetrated its computer system and demanded a ransom to return access to the university. At the time, Israeli reports would only say that the attack was “nationalist” (meaning political) rather than criminal. At the time, an Israeli security source told me that intelligence services suspected Iranians were responsible. An Israeli report said that the hackers had penetrated not just into the faculty/student personnel records, but that they had accessed all of the research and development materials, including the most sensitive weapons research performed on behalf of the military-industrial complex. Technion is also a center of cyber-research including cyber-weapons capabilities. All of this would be a critical achievement for the Iranians, who already have significant cyber capabilities. Israel considers Iran its most dangerous enemy. Lately, Bibi Netanyahu has threatened to directly attack its nuclear installations. For the first time, a US official (Ambassador Tom Nides, speaking to the hawkish, Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations) has tacitly given Israel a green light to do so.”

95. Secret COINTELPRO Plot to Infiltrate and Destroy the American Indian Movement

The Covert Action Magazine published this article on March 8th stating that “February 27 through May 8 marks the 50th anniversary of the occupation by the American Indian Movement (AIM) of Wounded Knee on the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, the site of the last great massacre of the Indian Wars in December, 1890. In a 2019 documentary that aired on PBS, From Wounded Knee to Standing Rock: A Reporter’s Journey, filmmaker Kevin McKiernan interviewed Tom Parker, an FBI agent working for the FBI’s counter-intelligence operation (COINTELPRO), who admitted that the FBI had helped to fracture and disrupt AIM during its 1973 Wounded Knee occupation. “[W]e wanted them to kill each other, as we were in a war against AIM,” Parker said. According to Parker, a main goal of COINTELPRO was to infiltrate informers into AIM and to publicly identify AIM activists with the FBI so that others in AIM would turn against them. In this way, Parker said, dissension would grow among AIM, and AIM members would become paranoid about FBI infiltration and turn against one another, and there would be violence.”

96. Nation-state Hackers Using Malicious USB Drives in Attacks in Africa, Asia and Oceania

The Record reported on March 9th that “hackers are using USB drives laden with a strain of malware typically used by the Chinese government to target people in Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria. Gabor Szappanos, threat research director at Sophos, said researchers found that last November government organizations across Southeast Asia were being targeted with USB drives that had the PlugX malware — a malicious tool developed in 2008 by Chinese government hackers commonly known as Mustang Panda. By December, the attack — which he called “retro” because of the use of USB drives — was found thousands of miles away in Africa. “Now, this latest cluster of USB worm activity is hopping across three different continents. We don’t typically think of removable media as being particularly ‘mobile,’ especially when compared to internet-based attacks, but this method of dispersion has proved to be highly effective in this part of the world,” Szappanos said.”

97. Podcast: SpyCast: Espionage and the Metverse — with Cathy Hackl

The International Spy Museum’s SpyCast released a new episode on March 7th. As per its description, “the internet changed the world in ways that were previously unimaginable. Users could be connected to information in a matter of seconds, and the introduction of social media connected people around the world. The web will continue to evolve and change with time, but what’s coming next? And how will this evolution affect the ways that intelligence organizations around the world conduct their operations? This week on SpyCast, Cathy Hackl joins Andrew to explain what the metaverse is, what we can expect from living in this new virtual world, and how intelligence agencies can begin planning for the Web 3 future. Cathy Hackl has been dubbed the “Godmother of the Metaverse” — A fitting title for one of the tech industry’s leading futurists. She states that the metaverse isn’t just a far-off idea, the metaverse is coming — and fast.”

98. The CIA Says It’s Already Fighting Russia’s Wagner Mercenaries Abroad

Vice News reported on March 8th that “in a plot that seems fit for a spy flick, the Central Intelligence Agency says it is secretly helping to fight against Russian mercenaries led by a villainous caterer. CIA Director Bill Burns said that the agency is doing everything in its power to counter the Wagner Group — a key Kremlin ally and private military contractor with thousands of soldiers fighting everywhere from regional conflicts in Africa to Ukraine — today during a public hearing for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “Our assessment is that the Wagner Group is a vicious, aggressive organization which has posed a threat not just to the people of Ukraine,” said Burns in response to questions from various senators. He pointed out that the mercenary group, whose chief is Yevgeniy Prigozhin (who first came to prominence in Russia as a catering oligarch from St. Petersburg), is currently in charge of most of the fighting in the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. “But I’ve also seen it, in my own travels in West Africa and the Sahel, where I think the deeply destabilizing impact of Wagner can be seen in a lot of very fragile societies right now.”.”

99. Two New Declassified NSA Documents

On March 6th the Government Attic released two newly declassified documents from the US National Security Agency (NSA). Thos are: 1) List of NSA Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigations closed in CY2020, 2) NSA Dragon Seeds internal Cryptographic Newsletters (1972–1974).

100. Russia: Political Scientist Demuri Voronin Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Treason

Following 2022 week 9 story #91, on March 9th Mediazone reported that “the Moscow City Court sentenced to 13 years and 3 months in prison in the case of treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code) political scientist Demuri Voronin (Демури Воронин), who is associated with one of the episodes in the case of journalist Ivan Safronov (Иван Сафронов). Mediazone was informed about this in the press service of the court. The decision in the case was made on February 17, and now it has entered into force. According to investigators, in 2015 Safronov gave Voronin “some information about the activities of the Russian armed forces in Syria” and received $248 for this . The political scientist, in turn, sent this data to representatives of the University of Zurich in Switzerland and the German Federal Intelligence Service. Voronin was arrested in February 2021. He was CEO of the now-defunct Resost Moscow-based consulting agency, which handled business planning and government communications. The project said that Voronin made a deal with the investigation and testified against Safronov, but in August last year he admitted that he had slandered the journalist. The latter was sentenced in September to 22 years in prison in the case of treason.”

101. Podcast: State Secrets: What I Know About Havana Syndrome

The Cipher Brief’s State Secrets released this new episode on March 10th. As per its description, “former Senior CIA Officer and Cipher Brief Expert Marc Polymeropoulos was in Moscow in late 2017, when he woke up in his hotel room with a blinding headache. It was the beginning of a 5-year journey that landed him in Walter Reed’s Traumatic Brain Injury Program. What happened? Marc believes he was the victim of a targeted microwave weapon attack — something that’s become known as Havana Syndrome, after US government employees working at the Embassy in Cuba reported similar debilitating symptoms. Now, the Intelligence Community has issued its latest assessment on Havana Syndrome, which it refers to as Analogous Health Incidents and Polymeropoulos says the report leaves a lot to be desired.”

102. United States: CIA Names New Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer

Through a formal announcement on March 8th, the CIA stated that “CIA is pleased to announce the selection of Mark Mouser as the next Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer (PCLO). The PCLO and the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties (OPCL) has been and will continue to be a key part of the Agency’s vital work in the oversight of CIA’s Attorney General Guidelines and ensuring that privacy and civil liberties are considered in our day-to-day missions. Mark brings to the assignment significant expertise. Most recently, he served as Deputy Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer in the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties. Previously, Mark served as the Senior FISA Advisor for the Office of Director of National Intelligence, and has been working FISA collection programs across the IC since 2002.”

103. New York Times Spokesperson Came to Paper from National Security Agency

On March 7th The Intercept published this article saying that “Charlie Stadtlander, Director of external communications for the New York Times, joined the paper directly from the National Security Agency, where he served as head of public affairs. According to Stadtlander’s LinkedIn page, he’s worked for the Times since January 2022. Before that, he held his position at the NSA starting in 2019. His only listed job in the media before the New York Times is as a journalism teacher for three months in 2010, when he served as an “instructor to gifted children, ages 8–13” at Montclair State University in New Jersey.”

104. SIGINT Historian: And There’s More …

On March 7th the former GCHQ Departmental Historian Tony Comer published this blog post, starting by saying that “it is hard for anybody whose experience of Sigint was of the Cold War or afterwards to realise how immature Traffic Analysis (TA) was at Bletchley Park as an analytical tool. I am confident that this is another illustration of the point I made in my last post about TA against the Brown Network suffering because of a belief that any intelligence produced through cryptanalysis was necessarily more valuable than intelligence produced through plain text, or ‘inference’, as the product of TA was often described. The system used to express confidence in analytical results was straightforward: A% (reliable), B% (probable), C% (possible) and D% (what, before footballers’ wives and girlfriends became an item of interest, might have been described as a WAG). A% was reserved for statements in plain language or decrypts, results which came verbatim from the horse’s mouth. A result from TA, an ‘inference’, could never be rated higher than B%, because it hadn’t been confirmed by an enemy source. It took the Cold War, during which TA was the principal source of Sigint on the Soviet Armed Forces, for this almost theological insistence on TA’s being secondary to cryptanalysis to disappear. The reason for this is pretty clear: GC&CS was a cryptanalytical bureau between the wars, and for all that it developed into an intelligence organisation, its leadership was still mainly derived from cryptanalysts.”

105. Podcast: The Langley Files: CIA’s First Chief Technology Officer Talks Start-Up Culture vs. Spy Culture

On March 8th the CIA’s Langley Files podcast released a new episode. As per its description, “in 2022, CIA announced its first-ever Chief Technology Officer: Nand Mulchandani, a Silicon Valley executive with 25 years of industry experience. Since then, he’s been charting CIA’s course on technology — and now, on the Season 2 premiere of The Langley Files, he sits down with Dee and Walter for his first interview on being CTO of the world’s premiere foreign intelligence agency. Tune in to hear him discuss accelerating technological innovation at CIA — and whether his habit of wearing jeans to work is catching on at Langley.”

106. Sweden: SÄPO: 2023 Terrorism Threat Assessment

On March 8th the Swedish Secret Service (SÄPO) announced the release of the 2023 Terrorism Threat Assessment. It’s a 6-page long report available here.

107. US Special Forces Want to Use DeepFakes for PSYOPS

The Intercept published this article on March 6th saying that “U.S. Special Operations Command, responsible for some of the country’s most secretive military endeavors, is gearing up to conduct internet, propaganda and deception campaigns online using deepfake videos, according to federal contracting documents reviewed by The Intercept. The plans, which also describe hacking internet-connected devices to eavesdrop in order to assess foreign populations’ susceptibility to propaganda, come at a time of intense global debate over technologically sophisticated “disinformation” campaigns, their effectiveness, and the ethics of their use.”

108. CIA Declassifies 43 New Documents

This week the CIA’s online archive included 43 new additions. The documents are: 1) Africa Review (1986), 2) Dealing With South Africa in the Next Decade (1983), 3) The African National Congress of South Africa (1986), 4) Cape Town Death-Squad Inquiry Opens (1990), 5) South Africa (1966), 6) HPSCI Briefing (1986), 7) Africa Review (1978), 8) EURA: Socialist International (1986), 9) South Africa: The Politics of Racial Reform (1981), 10) U.S. Is said to Have Given Pretoria Intelligence on Rebel Organization (1986), 11) South Africa: Prospects for an Extended General Strike (1986), 12) Africa Review (1986), 13) Organization of African Unity (1994), 14) South Africa: The African National Congress in the 1980 (1974), 15) Sanitized to Distribute Cpies to Ringdahl and Peter Rodman of the NSC (1986), 16) Prospects for South Africa: Stability, Reform, and Violence (1985), 17) The International Arena (1986), 18) Cuban Chronology 1982 (1983), 19) Current Intelligence Weekly Summary (1962), 20) Africa Review (1985), 21) DCI Talking Points for 26 July NSC Meeting: South Africa Domestic Situation (1985), 22) Terrorism Review (1985), 23) Nelson Mandela: What If Alive and Well and Fre in South Africa? (1986), 24) South Africa: Prospects for Rapid and Radical Change (1985), 25) Africa Review (1986), 26) White House on CIA and Mandela Arrest: Don’t Ask Us (1990), 27) South Africa’s Changing Policy Agenda (1985), 28) The Challenge of Ethnic Conflict to National and International Order in the 1990s (1995), 29) Africa Review (1985), 30) South Africa: The Soviet ‘Legitimate Representative’ Strategy Gaining Momentum (1985), 31) Central Intelligence Bulletin (1961), 32) Africa Review (1985), 33) Current Intelligence Weekly Summary (1961), 34) Africa Review (1985), 35) National Intelligence Daily (1990), 36) National Intelligence Daily (1990), 37) Terrorism Review (1985), 38) National Intelligence Daily (1985), 39) National Intelligence Daily (1990), 40) National Intelligence Daily (1990), 41) National Intelligence Daily (1990), 42) National Intelligence Daily (1990), 43) National Intelligence Daily (1990).

109. Podcast: Intelligence Matters: Kristin Wood on the Intelligence Value of Open Source Data

On March 9th CBS News’ Intelligence Matters released a new podcast episode. As per its description, “in this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with former senior CIA officer Kristin Wood about the history, value and current applications of open source data to intelligence collection and analysis. Wood, who helped lead the innovation and technology group at CIA’s Open Source Center, walks through the types of information available to the public and for purchase through commercial firms that create unique insights into companies, behaviors and events. Morell and Wood discuss the ways in which the U.S. intelligence community has leveraged — or failed to leverage — some key open source data.”

110. A Jordanian Deputy Asks the Government About its Relationship with the Israeli Spying Programme “Pegasus”

On March 11th Quds Press reported that “a member of the Jordanian Parliament, Adnan Mashuqa, directed parliamentary questions to the government regarding the “Pegasus” spying programme, which is affiliated with the Israeli (NSO) group. MP Mashuqa asked today, Saturday, how to hack the phone of human rights activist and lawyer Hala Ahed, using the “Pegasus” programme. He confirmed that “Front Line Defenders” for human rights, based in Ireland, in cooperation with the security laboratory of Amnesty International and the “Citizen Lab”, had checked the legalisation of her phone (Ahed), and confirmed that it was hacked on March 16, 2021, using “Pegasus”. Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya replied, “Jordan has no participation, coordination or cooperation in any programme that engages in espionage and violates privacy protected by the provisions of the Jordanian constitution.” Al-Faraya said, “The so-called Hala did not file any complaint with the Public Security Directorate or the Electronic Crimes Unit that her personal phone had been hacked.” Mashuha also asked other questions about lawyer Ahed, in which he said, “Does the government not know that monitoring lawyer Ahed’s phone endangers her life, violates her rights and privacy that are guaranteed by the constitution, and is a flagrant attack on her freedom, human dignity, and her constitutional right to reassurance?”

111. United States: Spy Chief Commits to Sharing Classified Assessment on Wuhan Lab Leak with Congress

The Washington Examiner reported on March 9th that “the head of the U.S. intelligence community committed to sharing with Congress the Energy Department’s classified assessment concluding that COVID-19 most likely originated through a Wuhan lab leak. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines was the first U.S. official to publicly confirm the new assessment leaning in favor of the Chinese lab leak hypothesis during a Wednesday hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, and she went further on Thursday by committing to sharing the bombshell assessment, in classified form, with the House Intelligence Committee.”