SPY NEWS: 2023 — Week 9

Summary of the espionage-related news stories for the Week 9 (26 February-4 March) of 2023.

1. Belarus Official Says Claim Activists Blew Up Russian Spy Plane Near Minsk is Fake

Reuters reported on February 28th that “a senior Belarusian official on Tuesday dismissed as fake a claim by anti-government activists that they had blown up a Russian military surveillance aircraft in a weekend drone attack on an airfield outside the Belarusian capital Minsk. Aliaksandr Azarov, leader of Belarusian anti-government organization BYPOL, was quoted on Sunday as saying that Belarusian “partisans” had used drones to carry out the attack on a Russian Beriev A-50 spy plane. “Given the absence of an official reaction, I am deeply convinced that this is another fake (claim) aimed at highlighting certain failures in our national security,” Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Ambrazevich told Reuters on the sidelines of the U.N. Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Tuesday. Belarus has allowed Russia to use its territory to launch attacks on Ukraine but has refrained so far from getting directly involved in the war. The A-50 plane has the NATO reporting name of Mainstay and is an airborne early warning aircraft with command and control capabilities and the ability to track up to 60 targets at a time. Britain’s military intelligence service said on Tuesday that attribution for the attack and damage to the aircraft had not been officially corroborated. “However, the loss of an A-50 Mainstay would be significant as it is critical to Russian air operations for providing an air battlespace picture,” it said in a statement.”

2. Two Americans Arrested on Charges of Selling Tech to Russia

Military.com reported on March 3rd that “the Justice Department on Thursday arrested two Kansas men on allegations that the pair illegally exported aviation-related technology to Russia and provided repair services for the equipment. Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky and Douglas Robertson are charged with conspiracy, exporting controlled goods without a license, falsifying and failing to file electronic export information, and smuggling goods in violation of U.S. law. The charges come as the U.S. has drastically ramped up sanctions and financial penalties on Russia since its invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, 2022. Along with thousands of sanctions on people and firms, export controls on the Kremlin are meant to limit access to computer chips and other products needed to equip a modern military. The Justice Department says Buyanovsky and Robertson owned and operated KanRus Trading Co., which allegedly supplied aircraft electronics to Russian companies and provided repair services for equipment used in Russian-manufactured aircraft. The indictment says that since 2020, they conspired to evade U.S. export laws by concealing and misstating the true end users and destinations of their exports and by shipping equipment through third-party countries. They face up to 35 years in prison if convicted. Lawyers for Buyanovsky and Robertson couldn’t be identified from the provided documents, and the Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for their information. The FBI and the Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case. Matthew S. Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, said at an American Bar Association event in Miami Thursday that state actors like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are trying to “take advantage of rapid advances in technology,” adding that sensitive technologies being sent to these countries are “top of our list from an enforcement perspective.” Since the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials have said they would increase enforcement and sanctions on people and entities that assist Russia in the procurement of weaponry and technology that would bolster its military.” Here you can find the DoJ press release.

3. Uzbekistan: Batyr Tursunov, Leading the Interior Security Reform as Deputy

Intelligence Online released this article on March 3rd stating that “from his backseat role as deputy, the éminence grise of Uzbekistan’s security circles is unofficially leading President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s internal intelligence service, one in need of reform despite several attempts to redefine its scope.”

4. Spy Collection: Covert Surveillance and Detainment of Romanian Spy in Moscow, Russia (2010)

On February 27th we published this video. As per its description, “on August 16th, 2010 the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Romanian official Gabriel Grecu for espionage. This is the footage of the covert surveillance, his detainment and expulsion from Russia as Persona Non Grata (PNG) for espionage. He was operating under diplomatic cover. Gabriel Grecu was stationed in Russia as the First Secretary of the Political Department of the Romanian Embassy in Moscow. According to RT, Grecu was previously stationed in Romania’s Embassy to Armenia as the Chargé d’Affaires. In the footage he was using a supermarket’s locker as a deaddrop to collect classified Russian military intelligence, as well as to place payments, and communicate with his agent(s) for upcoming clandestine meeting locations. The FSB, reportedly, also detained a Russian national for the same espionage case, but no details were released about this individual. Two days later (August 18, 2010) the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared Russian diplomat Anatoly Akopov as PNG and expelled him, stating that he was an FSB intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover as the First Secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bucharest, Romania.”

5. China: Espionage Group Targets Materials Technology

On February 28th Symantec Threat Intelligence published this technical analysis for activity of a cyber espionage actor dubbed as BLACKFLY who was previously associated with the intelligence services of China. As per its introduction, “the Blackfly espionage group (aka APT41, Winnti Group, Bronze Atlas) has continued to mount attacks against targets in Asia and recently targeted two subsidiaries of an Asian conglomerate, both of which operate in the materials and composites sector, suggesting that the group may be attempting to steal intellectual property.”

6. Ukrainian SBU Neutralised FSB Spy Network in Odessa

On February 27th Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced that they “neutralised an FSB spy network in Odessa: among those detained was an assistant to a deputy from Crimea under sanctions. The attackers scouted locations of strategically important sites of the defence-industrial complex of our country. They also corrected Russian missile strikes on critical infrastructure in the region, including energy-generating enterprises. He turned out to be a local resident, an assistant to one of the deputies of the so-called Crimean parliament, Kostiantyn Malchikov (Костянтин Мальчіков). It was established that the man from Odessa periodically visited the Ukrainian peninsula, where he owns a recreation facility. During one of these trips to a full-scale invasion, he was recruited by FSB officer Kostiantyn Shilov (Костянтин Шилов). It was on his behalf that after February 24 of last year, a Russian agent tried to identify the locations of Ukrainian enterprises in Odessa that manufacture defence products for the needs of the Armed Forces. In addition, he collected intelligence on the locations and movements of units of the Defence Forces and “reported” on the results of enemy air attacks on Ukrainian facilities. To collect intelligence, he went to the area, and also created an anonymous Telegram chat. He involved his “like-minded people” to him, who informed the “administrator” about the observed Ukrainian military equipment. So far, SBU investigators have notified the detainee of suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (treason committed under martial law). The court chose him as a preventive measure in the form of detention. Another member of the FSB network was the pro-Kremlin blogger Oleksandr Sinitsyn (Олександр Сініцин), who has been hiding from justice in the Russian city of Ryazan since 2014. Previously, he was a freelance correspondent for central TV channels of the Russian Federation, including “Russia Today” and the media group “Rosbiznesconsulting” (росбізнесконсалтинг). After leaving for Russia, he created the propaganda Telegram channel “Typova Odesa” (Типова Одеса), where he continued to spread destructive content.”

7. United States: Former NSA Director of Operations Joins Donovan Capital Group

NewsWires reported on March 1st that “Donovan Capital Group, LLC (“DCG”) is pleased to announce the addition of Jon Darby as a Senior Advisor. Mr. Darby is a nearly 39-year veteran of the U.S. Intelligence Community, primarily in the National Security Agency (“NSA”)/Central Security Service (“CSS”), culminating in serving over four years as the NSA/CSS Director of Operations (“DO”). Prior to assuming the DO position, which oversees all of NSA’s collection, code-breaking, analysis and production of signals intelligence (“SIGINT”), he led some of NSA’s most difficult missions, including Counterterrorism, Cybersecurity Operations, and SIGINT analysis and production on all geographic and transnational missions. He managed a budget in the billions, drove development and use of advanced technologies, and in multiple positions led thousands of globally distributed civilian and military personnel providing intelligence support for military, diplomatic, cybersecurity and law enforcement operations. Starting his career as a Russian language analyst, Mr. Darby served in a variety of field and operations management positions at NSA and abroad. He spent over a decade following 9/11 in various leadership positions in NSA’s counterterrorism and counterproliferation missions, to include serving as NSA’s Chief of Counterterrorism during the Osama bin Laden operation. Other key senior leadership assignments include serving as NSA’s Chief of SIGINT Analysis and Production and the Deputy Chief of Cybersecurity Operations. “DCG invests in those companies that solve the toughest problems for the U.S. Government,” said DCG Managing Partner Claudio Ochoa. “From SIGINT to cyber operations, Jon knows these businesses and where the opportunities are to scale them. We are proud that he has chosen DCG as a way to continue serving the mission.”.”

8. Norwegian PST States that Iran is Electronically Spying on Iranians Living in Norway

According to Iran International from February 28th, “Hanne Blomberg, Head of the Norwegian Police Security Service’s counter-intelligence unit, said Iran is electronically spying on its opponents in Norway, and uses the information it obtains to threaten, infiltrate, or even assassinate people. Blomberg confirmed in an interview with the “NRCO” news channel, that those family members of the Iranians recently arrested in Norway were forced to remain silent because of these threats. According to this report, Iran uses its cyber capabilities to hack and control the mobile devices and computers of Iranians living in Norway.”

9. Poland: Spanish Journalist Pablo González in Custody for One Year on Charges of Spying for Russia and No Trial in Sight

Following 2022 week 9 story #66, on February 28th the International Federation of Journalists published this article saying that “a Polish court extended Pablo González’s pre-trial detention for the fourth time on 15 February 2023, meaning he will spend up to a further three months in prison. The Spanish freelance journalist was arrested on 28 February 2022, accused of being “an agent of Russian intelligence”, while covering the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Ukrainian border. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) and their Spanish affiliates call on the authorities to release González without further delay, and ensure he will receive a fair trial. “The case is still in the Prosecutor’s Office. This is an investigation, and it is not known how long it will take. In Poland, investigations in large cases take up to several years,” his Polish lawyer, Bartosz Rogała said. “In my opinion, the case will go to the Court at the earliest in the middle of this year,” he adds. “There are no maximum terms for detention in Poland,” Mr Rogala noted. “Pre-trial detention, even for several years, is common in large cases. If someone is from abroad, the Court often recognizes that there is a fear of escape, which is one of the reasons for arrest,” the lawyer concluded. The journalist’s defence has appealed against each decision of the court to extend pre-trial detention. Until today, there is no trial date in sight, nor has the evidence against him been made public. In the early hours of 28 February 2022, González was arrested by agents of the Internal Security Agency (ABW), the Polish counter-intelligence service, on the Polish-Ukrainian border, where he was reporting on the humanitarian crisis, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Polish authorities alleged that the reporter, who holds Spanish and Russian nationality, had been in possession of two passports with different names. The issue was quickly clarified as González’s Russian passport identifies him as Pavel Rubtsov, using his father’s surname; and his Spanish document as Pablo González Yagüe, using his mother’s two surnames.”

10. Interview: AFIO: Nigel West, Historian, on Spies Who Changed History: Greatest Spies and Agents of the 20th Century

On February 26th the United States Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) published this video recording. As per its description, “Nigel West and Jim Hughes discuss several intelligence figures from Nigel’s recent book, “Spies Who Changed History: The Greatest Spies and Agents of the 20th Century.” Those include: “The White Lady”, “The Angel”, “Garbo”, Arnold Deutsch, Kim Philby, and the mysterious death of Ashraf Marwan. Nigel West was born in Lambeth, south London, educated at a Roman Catholic monastery, London University and Grenoble University. While still a student he worked as a researcher for the authors Ronald Seth and Richard Deacon, who both specialised in security and intelligence issues. Between 1987 and 1997 he was a Member of Parliament representing a constituency in south Devon and contributed to Official Secrets legislation and the Intelligence Services Act. He was voted ‘The Experts’ Expert’ by a panel of other spy writers in the Observer in November 1989 and The Sunday Times has commented: ‘His information is so precise that many people believe he is the unofficial historian of the secret services. West’s sources are undoubtedly excellent. His books are peppered with deliberate clues to potential front-page stories.’ Nigel often speaks at intelligence seminars and has lectured at both the KGB headquarters in Dzerzhinsky Square and at the CIA headquarters in Langley, and teaches members of the intelligence community at the Centre for Counter-Intelligence and Security Studies in Alexandria, VA. His recent titles include Hitler’s Trojan Horse; Spies Who Changed History: The Greatest Spies and Agents of the 20th Century; VENONA, which disclosed the existence of a GRU spy-ring operating in London throughout the war, headed by Professor J B S Haldane and the Hon. Ivor Montagu: and The Third Secret, an account of the CIA’s intervention in Afghanistan. In Mortal Crimes he investigated the scale of soviet espionage in the Manhattan Project, the Anglo-American development of an atomic bomb. In 2005 he edited The Guy Liddell Diaries, a daily journal of the wartime work of MI5’s Director of Counter-Espionage. He also published a study of the Comintern’s secret wireless traffic, MASK: MI5’s Penetration of the Communist Party of Great Britain, and a series of counter-intelligence textbooks, The Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence, Cold War Counterintelligence, World War II Intelligence, International Intelligence, Naval Intelligence, etc. In 2003 Nigel West was awarded the US Association of Former Intelligence Officers’ first Lifetime Literature Achievement Award.”

11. Geologists and Spies Join Forces to Track Critical Minerals Supply Chains

On February 27th Intelligence Online published this article saying that “the war in Ukraine and a reliance on China has exposed the dire needs of Western countries for strategic critical minerals, especially for their sovereignty industries. Each Western country is trying to find a solution, even if it is just to take stock of how exposed they are. All are setting their intelligence services to the task.”

12. Turkish Spy Agency MIT Agents Shadowed Foreign Aid and Rescue Teams in Quake Zone

The Nordic Monitor reported on February 27th that “Turkish intelligence agency MIT shadowed foreign aid workers who were deployed to contribute to rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey on Feb. 6, MIT’s propaganda point man has publicly admitted. Ali Burak Darıcılı, a former intelligence officer who has been working as a publicist for the agency, said on February 22 that MIT vetted all aid workers sent to Turkey, ran background checks and took a closer look in particular at members of an Israeli delegation that was dispatched to Turkey. The surveillance, which at times amounted to harassment and risked the safety of foreign workers, shows the paranoia in the leadership of the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, apparently more concerned about backlash from frustrated voters than the lives of tens of thousands of people who perished under the rubble. Stating that MIT has regional and district offices in some of the 10 earthquake-hit provinces, Darıcılı revealed that intelligence agents were in the field tracking foreign aid workers round the clock. Responding to criticism on social media by pro-government trolls of alleged espionage by rescue teams, he said, “About the much-speculated Israeli delegation, do they [critics] think that they [foreign rescue workers] are not under control and just freely wandering around?” Darıcılı asserted that MIT had maintained complete control of all foreign delegations in the earthquake zone. He claimed military intelligence and Mossad agents were embedded in the rescue teams deployed by Israel to Turkey but said they were mostly agents with technical expertise to help in search and rescue efforts using sophisticated technology. He added that the MIT counterespionage department has been monitoring foreign rescue and aid workers and submitting reports to President Erdoğan.”

13. Podcast: Spycraft 101: The Most Dangerous Year on Earth with Brian Morra

On March 2nd Spycraft 101 published a new podcast episode. As per its description, “a Soviet SU-15 interceptor shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 on September 1st, 1983 after mistaking it for a US spy plane. Earlier US Air Force flights in the region were deliberate provocations of Soviet air defenses, intended to determine their capabilities and reaction times. After a previous incident, several high ranking Soviet air defense officers were fired, and their replacements were determined to confront any further action by the US. KAL 007 accidentally strayed off course on its route between Anchorage, Alaska and Seoul, South Korea. It entered Soviet airspace, and the SU-15 piloted by Major Gennadi Osipovich along with several other aircraft moved to intercept it. The civilian crew did not react to warnings by the Soviet aircraft, even when cannon rounds were fired as a last-ditch effort to get their attention. It’s likely the KAL pilots did not even see the rounds fired. Finally, MAJ Osipovich fired two R-98 missiles which destroyed the Boeing 747 and sent it crashing into the ocean. All 269 passengers and crew on board perished, including US Representative Lawrence McDonald. After the Soviets realized they had shot down a civilian airliner, some still believed even this had been planned by the US government. Tensions between the US and USSR were already high prior to the incident, and ramped up in its aftermath. But the destruction of KAL 007 was just one of three incidents in the fall of 1983 which brought the US and USSR to the brink of full-scale nuclear war. Shortly afterwards, a computer error in Soviet early warning radar showed multiple false ICBM launches from the United States. Only the actions of Colonel Stanislav Petrov, now known as the man who saved the world, prevented a nuclear response. Then, a planned NATO exercise called Able Archer 1983 was interpreted by the Soviet government as cover for a devastating first strike. Soviet forces went on full alert as they prepared themselves for World War III. For episode 74 of the podcast I spoke with Brian J. Morra, a senior intelligence analyst in Japan at the time of the KAL 007 incident. We discussed what is arguably the most dangerous year in human history.”

14. Spy Caught — Fears as Alleged Russian Spy, 39, Caught in Australia Worked in Ireland’s Dail Office

The Irish Sun reported on February 26th that “a report released today said Marina Sologub, 39, a Kazakhstan-born ethnic Russian who grew up in Cork, has been ordered out of Australia for allegedly cultivating contacts Down Under. She is said to have made overtures to Australian officials, including staff at the national space agency. Last week she was declared a potential threat to national security by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. It’s emerged she previously worked in Leinster House and at the National Space Centre in Cork. Tanaiste Micheal Martin today confirmed Sologub has contacted Irish consular services for help. Mr Martin, who is also Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, told RTE: “My understanding is the person has contacted our consular services. The Australian Government, it’s a matter for them in terms of their security situation. “They don’t necessarily contact us in respect of security concerns that they have or in respect of deportations that they make as a result of security concerns.” The Sunday Times reported that intelligence bosses Down Under have ordered Sologub out of the country, saying she potentially posed a direct or indirect threat to Australia’s national security. She was identified as a potential risk after a security sting targeted Russian intelligence officers working in Australia under diplomatic cover.”

15. Canada is Latest Country to Ban TikTok on Government Phones

On February 28th The Washington Post published this story stating that “Canada has become the latest country to ban the wildly popular social media app TikTok from government-issued phones starting Tuesday in a decision that follows similar moves in the United States and Europe. The Canadian government said it had carried out a review of the video-sharing app owned by a Chinese company and “determined that it presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.” TikTok will therefore be removed from all government-issued mobile devices, the Treasury Board of Canada said in a statement, and users of those devices will be blocked from downloading the app in the future. “The Government of Canada is committed to keeping government information secure. We regularly monitor our systems and take action to address risks,” Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said.” The article concludes that “this month, the European Commission also took steps to ban its staffers from using TikTok on work devices, as well on personal devices that have work-related apps installed, because of security concerns. On Tuesday, Denmark’s Parliament issued a warning to its lawmakers to remove TikTok from their work phones, citing “a risk of espionage.” Despite governments’ taking steps to ban the app from official devices, TikTok remains hugely popular.”

16. Ukrainian SBU Detains FSB Agent in Mykolaiv

On March 1st Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “detained an FSB agent in Mykolaiv who was spying on locations of foreign weapons bases. He turned out to be a local tactical training instructor of one of the public organisations. Under the guise of training Ukrainian defenders, he collected intelligence on the deployment of units of the Defence Forces in the territory of the southern region. First of all, he was tasked by the Russian intelligence services with the task of discovering the bases of foreign weapons and warehouses with ammunition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To gather information, he used an active Ukrainian military serviceman “in the dark” and passed the information he received to a representative of the FSB. Intelligence was needed by the occupiers to carry out targeted missile strikes on military facilities of our state. However, SBU counter-intelligence officers worked ahead of time — timely exposed the Russian agent, detained him and thus prevented the transfer of defense information to the enemy. According to the investigation, the traitor on his own initiative appeared on the FSB and offered his help in the war against Ukraine. He used an anonymous messenger to communicate with the enemy. During searches of the suspect’s place of residence, law enforcement officers found: ️a mobile phone with evidence of correspondence with the aggressor; ️weapons and ammunition.”

17. Spy Way of Life: The Armoury House, London, United Kingdom

This week’s selection for Intelligence Online’s Spy Way of Life was the “Artillery Company’s Armoury House, a historic retreat for British military intelligence.” As per the article, “this week, Intelligence Online explores the inner circle of the British Army’s oldest military intelligence regiment.”

18. Iran Released Spanish Woman from Prison After Being Accused of Espionage

On February 26th Trud reported that “Iran has released a Spanish woman who had been jailed since November on espionage charges after she was arrested during anti-government protests, reports Reuters, referring to the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs. Twenty-four-year-old activist Ana Baneira Suarez, a human rights NGO worker, was detained in Iran during the nationwide protests sparked by the death of a young woman in custody in September. “I congratulate you on the release of Ana Baneira. She is in good health,” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez told reporters during a visit to Albacete, in central Spain. According to him, Baneira was released yesterday and returned to Spain today. The Iranian government did not respond to a request for comment on Baneira’s release. Albarez said another Spanish national, Santiago Sánchez Cogedor, is still in Iranian custody, but added that he hopes he will also be released soon, BTA reported.”

19. Webinar: USS Halibut Submarine Briefing

On March 2nd Sub Brief published a new webinar about USS Halibut and its espionage Operation IVY BELLS from the Cold War era. As per its description, “the United States most successful Cold War spy submarine. How the US Navy, the NSA and the CIA spied on the Soviet Union in the Western Pacific.”

20. How Russia’s Security Service Framed an Estonian Prisoner as a Secret Agent

Yahoo! News released this article on March 2nd saying that ““I am a foreign agent of the special services of the Estonian Kapo,” the man, whose face has been blurred and whose voice has been rendered into bass, states on camera. “For a long time, I carried out tasks assigned to me by representatives of the Estonian Kapo, both on the territory of Estonia and in a number of other European countries, as well as on the territory of the Russian Federation in relation to civilians and including members of criminal groups.” To hear Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, tell it, the unnamed 36-year-old Estonian national was captured in the arctic Russian city of Murmansk in late June 2022. A spokesperson for the FSB in Murmansk stated that the suspect was going to “collect information about the employees of the FSB with access to state secrets and individuals who provide them with confidential information.” The alleged spy was evidently tasked by his handlers in the Kaitsepolitseiamet (known colloquially as Kapo), the Estonian Internal Security Service, with stealing Russian state secrets. No further information was given. And so this might have gone down as a trophy for Vladimir Putin’s spy hunters at a time when the Russian president has demanded hypervigilance against foreign intelligence operatives. There was just one problem. The Estonian man in the video, Danil Danilov, was not a spy. He was a convicted thief and former heroin trafficker who was sitting in an Estonian jail cell while Russia was celebrating his arrest. And the FSB knew all this because it had actually arrested Danilov in Murmansk a full year earlier, in June 2021, not for espionage but because Estonia had issued an Interpol Red Notice for him as a fugitive convicted of a 2014 robbery of a jewelry store in Tallinn, the Estonian capital. He’d even done time in St. Petersburg, Russia, for drug-related offenses years prior. Moreover, in April 2022, two full months before his putative unmasking as an agent of the Kapo, Russian law enforcement extradited Danilov to Estonia, from where he’d fled from a nearly seven-year sentence for the robbery. (There’s even a public record of Russia’s handover of Danilov to Estonian officials at the Russian-Estonian border.)”

21. Turkish Intelligence Brings Top PKK Figure from Iraq

Daily Sabah reported on February 28th that “Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) caught Ramazan Güneş, a PKK member who was behind 12 acts of terrorism that killed 60 Turkish security personnel in the past, in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah, media outlets reported Tuesday. The Turkish intelligence agency has stepped up its operations abroad in recent years to stamp out terrorist activities in Iraq and Syria, Türkiye’s two neighbors. In 2022 alone, 23 senior figures of the terrorist group were eliminated in MIT’s operations in the two countries, while a large number of PKK members were transported to Türkiye. Since 2018, more than 100 terrorists have been eliminated by Turkish intelligence. Last week, a PKK member behind a terrorist attack on Istanbul’s Istiklal Street last year was killed in a MİT operation in Syria. Güneş joined the terrorist group in 2008 and was among terrorists hiding in rural areas of the southeastern Turkish province of Hakkari before he traveled to Syria and Iraq. Since 2009, he has served in PKK’s “special forces” wing, which carried out attacks targeting Turkish security forces. Between 2011 and 2017, he played an active role in attacks that killed 60 Turkish security personnel in 12 terror attacks in Hakkari’s Çukurca district. He was detected in an area of Sulaymaniyah, which is viewed as a hideout place by PKK. The MIT had been running a surveillance operation on Güneş for about one year before dispatching a group of field agents to capture him “when circumstances became suitable,” media outlets reported.”

22. New Videos by Former United States CIA Officer Jason Hanson

Throughout this week former US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer Jason Hanson published the following videos: 1) This is Where I Keep My Precious Metals…, 2) Ex CIA Buys $2.97 Walmart Knife for Self-Defence… Is this really worth it?, 3) Ex CIA Explains The Truth About Krav Maga…

23. United Kingdom: Manchester Arena Inquiry Lets David Cameron Off the Hook

On March 3rd Declassified UK published this article stating that “the final report from the public inquiry into the Manchester Arena terrorist attack fails to address any of the key questions about the bomber’s connections to the UK military and intelligence services. The bereaved families have been let down. The final inquiry report, published on Thursday, has found that the Security Service, MI5, missed opportunities to stop suicide bomber Salman Abedi. The head of MI5 has rightly apologised for his agency’s failings — a highly significant admission which might offer some solace to the bereaved families of the 22 victims. But there is a danger that only the mildly-admonished MI5 will be left carrying the can for the disaster, leaving ministers and generals to get away with very little scrutiny whatsoever. Most worryingly, the inquiry did not consider whether the Conservative government’s reckless decision to help overthrow Libya’s regime in 2011 actually increased the number of threats MI5 had to monitor. David Cameron has not spoken to any inquiry into the Manchester bombing. Yet there are grounds to ask if his government properly considered who from Britain’s Libyan community was allowed to fight against Colonel Gaddafi and what the long-term consequences would be? Inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders found: “The Abedi family holds significant responsibility for the radicalisation of Salman Abedi and Hashem Abedi.” He noted that their father, Ramadan Abedi, “took his sons to Libya during the period of conflict” in 2011 where it is “likely” the boys were “involved in combat” and “probable” they were “radicalised in Libya to some extent”. So why did Cameron’s government allow the Abedi brothers to travel from Manchester to Libya in 2011 to take part in the uprising? This question is key, because they travelled there with their father, who has been “widely reported” to have been “a member of, and remains linked to, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG)” — which was a banned terrorist group in 2011.”

24. Moldova Kicks Out Two Foreigners Over Plan for ‘Violent’ Uprising, Spy Agency Says

Politico published this story in February 28th saying that “Moldova has expelled two foreigners suspected of taking part in subversive activities, the Moldovan intelligence services said Monday amid rising fears that Russia could be plotting a coup. The two individuals “were trained in data and information gathering activities for the implementation of a plan to destabilize the internal situation in the country” and cause “a violent change to the constitutional order,” Moldova’s Security and Intelligence Service said in a statement. The two people, whose country of origin was not disclosed, posed as tourists to enter the country. They have both been expelled, and are banned from entering Moldova for 10 years. Moldova, which borders Ukraine, has been under rising pressure from Moscow since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion last February.”

25. The US NSA National Security Operations Centre (NSOC): 50 Years in Photos

On March 2nd ElectroSpaces published a new article. As per its introduction, “on February 21, the NSA’s National Security Operations Center (NSOC) celebrated its 50-year anniversary. For this occasion, I will take a close look at a range of unique historic photos from inside this “Nerve Center of NSA”.”

26. Russia: Putin Tells FSB to Raise its Game Against Western Spy Agencies

EUractiv reported on February 28th that “Russian President Vladimir Putin told the FSB domestic security service on Tuesday (28 February) to step up its activity to counter what he said was increasing espionage and sabotage against Russia by Ukraine and the West. In a speech to officials, Putin said the FSB had to stop “sabotage groups” entering Russia from Ukraine, step up protection of infrastructure, and prevent Western security services reviving what he called terrorist or extremist cells inside Russia. “Western intelligence services have traditionally always been active in Russia, and now they have thrown additional personnel, technical and other resources at us. We need to respond accordingly,” Putin said. He instructed the FSB to prevent illegal weapons flows into Russia, and to strengthen security in four regions of Ukraine that Moscow has partially seized and claimed as its own — a move most countries at the United Nations have condemned as illegal. The FSB needs to strengthen all its counter-intelligence activity, Putin told the agency that he once headed. “Significant information about the control systems of our military and law enforcement structures, defence industry enterprises, critical technologies and personal data must be reliably protected,” he said, stressing the importance of secrecy around the latest Russian weapons and equipment. The president did not mention any specific intelligence failures, but his comments implied concern about potential vulnerabilities.”

27. Podcast: True Spies: The Josephine Baker Effect

On February 28th SpyScape’s True Spies published a new podcast episode. As per its description, “in this True Spies trilogy, Sophia Di Martino tells the stories of three spies whose fame and fortune were no obstacle to their espionage. Whether they used their notoriety to their advantage, or operated in spite of it, these glamorous part-time spooks had a hand in the clandestine history of the 20th century. In the third and final instalment of Celebrity Spies, triple-threat superstar Josephine Baker weaponizes her unstoppable charisma in the service of the French resistance during WW2. Armed only with charm and a fierce passion for freedom, Josephine goes up against Hitler’s Gestapo in a crucial mission to smuggle secret intelligence out of Occupied France.”

28. Canada Found, Retrieved Chinese Spy Buoys in Arctic

On March 1st the Voice of America reported that “months before a Chinese spy balloon drifted across Alaska and Canada, the Canadian military discovered and retrieved Chinese spy buoys in the Arctic, a region of long interest to Beijing. The Chinese buoys were monitoring U.S. submarines and the melting of ice sheets. Retired Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Lieutenant-General Michael Day said the buoys would likely have been used to monitor U.S. nuclear submarine traffic in the Arctic, and for mapping seabeds and ice thickness. Beijing is eyeing the possibility of reducing shipping costs by traveling through Arctic waters, which are becoming more navigable as a result of climate change. The Globe and Mail newspaper reported last week that the CAF discovered the monitoring buoys last fall. The Canadian Department of Defense said it is “fully aware of recent efforts by China to conduct surveillance operations in Canadian airspace and maritime approaches utilizing dual-purpose technologies.” In an email to VOA Mandarin, the Canadian Defense Department said China’s spying attempt was thwarted by the Canadian military’s Operation LIMPID, a mission dedicated to identifying threats to the country’s security by surveilling air, land and sea domains. “We are continuing to take all appropriate measures with relevant partners and agencies to safeguard Canadian sovereignty and are working with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to protect continental security,” the email said. Pierre Leblanc, a former commander of the Canadian Forces in the Arctic, said it has not been disclosed where the Chinese buoys were found or what type of equipment was involved but that research buoys typically detect ice movement and thickness, as well as ocean currents, water temperature and salinity. Leblanc said it’s technically possible for China to design a buoy that could be in the water or embedded in sea ice to listen to what activity is taking place below. That would be one way of assessing if there’s any submarine activity under the ice cap, he told VOA Mandarin in a phone call.”

29. United States: Former Intelligence Officer Ritter Did Not Rule Out that the Ukrainian Armed Forces Would Revolt Against Zelensky

According to Social Bites from March 3rd, “former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter said that the army of the Ukrainian Armed Forces may revolt against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky due to the critical situation at the front. He made the related statement in an interview on his YouTube channel. Judging Freedom. The former intelligence officer believes that “if Zelensky continues hostilities, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will start an uprising against him and Ukraine will have to surrender without any agreement.” According to him, the Ukrainian army will have enough ammunition by the summer, and then it will be in a stalemate, as NATO cannot replenish Ukraine’s reserves. In this context, Ritter expressed the view that this country has already lost in the conflict. He also argued that Zelensky had repeatedly received signals from the United States that Western support was running out, so negotiations should be started before that. Formerly Ritter declarationZelensky will be destroyed if the APU attacks Transnistria.” Here is the full podcast episode.

30. Google TAG Bulletin for Q1 2023

On March 1st Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) published their bulletin for the first quarter of 2023. The report describes the disruption of covert online influence operations from: 1) Russia targeting Poland, US, and Ukraine, 2) Russia’s Internet Research Agency (IRA) targeting Russian-speaking people, 3) A Russian intelligence network, 4) A German-speaking operation targeting Ukrainian refugees, 5) Iranian campaign targeting Persian, English, Hindi and Urdu -speaking people, 6) Azerbaijan targeting Armenia, and 7) China targeting US foreign affairs.

31. NED: Sinister Agency Created to Do CIA’s Dirty Work in Public Has Just Named New Leaders

The Covert Action Magazine published this article on March 2nd stating that “the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is an innocently named, “wolf-in-sheep’s clothing” offshoot of the CIA that funds dissident foreign organizations and media trying to overthrow their own governments in countries targeted by the U.S. for regime change. In February, the NED announced as new board members Democratic Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro, Indiana Republican Senator Todd Young, and Princeton University Dean Amaney A. Jamal. But the new members will eagerly follow the old CIA playbook, which is precisely why they were appointed. Castro’s selection is a particularly clever one, the perfect choice to cloak the NED with a progressive veneer since he is known for opposing Donald Trump’s immigration policy and supporting the rights of Mexicans living in the U.S. as a six-term congressman from San Antonio, where he also founded a large literacy campaign and book drive. Paradoxically, Castro is a gung-ho supporter of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which led to mass migration from Mexico because the loosening of trade restrictions allowed for cheap U.S. imports into Mexico that destroyed its agricultural sector.”

32. Australian MQ-4C Triton Being Prepared for Maiden Flight

Janes published this article on February 27th saying that “the first of the three Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) ordered by Australia is being prepared for its first test flight in mid-2023. The Australian Tritons are progressing to schedule, Northrop Grumman officials told Janes . “The flight of the first Australian Triton, ‘AUS1,’ is expected to happen in the summer of 2023,” said Rho Cauley-Bruner, Triton programme manager. “AUS1 is now in the test phase with the first flight scheduled to happen in [the third quarter] Q3 [of] this year. We anticipate delivery of that aircraft to Australia in mid-2024. [The] AUS2 wingmate occurred in January 2023 and that build is progressing to plan. AUS3 is in production in Moss Point, with a scheduled delivery to Palmdale, where it will be mated with its wing in April 2023,” Cauley-Bruner added. Northrop Grumman is also working towards achieving initial operational capability (IOC) of its Integrated Functional Capability 4 (IFC-4) configuration being developed for the Triton programme.”

33. Russia Bans Foreign Messaging Applications in Government Organisations

Bleeping Computer reported on March 1st that “Russia’s internet watchdog agency Roskomnadzor warns that laws banning the use of many foreign private messaging applications in Russian government and state agencies came into force today. The law is “On information, information technology, and information protection,” specifically Part 8–10 of Article 10, which prohibits Russian agencies from using information exchange systems owned by foreign entities. “The law establishes a ban for a number of Russian organizations on the use of foreign messengers (information systems and computer programs owned by foreign persons that are designed and (or) used for exchanging messages exclusively between their users, in which the sender determines the recipients of messages and does not provide for placement by Internet users publicly available information on the Internet),” warns Roskomnadzor in a translated alert published today on its portal.” The banned applications are: 1) Discord, 2) Microsoft Teams, 3) Skype for Business, 4) Snapchat, 5) Telegram, 6) Theema, 7) Viber, 8) WhatsApp, and 9) WeChat.

34. United States: Secret Service, ICE Carried Out Illegal Stingray Surveillance, Government Watchdog Says

On March 2nd The Record published this article stating that “U.S. federal agencies failed to secure required court orders to conduct phone tracking surveillance, according to a recently redacted memorandum from a government watchdog. The report, written by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and dated February 23, provided details of an audit of the use of cell-site simulators (CSS) — a law enforcement tool that mimics cellular towers to trick nearby devices into connecting with them. These instruments, which are also known as stingrays or IMSI-catchers, allow law enforcement to track the location of a suspect or identify targeted devices. The auditors found that in 2020 and 2021, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations division and the Secret Service had in some cases violated the law by not following regulations around the use of CSS. In order to surveil a suspect using the tracking devices, law enforcement must first obtain a search warrant unless “exigent” or “emergency” considerations apply. This includes the need to protect human life or avert injury, prevent destruction of evidence, and prevent escape by a suspect. Even in those cases, however, a court order is still required. If one is not available, emergency exceptions apply, but still require an agency to secure a court order within 48 hours of beginning surveillance. In an undisclosed number of cases, both agencies failed to follow through with this, the OIG found. “For the cases we reviewed, the Secret Service and ICE HSI obtained required search warrants for CSS uses, respectively. However, the Secret Service and ICE HSI did not always obtain court orders … when using CSS during investigations that included exigent circumstances,” they wrote.”

35. Germany: The Alleged Spy is Silent

Following 2022 week 51 story #31, 2022 week 52 story #4, 2023 week 1 stories #32 and #40, 2023 week 2 story #52, and 2023 week 5 story #69 on March 3rd Tagesschau published this exclusive story stating that “it started with a lie. When Carsten L. switched from the Bundeswehr to the Federal Intelligence Service in 2007, he had to undergo the usual security check. Everything that can be safety-relevant in any way has to be on the table. Carsten L. concealed the fact that he had been fined for drunk driving and insulting officials in the early 1990s and had been investigated twice for assault. L. apparently did a good job in the BND for years. He started in Technical Reconnaissance, the area responsible for communications surveillance. There, Carsten L. became a central figure, according to information from Kontraste , ARD-Hauptstadtstudio and Die Zeit. He was authorised to access top secret information. He was allowed to carry a gun and had a diplomatic passport. Colleagues regarded him as competent and a good supervisor, who was very popular with many and to whom some employees evidently felt a special personal loyalty. It was a circumstance that L. skilfully exploited for his betrayal. In the course of a routine security check at the BND, which was completed after four years in 2022, friends of his described him as “very national” and “very, very conservative”, but within the democratic spectrum. However, one of the friends had not had any contact with L. for more than two years. In the Bundeswehr, the military counter-intelligence service investigated Carsten L. in 2006 after research into suspected right-wing extremism. However, the suspicion was dispelled at the time. According to a report by “Spiegel”, L. had also spoken to BND colleagues about shooting refugees under martial law. There were enough indications of a potentially problematic political attitude, but the BND apparently did not investigate them. According to the investigation, Carsten L. seems to have developed irrational fears in the course of the corona pandemic: He believed in an impending hyperinflation that would mean that he would no longer be able to feed his family. Greed for money out of fear of impoverishment seems to have been a motive for his betrayal, another possible motive: frustration. L. was very dissatisfied with a reorganisation of the BND, as part of which he had been transferred from Bavaria to Berlin against his will.”

36. Podcast: SpyCast: Ukraine & Intelligence: One Year On — with Shane Harris

On February 28th the International Spy Museum’s SpyCast published this new podcast episode. As per its description, “on February 24th of 2022, Russian forces crossed the Eastern border of Ukraine with the intent of targeting and capturing the city of Kiev. The war in Ukraine has brought trench warfare back to the European continent for the first time since World War II, and has displaced at least 8 million Ukrainian people. Now, after a year of devastating loss and inspiring resistance from the Ukrainian country, it is clear that no one could have predicted where the war stands today. This week on SpyCast, Shane Harris of The Washington Post joins Andrew to reflect on the previous year and discuss the role of intelligence within the war in Ukraine. He has been writing about these issues for more than two decades, including a period with the Wall Street Journal. He is the author of two books, The Watchers, on the rise of surveillance in the US, and @War, on the rise of the military-internet complex. He was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2021.”

37. Russia: FSB Detained a Resident of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for Spying for Ukraine

As reported by DP on March 2nd, “a resident of Komsomolsk-on-Amur was detained for trying to pass information to the intelligence of Ukraine. A case of high treason has been initiated, the FSB reported on Wednesday, March 2. The detainee is accused of contacting the Ukrainian intelligence services via the internet in order to transfer information to them “in relation to military facilities of the Russian Ministry of Defense stationed in the Khabarovsk Territory,” TASS writes. These objects could become the target of sabotage, strikes with precision weapons or drones, the report says. Video footage of the detention of a resident of the Khabarovsk Territory has been published.”

38. North Korean Cyber Operators Targeted Public Institutions and Universities of South Korea for Espionage

On February 27th the AhnLab Security Emergency Response Centre (ASEC) published a technical analysis of a new cyber espionage operation attributed to an actor dubbed as LAZARUS, previous associated with the intelligence services of North Korea. The cyber espionage activity was observed in South Korean entities “ in a number of companies, including domestic defence, satellite, software, and media companies.”

39. Ukraine’s SBU Identified Former Police Chief as FSB Agent

On March 1st Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) issued this announcement saying that they “reported high treason the ex-chief of the Vinnytsia police: he was preparing a “plan” for terrorist attacks against civilians of Ukraine for the FSB. The Security Service has gathered indisputable evidence of the guilt of another FSB agent. The enemy’s accomplice is Anton Shevtsov (Антон Шевцов), the former head of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Vinnytsia region, who has been in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol since 2016 and has acquired citizenship of the Russian Federation. On his own initiative, he assisted the intelligence service of the Russian Federation in carrying out intelligence and subversive activities against Ukraine. He also gave his “recommendations” on destabilising the internal political situation in our country to former People’s Deputy Volodymyr Sivkovich (Володимир Сівкович), accused of treason. It was established that it was Shevtsov who, after the full-scale invasion, personally developed for the FSB the so-called “Plan for carrying out sabotage work on the territory of Ukraine.” The handler of this “project” was appointed an officer of the 5th Service of the FSB Kosenko M. Yu. (Косенка М. Ю.) This “document” provided for the aggressor to carry out a series of explosions at civil infrastructure facilities in various regions of our country. According to the developed “scenario” after the terrorist attacks, demonstrative arrests of the “culprits” were to take place and fabricated accusations of their involvement in the resistance movement were to be made public. All this was planned to be widely publicised in the information space through the Kremlin’s main mouthpieces and controlled Telegram channels. In this way, Moscow planned to discredit Ukraine in the international arena and try to justify the occupation of part of the territory of our state.”

40. Podcast: Spycraft 101: The Truth About Snowden with an Anonymous Source from the Intel Community

On February 26th Spycraft 101 published a new podcast episode. As per its description, “I spoke with a former member of the National Security Agency about the impact of Edward Snowden’s release of classified documents from the NSA in 2013. We discussed the damage his releases did to the ongoing operations of the agency as well as it’s impact on public opinion of the US intelligence community, and even the impact on NSA employees themselves once their own family and friends began to question their involvement in programs of mass surveillance and signals intelligence.”

41. CryptoMe Publishes 4 NSA Declassified Files

On March 1st CryptoMe published the following, now declassified, files from the US National Security Agency (NSA): 1) Assessment of the Loss of the USS PUEBLO (1968), 2) Section V: Cryptographic Damage Assessment, USS PUEBLO, AGER-2 (23 January-23 December 1968), 3) Appendices to U.S.-British Communication Intelligence Agreement (1948), and 4) Amendment №4 to the Appendices to the UK USA Agreement, Third Edition (1955).

42. United States: ‘Havana Syndrome’ Not Caused by Foreign Adversary, US Intelligence Says

The Guardian published this article on March 1st stating that “the mysterious set of symptoms known as “Havana syndrome” was not caused by an energy weapon or foreign adversary, US intelligence has concluded. The assessment concludes a multi-year investigation into approximately 1,000 “anomalous health incidents” (AHIs) among US diplomats, spies and other employees in US embassies and missions around the world. Victims reported brain injuries, hearing loss, vertigo and strange auditory sensations, among other symptoms. Many suspected they had been victims of a targeted attack using some kind of directed energy weapon. Of the seven intelligence agencies that undertook the investigation, five determined that “available intelligence consistently points against the involvement of US adversaries in causing the reported incidents”, according to an unclassified version of the report released on Wednesday by the House intelligence committee. Those five agencies deemed foreign adversary involvement “very unlikely”. One considered it “unlikely” and one declined to state a conclusion. The findings were first reported by the Washington Post. The assessment involved a painstaking effort to analyze syndrome cases for patterns that could link them, as well as a search, using forensics and geolocation data, for evidence of a directed energy weapon, unnamed officials told the Post. “There was nothing,” one official said. The officials told the Post they were open to new evidence that a foreign adversary had developed an energy weapon, but did not believe Russia or any other adversary was involved in these cases. According to the AP, which was briefed on the assessment on Wednesday, in some cases the US was able to detect confusion and suspicion among adversarial governments who thought reports of the syndrome might be some kind of US plot. The intelligence agencies “judge that there is no credible evidence that a foreign adversary has a weapon or collection device that is causing AHIs”, according to the unclassified report.”

43. Recorded Future’s 2022 Annual Report

On March 2nd the Insikt Group of private intelligence firm Recorded Future published their 2022 Annual Report. The report has the following 5 sections: 1) Geopolitical intelligence, 2) Attacker intelligence and trends, 3) Initial access trends, 4) Vulnerability intelligence, and 5) Ransomware and data extortion intelligence.

44. Russia: Woman from Moscow Arrested for Treason for Supporting Ukrainian Military

Mediazone reported on March 4th that “the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow arrested a woman suspected of high treason for two months (Article 275 of the Criminal Code). This was reported to TASS at the FSB Public Relations Centre. The identity of the woman and the details of the case are not specified. According to security officials, she provided “financial assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” According to TASS, the suspect was detained in Moscow while trying to leave Russia. The human rights project “First Department” notes that this is the only known case of initiating a criminal case for donations for the Ukrainian army. In the summer, the FSB issued “warnings” about treason to three residents of the Moscow region because of donations to the Come Back Alive foundation.”

45. New Cyber Espionage Capability from China’s IRON TIGER Cyber Actor

On March 1st TrendMicro published a technical analysis of a new cyber espionage capability by a cyber actor dubbed as IRON TIGER, previously associated with the intelligence services of China. As per its introduction, “Iron Tiger is an advanced persistent threat (APT) group that has been focused primarily on cyberespionage for more than a decade. In 2022, we noticed that they updated SysUpdate, one of their custom malware families, to include new features and add malware infection support for the Linux platform. We found the oldest sample of this updated version in July 2022. At the time, we attributed the sample to Iron Tiger but had not yet identified the final payload. It was only after finding multiple similar payloads in late October 2022 that we looked further and found similarities with the SysUpdate malware family that had also been updated in 2021. As with the previous version, Iron Tiger had made the loading logic complex, probably in an attempt to evade security solutions. This new version has similar features to the 2021 version, except that the C++ run-time type information (RTTI) classes we previously observed in 2021 had been removed, and that the code structure was changed to use the ASIO C++ asynchronous library. Both changes make reverse engineering the samples longer. We strongly advise organizations and users in the targeted industries to reinforce their security measures to defend their systems and stored information from this ongoing campaign.”

46. Italy: Parliamentary Intelligence Report for 2022

On February 28th the Annual (2022) Intelligence Report for the Italian parliament was publicly released. The report is based on intelligence from all of the Italian intelligence agencies, it is 104 pages, and its split in the following 3 chapters: 1) The Russian-Ukraine conflict and its repercussions, 2) Global instability: Theatres and crisis factors, and 3) The protection of national security.

47. United States: Statement by CIA Director William J. Burns on the IC Assessment on AHIs

On March 1st the US CIA issued this press release stating that “the Intelligence Community Assessment released today by ODNI reflects more than two years of rigorous, painstaking collection, investigative work, and analysis by IC agencies, including CIA. We applied the Agency’s very best operational, analytic, and technical tradecraft to what is one of the largest and most intensive investigations in the Agency’s history. I and my leadership team stand firmly behind the work conducted and the findings. I want to be absolutely clear: these findings do not call into question the experiences and real health issues that US Government personnel and their family members — including CIA’s own officers — have reported while serving our country. As I have said before, as Director, I have no more profound obligation than to take care of our people and, throughout this process, I have been determined to address this difficult challenge with honesty and compassion. We will continue to remain alert to any risks to the health and wellbeing of Agency officers, to ensure access to care, and to provide officers the compassion and respect they deserve.” You can find the ODNI announcement here.

48. Russian FSB Arrests 2 SBU/SZRU Agents in Sevastopol

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on February 27th that they “stopped the illegal activities of two citizens of the Russian Federation who are suspected of collaborating with foreign intelligence services as “tipmasters”. It was established that two residents of the city of Sevastopol, born in 1979 and 1995. proactively established contact with the intelligence services of Ukraine in order to transfer data for a monetary reward on the location of sites of the Russian Ministry of Defence, the leakage of which abroad could damage the state’s defence capability. The man born in 1979 carried out reconnaissance missions of the Security Service of Ukraine to collect information about the location of military facilities and transmitted this information via e-mail in compliance with secrecy measures. The second suspect confirmed his intentions of confidential cooperation with the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine in a telephone conversation, but did not have time to transfer the data due to circumstances beyond his control.”

49. Video Shows Drone Landing on Russian A-50 Radar Jet That Was Supposedly Attacked

Following this week’s story #1, on March 3rd The Warzone published this article stating that “a video has emerged showing a drone that is claimed to have been launched by a Belarusian partisan group, landing on the radar dome of a Russian A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft at Machulishchy Air Base, Belarus. The video was released by BYPOL, the organization of Belarusian military dissidents opposed to the Lukashenko government that claims it struck the A-50, damaging it in two critical places — its radome and its upper forward fuselage area — on February 26. BYPOL says this video was taken during a period of “two weeks [when] Belarusian partisans conducted aerial reconnaissance at Machulishchy military airfield with the help of civilian drones purchased in a store.” To get up to speed with the claims, you can read our full initial report on this incident here and our follow-up that examined satellite imagery showing no outright signs of damage to the A-50.”

50. US Army Aims for Unmanned Airborne ISR Incremental Improvements

On March 1st AFCEA published this article saying that “by the end of the 2023 fiscal year, the U.S. Army expects to begin building Increment 1 of its Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) to replace the RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aircraft. Increment 1 will, in turn, be replaced beginning as early as 2025 by Increment 2, which is expected to improve on the open, modular approach. The FTUAS is designed to offer a vertical takeoff and landing, runway-independent, reduced acoustic signature aircraft that can be easily transported while providing commanders with on-the-move reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition capabilities, according to an Army press release. The system is expected to provide an array of advantages over its Shadow predecessor, which Army officials sometimes refer to as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) workhorse because of the vast number of operational missions it has flown. For example, the FTUAS can essentially be set up anywhere and operate in any environment without the Shadow’s cumbersome ancillary equipment, such as the catapult launcher, Humvee-mounted ground control station, tactical automated landing system that guides it back to the runway, and the arresting cables and netting to catch it as it lands.”

51. Podcast: CIA’s In-Q-Tel: The Intersection: Exploring a Path Forward for America’s Technological Future

On February 28th CIA’s In-Q-Tel published a new podcast episode. As per its description, “the United States is facing a significant challenge in competing with China on technological innovation, cybersecurity, and national security issues. With China’s rapid rise as a global technological superpower, the U.S. must take steps to ensure its own competitiveness and security. This includes addressing concerns such as intellectual property theft, cyber attacks, and the development of emerging technologies. The U.S. government must prioritize these issues in order to protect its economic and national interests. In this episode, Steve Bowsher is joined by Will Hurd, author of “American Reboot,” and currently the managing director at Allen & Company. Will has a lot of experience with national security issues, having worked as a CIA officer, member of Congress, and cybersecurity executive. Tune in to learn about the challenges and solutions that can help shape America’s technological future. Key Takeaways: The problems and difficulties that must be tackled in relation to competing with China; US government’s approach and collaboration with the private sectors on innovation and competitiveness; Explaining pragmatic idealism and the inspiration behind it.”

52. Ukrainian SBU Detained GRU Agent in Donetsk

On March 1st Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “detained an informant of the Russian military intelligence, who was pointing enemy missiles at civilian sites in Donetsk region. The attacker collected intelligence about the locations of bases and movements of units of the Defence Forces in the Avdiyiv direction. He also gave the aggressor the coordinates of social infrastructure facilities in the Pokrovsky district of Donetsk region. He “dropped” the obtained information on anonymous Telegram channels controlled by the militants. The occupiers used intelligence to prepare and carry out targeted missile and artillery strikes on Ukrainian cities. According to the investigation materials, the enemy informant turned out to be a resident of Mirnograd, who supported the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. He published his pro-Kremlin views through banned social networks. In this way, he came to the attention of Russian military intelligence, which remotely involved him in subversive activities. During the search of the suspect’s place of residence, mobile phones with evidence of correspondence with the aggressor were found.”

53. Norway: Introduction to National Threat Assessment 2023

This week the Norwegian intelligence community published the National Threat Assessment 2023 in Norwegian and English. This is a joint publication by Norway’s Police Security Service (PST), Intelligence Service (NIS), and National Security Authority (NSM), it is 25-pages long, and has the following sections: 1) State intelligence activities, 2) Politically motivated violence — extremism, and 3) Threats to dignitaries.

54. Ukrainian SBU Uncovers Russian Penetration in Regional Office

On March 2nd Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “continue to purge their own ranks: one more supporter of the “Russian measure” has been exposed. The Security Service continues to systematically purge its own ranks. The Main Department of Internal Security of the SBU, together with the State Bureau of Investigation, exposed an official of one of the Service’s regional bodies for anti-Ukrainian activities. She justified the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and denied the war crimes of the Russian occupiers. Also, the defendant tried to present the Russian missile attack on the maternity hospital in Mariupol as “inciting the situation” and denied the facts of enemy shelling of the Zaporizhzhya NPP. As Vasyl Malyuk, Head of the SBU, said earlier, cleaning the Service of traitors and destructive elements is one of today’s priorities. “We are continuing the course of self-purification of the Service and are not going to stop. The SBU is not a place for Kremlin agents and people who do not believe in the victory of Ukraine. If someone betrayed the oath and the Ukrainian people, he must answer according to the law,” emphasized Vasyl Malyuk.”

55. Interview: CIA Director William Burns on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan”

On February 26th the Face the Nation published the recording of this interview. As per its description, “in an exclusive interview, CIA director William Burns told “Face the Nation” that his meeting three months ago with Russian spy chief Sergey Naryshkin was “pretty dispiriting.” “There was a very defiant attitude on the part of Mr. Naryshkin as well. A sense of cockiness and hubris,” Burns said.”

56. US Air Force Orders First E-7 Jets to Replace Aging E-3 Sentry

On March 1st The Warzone published this article stating that “Boeing is to kick off work on the U.S. Air Force’s new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, with a contract to develop a version of the E-7 Wedgetail radar plane for the service. The Air Force will use the E-7 to replace at least some of its 31 remaining 707-based E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning And Control System, or AWACS, aircraft, which have been struggling with poor mission-capable rates — the Air Force’s metric that reflects levels of operational readiness. According to Boeing, under a contract not to exceed $1.2 billion, the manufacturer “will begin development of two new U.S. variants of the E-7 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.” While the wording here suggests two different versions are under development, this actually refers to the first two examples of the U.S. Air Force-standard E-7, built to the same specification, which will serve as “production representative prototype aircraft,” before entering operational service.”

57. Russia: A Ukrainian Spy Who Threatened to Kill Russians was Detainedin Kherson

On March 3rd DailyStorm reported that “the regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Kherson region announced the detention of an informer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who collected intelligence about the location of the Russian military. “In the Kherson region, an informant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was detained, who sent data on the location of the Russian military and threatened to kill Russians,” the report says. The police clarified that the man asked for forgiveness for his behaviour and apologised for his remarks. Under the control of law enforcement officers, he got in touch with the handler.”

58. British RAF Chief Calls It ‘Unacceptable’ for China to Recruit Western Military Pilots

KFGO reported on March 1st that “Britain’s air force chief says it was “unacceptable” its former pilots were being recruited to train Chinese military, and intelligence agencies in Australia and Britain had shared information to warn pilots against working for Beijing. In October Britain said it would change the law to make it an offence for a former military pilot to continue training a foreign military after being warned by British intelligence agencies to stop. The Royal Air Force’s Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston told the ABC in an interview at the Avalon Air Show in Australia the warnings were about China. “We made the decision to go public on this in a very loud, clear way, that it’s unacceptable and it’s something that we were prepared to call China out publicly,” he said. Australia said it will also tighten the law to stop the practice. Australia’s spy chief last week hit out in his annual security threat assessment at former military pilots who turn to working for authoritarian regimes, describing them as “lackeys, more ‘top tools’ than ‘top guns’”. “Because of our close intelligence relationship with Australia and other allies, we all shared that information, we were all alert to it, and we have been in lock step with the Australian authorities throughout this process,” Wigston told the ABC.”

59. Ukrainian SBU Detained Russian GRU Saboteur Planning to Blow Up Transportation Infrastructure in Rivne

On March 2nd Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “detained a Russian saboteur who tried to blow up one of the transport infrastructure facilities in Rivne. His main task was to sabotage one of the key locations of the transport system of the regional centre. In this way, the aggressor hoped to disrupt the supply of foreign weapons to the Defence Forces on the eastern and southern fronts. In order to commit sabotage, the attacker arrived in Ukraine on February 19 under the guise of a resident of one of the European countries. When crossing the state border, he used the passport of an EU citizen. After arriving in the Rivne region, he conducted reconnaissance near a strategic transport artery to determine the location of an explosive device. The exits of the saboteur to the area, where he surreptitiously inspected the site, and also observed the periodicity of the passage of rolling stock were recorded. His next “step” was to install explosives in the most “vulnerable” place of the specified critical infrastructure facility and detonate it. However, the SBU officers gradually documented the foreigner’s criminal actions and detained him in preparation for sabotage. According to the investigation, the suspect has a permanent residence permit in the Russian Federation and is a member of the Russian military intelligence agency. Since 2014, he has been carrying out hostile missions against the forces of the anti-terrorist operation in the east of Ukraine. To do this, he joined the Oplot group, and then the so-called Khan battalion. After the full-scale invasion, he joined the ranks of the Russian occupation group “Kherson” and took an active part in combat operations against Ukrainian troops in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson areas. In September of last year, the attacker returned to Russia, where he received the task of carrying out reconnaissance and subversive activities in the north-western region of Ukraine.”

60. China Won’t Transfer Weapons to Russia, Ukraine’s Spy Chief Says

Yahoo! News reported on February 27th that “Budanov said he relies on facts and sees no confirmation from Western officials about China’s plans. He also stressed that “basically, the only country” that actually transfers weapons to Russia is Iran. “We had intel that something was sent away from North Korea, but we have no confirmation of this,” Budanov said. “And there isn’t a single case when we would have recorded that certain kind of weapon from North Korea was used here or there.” He added that intelligence suggests Russia is trying to acquire any kind of available weapons from any country that is able to provide those. Budanov says that previously Russia’s close ally, Serbia, refused to transfer weapons and the Kremlin is now trying to get them from Myanmar.”

61. Pakistan: Another ‘Assassination Plot Being Hatched’ Against Imran

The Tribune Express reported on March 3rd that “in a startling revelation, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Babar Awan on Friday claimed the party had evidence of another assassination plot being hatched to murder former prime minister and party Chairman Imran Khan. Addressing the media here, Awan, who is also Imran’s lawyer, said the party received fresh reports from a “foreign intelligence agency” about another assassination attempt on Imran’s life. Without identifying the spy agency or divulging further details on the purported evidence, Awan said a plan had been made for a sniper to target Imran at the Islamabad judicial complex during his court hearing. A foreign agency said that such an incident could happen in the Islamabad courts, he claimed. The PTI leader said that CCTV cameras were switched off for the first time and no security arrangements were made for Imran’s arrival at the judicial complex for a court hearing earlier this week. He said a terrorism case had been registered against Ahmed Niazi, who is in charge of Imran’s security, to undermine the security of the former premier. “Attempts are being made to carry out an attack in the Salman Taseer and Liaquat Bagh-style formula to kill Imran Khan,” he said. Awan also called upon the judiciary to allow his client to appear for hearings via video link due to security concerns. The former premier sustained bullet injuries after a gunman opened fire at his container during the party’s ‘Haqeeqi Azadi March’ in Wazirabad in November last year.”

62. Smear, Frame, Mislead: The British Army in Ireland

On March 1st Declassified UK published this article stating that “startling new evidence reveals how the British army, backed by MI5, covered up a vicious black propaganda campaign in Northern Ireland and blocked an independent inquiry fearing it would revive claims they colluded with Loyalist paramilitaries. The extent of the cover-up is disclosed in documents given to victims of abuse at Kincora, a boys’ home in East Belfast run by William McGrath, founder of Tara, a shadowy far-right group known to MI5 and MI6 officers for many years. McGrath was later jailed for abusing young boys. MI5 “consistently obstructed” police inquiries into sexual abuse at Kincora, an investigation found. The abuse at Kincora and McGrath’s links with the security services were first revealed by Colin Wallace, an army information officer tasked with conducting psychological warfare — “Psyops” — designed to destabilise the British political establishment, and the Labour government in particular. Wallace also blew the whistle on a psychological warfare operation run by the security and intelligence agencies, given the code name, Clockwork Orange. It included the planting of hoax bombs, fake CIA identity cards, and a smear campaign against leading British, mainly Labour, political figures. One forged document from the “American Congress for Irish Freedom” was purportedly sent to Merlyn Rees, then Northern Ireland secretary, thanking him for his “generous contribution on behalf of the British Labour Party for the Occupied Six Counties of Ireland”. Much of the anti-Labour material was provided by the Information Research Department, a secret propaganda unit based in the Foreign Office.”

63. Documentary: Dark Docs: Stealing Unknown Advanced Equipment from a Mysterious Radar Station

On March 2nd Dark Docs published this short documentary. As per its description, “those who were chosen for the special mission had been waiting for days. The training and rehearsals had been completed, and the men were ready to take on the Germans. Everything was going according to plan, and Major John Frost was satisfied with the current conditions: little to no wind for the parachutists, good nighttime visibility for the Air Force, and the right tide for the Navy. On February 27, 1942, the last night of the mission window, the men of C Company embarked for France on board converted Whitley bombers. There was a lot of tension in the air, as the British desperately needed a win. Operation Biting called for them to steal unknown advanced equipment from a mysterious German coastal radar installation that was believed to be key in guiding Luftwaffe nighttime fighters toward British bomber formations. At last, the rookie soldiers readied their parachutes and valiantly jumped out of their aircraft into Bruneval. There was a lot at stake, and it was now or never…”

64. United States: MIT Pioneers Academic Counterintelligence Against Chinese Infiltration

Intelligence Online published this article on February 27th stating that “the first American university to engage in a counterintelligence programme of this kind, MIT is working on an investigation and monitoring system for Chinese students and researchers, close to Japanese academia’s methods.”

65. Ukrainian SBU Detained Russian FSB Agent in Sumy

On March 2nd Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “detained a Russian spy in Sumy Oblast, who was spying on the positions of the Armed Forces in the border regions with the Russian Federation. According to SBU counter-intelligence data, the perpetrator is a Russian citizen who moved to our country in 2019 and settled in the Sumy region. Subsequently, he received a permit for permanent residence in Ukraine. On the eve of the full-scale invasion, an officer of the FSB office in the Belgorod region came to him and offered tacit cooperation in favour of the aggressor country. After February 24 of last year, on the instructions of the Russian intelligence service, its henchman began to collect information about the locations of the bases of the Defence Forces in the region. First of all, he tried to identify the location of the defensive positions of the units of the Armed Forces in the border areas. The enemy informant applied the received information in the form of labels on a physical map during personal meetings with his handler on the territory of the Russian Federation. To do this, he covertly crossed the border through the so-called “green”. The aggressor used the intelligence to prepare and carry out massive rocket and artillery attacks on Ukrainian settlements. Counter-intelligence officers of the SBU detained a Russian informer during another attempt to pass classified information to the enemy. During the search of the suspect’s place of residence, the law enforcement officers discovered: ️passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation; ️Mobile Phones; ️pro-Kremlin symbols.”

66. Was the Pentagon and CIA Behind the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The Covert Action Magazine published this article on February 27th saying that “bioterrorism expert and whistleblower alleges that CIA secretly collaborated in supporting unethical gain of function research that resulted in the manufacture of the COVID-19 virus, which was then leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Dr. Andrew G. Huff is an Iraq War veteran and infectious disease epidemiologist with a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota who, in September 2014, went to work for EcoHealth Alliance, an NGO that received over $118 million in grants from federal agencies whose mission was to protect the public from infectious diseases. In a new book, The Truth About Wuhan: How I Uncovered the Biggest Lie in History (New York: Skyhorse Press, 2022), Huff claims that his boss at EcoHealth Alliance, Dr. Peter Daszak, was working with the CIA and that beginning in 2012, he oversaw the development of the biological agent known as SARS-CoV-2 that results in the disease COVID-19. The development occurred through Gain-of-Function research funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to Huff, Dr. Daszak and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 until his retirement in December 2022, along with other colleagues, “behaved like a pseudoscience mafia entrenched in the halls of the medical military industrial complex.” They not only engineered the COVID-19 pandemic but “criminally conspired to smear” anyone who did not support their narrative — including Huff who was subjected to a campaign of FBI surveillance and harassment that nearly resulted in his death.”

67. CrowdStrike 2023 Global Threat Report

On March 3rd the private intelligence firm CrowdStrike published their 2023 Global Threat Report. It’s a 42-pages long report separated in the following sections: 1) Introduction, 2) Threat Landscape Overview, 3) CrowdStrike eCrime Index, 4) Conclusion, 5) Recommendations, 6) CrowdStrike Products and Services, 7) About CrowdStrike.

68. Podcast: How We Caught A Spy: Soviet hangovers in Ukraine

On February 26th Lindybeige published an interview with a former British Army soldier who recently volunteered to fight in Ukraine. As per the video’s description, “part four of the interview with the volunteer who fought in Ukraine for seven months. He talks of the older Ukrainian officers who still use Soviet doctrine, and, rather excitingly, of catching a spy.”

69. United States: CIA Head Accuses Russian Spy Chief of ‘Cockiness’ and ‘Hubris’ after ‘Dispiriting’ Recent Meeting

The Independent reported on February 28th that “CIA Director William Burns said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his spy chief showed “hubris” and “cockiness” after recent discussions with Moscow, but warned that such attitudes could lead to “blunders” for authoritarian leaders. Mr Burns sat for a wide-ranging interview with CBS News’ Margaret Brennan and revealed his perspective on the Russian leaders’ attitude. Brennan noted that Mr Putin has “about three or four people” who knew he was planning the invasion of Ukraine last year. Mr Burns confirmed it was true, saying Mr Putin has been narrowing the number of people who have direct access to his planning, often prioritising “loyalty over competence.” “It was a group of people who tended to tell him what he wanted to hear, and- or at least had learned over the years that it wasn’t career enhancing to question his judgments as well,” Mr Burns said. “And so that was one of the deepest flaws I think, in Russian decision-making just before the war as it was such a close circle of people reinforcing one another’s profoundly mistaken assumptions.” When asked if any of his inner circle give him counsel, Mr Burns said he believes that Mr Putin has “become increasingly convinced that he knows better than anyone else what’s at stake for Russia.” Brennan asked the CIA director about recent discussions he had with Russian officials, noting that he had called them “dispiriting.” Mr Burns said Sergey Naryshkin, the director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR, has had a “very defiant attitude”, with a “sense of cockiness and hubris”. He said that hubris was apparent in what he believes to be Mr Putin’s miscalculations ahead of his invasion of Ukraine last year.”

70. Ukrainian SBU Detains the Abbot of the UOC Temple for Acting as FSB Agent in the Sumy Region

On March 3rd Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “detained the abbot of the UOC (MP) temple, who was collecting intelligence on the defence of Sumy region for the FSB. The perpetrator turned out to be the abbot of one of the churches of the UOC (MP) in the Shostky district of the Sumy region, who secretly cooperated with the FSB. At the instruction of the aggressor, the archpriest collected information about the deployment of the Defence Forces in the region. First of all, he tried to identify the locations of command posts and warehouses with artillery weapons of the Armed Forces. For this purpose, he went around the border area and covertly carried out photo and video recording of Ukrainian sites. Intelligence was needed by the invaders to carry out targeted missile and massive artillery strikes on the region, as well as sabotage raids. In addition, the Russian agent collected personal data of heads of local authorities and law enforcement officers. The SBU officers detained the attacker while trying to pass on classified information about officials of local military administrations to the aggressor. According to the investigation, the archpriest was recruited by a case officer of the FSB office in the Bryansk region in September of last year. He came to the attention of the Russian intelligence services because of his pro-Kremlin views, which he repeatedly made public among those around him. He used anonymous messengers to communicate with the aggressor, and transmitted the collected information in the form of text messages and media files linked to the area. During searches at the residence of the person involved and in the church, the law enforcement officers found: ️mobile phones with evidence of correspondence with the FSB; ️pro-Russian literature.”

71. Altamira Adds SIGINT Services Through VaST Acquisition; Jane Chappell Quoted

GovConWire reported on March 2nd that “Altamira Technologies has acquired signals intelligence mission company Virginia Systems & Technology in a transaction that expands its capabilities in SIGINT tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination, emerging threat identification and tactical SIGINT collaborative mission constellation management. VaST is a Warrenton, Virginia-based company founded in 1999 and is focused on advancing SIGINT capabilities to address the gap between operations and engineering, Altamira said Wednesday. “The acquisition of VaST brings new SIGINT capabilities and core National Security Customers to the Altamira portfolio,” said Jane Chappell, CEO of Altamira. Altamira will expand its workforce with the addition of analysts, data scientists, software developers, mission integrators and operations specialists. Mintz acted as legal adviser to Altamira in the transaction. KippsDeSanto & Co. and Holland & Knight respectively served as financial and legal advisers to VaST. McLean, Virginia-based Altamira is a portfolio company of venture capital firm ClearSky and has been providing analytics and engineering capabilities in support of defense and national security missions since 2003.”

72. Poland Says Russian Hackers Attacked Tax Website

On March 1st DailyMail reported that “a Polish government official said on Wednesday that Russia was behind a hacking attack that blocked users’ access to the online tax filing system, as tensions between Warsaw and Moscow run high due to the war in Ukraine. Western officials say the Russian government is a global leader in hacking and uses cyber-espionage against foreign governments. Moscow has consistently denied that it carries out hacking operations. “Russians are responsible for yesterday’s attack, it must be made clear. We have information that makes it very likely that this was the adversary,” Janusz Cieszynski, a government official responsible for digitalisation, told broadcaster Polsat News. The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.”

73. Video: Former CIA Officer McGovern on Ukraine, NATO & Nord Stream at UN Security Council

On February 27th acTVism Munich published this video, originally from February 22nd on the United Nations Security Council. As per its description, “former CIA analyst turned political activist Ray McGovern addresses the United Nations Security Council on Russia-U.S. relations. McGovern emphasizes the need to understand Russia’s security concerns and to push forward with diplomacy. McGovern was a CIA analyst from 1963 to 1990 and in the 1980s directed the National Intelligence Estimates and produced the President’s Daily Brief. Upon his retirement, he received the Intelligence Commendation Medal, which he returned in 2006 to protest CIA involvement in torture.”

74. How Chinese Spy Agency MSS Disrupts the World

FirstPost’s Global Watch published this article on March 2nd saying that “China’s premier spy agency Ministry for State Security (MSS) has been on the forefront of setting up and running a ruthless global espionage and counter-espionage network. MSS was set up in 1983 to bring together multiple agencies which were already functional so that Chinese spy networks could work more cohesively as well as ruthlessly. Officially the proposal to set up this agency was brought by Zhao Ziyang at the first session of the sixth National People’s Congress (NPC) on June 20, 1983. The NPC can be broadly termed as the Parliament of China. Ziyang proposed the establishment of a state security ministry “to protect the security of the state and strengthen China’s counterespionage work.” The NPC approved it and voted to appoint Ling Yun as the first minister. The inaugural meeting of the MSS was held on 1 July, 1983 to announce the formal establishment of the. The opening speech was delivered by chairman Chen Pixian of the ‘Central Political-Legal Commission’ one of the key bodies of CCP. He categorically said, “Doing state security work well will effectively promote socialist modernisation and the cause of realising the unification of the motherland opposing hegemonism, and defending world peace.” The Chinese intent was clear: MSS would be its ace espionage and counter-intelligence agency. Since President Xi Jinping took over the reins of the Chinese Communist Party(CCP) and the Chinese establishment in 2012, MSS has been endowed with even greater authority and its sphere of influence has increased significantly. In Xi Jinping’s scheme of things, Chinese espionage agencies, especially MSS, lead from the front to change the existing world order.”

75. Hong Kong Expats Fled Chinese Oppression to the UK. Now Informants are Tracking Them in Britain

iNews published this exclusive story on March 3rd stating that “Hong Kong dissidents who have fled to the UK have told how of being followed and harassed by suspected pro-Beijing informants and activists recruited to monitor them. Some members of the pro-democracy movement claimed they had been tailed and photographed after escaping to the UK from the China-controlled region. This week, Hong Kongers wanting to join the British Army reported how a suspected Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agent had posed as a reporter in their Telegram channel to try and obtain information from the group last month. While one restaurant owner in east London told i they had been bombarded with anonymous phone calls from the UK and China warning them to stop promoting the Hong Kong democracy movement. They were able to trace one of the numbers back to a police station in China. China’s repressive National Security Law (NSL) which was imposed in 2020, has led to more than 160,000 Hong Kongers fleeing to the UK under the British National Overseas BN(O) visa. The security law, which purports to apply overseas and has been used to try and crush dissent in Hong Kong, criminalises any act Beijing deems as secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign or external forces. In October, a pro-democracy Hong Kong protester was dragged into the Chinese consulate grounds in Manchester and beaten up, with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announcing in December that six consulate officials police wanted to question had been recalled by Beijing. The following month, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat chaired the first Defending Democracy Taskforce vowing to tackle “growing” threats of foreign state interference in the UK and “transnational repression” after reports the Chinese government had set up undeclared “police stations” in London and Glasgow. Meanwhile, a leading pro-democracy dissident who fled to the UK after allegedly being tortured in China told i that police in Hong Kong have been actively recruiting informants to come to the UK.”

76. South Africa’s State Security Agency: Can it Be Fixed Before it’s Too Late?

BizNews published this article on February 28th stating that “South Africa’s State Security Agency (SSA) has been repurposed for the personal gain of former president Jacob Zuma and his allies, according to an op-ed by Jane Duncan of The Conversation. The merging of domestic and foreign branches and the appointment of a super director-general created an easy route for state capture. Current president Cyril Ramaphosa promised to return the SSA to its original mission, but progress has been slow and the agency’s absorption into the presidency could make future abuses more likely. If restructuring fails, the SSA may need to be restarted from scratch, as occurred with Colombia’s Administrative Department of Security in 2011.”

77. Belgian Constitutional Court to Rule on Prisoner Swap Treaty with Iran

EUractiv reported on March 3rd that “the Belgian Constitutional Court on Friday will decide whether to cancel the Belgium-Iran prisoner swap treaty, which would allow for a Belgian aid worker who is convicted of espionage to be swapped for an Iranian diplomat facing prison for having planned a bomb attack. Iran sentenced Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele to 40 years in prison and 74 lashes on the grounds of espionage and undermining national security after he spent a whole year in pre-trial detention, where conditions gradually worsened. To help Vandecasteele, Belgium negotiated a prisoner swap deal with Iran, which would allow for the transfer of Vandecasteele back to Belgium in exchange for Assadolah Assadi — an Iranian diplomat convicted in Belgium for a planned bomb attack on the Iranian opposition in France. In December, however, the Belgian Constitutional Court suspended the agreement, ruling that Assadi would have been immediately released and thus avoided his sentence had he been sent to Iran. After the oral hearings, which started on 15 February, the Court now has to determine whether or not the treaty should be cancelled, a decision that was expected by 8 March.”

78. Podcast: Bankless Shows: Is the CIA Spying on Crypto? with Annie Jacobsen

On February 27th Bankless Shows published a new episode. As per its description, “Annie Jacobsen is an investigative journalist and author writes about war, weapons, government secrecy, and national security. She’s written books on the secrets of Area 51, and the Pentagon’s military science R&D efforts over the decades. Our guest Annie Jacobsen has spent her career interviewing and studying intelligence agencies. The 2023 crypto movement is sufficiently large enough that it has certainly attracted the attention of every intelligence agency out there. We want to learn about how the world’s intelligence agencies might have or are interacting with the crypto community. Is the CIA spying on crypto? Our guest Annie gives us her thoughts.”

79. Brazil: Lula Nominates New Head of Intelligence Agency

The Brazilian Report published this article on March 3rd saying that “President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday nominated Luiz Fernando Corrêa as the new head of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin). Yesterday, Lula moved Abin from under the military-run Institutional Security Office (GSI) to the purview of the Office of the Chief of Staff, in an effort to demilitarize strategic areas of the government. The name of Mr. Corrêa must be confirmed by the Senate before he can take office. Mr. Corrêa served as director of the Federal Police from late 2007 to early 2011, during most of Lula’s second term. Previously, he worked as national public security secretary during Lula’s first term. He later served for more than four years as director of security for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.”

80. Lithuanian Citizen Once Again Arrested in Espionage Case

Following 2022 week 40 story #64, on February 27th the Lithuanian Delfi reported on February 27th that “the District Court of Vilnius City has satisfied the request of Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office and authorised the arrest of Mantas Danielius who is suspected of spying for Belarus. He was originally arrested in September 2022 on suspicion of collecting and transferring information to Belarusian intelligence services.”

81. Cyber Espionage Activity Targeting Colombia and Ecuador

The Record reported on February 27th that “a malicious hacking group continues to use “simple” phishing techniques to steal information from government agencies and financial institutions in Colombia and Ecuador, cybersecurity researchers say. BlackBerry’s Research & Intelligence Team reported Monday that the group, known as Blind Eagle or APT-C-36, recently “impersonated a Colombian government tax agency to target key industries in Colombia, including health, financial, law enforcement, immigration, and an agency in charge of peace negotiation in the country.” The discovery follows a separate report in January by cybersecurity company Check Point Research that said Blind Eagle had developed “a more advanced toolset” as it sent out phishing emails designed to spur recipients to click on malicious web links. Those links ultimately lead victims to unwittingly install remote access trojan (RAT) malware, which gives the hackers access to infected computers. Blind Eagle — classified as an advanced persistent threat (APT) group — has been operating since at least 2018, researchers say. Several cybersecurity companies have said the hackers operate from within South America, though there is no consensus on a specific country.”

82. European Parliament Spyware Committee Hears from Greek Independent Authority Chiefs

eKathimerini reported on February 28th that “the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) has identified at least 300 text messages containing spyware-infected links and sent to around 100 individuals, the head of the agency, Konstantinos Menoudakos, told PEGA, the European Parliament committee investigating the use of Predator and other surveillance spyware, on Tuesday. Menoudakos said HDPA is still trying to identify the senders and recipients of the infected SMS messages as part of its ongoing investigation into the illegal surveillance of journalists, politicians, businesspeople and others. HDPA started investigating the company that sells the Predator spyware in Greece, Intellexa, as well as several mass messaging services in the wake of revelations last summer about a tapping attempt on the private telephone of European lawmaker and PASOK opposition chief Nikos Androulakis. Speaking to the same committee on Tuesday, Christos Rammos, the president of the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE), defended his agency’s authority to investigate complaints of spyware abuses and said that it “continues [to work] in this direction.” Rammos was responding to a question concerning an opinion issued last month by a Supreme Court prosecutor arguing that under recent legislation ADEA cannot investigate telecom firms to find out who is under surveillance by the country’s intelligence agency.” Following this, EUractiv reported that “the European Commission has expressed its concern regarding the independence of Greece’s justice system after a EURACTIV report revealed that there was an attempt to block an audit of an independent authority as part of the ongoing wiretapping scandal investigation.”

83. US 501st Military Intelligence Brigade Strengthens Alliance by Hosting ROK/U.S. Intelligence Reception

Through an official press release on February 28th, the US Army announced that “intelligence professionals from across the Republic of Korea and U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command came together for a night to celebrate the alliance at the Morning Calm Center on Camp Humphreys, Feb. 2, 2023. The 2023 ROK/U.S. Intelligence Community Reception, hosted by the 501st Military Intelligence Brigade on behalf of INSCOM, provided an opportunity for U.S. Intelligence professionals to meet and develop rapport with key ROK national-level intelligence, security, and law enforcement officials who support the combined intelligence missions of United States Forces Korea, INSCOM, and the 501st MI Brigade. The night began with a social hour and food service, followed by the receiving line where the INSCOM and 501st MI Brigade command teams formally greeted guests. Attendees included senior leaders from across the Korean peninsula including Maj. Gen. Joseph D’costa, deputy commanding general, sustainment, Eighth Army; Brig. Gen. Richard Appelhans, J-2, USFK; Brig. Gen. Ju, Jung Woon, intelligence director in G-2/3, ROK Army headquarters; Maj. Gen. Son, Sug Rag, C-2, Combined Forces Command; Maj. Gen. Kim, Dong Ho, director of Doctrine Development, ROK Army Training Doctrine and Command; and Mr. Kim, Yong Ho, intelligence director, Korea Defense Intelligence Agency. Col. Lisa Winegar, commander, 501st MI Brigade, welcomed guests and remarked that maintaining friendship and strengthening the bond between the ROK and U.S. is the key to the two countries’ collective success.”

84. Cell Phone Surveillance Demands of Austrian Domestic Intelligence Agency Under Fire

The AA reported on March 1st that “data protectionists and politicians from Austrian political parties Neos, FPO, SPO, and Greens have rejected calls by domestic intelligence agency DSN’s head Omar Haijawi-Pirchner for cell phone surveillance. Haijawi-Pirchner on Monday called for better options in fighting terrorism in an interview with the daily Der Standard. Specifically, Kirchner had called for access to certain cell phone apps to gain access to the microphone or movement data, among other things. “Haijawi-Pirchner is pushing for a strong expansion of legal powers in law enforcement,” data protection expert Thomas Lohninger told Der Standard on Tuesday. According to the data protection expert, however, this would represent a serious encroachment on fundamental rights and would make common smartphones less secure by legalizing state hacking. Lohninger also doubts that the domestic intelligence service only wants access to certain apps. The demands of Haijawi-Pirchner could only be met by a federal Trojan, which would be secretly installed on the devices of individuals and spy on apps, microphones, or movement data, he added. Nikolaus Scherak, a board member from the liberal party Neos told Der Standard: “The head of the DSN should actually know what our constitution allows and what not. Without complete access to a device, it’s not even technically possible to screen certain apps.” The right-wing conservative FPO also rejected Kirchner’s demands. All citizens are put under “general suspicion” with such measures, the party said in a statement to the daily. The Social Democratic Party of Austria, SPO, said that in the wake of the 2020 Vienna terrorist attack, the investigative commission found that “it was not the amount of data, but its networking and matching that would have been decisive in countering terrorism.” So, “new instruments would not be up for debate for the SPO.” In a statement to the daily, the Green Party, responsible for the Justice Ministry in the Austrian federal government, “rejects the mass surveillance of cell phone users without any reason by means of chat control.” The ruling OVP party said that while there is a “need for contemporary powers to fight organized crime and terrorism,” these must be “based on a solid legal foundation,” which “must first be created.” Experts from the Interior Ministry and the judiciary would therefore deal with this issue, the OVP added.”

85. China Scrambles Fighter Jets After US Spy Plane Flies Through Taiwan Strait

On February 28th the Hindustan Times published this video with its description stating that “Chinese military is up in arms after a U.S reconnaissance aircraft flew over the Taiwan Strait. Beijing claimed that a U.S P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol & reconnaissance aircraft flew through the strait separating mainland China and Taiwan. Chinese military scrambled A Su-27 fighter jet and monitored the American aircraft. Chinese military accused the U.S of ‘deliberately damaging regional stability.’.”

86. Albania: Extradition Hearing on Russian Spy Postponed Again

Following 2022 week 33 story #71, 2022 week 34 stories #16 and #88, as well as 2023 week 8 story #1, on March 3rd the Albanian Daily News reported that “hearing against the Russian citizen, Svetlana Timofoeva, has been postponed again this Friday for procedural reasons, and the next hearing is expected to be held on March 17. Field sources have confirmed that the Russian citizen requests that the request for her extradition be made in Russian. Timofeeva was arrested in August last year along with two other people, on charges of espionage. Two Russians, Mikhail Zorin, 23, Svetlana Timofeeva, 33, and 25-year-old Ukrainian Fyodor Mihailovic, were photographing the premises at the Weapons Plant. As they tried to get inside, they were spotted by Albanian soldiers who signaled them to stop. They did not obey the orders of the Albanian soldiers while one of them attacked them with a chemical spray. All three were arrested while also being investigated as spies for the Russian secret service. 2 drones, 4 mobile phones, 1 laptop, 1 camera, memory cards, 3 passports, 2 cameras, maps were found in the car with Ukrainian license plates that was being used by them during their stay in Albania.”

87. Russia: Drone Crash Near Moscow was Failed Attack, Governor Says

BBC reported on March 1st that “a drone has crashed in the Moscow region in what was likely an attempt to target civilian infrastructure, the regional governor said. Andrei Vorobyov was speaking after the defence ministry reported downing two Ukrainian drones in southern Russia. Ukraine does not claim responsibility for attacks inside Russia. Russian energy giant Gazprom operates a facility near the village of Gubastovo, about 100 km (62 miles) from Moscow, where the drone crashed. Gazprom told Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti that its operations in the Kolomna district had not been interrupted. The target of the drone in Kolomna “was probably a civilian infrastructure facility, which was not damaged”, Mr Vorobyov posted on Telegram. “There are no casualties or damage on the ground. The FSB (Russian security service) and other competent authorities are investigating,” he added. Images shared by Russian media and officials show a damaged drone in a snow-covered field in front of a forest of birch trees. The area around the Gazprom facility is heavily forested. The appearance of the drone matches that of the UJ-22 Airborne, a product of Ukrainian manufacturer Ukrjet. Ukrjet says the vehicle has a range of 800km — enough for it to reach the Kolomna area from Ukraine. A reverse image reveals no previous matches for the image, suggesting it is recent. Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, tweeted a photo of the drone. “It is more than 500km away from Russian border with Ukraine. Soon Putin might get very afraid to show himself in public as drones can reach far distances,” he wrote alongside the photo. If Ukraine was behind the Kolomna drone, it would be the closest attempted drone attack to the capital since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago. It came as the Russian defence ministry said its forces had downed two Ukrainian drones in southern Russia. The ministry accused Kyiv of attempting to use drones “to attack civilian infrastructure in the Krasnodar region and the Adygea Republic”, adding that they were “neutralised by electronic warfare units”. Moscow has accused Ukraine of being behind attacks on Russian military infrastructure during the war, but Kyiv has not confirmed this.”

88. Israel Issues Rare Indictment Against Hezbollah Agent for Espionage, Terrorism

World Israel News reported on March 2nd that “in a rare case, a Syrian national who served as a Hezbollah operative was indicted for being a member of a terrorist organization and espionage after he collected classified information on the IDF for months, according to the indictment filed by the northern district prosecutor’s office. The suspect, Ayat Abdullah, was caught in an IDF ambush on January 27 after he infiltrated Israeli territory. The case, led by Investigative Officer Matan Turgeman, found that Abdullah, who lives in the Syrian Golan, was recruited at the end of 2019 by a Hezbollah operative with the purpose of gathering intelligence about IDF movements in his area of ​​residence and along the border between Syria and Israel, ostensibly for the “Syrian State Security” organization, the indictment said. It later became clear that his handler was a Hezbollah operative, the Abdullah continued reporting to him nonetheless. “He was asked to document the movements of the IDF, the capacity of troops and the type of IDF vehicles, the number of vehicles, and their movements, including times and directions,” the indictment states. “He was instructed to observe, and document what he saw.” Abdullah’s handler would arrive at his home twice a month to pay him in exchange for his reports and for a memory card of photographs taken by the spy, the statement said. In May 2022, Abdullah’s brother-in-law Abed Rahman was killed in an explosion that Hezbollah claimed Israel was behind. Abdullah received a sum of cash from his handler to pass onto Al-Rahman’s widow. Attorney Ala Atmana, who represents Abdullah on behalf of the Public Defender’s Office, responded: “This is a normal fellow, without any criminal record and he denies all the offenses attributed to him. According to him, he was arrested in Syrian territory and we will demand that he be deported back to his country. There is no legal reason to detain him.”.”

89. Cambodia: Uncovering Spies — Ministry Probing Allegation that Two Activists are CIA Agents

Khmer Times reported on March 3rd that “the Ministry of Interior is investigating an allegation that two activists are working as secret agents for the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), with the duo allegedly intending to lead a protest targetting the court’s verdict against former Cambodia National Rescue Party president Kem Sokha. Phnom Penh Municipal Court is scheduled to announce Sokha’s verdict today after years-long trials. Sokha was charged with treason after being accused of colluding with the US to topple the government through a colour revolution. The probe was launched after a controversial Facebook user named “I am Sam Rainsy” posted that the two, former information official of the defunct CNRP Meach Sovannara and Mark Gibbel, Chief Executive Officer of the Long Beach-based Policy Research Institute, are working as CIA agents. This post was also shared by Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday on his official Telegram channel. Interior Ministry spokesman General Khieu Sopheak said yesterday that the ministry has received information related to the allegation and is now launching a probe. “This is the secret of the official internal work related to protection of the country. We can’t give a journalist detailed information about the investigation,” said Gen Sopheak. Gen Sopheak said that the country’s security is confidential and cannot be laid bare to the public. National Police Chief General Neth Savoeun refused to comment when contacted yesterday. “I can’t give the answer now because I am with Prime Minister Hun Sen,” Gen Savoeun said. According to “I am Sam Rainsy” Facebook page, Sovannara and Mark Gibbel are planning to cause chaos when Phnom Penh Municipal Court is scheduled to issue a verdict today against former CNRP president Kem Sokha. “Two secret agents, Meach Sovannara and Mark Gibbel, are operating under the Policy Research Institute in Long Beach. They are in Phnom Penh to cause chaos when the court will announce Kem Sokha’s verdict on March 3,” the Facebook page alleged. The post alleged that before returning to Cambodia from the US, Sovannara bragged to his friends that he will protest against the court’s decision because he had a network in Cambodia. “Phnom Penh authorities should be very careful because these two agents are an extreme threat and dangerous for the country,” the Facebook page said.”

90. United States: CIA Says Possibility China is Providing Lethal Aid to Russia

NewsBreak reported on March 2nd that “in an interview with CBS, the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA for short, Bill Burns confirmed that there is a possibility of China sending lethal aid in order to help Russia fight its current war against Ukraine. During an episode of the news show “Face the Nation”, Burns told the moderator “ We’re confident that the Chinese leadership is considering the provision of lethal equipment”. The idea that Chinese president Xi Jinping is considering helping Russia to escalate the conflict with Ukraine seems to be different from the previous assumptions made by the Biden administration. Earlier this month, in fact, Burns told the students he was talking to at Georgetown University that Xi was “very reluctant to provide the kind of lethal weapons to Russia to use in Ukraine that the Russians are very much interested in.”.”

91. Canada: Intelligence Agency-incited Furor Over Lurid Claims China Interfered in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 Elections

On March 1st the World Socialist Web Site published this article saying that “Canada’s media and political establishment are in the grips of a China “under the bed” furor following leaks from a highly-placed source or sources within the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada’s premier intelligence agency. The principal conduit for these leaks has been the Globe and Mail, Canada’s “newspaper of record” and the traditional voice of Bay Street. On a daily basis for most of the past three weeks, the Globe has published major, generally lead, articles devoted to disseminating lurid allegations of a nefarious Chinese plot to undermine Canadian democracy. This relentless anti-China propaganda, which has been enthusiastically taken up by the opposition parties and most corporate media outlets, has a two-fold purpose. First, to demonize China in furtherance of the US-led, Canadian imperialist-supported military-strategic offensive against Beijing; and second, to destabilize and push the Trudeau Liberal government sharply further right.”

92. Webinar: International Spy Museum: “ARGO” Introduction by Jonna Mendez, CIA Chief of Disguise

On February 27th the International Spy Museum published the recording of an event that originally took place on February 2nd at the museum’s facilities. As per its description, “the Spy Museum hosted an in-person screening of ARGO with an in-person introduction by Jonna Mendez, former CIA Chief of Disguise! ARGO a true story based on Jonna’s late husband, Tony Mendez’s “best worst idea.” Tony flew into Tehran, Iran at the height of the hostage crisis to help rescue six US diplomats from the Canadian Embassy, where they had taken refuge. The improbable cover story was that Tony was a producer for a science fiction movie named “Argo.” Tony is played by Ben Affleck in the Oscar-winning film.
And the rest, as they say, is… This video is an inside look at the film and a post-screening Q&A with Jonna Mendez.”

93. Pakistan Urged to Free Journalist Held Illegally After Being Deported from Malaysia

On February 28th the Reporters Without Borders announced that “Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Syed Fawad Ali Shah, a Pakistani journalist also known as Fawad Shah, who was deported from Malaysia last August despite having refugee status there, and who is now being held in a prison in Peshawar, in northern Pakistan, on unsubstantiated charges. Shah disappeared after being sent back to Pakistan but the “Where is Syed Fawad Ali Shah?” appeal issued by RSF in January bore fruit when he was officially transferred on 8 February to Adiala Jail, the main prison in Rawalpindi, the twin city of the capital, Islamabad. He was moved from there to Peshawar ten days later. It has emerged that, before his transfer to Adiala Jail, Shah spent five and a half months held incommunicado in one of the cells of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), a counter-espionage agency attached to the interior ministry.”

94. India: Major Social Media Push for Amritpal Singh by ISI, Targeting Young Sikhs

News18 reported on February 27th that “a major social media push has been given by Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI through indirect funding routes to Khalistani separatist Amritpal Singh from Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 on Monday. Facebook and Instagram accounts are uploading thousands of pictures of purported suppression of Sikhs in India, they said. They are advertised also and these ads can be seen in Canada, the UK, and Germany, said the sources. According to the sources, these ads are designed in such a way that they are only going to the accounts of young Sikhs between 18–25 years of age. They said these ads are targeted toward Sikh names and surnames like Singh, Kaur, etc. These ads are paid for and running for almost a year, they added. They directly reach the targeted viewers in terms of showing atrocities, selling garments with images of Sikh atrocities, car accessories, etc, said the sources. The intelligence sources said those involved are creating millions of dollars for funding. These ads are directly linking Sikh secessionist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale with Amritpal Singh, they said. Waris Punjab De founder Amritpal is projected like Bhindrawale in walking, and talking, with a pagdi on his head, and he even poses like the militant leader who was killed in Operation Blue Star in 1984, they added. The intelligence sources say that the comments in the posts are not organic Indian Punjabi comments but their language suggests they are from Pakistan’s Punjab province. In India, they can be seen only on using VPN with location as Canada, Germany, or the UK, they added.” This was followed by another article on March 1st titled “As ISI’s Links With Amritpal Singh Come to Fore, All About the Pakistani Intelligence Agency”

95. Senior PKK/KCK Terrorist ‘Neutralised’ by Turkish Intelligence in N. Iraq

AA reported on March 3rd that “a senior PKK/KCK terrorist was “neutralized” by Turkish intelligence in northern Iraq, according to security sources on Friday. Saad Ali Bedel, codenamed Ceko Pir, who was determined to have participated in actions against Turkish bases, was the ringleader of the terrorist activities against the Turkish intelligence agency in the Sinjar region, according to the sources. The agency, which assigned a special team to monitor Bedel’s activities in Sinjar, determined that the terrorist was living with the Ezidi people, a religious minority group. Turkish forces took action after learning that Bedel was planning a new action against the Turkish army’s Basika base area in Mosul, Iraq, the sources added. The Turkish intelligence neutralized Bedel in Sinjar, and showed high-level sensitivity not to harm the civilian population used by the terrorist as a shield, the sources said. According to insiders, Bedel, operating as a so-called military officer of PKK/KCK-YBS Sincar, is the terrorist who led activities against the Turkish intelligence agency and attacks against the Turkish army’s Basika/Gedu base. Turkish authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.”

96. Belarus’ Intelligence Steps Up Efforts to Recruit Lithuanian Travelers

On March 1st The Baltic Times published this article stating that “Lithuanians travelling to Belarus risk being recruited to collaborate with hostile countries’ intelligence services, the State Security Department (VSD) warned on Wednesday. According to the Lithuanian intelligence agency, Belarusian intelligence and security services have stepped up their activities since last weekend, which has increased the threats and risks for Lithuanian citizens visiting Belarus. “Recently, the majority of recruitment and espionage cases have been instances of intelligence from the territory”, meaning that people were recruited by hostile intelligence bodies on the territory of Belarus or Russia, it said in a press release. VSD said it has been recently contacted by Lithuanian citizens who were subjected to checks by Belarusian officials. Lithuanian citizens travelling to Belarus receive additional attention from Belarusian officials at border checkpoints and other locations in the neighboring country, according to the press release. Travelers are questioned in an effort to find out the purpose of their visit and obtain their personal information, and have their personal belongings, including mobile phones, checked, it said. “Belarus’ services seek to obtain data on the citizen’s political views, relatives, friends, workplace and other relevant information, and their attitude towards Russia’s war against Ukraine,” VSD said. “Such questioning is used to recruit and involve Lithuanian citizens in activities hostile to the state,” it said, adding that computers and mobile devices taken by Belarus’ officials for checks are likely to be returned with compromised security systems.”

97. Former U.S. Army Soldier Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Attempting to Murder Fellow Service Members in Deadly Ambush

On March 3rd the US Department of Justice published this statement which says that “Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ETHAN PHELAN MELZER, a/k/a “Etil Reggad,” was sentenced to 45 years in prison for attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information. MELZER planned a jihadist attack on his U.S. Army unit in the days leading up to a deployment to Turkey and sent sensitive details about the unit — including information about its location, movements, and security — to members of the extremist organization Order of the Nine Angles (“O9A”), a white supremacist, neo-Nazi, and pro-jihadist group. MELZER pled guilty on June 24, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods, who imposed today’s sentence.”

98. Slovakia: Russian Spy Receives Suspended Sentence for Espionage

Following 2022 week 11 story #10 and 2022 week 16 story #46, on February 28th the Spectator published this article saying that “on Tuesday, the Specialised Criminal Court in Banská Bystrica approved a plea agreement between the Special Prosecutor’s Office and Russian spy Bohuš Garbár. Garbár provided information to the Russian secret service in the past, for which he has been found guilty of espionage. In addition, he has been convicted of accepting a bribe. The court sentenced the spy to three years in prison with three years of probation. Garbár will also have to pay €15,000 as a financial penalty. His attorney Ján Čarnogurský, former Slovak prime minister and pro-Russian disinformer, declined to comment on his client’s motivation behind providing sensitive information classified as “top secret” and “secret” to Russia. At the same time, the prosecutor refused to explain how the convict had managed to obtain information. In March 2022 the National Crime Agency brought an espionage charge against Garbár, who wrote for the Hlavné Správy disinformation website back in the day, and the former vice-rector of the Slovak military academy in Liptovský Mikuláš, Pavel Bučka. This was just a month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

99. Internal Divisions in France’s Deep State

The Morocco World News published this article on March 4th stating, among others, that “when Macron claimed that there are quarters in France who want to sour relations with Morocco, he is being honest about this at least because the deep state in France does not act as one man. Nowadays, there is an open civil war amid the corridors of the French deep state, some of whose offensive odors have gone public, after Le Monde published an investigation into the Foreign Intelligence Agency and it invests its money through civilian facades. In the Deep France, there are three poles that share influence. The first pole includes the Elysee Palace, the Quai d’Orsay, and the majority of the media spectrum that benefits from billions of euros annually as subsidy. The second pole is represented by the General Directorate for External Security (DGSE), the country’s foreign intelligence agency, and the third pole involves the military-industrial complex, formed by the army and the owners of military industries companies. Each of these poles defends its interests by fabricating diplomatic issues, such as the decision to exfiltrate a French-Algerian dissident from Tunisia, which was an issue of an internal intelligence conflict and had nothing to do with the dispute with Algeria.” It also says that “for the DGSE, it is not permissible for Morocco to turn into Africa’s Turkey. Bernard Emie, the director of the French foreign intelligence agency, recently went as far to argue that Morocco’s path is very similar to that of Turkey, and that France cannot allow this to happen. The implication, of course, is that a diplomatically assertive and politically independent Morocco is a nightmare for France.”

100. New Cyber Espionage Infrastructure Related to India Uncovered

On March 2nd cyber threat firm ThreatBook published technical indicators belonging to an actor dubbed as CONFUCIUS, previously associated with the government of India. The cyber espionage infrastructure was discovered on March 1st and it was impersonating Microsoft Office. Its targets or intention are currently unknown.

101. Kurdish Guerrillas Deny Any Ties with Man Allegedly Captured by Turkish Intelligence in Iraq

Following this week’s story #21, Medya News stated on February 28th that “the Kurdish armed group in northern Iraq, stated on Tuesday that a man portrayed as a PKK member and allegedly captured by Turkish intelligence has no ties to the Kurdistan freedom movement. “A report was served in Turkey’s special war media that Ramazan Güneş is a member of our movement and has been abducted by MİT (Turkish Intelligence Agency) in Silêmanî (Sulaymaniyah) through a targeted operation,” the Iraqi armed wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said in a statement. According to the Kurdish forces, Güneş himself voluntarily surrendered to the Turkish intelligence two days ago and the report about his arrest was shared by the Turkish media to boost the profile of the MİT. The Turkish media on Tuesday reported the capture of Güneş as a new development, sharing videos of him allegedly arrested by Turkish forces. According to information given to the media by MİT, Güneş actively took part in 12 different PKK attacks between 2011 and 2017 in the southeastern province of Hakkari and is responsible for the deaths of 60 people in total. The Turkish media reported that the country’s intelligence service kept Güneş under surveillance for a year, before launching the operation for his capture.”

102. United States: China Scoffs at FBI Claim that Wuhan Lab Leak Likely Caused COVID Pandemic

Reuters reported on March 1st that “the FBI has assessed that a leak from a laboratory in the central Chinese city of Wuhan likely caused the COVID pandemic, director Christopher Wray said on Tuesday, a claim China said had “no credibility whatsoever”. “The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan,” Wray told Fox News. His comments follow a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday that the U.S. Energy Department had assessed with low confidence the pandemic resulted from an unintended lab leak in China. Four other agencies, along with a national intelligence panel, still judge that the pandemic was likely the result of a natural transmission, and two are undecided, the Journal reported. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Monday the U.S. government had not reached a definitive conclusion and consensus on the pandemic’s origins.”

103. Covert Cameras and Alleged Hacking: How Bust Payments Company Wirecard ‘Hired Spies and Lawyers to Silence Critics’

On March 4th The Guardian released this story saying that “the story Matthew Earl tells is of a black Mercedes-Benz, which parked outside his home and started following him. He claims it was intended to send a deliberate message: that he and his family — including two young children — were under surveillance. After a couple of days, he says, two men emerged from the car to deliver a legal letter from their client, the German payments company Wirecard. The men, from the private investigations company Kroll, allegedly used a “pointed and intimidating” tone. While the manner of the letter’s delivery may be disputed, it kicked off years of threats of legal action and accusations of wrongdoing against Earl. But, according to a legal claim brought by Earl, it also marked a new chapter in a “campaign of unlawful harassment” carried out by Wirecard’s law firm, Jones Day, Kroll, and other firms. The claim, which has just been lodged in London’s high court, details allegations of covert surveillance by Kroll, and hacked communications and proposals for hi-tech attacks to intercept mobile phone data by other unknown operators. Through its lawyers Kroll said that it had “acted entirely in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations”, that Earl’s claim was “misconceived” and that the company denied the claim in full. Jones Day did not respond to requests for comment. Whether or not the legal claim against Jones Day or Kroll succeeds, the case, and emails disclosed in it, provide a rare glimpse into the murky world of corporate espionage and reputation management — and the lengths to which some companies will go to try to silence critics.”

104. Lithuania: Head of Intelligence Agency Denies it Was Asked to Collect Information on Nausėda’s Team Druing 2019 Election

On March 1st Delfi published this article saying that “Director of the State Security Department (VSD) Darius Jauniškis denies that during the 2019 presidential campaign he was asked to collect information about people surrounding then presidential candidate Gitanas Nausėda who later won the election. He says the VSD screened the environment of all presidential candidates because this is normal practice.”

105. India: Delhi NIA Court Convicts One Terrorist in Espionage Case

On February 27th LawBeat reported that “the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Delhi recently convicted one terrorist in a case pertaining to the conspiracy hatched by foreign intelligence agencies to obtain information from defence personnel posted in sensitive border areas of India. A special Judge of Patiala House Courts convicted Mohd. Parvez under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 18 (Punishment for conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. During NIA’s investigation, it was discovered that the convicted accused, Mohammed Parvez, was working for handlers of Pakistani intelligence services. When Parvez went to Pakistan to visit his sisters, he was approached by one Hamza Bhai @ Billal. “Parvez was motivated to collect information relating to Vital Installations and also take their photographs. He got SIM cards issued in the name of other people and shared their WhatsApp activation codes with his Pakistani handlers for virtual activation of the WhatsApp accounts. He was paid by his Pakistani handlers during his trips to Pakistan and also through hawala channels in Delhi for carrying out such tasks”, the NIA press release read.”

106. The Hayden Centre: Counter-Intelligence Today

On March 1st The Hayden Centre released the full recording of the Counter-Intelligence Today which had originally took place on February 27th, 2023.

107. More Australians Being Targeted for Espionage, Warns Spy Chief

The Straits Times reported on February 27th that “foreign spies have been targeting Australians more aggressively than ever, with attempts to influence or exploit a wide spectrum of public servants and professionals, the country’s spy chief has warned. Each year, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) delivers a public address on the threats facing the nation, in what is a rare opportunity for the country’s largest intelligence agency to step out of the shadows and shed light on its operations. The latest address — delivered on Tuesday by Mr Mike Burgess — was far from reassuring. The long-serving intelligence official said Asio now faces more threats than at any time since it was founded in 1949 — surpassing the Cold War, the period after the Sept 11 attacks in 2001, and the rise of terrorist organisation Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Australia, he said, is not only being targeted by authoritarian countries but also by those with friendly ties with Canberra. Foreign agents, he said, have attempted to influence or lure information from a vast range of people, including government officials, judges, journalists, bankers, doctors and police officers.”

108. Nepal: Why Did PM Dahal Stop the Nepal Visit of US Intelligence Agency CIA Director Burns?

On March 1st My Republica reported that “Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stopped the visit of US intelligence agency Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Joseph Burns, who was about to come to Nepal. According to sources, PM Dahal has stopped CIA Director Burns, who had sent a schedule to visit Nepal on February 15, saying that it is not the right time to visit Nepal. “CIA Director William Joseph Burns had submitted the schedule to land in Kathmandu at 6:30 PM on February 15 and return at 1:15 PM on the 16th,” said a source in the PM’s Office, “ But after PM Dahal instructed not to approve the visit by the CIA director, Chief Secretary Shankardas Bairagi informed the Ministry of External Affairs. Sources claim that PM Dahal did not allow the visit of Burns citing reasons such as the presidential election. “The presidential election has been given the reason behind the denial,” said a senior official of the PM’s Office. According to the source, Burns was about to arrive in Nepal while he was in Sri Lanka for which he had sent the tour schedule for approval by the Nepal government. According to sources, the Nepali embassy in the US and the US Embassy in Nepal had started preparations for the CIA director’s visit to Nepal. These bodies had informed Burns about Nepal’s security arrangements.”

109. Canada: CSIS Officer Fired for Complaining Publicly about Agency’s Lack of COVID-19 Masking

Global News reported on March 2nd that “a Canadian intelligence officer has been fired for speaking publicly about what he felt were inadequate COVID-19 policies at CSIS headquarters during the height of the pandemic. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service dismissed Gary Vos Smith for giving an interview to Global News about the lack of mandatory masking at the agency’s building in Ottawa. A disciplinary committee found that Vos Smith had acted “in an inappropriate manner,” according to a termination letter he received from CSIS director David Vigneault on Nov. 16, 2022. The letter, obtained by Global News, also said he should have known his actions “could pose a notable risk to the organization as a whole and from an identity management perspective.” “The committee has recommended the termination of your employment, which I support given the seriousness of your actions,” read Vigneault’s letter.”

110. Documentary: Was Queen Elizabeth I Tricked Into Killing Mary Queen Of Scots?

On March 4th the Chronicle published a new documentary. As per its description, “every imaginable execution method took place at The Tower of London in its 1000-year-old past. The most grisly of all was live disembowelment. The method was so gross and barbaric that Queen Elizabeth I finally banned the practice. The last time it was used was in 1586 on the conspirators of the Babington Plot. The plot was the work of Francis Walsingham, the father of modern espionage. He was known as The Spymaster.”

111. New Pakistani Cyber Espionage Operations Targeting India

This week technical indicators of newly uncovered cyber espionage operations were shared online by the Malware Hunter Team and Sparkle H. on March 1st. One was impersonating India’s Himachal Pradesh University, and the other was a series of lure documents titled “Survey.docx.lnk”, “f_00fd44.zip”, and “Violance Against Women.docx.lnk” which, if opened, were covertly installing cyber espionage software implants. All of the above were attributed to an actor dubbed as SIDECOPY, previously associated with the intelligence services of Pakistan.

112. United States: Government Employees Have Received Gifts Worth Thousands, but the CIA Destroys Many of the Items it Receives

Business Insider published this article on February 26th saying that “the State Department released a record of gifts given to government employees over the last several years; The gifts range from the minimum required value for reporting of $415 to over $10,000; The CIA’s section of the record includes over a dozen items listed as “destroyed”.”

113. Chinese Espionage: The Unfortunate Reason Behind its Great Success

Japan Forward published this article on March 2nd saying that “
Spy balloons are one small part of an enormous, “whole of society” decades-long Chinese espionage campaign against the United States. And unfortunately, it has been successful. As with most intelligence operations, it’s a mix of technical and human platforms that aim to obtain (by any means) other countries’ secrets. However, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) operates on a completely different scale. It’s not just the Ministry of State Security (MSS) deploying officers to recruit spies. China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law explicitly requires all Chinese companies and citizens to assist: “An organization or citizen shall support, assist in and cooperate in national intelligence work in accordance with the law and keep confidential the national intelligence work that it or he knows. The state shall protect the individual organization that has supported, assisted in, or cooperated in national intelligence work.” Even before 2017, an “invitation for tea” by the security services would have been enough to know what was expected of one. It still is. Every Chinese company or citizen anywhere is a potential platform. Even people of Chinese extraction can be pressured to assist. This is especially if they have family, business interests, or anything else that ties them back to the PRC. This is very different than the USA. For example, Apple refused to even help American authorities unlock a mass murdering terrorist’s iPhone.”

114. United States: Ex-FBI Agent Gets 6 Years for Selling Confidential Information to Mob-linked Lawyer

On February 27th the Courthouse News Service reported that “a former FBI agent was sentenced to 6 years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of taking bribes to search law enforcement databases for a lawyer connected to Armenian organized crime. Babak Broumand, 56, was also ordered to pay $132,000 for the cash payments and other benefits he received from Edgar Sargsyan, the lawyer and con man who cooperated with the prosecution and testified at trial that he paid Broumand $10,000 a month. U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner said at Monday’s hearing that it’s always tough to sentence someone who’s committed a very serious crime but also had done much good for the country, referring to Broumand’s 20-year career as special agent involved in counterintelligence. The judge denied the government’s request to incorporate Broumand’s perjury on the witness stand in the calculation and gave him a prison term well short of the 10 years prosecutors had asked for. The sentence was also considerably more than the 18 months suggested by Broumand’s attorney Steven Gruel. “I love the FBI,” Broumand told the judge. “I’m ashamed to be here in front of you, in front of my family, in these cuffs.” Broumand said that, as an agent investigating national security issues at the FBI’s bureau in San Francisco, he had been able to save countless lives and change the course of history to the benefit of the United States. He also said dozens of his reports had made it to the White House.”

115. Data Leak Reveals Emirates Interference in France

The French MediaPart published this investigation on March 1st saying that “manipulation of information and private intelligence: thanks to a leak of documents and several testimonies, Mediapart reveals behind the scenes of the influence strategy of the United Arab Emirates in France. We meet an Emirati intelligence agent, Swiss detectives, researchers and two famous French journalists, or a certain Alexandre Benalla.”

116. Yemen: A Houthi Officer was Arrested While Trying to Smuggle Spy Devices in Aden

As reported by Almontasaf on March 4th, “security belt forces at the eastern entrance to the capital, Aden, seized electronic devices used in eavesdropping and espionage. A source in the operations of the Aden belt stated that the members of the flag point seized electronic devices used in espionage operations, which were in the possession of the so-called (F.M.S.N.) from Amran Governorate, where a medical staff member of one of the brigades affiliated with the Houthi militia was coming to the capital, Aden. The source added that 12 electronic devices were found in the possession of the accused, some of have the ability to install SIM cards and memories with the camera, and pens containing a camera used in eavesdropping and espionage were also found. He said during the investigations with the accused, he admitted that the devices were sent with him from the Al-Twal area in Haradh to a person in the city of Sana’a, which is under the control of the Houthi militia.”

117. New York City: Israeli Consulate Worker, 24, is Charged with Attempted Murder

On March 3rd the DailyMail published this exclusive report saying that “a worker at New York’s Israeli consulate was charged with attempted murder after allegedly battering a man with a giant glass jug outside a Manhattan nightclub. Jounathan Maimon, 24, is said to have rampaged with the 1.75 liter glass bottle after a trip to Gospel nightclub in SoHo on February 26, striking a 42 year-old man in the head. The victim, who hasn’t been named, was approached by an unidentified man cops say is Maimon while standing at a traffic light, waiting for it to change.”

118. Pakistan to Arrest Ex-Spy Chief Faiz Hameed on Charges of Spreading TTP-led Terror, Corruption

MSN reported on March 4th that “a senior Pakistani journalist by the name of Asad Ali Toor has claimed that the government has decided to arrest the former director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed. The ex-spy chief is likely to be charged with corruption, political engineering and promoting terror, sources said. According to sources, the decision on his arrest has not been made by civil authority or under army law. It is also believed that he was working for the previous army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has been blamed by former prime minister Imran Khan for his ouster in April last year. Sources said Gen Hameed will be arrested for allegedly inciting mutiny in the army, extortion, interference in politics as well as his activities related to spreading terror led by Pakistani Taliban in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, as well as for conspiring against the army.”