February 2008 Intelligence News

Ex-SAS man gagged for claims on UK involvement in rendition - report IRNA 29 Feb 2008 -- A former SAS soldier has been served with a High Court order after making claims about the UK's involvement in the rendition of hundreds of Iraqis and Afghanistan captured by US and British special forces, it was reported Friday.
L-3 Selected as Prime Contractor for U.K. Intelligence Contract L-3 Communications 28 Feb 2008 -- L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) has been selected by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) as the prime contractor to supply an Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS).
Bush Urges US Congress to Pass Surveillance Bill VOA 28 Feb 2008 -- President Bush says the House of Representatives risks reopening a dangerous gap in intelligence gathering by failing to pass a law expanding warrantless surveillance
U.S.: Intelligence Chief Assesses Security Threats From Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan RFE/RL 28 Feb 2008 -- It has been more than six years since U.S. forces entered Afghanistan to battle the Taliban and help establish a stable central government.
US Official Says Afghan Government Controls Only 30 Percent of Country VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, says the Afghan government controls only 30 percent of the country
U.S. Faces ‘Unusually Complex’ Security Environment, Intel Official Says AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- The Pentagon’s top intelligence official today told a Senate committee the United States is operating in a security environment that is “unusually complex.”
US Intelligence Chief Says Belgrade Allowed Attack on US Embassy VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- The top U.S. intelligence official says Serbia's government ordered police not to interfere with rioters who attacked the Belgrade embassies of western countries, including the United States, for their recognition of Kosovo's independence
Background Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on FISA The White House 26 Feb 2008
UK forces involved in rendition, says former SAS soldier IRNA 25 Feb 2008 -- British special forces are and have been used to detain suspects in Afghanistan and Iraq for extraordinary rendition to torture camps, a former member of the UK's elite SAS revealed Monday.
US President Says Congress Must Act Now to Protect America VOA 23 Feb 2008 -- President Bush says Congress's failure to reauthorize a controversial wiretapping law is irresponsible
Britain Reveals US Used British Territory for Rendition Flights VOA 21 Feb 2008 -- Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband has revealed that the United States used the British territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to transport terrorism suspects in 2002
Northrop Grumman's MQ-8B Fire Scout to be Tested and Evaluated Early On An Additional Air-Capable Ship Northrop Grumman 20 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. Navy has decided to integrate Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) onto another air-capable ship before it reaches the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)
Bush Administration Pressures for Surveillance Law VOA 17 Feb 2008 -- The Bush administration is keeping pressure on the U.S. Congress to reauthorize a domestic terrorist surveillance program involving communications between people in the United States and terror suspects abroad
Planned job cuts threaten UK intelligence, union warns IRNA 15 Feb 2008 -- Prospect union for professionals warned Friday that planned job cuts in Britain's Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS) will increase the chances of an intelligence failure and could hit policy making decisions.
Key US Lawmakers Seek to Resolve Standoff Over Wiretap Bill VOA 15 Feb 2008 -- The chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee is to meet with his House counterpart Friday to try to resolve the political standoff over legislation to overhaul wiretapping legislation before current law expires Saturday
Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Deputy National Security Advisor Jeffrey, Gen. Cartwright and NASA Administrator Griffin 14 Feb 2008 -- Presenter: Deputy National Security Advisor James Jeffrey, Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. James Cartwright and NASA Administrator Michael Griffin
Navy to Shoot Down Malfunctioning Satellite AFPS 14 Feb 2008 -- The Navy will shoot down a malfunctioning U.S. spy satellite sometime after Feb. 20, government officials said during a Pentagon news conference today.
DoD To Engage Decaying Satellite 14 Feb 2008 -- An uncontrollable U.S. experimental satellite which was launched in December 2006 is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere between the end of February and early March
Democrats Suffer Defeat in House on US Foreign Intelligence Measure VOA 14 Feb 2008 -- In a blow to Democrats, the House of Representatives has voted to reject a measure that would have extended existing foreign intelligence surveillance legislation by three weeks
US Senate Vote Bans CIA from Waterboarding VOA 13 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. Senate has defied a veto threat from President Bush and approved legislation that would prohibit intelligence agencies from using extreme interrogation techniques, including waterboarding
Bush Presses Lawmakers to Approve Controversial Anti-Terror Bill VOA 13 Feb 2008 -- President Bush is pressing the U.S. House of Representatives to act quickly to renew controversial legislation that allows U.S. intelligence agents to monitor suspected terrorist communications without a court warrant
Opinion: Interrogation Experts Call for Senate to require Adherence to Army Field Manual 13 Feb 2008
43 Retired Generals and Admirals to U.S. Senate: Require Single Standard for Interrogations 12 Feb 2008 -- "As retired military leaders of the U.S. Armed Forces, we write to express our strong support for Section 327 of the Conference Report on the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, H.R. 2082. Section 327 would require intelligence agents of the U.S. government to adhere to the standards of prisoner treatment and interrogation contained in the U.S. Army Field Manual on Human Collector Operations (the Army Field Manual)."
MND to check if alleged spy got information on defense system CNA 12 Feb 2008 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) has formed a task force to determine if an alleged Chinese spy arrested in the United States offered Beijing information about a new air defense system that it intends to purchase from Washington, the ministry said Tuesday in a news release.
Kay: Recent Iran NIE Recalls Erroneous 2003 Iraq Estimate cfr.org 11 Feb 2008
Defense Employee, Two Others Charged With Passing Secrets to China AFPS 11 Feb 2008 -- A Defense Department employee was among three people arrested today for espionage after allegedly passing classified U.S. government documents and information to the People’s Republic of China, Justice Department officials announced.
US Makes 4 Arrests in Chinese Espionage Cases VOA 11 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. Justice Department has announced arrests in two cases involving Chinese espionage, one of which involved secrets related to America's space shuttle program
Boeing-Insitu ScanEagle UAV Achieves 10,000 Flight Hours in Support of Australian Army Operations Boeing 11 Feb 2008 -- Boeing Australia Limited and Insitu, Inc.'s ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has successfully delivered 10,000 surveillance and reconnaissance flight hours to help protect Australian troops on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Boeing Awarded EPX Concept Refinement Contract Boeing 07 Feb 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] yesterday was awarded a $1.25 million concept refinement contract for the U.S. Navy's EPX program. EPX is a manned airborne intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting aircraft that will replace the Navy's EP-3 signals intelligence (SIGINT) platform.
Debate Over 'Waterboarding' Interrogation Technique Continues VOA 07 Feb 2008 -- Lawmakers pressed the U.S. attorney general on Thursday for more specifics about the legal justifications used by the Bush administration in authorizing the past use of the extreme interrogation technique known as waterboarding.
Israel set to use Indian rockets to launch 'spy' satellites RIA Novosti 07 Feb 2008 -- Israel will continue using Indian carrier rockets to launch its military satellites into space despite objections from Iran, The Indian Express quoted an Israeli source as saying on Thursday.
Northrop Grumman and L-3 to Study New Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting Aircraft for U.S. Navy Northrop Grumman 07 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded a study contract to Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), working with L-3 Communications (NYSE:LLL), for the Navy's EPX aircraft program.
White House Defends CIA's Use of 'Waterboarding' Interrogation Technique VOA 06 Feb 2008 -- The White House is defending the use of the interrogation technique known as waterboarding in certain, rare circumstances when suspects are believed to have knowledge of an imminent threat.
Defense Intel Director Tells Senate of Military Threats AFPS 06 Feb 2008 -- The director of the Defense Intelligence Agency gave the Senate Intelligence Committee an assessment of military threats confronting the United States during testimony before the panel yesterday.
US Intelligence Chief: Venezuela Pushing Anti-US Agenda in Latin America VOA 06 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. director of national intelligence says the Venezuelan government continues to push an anti-U.S., radical leftist agenda among its Latin American neighbors.
Al Qaeda Remains Dangerous, Intel Chief Tells Senate AFPS 05 Feb 2008 -- Al Qaeda and its affiliates remain the most pressing terrorist threats to the United States and its allies, the nation’s top intelligence official told the Senate Intelligence Committee today.
CIA Director Confirms Use of Waterboarding on Terror Suspects VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- The director of the Central Intelligence Agency has confirmed that his agency used the extreme interrogation technique known as waterboarding on three terrorism suspects nearly five years ago
US Intelligence Chief Warns of Continued Threat From al-Qaida VOA 05 Feb 2008 -- The top U.S. intelligence official says al-Qaida remains the chief security threat facing the United States