August 2014 Intelligence News

Israeli Military Downs Syrian Drone Over Golan Heights RIA Novosti 31 Aug 2014 -- Israeli military have shot down a drone that flew into Israeli-controlled airspace near the Golan Heights.
Drones to Patrol Skies of Russia’s Far East RIA Novosti 29 Aug 2014 -- Specialists from Russia’s Eastern Military District have started the assembly of unmanned aerial vehicles, which are to carry out patrol missions over Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka peninsula.
The U.S. should abide by international law and stop its close surveillance of China People's Daily 28 Aug 2014 -- On August 19 a US anti-submarine plane and a patrol aircraft flew into air space about 220 kilometers east of China's Hainan Island.
Development Squadron 5 Receives First Unmanned Undersea Vehicle NNS 28 Aug 2014 -- Commander, Submarine Development Squadron 5 (CSDS 5), Detachment UUV, took delivery of Large Training Vehicle 38 (LTV 38), an unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) Aug. 22.
US Official: Obama Approves Surveillance Flights Over Syria VOA 26 Aug 2014 -- A senior White House official says President Barack Obama has authorized surveillance flights over Syria.
Obama Authorizes Surveillance Flights Over Syria RIA Novosti 26 Aug 2014 -- US President Barack Obama has approved surveillance flights over Syria.
'US to use spy aircraft to track ISIL in Syria' Iran Press TV 26 Aug 2014 -- The United States is planning to send spy planes into Syria to track ISIL militants who have captured large swaths of territory in neighboring Iraq.
US Government Uses NSA ‘Google’ to Access Data Records RIA Novosti 26 Aug 2014 -- The US National Security Agency (NSA) shares vast amounts of communications data with the country’s government agencies using a search engine similar to Google.
Israel drone tracked upon entry into Iran: IRGC Cmdr. Iran Press TV 26 Aug 2014 -- Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) managed to track the recently-downed Israeli spy drone the moment it penetrated the Iranian airspace, says a top commander.
US, Norway to Inspect Russia's Air Space RIA Novosti 25 Aug 2014 -- A group of US and Norwegian aviation inspectors plan to fly over Russia's and Belarus' territory this week under The Treaty on Open Skies.
Reconnaissance damages trust People's Daily 25 Aug 2014 -- Again it was a near thing according to the narrative of the US military: a Chinese jet fighter made "dangerous" passes at a US navy plane.
Germany to Turkey: Not all NATO allies friends Iran Press TV 25 Aug 2014 -- As reports have emerged that Germany has been spying on Turkey for decades, some German officials defend the practice, saying not all NATO allies can be treated as friends.
IS Joins List of Militant Groups With Reported Drone Capabilities RIA Novosti 25 Aug 2014 -- The Islamic State (IS) militant group appears to have drone capabilities as is evidenced by a recent IS propaganda video containing surveillance footage of a Syrian military base.
Iran releases pictures of downed Israeli ‘Hermes’ drone Iran Press TV 25 Aug 2014 -- The Israeli spy drone shot down by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) is an Israeli-made Hermes drone, says an Iranian commander.
Israeli drone captured in Gaza: Hamas Iran Press TV 25 Aug 2014 -- The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, has seized an Israeli reconnaissance drone in Gaza Strip’s Shejaiya district.
ACC loans Global Hawk to Global Vigilance Combined Test Force AFNS 21 Aug 2014 -- The 412th Test Wing's Global Vigilance Combined Test Force received a Global Hawk Block 40 Aug. 6, on loan from Air Combat Command.
Assange to Leave Embassy When 'Siege' Is Lifted - WikiLeaks Spokesperson Iran Press TV 18 Aug 2014 -- WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange will leave the Embassy of Ecuador in London only when the cordon around the embassy is lifted, WikiLeaks spokesman and Assange's lawyer Kristinn Hrafnsson said in an interview with RT.
USS Theodore Roosevelt Conducts Combined Manned, Unmanned Operations NNS 17 Aug 2014 -- The Navy's unmanned X-47B returned to carrier operations aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Aug. 17 and completed a series of tests, operating safely and seamlessly with manned aircraft.
Wikileaks' Assange Seeks Exit From Ecuador London Embassy VOA 18 Aug 2014 -- Wikileaks founder Julian Assange says he may leave the embassy of Ecador in London where he has sought political asylum for the past two years.
Berlin Confirms German Intelligence Spied on Turkey, Ankara to Investigate - Reports RIA Novosti 17 Aug 2014 -- German intelligence has been spying on one of the NATO countries, Turkey, for many years, government sources told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper.
NSA Program Capable of Launching Attacks Without Human Input – Snowden RIA Novosti 14 Aug 2014 -- During his interview with Wired, Edward Snowden explained that the NSA has a secret program called Monstermind capable of autonomously detecting and responding to foreign cyberattacks.
Is Former NSA Contractor Snowden a Traitor? VOA 13 Aug 2014 -- The Russian government recently granted former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden a three-year residency permit. He is wanted in the United States on espionage charges after revealing key intelligence documents.
Torture report will spark violence in Mideast: CIA Iran Press TV 09 Aug 2014 -- The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) warns that public disclosure of a Senate report on the agency's torture methods will trigger violent street protests in the Middle East, endangering US embassies and personnel.
Russia grants Edward Snowden residency for 3 more years Iran Press TV 08 Aug 2014 -- Russia has allowed US National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden to stay in the country for three more years, his lawyer says.
Snowden granted 3 more years in Russia: Lawyer Iran Press TV 07 Aug 2014 -- American whistleblower Edward Snowden has been granted permission to stay in Russia for three more years, amid the worst US-Russian relations since the Cold War.
Snowden's Revelations Bring Changes to US Intelligence Gathering VOA 07 Aug 2014 -- For more than a year, former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has been living in Russia, having been granted asylum.
US Increases Embassy Security Amid CIA Interrogations Report Release RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2014 -- The US State Department is increasing the security at some of its embassies, fearing that the release of the US Senate report on harsh CIA interrogation techniques could trigger mass protests, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing US officials.
Feinstein Statement on Redactions in Detention, Interrogation Study Office of Sen. Feinstein 05 Aug 2014 -- “After further review of the redacted version of the executive summary, I have concluded that certain redactions eliminate or obscure key facts that support the report’s findings and conclusions. Until these redactions are addressed to the committee’s satisfaction, the report will not be made public."
China Investigating Canadian Couple Over Suspected Theft of State Secrets RIA Novosti 05 Aug 2014 -- The State Security Bureau of Dandong, a city in northeast China's Liaoning Province, is currently investigating the case of two Canadian nationals suspected of theft of state secrets related to military and national defense research, Xinhua news agency reported.
US State Department Denies Launching Cover Up Program in Cuba RIA Novosti 05 Aug 2014 -- Washington denied accusations of launching a "cover up program" in Cuba, saying its main objective was to promote democracy and access to information among the population, US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told journalists at a briefing.
VMU-2 Marines keep UAVs aloft USMC News 05 Aug 2014 -- Marines with 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 departed Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, July 28, taking their UAVs to the field to test their abilities in an expeditionary environment at Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida.
US Confirmed Spy Jet Fleeing Russian Chase Invaded Swedish Airspace RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2014 -- US military officials have confirmed the US spy jet had, in fact, invaded Swedish airspace without permission while trying to flee from the chasing Russian fighter jet.
US Spy Plane Enters Swedish Airspace to Avoid Russian Fighters VOA 04 Aug 2014 -- U.S. military officials say one of its spy planes veered into Swedish airspace without permission recently, to avoid Russian planes over the Baltic Sea.
Tel Aviv spied on Kerry during Israel-PA talks Iran Press TV 03 Aug 2014 -- A recent report shows Israel spied on US Secretary of State John Kerry during failed talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Obama defends John Brennan despite calls for his resignation Iran Press TV 02 Aug 2014 -- US President Barack Obama says he has "full confidence" in CIA Director John Brennan, as calls grow for his resignation over a damning report that found his agency spied on the Senate.
Obama Admits CIA 'Tortured Some Folks' After 9/11 RIA Novosti 02 Aug 2014 -- US President Barack Obama has admitted that the CIA used controversial techniques of torture against al-Qaeda suspects in the aftermath of 9/11, Reuters reported.

Press Conference by the President The White House 01 Aug 2014 -- "And when we engaged in some of these enhanced interrogation techniques, techniques that I believe and I think any fair-minded person would believe were torture, we crossed a line. And that needs to be -- that needs to be understood and accepted. And we have to, as a country, take responsibility for that so that, hopefully, we don't do it again in the future."

'Wrong time, altered images': Moscow slams Kiev's MH17 satellite data RT 01 Aug 2014 -- Satellite images Kiev published as 'proof' it didn't deploy anti-aircraft batteries around the MH17 crash site carry altered time-stamps and are from days after the MH17 tragedy, the Russian Defense Ministry has revealed.
Analysis of satellite imagery released on the Internet by the Security Service of Ukraine on July 30, 2014 Russia MoD 01 Aug 2014 -- The Russian Defence Ministry has analyzed the satellite imagery released by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on July 30, 2014, which allegedly disproves the authenticity of the Russian satellite imagery showing the Buk-1 batteries in the Boeing 777 (MH17) crash site area on July 17 and confirms that Russian Armed Forces opened fire on Ukrainian territory.
US Accused of Reconnaissance in Chinese Waters, Airspace RIA Novosti 01 Aug 2014 -- China leveled accusations against the United States on Friday, saying that US naval ships and aircraft were conducting regular reconnaissance activities in Chinese territorial waters and airspace, a statement issued by the country's Defense Ministry said.
Senators call on CIA director to resign Iran Press TV 01 Aug 2014 -- Some US senators are calling on John Brennan, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, to resign following the CIA's admission that it spied on members of Congress.

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