November 2018 Intelligence News

Accused Russian Agent In Washington Appears Near Settling Case RFE/RL 30 Nov 2018 -- A woman charged with working secretly for the Russian government to sway politicians in Washington appears to be moving toward a settlement of her case with U.S. prosecutors, according to her family and court documents.
Lawsuits Seek Details of CIA Cover Ups, Public Opinion Campaigns - Rights Group Sputnik 29 Nov 2018 -- The family of Gul Rahman, who was tortured to death in CIA custody 16 years ago, seeks to discover what happened to the body, according to the first of two lawsuits filed against the spy agency by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Thursday.
Integrating SIGINT for multi-domain total force AFNS 28 Nov 2018 -- The 16th Intelligence Squadron set on a path to become a reserve component partner with the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, Oct. 1, 2014, creating a culture of seamless operations integration between active duty and reserve Airmen.
Manafort held secret talks with WikiLeaks founder in 2016: Report Press TV 28 Nov 2018 -- A new report has claimed that US President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, held secret talks with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London around the time he joined the then-Republican candidate's campaign team.
Manafort Denies Report He Met With WikiLeaks Founder VOA 27 Nov 2018 -- Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is denying a Guardian newspaper report that he met with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange three times, including at the time he joined the Trump campaign.
Ex-Trump Aide Manafort Held Secret Talks With Assange – Reports Sputnik 27 Nov 2018 -- On Monday, Trump's former campaign manager was lambasted in a court hearing file over his alleged lying to both the FBI and the special counsel's office, which is something the ex-aide instantly denied.
France detains senior official 'suspected of spying for North Korea' Press TV 27 Nov 2018 -- The French authorities have arrested a senior official in the French Senate accusing of spying for North Korea and handing over sensitive information to Pyongyang, judicial and security sources say.
Global Hawk testers raise their hand AFNS 27 Nov 2018 -- At the commander's call on Edwards Air Force Base, California, Brig. Gen. E. John Teichert stated that "Innovation is an Airmen, at any level, raising their hand to say, 'I've got a better way to do business.'"
UAE frees British spy jailed for life after London threatened diplomatic ties Press TV 26 Nov 2018 -- The United Arab Emirate has granted a pardon to a British academic whose life sentence a week ago had triggered a harsh response from London.
UAE Pardons UK National Who Allegedly Confessed to Being MI6 Agent Sputnik 26 Nov 2018 -- Last week, a 31-year-old British academic, who travelled to Dubai in early May, was accused of 'jeopardising the military, economy and political security' of the United Arab Emirates, and was given a life sentence for spying.
British Police Release More Video Of Skripal Poisoning Suspects RFE/RL 23 Nov 2018 -- Police in Britain have released more video of the two suspects they believe poisoned former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in March.
Bellingcat Names Second GRU Agent In Failed Montenegrin Coup RFE/RL 23 Nov 2018 -- The investigative group Bellingcat and Russian website The Insider say they have identified a second Russian GRU military intelligence officer allegedly involved in a 2016 coup attempt in Montenegro.
FBI Declines to Comment on UK Hybrid Warfare Project Sputnik 23 Nov 2018 -- The FBI is referring questions to British authorities regarding the alleged spy network and hybrid warfare initiative the UK has reportedly established across Europe and North America, a bureau spokesperson told Sputnik on Friday.
US Pushing Allies to Drop Huawei Over Trade War With China - Reports Sputnik 23 Nov 2018 -- This comes amid Washington's suspicions that the world's largest telecom equipment maker could be using its equipment for cyber espionage as part of cooperation with Chinese intelligence agencies.
Trump says CIA has no conclusion on Khashoggi's death People's Daily 23 Nov 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had not drawn any conclusion on the case of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death.
CIA has recording of MBS phone call to silence Khashoggi: Report Press TV 23 Nov 2018 -- The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is in possession of a tape that proves Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave instructions to "silence" dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a new report has revealed.
CIA Holds 'Smoking Gun' Phone Call of Saudi Crown Prince on Khashoggi - Reports Sputnik 22 Nov 2018 -- Riyadh has vehemently denied that the royal family, including Crown Prince bin Salman, has been involved in Khashoggi's murder. A total of 21 people have been detained on suspicion of ordering and carrying out the murder; five of them face the death penalty.
UK spy chiefs pushing against Trump leaks of secrets on Russia Press TV 22 Nov 2018 -- British intelligence chiefs are trying to stop US President Donald Trump from leaking secret information on Russia's alleged meddling in foreign elections, a new report suggests.
Head of Russian military intelligence dies at 63 People's Daily 22 Nov 2018 -- Igor Korobov, chief of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, commonly known as the GRU, died at the age of 63 after a serious illness on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
GRU Chief Dies After 'Serious And Long Illness' RFE/RL 22 Nov 2018 -- The chief of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, Igor Korobov, has died after "a serious and long illness," Russian media reported on November 21, quoting the Defense Ministry.
Oops! Germany Spying Agency Accidentally Reveals Identity of Covert Informant Sputnik 22 Nov 2018 -- In a catastrophically careless oversight, German intelligence services have accidentally exposed the identity of one of their 'v-men' - an undercover informant - spying on activist groups. It's far from the first embarrassing blunder in the country's espionage history.
UK Spy Agency Wants to Prevent Trump From Publishing Russia Probe Files - Report Sputnik 22 Nov 2018 -- The row pertains to an FBI request to wiretap a former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, which was made a month ahead of the 2016 US presidential elections. Earlier this month, President Trump said that he was "very seriously" considering declassifying the documents related to Russia's alleged interference in the US elections.
Britain Threatens UAE Over Jailing of British Student Accused of Spying VOA 22 Nov 2018 -- British authorities reacted with anger and threatened the United Arab Emirates with serious diplomatic repercussions after a court in the Gulf state sentenced a British student to life in prison for spying. The jailing of 31-year-old Matthew Hedges visibly shocked British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who believed he'd been given assurances 10 days ago on a visit to the UAE the student would be freed.
Military Takeover: Trump to Cede Security Clearance Management to Pentagon Sputnik 21 Nov 2018 -- The Trump administration is gearing up to introduce a "sweeping" effort to grant management of the US government's security clearance program to the Department of Defense (DoD), a new report claims.
Ex-US Intelligence Chief Lambasts Trump's Remarks on bin Laden as 'Ignorant' Sputnik 21 Nov 2018 -- During an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," US President Donald Trump commented on the 2011 mission that resulted in Osama bin Laden's killing. Trump labeled the mission's architect, Adm. William McRaven, a "Hillary Clinton backer and an Obama backer," expressing dissatisfaction about how the mission was carried out.
Israel's Only High School Teaching Farsi Preps Teens for Military Intel Work VOA 20 Nov 2018 -- Israel is seeking to expand its pool of experts in the language and policies of its long-time foe Iran, through a project of a retired Israeli general who has found a new calling in the classroom.
Saudi FM Blasts 'CIA Report' on Crown Prince's Alleged Role in Khashoggi Killing Sputnik 20 Nov 2018 -- Last week The Washington Post reported, citing sources with knowledge of the case, that the CIA had named Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman as the person who had given the order to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Both US President Donald Trump and the State Department stated that the final conclusions of the case are yet to be made.
EU Defense Ministers Endorse Creation of Joint Intelligence School Sputnik 20 Nov 2018 -- The Council of the European Union adopted on Monday an updated version of the EU Cyber defense Policy Framework, having set several priority areas, such as cyber defense capabilities development, military drills, and enhancement of civil and military cooperation, the council said in a press release.
Rift Widens Between Trump, Former US Intel Bosses VOA 19 Nov 2018 -- The chasm between U.S. President Donald Trump and elders of the intelligence community is widening.
195th ISRG provides intelligence support for Camp and Woolsey Fires AFNS 18 Nov 2018 -- Air National Guardsmen from the 195th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group have been aerial imagery support to agencies battling fires in California since Nov. 8, at Beale Air Force Base.
U.S. Prosecutors In Settlement Talks With Accused Russian Agent RFE/RL 17 Nov 2018 -- U.S. prosecutors and lawyers for accused Russian agent Maria Butina are negotiating over a possible settlement of her case, court filings say.
U.S. Documents Suggest Charges Filed Against WikiLeaks Founder Assange RFE/RL 16 Nov 2018 -- U.S. court documents suggest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been criminally charged by prosecutors in a case that could be related to the investigation into Russia's meddling in the U.S. elections.
US preparing indictment against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange Press TV 16 Nov 2018 -- The US Justice Department is preparing charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whose website published thousands of classified US government documents.
US Justice Dept Accidentally Reveals Secret Indictment Against Assange - Reports Sputnik 16 Nov 2018 -- The story came to light due to a filing submitted by prosecutors working on a separate, unrelated sex-crimes case which nevertheless contained two mentions of Julian Assange.
Secret US Charges Against Assange Revealed VOA 16 Nov 2018 -- WikiLeaks says its founder Julian Assange has been charged in the United States.
State Dept Considers Second Round of Sanctions Against Russia Over Skripal Case Sputnik 14 Nov 2018 -- The United States is actively considering a second, more draconian round of sanctions against Russia over the Skripal case, US Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ford said on Wednesday.
Lebanese army forces detain man suspected of providing intelligence to Israel Press TV 13 Nov 2018 -- The Lebanese Army's intelligence branch has arrested a man suspected of spying for Israel's Mossad spy agency and collaboration with Israeli authorities as he was attempting to cross the southern border into occupied Palestinian territories.
Ex-Intel Officials Worry Trump Still Doing Russia's Dirty Work VOA 13 Nov 2018 -- Flying to Paris on Friday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, U.S. President Donald Trump sent out a tweet that may have been business as usual at the White House but sent shivers down the spines of some of this country's intelligence and security officials:
Belgian Lawmaker Suspected of Spying for China - Reports Sputnik 12 Nov 2018 -- Filip Dewinter, a member of the Belgian Federal Parliament from the right-wing Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) party, is suspected of advising a Belgium-based Chinese company, which allegedly attempted to influence the decision-making process in Belgium, the Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper reported on Monday.
Austria Suspects Domestic Intelligence Officer Spied for Russia - Report Sputnik 11 Nov 2018 -- The report comes amid an ongoing espionage scandal between Moscow and Vienna. The Austrian prime minister earlier announced that a retired army colonel is suspected of spying for Russia for around 20 years. In response, Russia slammed Vienna for publicising 'unfounded accusations' instead of using diplomatic channels to clarify the situation.
Lavrov Says Moscow Being 'Unfairly' Blamed In Spy Scandal With Austria RFE/RL 10 Nov 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has told his Austrian counterpart that Russia was unfairly being accused of espionage after Vienna said it was probing a former Austrian colonel for allegedly spying for Moscow for decades.
Austria, Russia summon diplomatic representatives amid espionage allegations Press TV 09 Nov 2018 -- Russia and Austria have summoned each other's diplomatic representatives amid a dispute over allegations of Russian espionage involving a retired Austrian colonel.
Retired Austrian Officer Suspected Of Spying For Russia RFE/RL 09 Nov 2018 -- Austrian authorities have questioned a recently retired military officer under suspicion of spying for Russia for almost 20 years, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said.
Vienna's 'Russian Spy' Claims are 'Suspicions Without Any Evidence' - Moscow Sputnik 09 Nov 2018 -- On Friday, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz confirmed that a former colonel in the Austrian armed forces has been suspected of spying for Russia over the course of about two decades.
Vienna Learned About Colonel Allegedly Spying For Russia From 'Friendly Service' Sputnik 09 Nov 2018 -- Earlier, Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that a former Austrian colonel was suspected of having conducted espionage for Moscow. Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov lambasted Vienna for using "megaphone diplomacy" instead of traditional diplomatic methods, adding that the Austrian Ambassador has been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Austrian Army Colonel Suspected of Spying for Russia VOA 09 Nov 2018 -- A recently retired Austrian army colonel is suspected of having spied for Russia for several decades.
1st Cavalry Division puts a Shadow in the sky Army News 07 Nov 2018 -- The RQ-7B Shadow tactical unmanned aircraft system's engine roared as it slingshots off a mobile launch ramp at Horsemen Flight Landing Strip in Trzebien, Poland, Nov. 2 and into the bright horizon during another day of training for Soldiers assigned to Delta Company, 91st Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
State Dept: US to Impose New Set of Sanctions Against Russia Over Skripal Attack Sputnik 06 Nov 2018 -- The United States intends to move forward with imposing additional sanctions against Russia for the attack against Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal as required by law, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told Sputnik on Tuesday.
U.S. To Impose New Russia Sanctions Over Skripal Poisoning RFE/RL 06 Nov 2018 -- The United States says it is eyeing fresh sanctions against Russia over the poisoning of a Russian former spy in Britain earlier this year.
Russia Faces More US Sanctions Over British Poisoning Case VOA 06 Nov 2018 -- Russia is facing another round of U.S. sanctions over the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy and his daughter in Britain.
Putin Praises GRU Spy Agency Blamed For Attacks In West RFE/RL 03 Nov 2018 -- President Vladimir Putin on November 2 praised the Russian military spy agency that the West this year has blamed for a series of blatant attacks.
Air Force Cryptologic Office evolves ISR training for today's tech savvy Airmen AFNS 02 Nov 2018 -- The intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance Airmen in today's Air Force are much more technologically savvy than their predecessors, and the Air Force Cryptologic Office at Twenty-Fifth Air Force is revolutionizing the way modern Airmen learn to win the fight.
PRC State-Owned Company, Taiwan Company, and Three Individuals Charged With Economic Espionage US Dept. of Justice 01 Nov 2018 -- A federal grand jury indicted a state-owned enterprise of the People's Republic of China (PRC), a Taiwan company, and three individuals, charging them with crimes related to a conspiracy to steal, convey, and possess stolen trade secrets of an American semiconductor company for the benefit of a company controlled by the PRC government. All of the defendants are charged with a conspiracy to commit economic espionage, among other crimes.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers Delivers Remarks Regarding Economic Espionage by the People's Republic of China US Dept. of Justice 01 Nov 2018
Attorney General Jeff Sessions Announces New Initiative to Combat Chinese Economic Espionage US Dept. of Justice 01 Nov 2018
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Criminal Division Delivers Remarks Regarding Chinese Economic Espionage US Dept. of Justice 01 Nov 2018
US Launches Initiative to Fight Chinese Economic Espionage VOA 01 Nov 2018 -- Saying Chinese economic espionage poses a grave threat to U.S. national interests, Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday announced a new Justice Department initiative to combat China's alleged rampant theft of American intellectual property.
Justice Department Ramping Up Fight Against Chinese Espionage VOA 01 Nov 2018 -- The Justice Department is ramping up its fight against Chinese economic and industrial espionage.

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