June 2015 Intelligence News

NSA spied on French economy ministers, companies: WikiLeaks Press TV 30 Jun 2015 -- The US National Security Agency (NSA) wiretapped the communications of two French economy ministers and spied on the country's largest companies, according to the whistleblower website WikiLeaks, just one week after it emerged the US had spied on the last three presidents of France.
NSA eavesdropped on France finance ministers: WikiLeaks Press TV 30 Jun 2015 -- Whistleblower website WikiLeaks says the US National Security Agency (NSA) eavesdropped on two successive French finance ministers and the country's high-stakes export contracts, trade and budget talks over a decade.
Revealed: NSA Conducted Massive Economic Espionage Against France Sputnik 29 Jun 2015 -- New documents released by WikiLeaks reveal that the NSA's spying program delved even deeper into the French economy and politics, eavesdropping on government ministers and major corporations. The news comes only days after it was revealed that the US spied on three French presidential administrations.
Snowden Docs: GCHQ and NSA Hacked Antivirus Software, Spied on Emails Sputnik 29 Jun 2015 -- British and American intelligence agencies deliberately infiltrated and subverted antivirus software, so they could track the online activities of users and even read the emails of their citizens, according to documents leaked by former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Discovery of CIA Black Site Photos May Delay Trials of Terror Suspects Sputnik 28 Jun 2015 -- U.S. officials say they've discovered thousands of photographs depicting the CIA's overseas "black sites' and that is delaying trials as defense attorneys seek to have them admitted into evidence.
Saudi Leaks Expose 'Checkbook Diplomacy' in Battle With Iran VOA 25 Jun 2015 -- Saudi Arabia's willingness to wield its oil money on the global diplomatic stage appears to have been laid bare, after the website WikiLeaks published tens of thousands of leaked cables from Riyadh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. WikiLeaks has not revealed its source, but a group calling itself the 'Yemen cyber army' has claimed it hacked government servers.
French parliament approves controversial snooping act Press TV 25 Jun 2015 -- French lawmakers have passed a controversial law granting intelligence services sweeping powers to spy on citizens.
WikiLeaks: US wiretapped French presidents IRNA 24 Jun 2015 -- The United States has wiretapped the last three presidents of France, including current leader Francois Hollande as recently as 2012, according to WikiLeaks documents disclosed on Tuesday.
French top officials surveilled by NSA: WikiLeaks People's Daily 24 Jun 2015 -- French high-level officials, including French president Francois Hollande, ex-presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac, and French cabinet ministers, were surveilled by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States, said Tuesday a press release of WikiLeaks.
France's intelligence official due in Washington over leaked files on US spying Press TV 24 Jun 2015 -- Paris is to send the national intelligence coordinator to the United States over leaked reports showing that Washington was involved in extensive espionage activities against high-ranking French officials.
France summons US envoy over 'spying' Press TV 24 Jun 2015 -- French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has summoned the US ambassador after cable recently released by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks revealed that Washington spied on President Francois Hollande and two of his predecessors.
NSA surveillance targeted 3 French presidents: WikiLeaks Press TV 24 Jun 2015 -- The US National Security Agency (NSA) spied on the last three presidents of France from 2006 until 2012, according to newly released documents from the WikiLeaks whistleblower website.
NSA Confident in Ability to Attribute Massive Government Data Breach Sputnik 24 Jun 2015 -- According to NSA Chief and head of US Cyber Command Admiral Mike Rogers, US National Security Agency has a high degree of certainty that the intelligence community will be able to find out who are the perpetrators of the massive hack against the Office of Personnel Management.
France Vows to Retaliate Following Revelations That NSA Spied on Hollande Sputnik 24 Jun 2015 -- According to WikiLeaks, the leaked files include conversations between French officials about issues such as the international financial crisis, Greece's debt and the future of the European Union.
Obama Reassures France After 'Unacceptable' Spying VOA 24 Jun 2015 -- U.S. President Barack Obama reaffirmed to his French counterpart the United States' commitment to end spying tactics considered 'unacceptable' by its allies.
US Spied on 3 French Presidents, WikiLeaks Says VOA 23 Jun 2015 -- The U.S. National Security Agency spied on the last three French presidents, transparency website WikiLeaks said in a press statement Tuesday, citing top secret intelligence reports and technical documents.
Wanted Rwandan spy chief arrested in London Press TV 23 Jun 2015 -- Rwanda's intelligence chief Emmanuel Karenzi Karake, who is wanted in Spain on war crime charges, has reportedly been detained in the British capital, London.
Geospatial Intel Will Grow in Importance, Official Says AFPS 23 Jun 2015 -- The role of geospatial intelligence in making American special operators the best in the world cannot be understated, Theresa Marie Whelan, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low-intensity conflict, said here today.
Spies of S. Korean Intelligence Service Tried in DPRK KCNA 23 Jun 2015 -- The Supreme Court of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Tuesday held a trial on Kim Kuk Gi and Choe Chun Gil, spies of south Korea's Intelligence Service who were arrested while perpetrating espionage against the DPRK under the manipulation of the U.S. and the south Korean puppet regime.
GCHQ spying on rights groups 'illegal' Press TV 23 Jun 2015 -- The GCHQ's secret surveillance of two international human rights groups was illegal, according to the judicial tribunal handling complaints against the intelligence services.
Most WikiLeaks Saudi documents verified: Spokesman Press TV 23 Jun 2015 -- The veracity of most of nearly 70,000 purported secret diplomatic Saudi documents leaked by WikiLeaks has been established, a spokesman for the whistle-blower website says.
Italy Denies Role in CIA Plot to Abduct Egyptian Imam Sputnik 23 Jun 2015 -- Italy has denied having any involvement in the CIA's 'extraordinary rendition' of an Egyptian imam who was kidnapped by US officials in Milan in 2003 on charges of having terrorist connections.
Austria tightens security at Iran talks venue Press TV 17 Jun 2015 -- Austria has undertaken special and extensive preemptive measures to secure the venue of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of world countries in the face of recent reports of espionage.
US Senate Votes to Ban Torture in War on Terrorism VOA 16 Jun 2015 -- The U.S. Senate has voted 78-21 to ban the use of torture in the interrogation of terror suspects and other detainees held by the United States.
German BND spy agency plans reforms after NSA spy scandal Press TV 15 Jun 2015 -- Head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence service has announced plans to restructure the spy agency in a bid to avert yet another US National Security Agency (NSA) spying scandal that engulfed it earlier this year though he has affirmed that BND remains dependent on the US spy agency to carry out its work.
MI6 Spy Pullout Goes Unnoticed in China After Snowden Files 'Compromised' Sputnik 15 Jun 2015 -- China has no information concerning British intelligence agents, the country ministry's spokesman Lu Kang said Monday.
Britain 'Pulls Out Spies' As Russia, China Crack Snowden Files RFE/RL 14 Jun 2015 -- British media are reporting that both Russia and China have cracked top-secret information contained in files leaked by U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Germany's Spy Agency Monitored Own Branch Tied to US Sputnik 14 Jun 2015 -- Germany's foreign intelligence agency BND spied on its own branch, gathering information at the US request, the German Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported Sunday.
Hack Into Federal System Puts Millions at Risk VOA 12 Jun 2015 -- The computer breach of millions of U.S. government files appears to be growing both in size and scope.
Iran expresses concern about reports on espionage against venues of N-talks Press TV 12 Jun 2015 -- The Iranian Embassies in Austria and Switzerland have expressed concern about recent media reports that the venues of the talks between Iran and the P5+1 in the two European countries have been spied on.
German chief prosecutor drops probe into US tapping of Merkel's cell phone Press TV 12 Jun 2015 -- Germany's attorney general has dropped an investigation into the suspected tapping by the US intelligence services of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cell phone calls, citing a lack of evidence for the case to succeed in court.
British ministers battle to maintain surveillance powers Press TV 12 Jun 2015 -- A battle over privacy is taking place across the board as Downing Street avoids proposal to strip ministers of surveillance powers.
Russian Charged With Spying In U.S. Asks Court To Dismiss Case RFE/RL 12 Jun 2015 -- A Russian citizen who worked in Manhattan as a banker asked a federal judge June 11 to toss out charges that he participated in a Cold War-style Russian spy ring.
Israel Denies Spying On Iran Nuclear Talks RFE/RL 12 Jun 2015 -- Israel on June 11 denied spying on the nuclear negotiations between Iran, the United States, and other world powers.
Chinese professor seeks bail in suspected espionage case People's Daily 11 Jun 2015 -- Chinese professor Hao Zhang who was accused of economic espionage by the US government is seeking release from custody on bail Wednesday in North California.
Switzerland, Austria probe reports of spying on Iran nuclear talks Press TV 11 Jun 2015 -- Switzerland and Austria say they are investigating reports that spyware linked to Israel targeted the hotels hosting the closed-door nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 states.
Over 20 fake mobile phone towers found in UK Press TV 11 Jun 2015 -- More than 20 fake phone poles, which are said to be tools to spy on public communications, have been found in the United Kingdom, according to a new investigation.
Switzerland, Austria Investigate Alleged Spying At Iran Nuclear Talks RFE/RL 11 Jun 2015 -- Authorities in Switzerland and Austria say they have started investigating possible espionage at nuclear talks involving Iran and six major powers that were hosted by both countries.
CIA Chief Secretly Visits Israel Ahead of Anticipated Iran Nuclear Deal Sputnik 09 Jun 2015 -- US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan secretly visited Israel last week to discuss the much anticipated deal between Iran and six world powers on Tehran's controversial nuclear program, Haaretz reported Tuesday, citing senior Israeli officials.
Belgian prosecutors investigate alleged Germany spying Press TV 08 Jun 2015 -- Prosecutors in Belgium have opened an investigation into claims of extensive spying by Germany, which has allegedly cooperated with the United States in snooping on Berlin's European allies.
Surveillance vs. Privacy Rages On, 2 Years After Snowden VOA 05 Jun 2015 -- It's been two years since former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden stole and leaked hundreds of documents to the media about the United States' spy and surveillance programs. His actions made headlines around the globe — and prompted changes in the way governments spy on their people.
Progress on AGS with completion of first NATO-owned air vehicle NATO 05 Jun 2015 -- The first of NATO's five unmanned air vehicles rolled off the factory line in San Diego on Thursday, 4 June 2015. The Global Hawk Block 40 is part of the Alliance Ground Surveillance Program (AGS).
Greenwald: Australia Surveillance Program One of World's Most Aggressive Sputnik 05 Jun 2015 -- Australia conducts one of the most aggressive surveillance programs in the world, Glenn Greenwald, the US journalist who first reported NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden's revelations, said.
U.S. spy agency secretly expands warrantless Internet surveillance: report People's Daily 05 Jun 2015 -- The U.S. government has secretly expanded the National Security Agency's warrantless Internet surveillance to search for evidence of what it called 'malicious cyberactivity,' The New York Times reported Thursday, citing classified documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
US Admiral Frustrated Over Delay in Drone Fleet for Aircraft Carriers Sputnik 05 Jun 2015 -- Admiral Michael Manazir, the director of air warfare for the US Navy, stated on Wednesday that he is frustrated by the delay in a plan to build a fleet of drones on board aircraft carriers.
Obama secretly expanded NSA spying in 2012: Documents Press TV 04 Jun 2015 -- Two leaked documents suggest that in 2012 the Obama administration empowered NSA to expand its web surveillance on Americans without any warrant.
German Lawmakers Block 2 Surveillance Operations Amid Spying Row - Reports Sputnik 04 Jun 2015 -- A German parliamentary commission overseeing activities of the German spying agency BND stopped two intelligence operations at home after the government failed to provide the lawmakers with the list of US surveillance targets in Europe, the German TV Channel ARD reported Thursday.
Obama Signs Bill Reforming Lapsed Surveillance Program VOA 02 Jun 2015 -- President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed a bill to reform and restart the bulk collection of Americans' telephone records, a program that expired earlier this week.
US Senate Set for New Votes on Surveillance Programs VOA 02 Jun 2015 -- The U.S. Senate is set for a new showdown on restarting the government's massive national security surveillance program.
With Data Collection Halted, US Senate Debates Surveillance Reform VOA 01 Jun 2015 -- Hours after the U.S. government's domestic surveillance authority expired, senators debated a bill to restart the collection of Americans' phone records for anti-terrorism purposes, but to have telecommunications companies store them.
NSA Mass Surveillance Mandate Expires, Senate to Reconsider USA Freedom Act Sputnik 01 Jun 2015 -- Three key provisions in the US Patriot Act authorizing US government mass surveillance are expiring on Monday, American lawmakers have announced.
White House Slams Senate on NSA Powers Expiration VOA 01 Jun 2015 -- The White House has criticized the Senate for failing to reach a deal before legal authority expired for the National Security Agency to bulk collect Americans' telephone data.
US Senate Debates NSA Reforms as Key Program Expires VOA 01 Jun 2015 -- The U.S. Senate has advanced a bill to reform the government's domestic surveillance program.

NEWSLETTER

Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list