October 2000 Intelligence News

U.S. Forces / Mideast, Voice of America, 31 October 2000 -- U-S forces in two more Middle Eastern countries have been placed on the highest state of alert because of terrorist threats.
U.S. Sees International Donors Giving More Help to Colombia, USIS Washington File, 31 October 2000 -- The international donor community seems increasingly likely to provide additional financial aid to the social and economic aspects of Colombia's $7,500 million plan to combat illegal drug trafficking and promote development, according to Clinton Administration officials.
Pentagon Spokesman's Regular Briefing - Secrecy Legislation, U.S. Department of Defense, 31 October 2000 -- Q: Has the secretary taken a position on the legislation now pending before the president on disclosure of classified information? And if so, is he making any specific recommendation for a veto or for signing?
U.S. / Suez, Voice of America, 31 October 2000 -- The U-S Defense Department is denying news reports alleging U-S Navy ships have been ordered to avoid the Suez Canal out of fear of possible terrorist attack.
Pentagon Spokesman's Regular Briefing - Terrorism Alert, U.S. Department of Defense, 31 October 2000 -- Q: Ken, the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City says that the threat level among U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait has been increased due to what they call threats and tension in the area.
State Department Noon Briefing - Terrorism Alert, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 31 October 2000 -- Q: Do you have anything on Saudi Arabia and Kuwait? There were reports that if you call the Embassy in Saudi Arabia, you get warnings to American citizens, which apparently in the past were used when there were specific threats. And the Pentagon -- there are reports out of the Pentagon that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have now been upgraded to Threat Con Delta.
Uzbek Terrorism Trial Opens, RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 4, No. 211, Part I, 31 October 2000 -- The trial began on 30 October at Uzbekistan's Supreme Court of 12 men charged with committing a series of terrorist acts, including the February 1999 car bombings in Tashkent, that killed more than 50 people, Russian agencies and RFE/RL's Tashkent bureau reported.
Iran Linked With Three Terrorism Cases, RFE/RL Iran Report, Vol. 3, No. 41, 30 October 2000 -- Iran is being linked with recent and past incidents of terrorism.
U-S Indonesia, Voice of America, 30 October 2000 -- The American embassy in Indonesia's capital Jakarta is closed, at least through Tuesday, because of what U-S officials call specific, credible threats against it.
Case sparks calls for tighter security, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 30 October 2000 -- The Aleksey Yeremin espionage investigation is spurring calls for greater protection of U.S. stealth technology and other defense secrets.
NATO's 'counterspies' learn to work together, Stars and Stripes, 27 October 2000 -- The goal of the exercise is to establish a baseline of information among these multinational ranks so that when the participants go to hot spots such as Bosnia or Kosovo, they're all on the same counterintelligence page.
Cohen Touts Force Protection Via Worldwide Video-Call, American Forces Press Service, 27 October 2000 -- Pentagon leaders and top commanders around the world talked force protection for more than an hour during an Oct. 26 video teleconference.
US Ship / Attack, Voice of America, 26 October 2000 -- Top Pentagon officials conferred with U-S military commanders worldwide Thursday to discuss so-called "force protection" measures.
Pentagon Spokesman's Regular Briefing, Oct. 26, U.S. Department of Defense, 26 October 2000 -- Q: Now on Aden. Can you fill us in on the threat escalation situation there, in Aden?
State Department Noon Briefing - Military Alert, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 26 October 2000 -- Q: There have been rumors in Yemen that the US is going to draw down on the number of Embassy people that are there, and that the Ambassador may be called back to Washington. Could you clarify that, please?
Threatcon Delta Declared in Bahrain, Qatar, American Forces Press Service, 25 October 2000 -- U.S. Central Command officials have declared Threat Condition Delta, the highest threat level, in Bahrain and Qatar, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. Craig Quigley said here Oct. 24.
Anti-terrorist squad keeps watchful eye on Izmir, Stars and Stripes, 25 October 2000 -- wo weeks after the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, civilian anti-terrorist squad members from the Turkish National Police are watching over Izmir, ready to react to any terrorists' attacks.
State Department Noon Briefing - Terrorist Threat, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 25 October 2000 -- Q: About the terrorist threat in the Middle East, and we heard that today you closed the Consulate General in Adana nearby the Incirlik.
Pentagon Spokesman's Regular Tuesday Briefing, U.S. Department of Defense, 24 October 2000 -- Q: Craig, could you discuss the high alert levels in the Gulf region and exactly what prompted the U.S. military to go to those levels?
White House Press Briefing, The White House, Office of the Secretary, 24 October 2000 -- Q: Jake, did the White House have any influence on the CIA's decision to release documents surrounding the period of the coup that brought Pinochet to power; that decision reverses Tenet's earlier position in August that he would withhold those documents.
Brazil / Colombia, Voice of America, 24 October 2000 -- A top Brazilian official says his government believes there is a "very low probability" that Colombia's anti-drug program will have a serious effect across the Colombian border into Brazil.
FSB Tracks Muslim Brotherhoods In Russia, RFE/RL Security Watch Vol. 1, No. 14, 23 October 2000 -- According to the FSB's public relations center website at fsb.ru, the Russian intelligence service has identified representatives of Muslim brotherhoods in 49 Russian regions -- including Moscow.
Lockerbie - Adjournment, Voice of America, 24 October 2000 -- There is another adjournment (Tuesday) in the long-running murder trial of two Libyans charged with blowing up a Pan Am plane 12 years ago over Lockerbie, Scotland. Lawyers at the trial in the Netherlands say they have recently received mysterious evidence that could have a dramatic effect on the Lockerbie case.
US-Gulf Threat, Voice of America, 24 October 2000 -- The Defense Department has confirmed that U-S forces in two Persian Gulf states are on a heightened state of alert because of specific new terrorist threats.
White House Press Briefing, The White House, Office of the Secretary, 24 October 2000 -- Q: Excuse me if this has come up earlier in the briefing, but what about the security alert in the Persian Gulf? What can you tell us about that?
U-S Military/Threat, Voice of America, 23 October 2000 -- U-S forces at three locations in the Middle East region have been placed on alert because of new terrorist threats.
Critics Blast Cybercrime Bill, APBnews.com, 20 October 2000 -- A U.S. Senate bill would encourage companies to share sensitive information with the government about cyber-security breaches, but civil libertarians say the measure would weaken an important public disclosure law.
Terrorism Plea, Voice of America, 20 October 2000 -- In Federal Court in New York, a former U-S Army sergeant pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring with terrorists in the 1998 bombings of two U-S embassies in Africa.
State's Chamberlin at Drug Conference in Tashkent Oct. 20, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 20 October 2000 -- At a press round table in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, October 20, the State Department's Wendy J. Chamberlin talked with journalists about the just- concluded international conference on "Enhancing Security and Stability in Central Asia: An Integrated Approach to Counter Drugs, Organized Crime and Terrorism."
Attorney General Reno's Weekly Media Briefing - Wen Ho Lee Case, The Department of Justice, Washington, DC, 19 October 2000 -- Q: Ms. Reno, have you any comment at all on the beginning of the testimony of Wen Ho Lee this week to investigators? Have you -- can you say anything at all about it?
Attorney General Reno's Weekly Media Briefing - Terrorism, The Department of Justice, Washington, DC, 19 October 2000 -- Q: If I could go back to Yemen for just one second, and sort of in a different context; you talked about doing everything you can to bring people responsible to justice. The people that were responsible for the embassy bombings two years ago are still at large; Osama bin Laden is still at large.
State Department Noon Briefing - Terrorism, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 18 October 2000 -- Q: Can we talk about the travel advisory? And what indications do you have that terrorist attacks are being planned on the United States?
Colombia Drug Meeting, Voice of America, 19 October 2000 -- In Costa Rica, a high-profile meeting to discuss the growing military approach to the war on drugs and the faltering peace process in Colombia has ended with no clear consensus.
Latam Defense, Voice of America, 19 October 2000 -- Controversy has arisen at a meeting of Latin American Defense Chiefs in Brazil following comments by a U-S Defense official regarding U-S backing of Plan Colombia.
U.S. "Pleased" with International Financial Commitment to Colombia, USIS Washington File, 19 October 2000 -- The United States is "pleased" by news reports that the international community stands ready to further help fund Colombia's $7,500-million plan to overcome its internal problems, says State Department official William Brownfield.
Letter to Congress on Narcotics Traffickers in Colombia, The White House, Office of the Secretary, 19 October 2000 -- The actions of significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and to cause unparalleled violence, corruption, and harm in the United States and abroad.
Continuation of Emergency With Respect To Significant Narcotics Traffickers Centered In Colombia, The White House, Office of the Secretary, 19 October 2000 -- Because the activities of significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia continue to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States...the national emergency declared on October 21, 1995, and the measures adopted pursuant thereto to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond October 21, 2000.
Central Asia stability, Voice of America, 19 October 2000 -- Participants at an international conference in Tashkent are calling for a comprehensive approach to promote security and stability in Central Asia.
Commerce Dept. on Encryption Export Control Regulation, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 18 October 2000 -- The new regulation implements policy updates announced by the Administration on July 17, 2000, and tracks with recent regulations adopted by the European Union, thus assuring continued competitiveness of U.S. industry in international markets.
U.S., Russia Agree on Afghanistan Anti-Terrorism Measures, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 18 October 2000 -- "The sides agreed that the situation in and around Afghanistan continues to threaten regional and international security."
Cohen Calls for Cooperative Counterdrug Effort, American Forces Press Service, 18 October 2000 -- Nations of the Western Hemisphere need to band together in a cooperative effort to help combat drug trafficking, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen said here Oct. 17.
Pickering on Talks with Russians about Taliban, USIS Washington File, 18 October 2000 -- The United States and Russia have agreed to intensify sanctions against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan because of the Taliban's support for international terrorism and drug trafficking, U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Pickering said.
FSB Claims 'Muslim Brotherhood' Has Network In Russia, CIS, RFE/RL Newsline, 18 October 2000 -- The extremist wing of the "Muslim Brotherhood" has established a network of 49 groups throughout Russia and further organizations in unnamed CIS states, according to a Federal Security Service (FSB) press release.
Latam Defense, Voice of America, 17 October 2000 -- Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso says his nation backs Colombia's struggle against drug trafficking.
ONDCP Chief Says 2-5 Years Needed to Beat Colombian Drug Problem, USIS Washington File, 17 October 2000 -- It will take 2-5 years of "hard work" for the United States and the world community to help Colombia overcome its problem of drug production and trafficking, says Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the outgoing director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
Fanatics won't come by n-weapons: Musharraf, The Hindu, 16 October 2000 -- The Pakistan Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has ruled out the possibility of nuclear weapons in his country falling into the hands of religious fanatics and asserted that they are ``extremely secure''.
U.S. Drug Policy Director McCaffrey Stepping Down Jan. 6, USIS Washington File, 16 October 2000 -- General (Ret.) Barry R. McCaffrey, President Clinton's Director of National Drug Control Policy, announced that he will conclude his responsibilities as ONDCP Director on January 6, 2001.
Chinese Counterintelligence: What's Probable?, Washington Post, 16 October 2000 -- As an expert in Chinese counterintelligence, Paul D. Moore has long been skeptical of the Kindred Spirit spy case, doubting whether his erstwhile colleagues at the FBI would ever catch a Chinese mole at Los Alamos National Laboratory or anywhere else in America's sprawling nuclear weapons complex.
Cole Explosion Death Toll Rises, American Forces Press Service, 13 October 2000 -- Three more sailors have died in an apparent terrorist attack against the USS Cole in Aden, Yemen. This brings the death toll to seven. Ten more sailors are missing.
CASUALTIES IN THE INCIDENT ON USS COLE, U.S. Department of Defense, 13 October 2000 -- A list of those killed in the attack on the USS Cole.
U-S EMBASSY CLOSURES, Voice of America, 13 October 2000 -- All American embassies in the Middle East and other U-S missions in Asia and Africa have been ordered closed, at least until Monday.
YEMEN BOMB, Voice of America, 13 October 2000 -- A bomb has exploded at the British embassy in Yemen, causing material damage but no human casualties.
COLOMBIA / ECUADOR DRUGS, Voice of America, 13 October 2000 -- Controversy continues to swirl around the Colombian government's anti-drug strategy, which is to be supported by a one-point-three billion dollar U-S aid package.
Letter to Senate on Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, The White House, Office of the Secretary, 12 October 2000 -- In recent years, the United States has increasingly focused world attention on the importance of combating terrorist financing as a means of choking off the resources that fuel international terrorism.
Blue-Ribbon Task Force Issues Report on Colombia's Problems, Council on Foreign Relations, 12 October 2000 -- An independent task force, led by Senator Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and former national security adviser General Brent Scowcroft today urged the United States to undertake a major, long-range commitment to Colombia.
U-S SHIP/ATTACK OVERNIGHTER, Voice of America, 12 October 2000 -- U-S officials have launched an investigation into a suspected suicide terrorist attack on a Navy destroyer in Yemen.
U-S SHIP / ATTACK, Voice of America, 12 October 2000 -- In the Middle East, an apparent terrorist bomb has ripped a massive hole in the side of a U-S Navy destroyer.
Press Briefing By Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright - USS Cole Attack, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 12 October 2000 -- Q: Madame Secretary, please, on the ramming of the Navy ship; is there any knowledge, any information of who may have done it?
Cohen Says Cause of Blast That Damaged U.S. Ship Not Yet Certain, USIS Washington File, 12 October 2000 -- Defense Secretary William Cohen told reporters at the Pentagon October 12 that the cause of the explosion that killed five U.S. Navy sailors when it ripped open the steel hull of an American warship in the Yemeni port of Aden for refueling is not yet certain.
Attorney General Reno's Weekly Media Briefing - USS Cole Attack, The Department of Justice, Washington, DC, 12 October 2000 -- Q: And can you tell us the nature of the resources that the FBI is sending to the region...
Statement By The President On Middle East Situation And Incident On Uss Cole In Yemen, The White House, Office of the Secretary, 12 October 2000 -- If, as it now appears, this was an act of terrorism, it was a despicable and cowardly act. We will find out who was responsible and hold them accountable. If their intention was to deter us from our mission of promoting peace and security in the Middle East, they will fail, utterly.
Pentagon Special Briefing - USS Cole Attack, U.S. Department of Defense, 12 October 2000 -- At 5:15 this morning, Washington time, a large explosion blew a hole in the hull of the USS Cole as she was mooring at Aden, Yemen, to refuel. According to current reports, five sailors are dead, 36 are wounded, and 12 are still missing. These numbers are likely to change as we learn more.
Death of American Servicemembers Aboard The United States Ship Cole, The White House, Office of the Secretary, 12 October 2000 -- As a mark of respect for those who died on the United States Ship COLE, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, Monday, October 16, 2000.
DOD Official Testifies on U.S. Efforts to Help Colombia, U.S. Department of Defense, 12 October 2000 - The $1,300 million U.S. aid package for Colombia is targeted to stop the nefarious work of Colombian narco-traffickers, "those individuals and organizations that are involved in the production and transportation of cocaine and heroin" to the United States, says Brian Sheridan, assistant secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict.
Four Sailors Die in Terrorist Attack in Yemen, American Forces Press Service, 12 October 2000 -- Four sailors are dead, 35 injured and 12 missing following a terrorist attack Oct. 12 on the destroyer USS Cole in Aden, Yemen.
YEMEN / BOMBING, Voice of America, 12 October 2000 -- A small boat carrying what appears to be heavy explosives has rammed a U-S Navy ship and exploded off the coast of Yemen, killing four U-S sailors and wounding at least 30 others.
Ex-CIA Chief Compromised Secrets, Washington Times, 12 October 2000 -- Former CIA Director John Deutch compromised some of the most sensitive defense programs by improperly transferring data about ultrasecret Pentagon programs to computers he used to send e-mail and access the Internet, The Washington Times has learned.
Master of spies on a mission to 'serve everyone', USA Today, 11 October 2000 -- Tenet has tried to make the most of his unexpected rise to the top of the intelligence community. He has quietly boosted morale inside an agency reeling from spy scandals, revolving-door leadership, recruitment woes and doubts about its purpose since the demise of the Soviet Union. At the same time, Tenet has become a senior member of Clinton's foreign policy team with an unprecedented diplomatic role in Middle East peace talks. Last week, seeking to quell the worst violence in Israel in years, he slipped out of Washington to join Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Paris and then visited several countries in the Middle East.
RUSSIA / AFGHANISTAN, Voice of America, 10 October 2000 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is using his current visit to central Asia to lash out at Afghanistan's Taleban leadership. During a stop in Kazakhstan, he accused it of supporting terrorism and allowing a flourishing drug trade to finance it.
Approval expected of Shelby proposal to punish leakers, Mobile Register, 10 October 2000 -- Despite vehement objections from civil libertarians and press organizations, Congress appears poised to approve legislation by Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby that would make disclosure of classified information a felony punishable by up to three years in prison.
Pentagon Spokesman's Regular Briefing - Deutsch Investigation, U.S. Department of Defense, 10 October 2000 -- Q: Craig, in connection with DoD's investigation into any classified materials that might have been compromised along with the investigation of John Deutch's laptop, are any floppies missing containing his logs or diaries?
Colombia-Drugs, Voice of America, 10 October 2000 -- A controversial new anti-narcotics strategy is about to be launched in Colombia that's suppose to cut in half that country's production of coca leaf -- the raw material for cocaine -- over the next five years.
Albright Interview on NBC's Meet The Press - Pollard Case, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 08 October 2000 -- Q: Do you believe that the President should grant clemency to Jonathan Pollard, a convicted spy?
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING - Sudan/Terrorism, source, 06 October 2000 - "Sudan is under United Nations sanctions for supporting terrorism. They have shown no concern for human rights and the humanitarian welfare of their own citizens, nor have they shown any economic or political leadership in Africa. They have carried out military actions against UN efforts, bombing US relief airplanes on the ground."
Cohen Sketches Future of Homeland Defense, American Forces Press Service, 06 October 2000 -- What happens if a terrorist sarin gas attack occurs in New York or Washington or Los Angeles -- or all three at once? Who is to respond?
State Department Regular Briefing - Information Security, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 03 October 2000 -- Q: The Senate voted last night to approve a bill which has the effect of tightening the procedures concerning handling of classified information. Do you have any comment?

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