April 2019 Intelligence News

Vodafone denies 'backdoors' in Huawei products in Italy Global Times 30 Apr 2019 -- Telecom company Huawei was made aware of historical vulnerabilities in 2011 and 2012, which had been addressed at the time, the company told the Global Times on Tuesday in response to the latest reports that the European carrier allegedly found backdoors in the Chinese company's products.
UK may defy US warnings on Huawei cooperation: UN envoy Press TV 30 Apr 2019 -- UK Ambassador to the United Nations Karen Pierce says her country may continue cooperation with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei despite security warnings by the United States.
Vodafone Confirms It Found Security Vulnerabilities in Huawei Equipment Sputnik 30 Apr 2019 -- The Chinese tech giant has been fighting off US espionage allegations, as Washington is trying to dissuade its allies across the world against using Huawei in developing the next-generation 5G network. The reputation of the Chinese firm has been challenged yet again after revelations by a European telecommunications giant.
Former CIA officer to plead guilty of spying for China: Reports Press TV 30 Apr 2019 -- A former CIA officer who had pleaded not guilty of having spied for China is about to change his mind, reports by multiple media outlets suggest.
Huawei a touchstone for ties with China Global Times 29 Apr 2019 -- According to leaks from the UK's National Security Council meeting last week, the UK has agreed to Huawei's involvement in its non-core 5G network. This triggered a great disturbance. British Prime Minister Theresa May was shocked by the leaks and has ordered an inquiry. Some people, including critics in the US, have asked May to change her government's position on Huawei.
Beluga Whale With Russian Harness Raises Alarm In Norway RFE/RL 29 Apr 2019 -- Norwegian officials say they are concerned that a harnessed beluga whale found in the Arctic Sea may have come from a Russian military facility.
Norway Claims to Have Caught Runaway "Spy Whale From Russia" Sputnik 29 Apr 2019 -- A white whale with a sort of harness and a camera mount caught off the coast of northern Norway has triggered suspicions of "Russian spying".
Suspected UAE spy held in Turkey commits suicide Press TV 29 Apr 2019 -- One of the two suspected UAE spies detained by Turkey earlier this month has committed suicide, Turkey's media outlets said on Monday.
Man Suspected of Spying for UAE Commits Suicide in Turkish Prison - Reports Sputnik 29 Apr 2019 -- One of the two Turkish prison detainees suspected of spying for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has committed suicide, Turkey's Haberturk media outlet reported on Monday, citing a senior official.
Prominent Taliban Spy Arrested in Kabul - Reports Sputnik 29 Apr 2019 -- A special unit of the Afghan National Police has arrested a prominent Taliban spy in the Afghan capital of Kabul, the Khaama Press news agency reported on Monday, citing the Afghan Interior Ministry.
US warns UK of risks to intelligence sharing over Huawei Press TV 29 Apr 2019 -- A senior US official has hinted that Britain could be denied having access to American intelligence if it goes ahead with involving Chinese giant telecommunication company Huawei in plans to build its next-generation internet network.
Putin makes first comments on Russian agent jailed in US Press TV 27 Apr 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has made his first comment about a self-admitted Russia agent sentenced in the United States.
Putin Calls Jail Sentence In U.S. For Russian Agent Maria Butina 'Arbitrary' RFE/RL 27 Apr 2019 -- President Vladimir Putin has criticized a decision by a U.S. court to sentence Russian citizen Maria Butina to 18 months in prison after she pleaded guilty of acting as a Russian agent without registering.
Russian National Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Act As an Agent of the Russian Federation within the United States US Dept. of Justice 26 Apr 2019 -- Mariia Butina, a Russian national, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison after earlier pleading guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government.
U.S. Judge Sentences Russian National Maria Butina To 18 Months In Prison RFE/RL 26 Apr 2019 -- Maria Butina, who pleaded guilty to not registering as an agent for the Russian government, was sentenced to 18 months in U.S. prison, in a case that prosecutors said highlighted Russian efforts to infiltrate American political circles.
US Court Sentences Russian National Butina to 18 Months in Prison Sputnik 26 Apr 2019 -- Maria Butina, a 30-year-old Russian national and gun rights activist, was arrested by the FBI last July and charged with conspiring to act as a "foreign agent".
US Court Sentences Russian Operative Butina to 18 Months VOA 26 Apr 2019 -- Maria Butina, the Russian gun rights enthusiast accused of seeking to infiltrate conservative political circles in the United States, was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison.
The National Background Investigations Bureau Moves to the Department of Defense DoD 25 Apr 2019 -- President Trump signed an executive order April 24, 2019 that, in combination with the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018, section 925, shifts the primary responsibility for conducting background investigations for the federal government from the Office of Personnel Management to the Department of Defense.
'Not A Spy In The Traditional Sense:' How The Butina Case Lifted The Lid On Alleged Russian Operations RFE/RL 25 Apr 2019 -- In the lexicon of U.S. counterintelligence, it's called "spot and assess," "access agents," and "backchannels." According to U.S. prosecutors, it's also what Maria Butina, a now 30-year-old Russian graduate student, was doing during her time in United States.
Warfighters Need 'Uncompromised' Technology, Official Says DoD News 24 Apr 2019 -- Adversaries shouldn't already have read the manual on a new U.S. gun before the first soldier has had a chance to fire one, the Defense Security Service's director of counterintelligence said here today.
Former State Department Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Foreign Agents US Dept. of Justice 24 Apr 2019 -- Defendant Admitted Receiving Tens of Thousands of Dollars in Benefits From Two Chinese Agents in Exchange for Internal State Department Documents
Israeli spies may infiltrate into Lebanon under tourism guise, intel agency warns Press TV 24 Apr 2019 -- The Lebanese intelligence agency has warned that people affiliated to Israel's Mossad spy agency and in close collaboration with the Tel Aviv regime's authorities could infiltrate into the Arab country arranging tourism trips.
GCHQ rejects claims that it was asked by Obama admin. to spy on Trump Press TV 24 Apr 2019 -- The British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) has rejected claims that it was asked by the administration of former President Barrack Obama to spy on then-President Elect Donald Trump after the 2016 presidential election.
Butina Asks US Court to Go Ahead With Sentencing as Planned - Filing Sputnik 24 Apr 2019 -- Defence lawyers for Russian national Maria Butina have asked a US federal court to go ahead with her sentencing as scheduled on Friday regardless of whether it grants her request to exclude a statement by a former FBI agent from the hearing, court documents showed on Tuesday.
Former GE Engineer and Chinese Businessman Charged with Economic Espionage and Theft of GE's Trade Secrets US Dept. of Justice 23 Apr 2019 -- An indictment unsealed today charges Xiaoqing Zheng, 56, of Niskayuna, New York, and Zhaoxi Zhang, 47, of Liaoning Province, China, with economic espionage and conspiring to steal General Electric's (GE's) trade secrets surrounding turbine technologies, knowing and intending that those stolen trade secrets would be used to benefit the People's Republic of China.
US Charges 2 Chinese Engineers with Stealing Trade Secrets VOA 23 Apr 2019 -- The Justice Department on Tuesday announced indictments against two Chinese nationals accused of working together to steal trade secrets from General Electric.
Malicious claim for CIA to declare Huawei gets funds from PLA Global Times 21 Apr 2019 -- Claims that China's Huawei Technologies is funded by Chinese security agencies are groundless, morally malicious and show a lack of understanding about how the world's tech giant is operated and managed. The claims also reflect ongoing efforts of the US to crack down on the advanced global 5G player, which are in line with Washington's zero-sum game approach, industry insiders said Sunday.
US intelligence says Huawei funded by Chinese state security Press TV 20 Apr 2019 -- US intelligence agencies have accused Huawei of being funded by Chinese state security, adding to the list of allegations faced by the Chinese technology company in the West.
CIA Accuses Huawei of Being Funded by Chinese Authorities - Reports Sputnik 20 Apr 2019 -- The US Central Intelligence Agency has accused the Chinese technology giant of being sponsored by the country's authorities, The Times newspaper reported on Saturday, citing a source.
US Prosecutors Seek 18-Month Jail Term for Russian National Butina Sputnik 20 Apr 2019 -- US prosecutors have recommended that the court give an 18-month jail term to Russian national Maria Butina, who is detained in the United States on charges of conspiring to act as a foreign agent, the court filing has shown.
U.S. Prosecutors Seek 18-Month Sentence For Russia's Butina RFE/RL 20 Apr 2019 -- U.S. prosecutors are asking a judge to hand Russian citizen Maria Butina an 18-month sentence after she pleaded guilty late last year to a charge of conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent.
Mueller Report Confirms Intelligence Findings About Russian Meddling VOA 19 Apr 2019 -- Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference is providing current and former U.S. intelligence officials with a sense of vindication, affirming many of the conclusions they drew following the 2016 election.
CIA shifts to focus more on Russia and Iran: Gina Haspel Press TV 19 Apr 2019 -- CIA Director Gina Haspel has said that the US Central Intelligence Agency has shifted resources to better deal with rivals such as Russia and Iran.
Turkey detains, investigates UAE operatives over Khashoggi murder Press TV 19 Apr 2019 -- Turkey has arrested two alleged intelligence operatives who confessed to spying on Arab nationals on behalf of the United Arab Emirates, a senior Turkish official says.
Turkey Arrests Two People on Suspicion of Spying For UAE - Reports Sputnik 19 Apr 2019 -- Reuters, citing an unnamed Turkish official, reported on Friday that the country's authorities had detained two people as part of an investigation by the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office.
Intel minister: Iran identified 290 CIA spies, made arrests Press TV 19 Apr 2019 -- Iran has identified 290 CIA agents across different countries, forcing the US to form a special committee to reassess its cloak-and-dagger operations, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi says.
Iranian Security Service Discloses CIA, MI6 Espionage Networks - Reports Sputnik 19 Apr 2019 -- Since the arrival of the Trump administration, Washington has been taking a harsh approach towards Iran in its foreign policy. The US notably withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal on 8 May 2018 and imposed hefty sanctions against Tehran's oil, banking and shipping sectors in November of the same year.
Iran intelligence forces expose 290 CIA spies IRNA 19 Apr 2019 -- Iranian Intelligence Minister said that some 290 spies affiliated with US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have been discovered by the country's Iran intelligence forces in various countries.
College students targeted by foreign intelligence workers Global Times 18 Apr 2019 -- The Public Security Department in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province, has detected foreign spies who defrauded Chinese college students to steal China's military secrets.
New Swedish SIGINT ship launched in Gdynia SAAB 17 Apr 2019 -- Nauta Shiprepair Yard has completed the next milestone in the construction of the Swedish SIGINT ship for the Royal Swedish Navy. Outfitting and equipment installation will take place in Nauta Shiprepair Yard, after which the vessel will undergo harbour and sea trials. The ship will then sail to Saab's shipyard in Karlskrona to complete outfitting of special systems.
Former Manager for International Airline Pleads Guilty to Acting as an Agent of the Chinese Government US Dept. of Justice 17 Apr 2019 -- Defendant Placed Packages on Flights from JFK Airport to Beijing at the Direction of Military Officers Assigned to the Chinese Mission to the United Nations
President Moreno Reveals REAL Reason His Gov't Revoked Assange's Asylum Sputnik 17 Apr 2019 -- Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno has told the BBC why his government decided to revoke Julian Assange's asylum. The Wikileaks co-founder was arrested in London on 11 April after spending seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy.
Former Spy: Hungary Used as Logistical Base for Russian Intelligence Activity VOA 17 Apr 2019 -- "Is your boss working for Moscow?" It isn't a question any Western counter-intelligence officer wants to be asked by counterparts in agencies from allied NATO countries, but for Ferenc Katrein it wasn't such an infrequent query during his decade-and-a-half at Hungary's Constitution Protection Office.
Assange aimed to harm US: Prosecutors Press TV 16 Apr 2019 -- US federal prosecutors have accused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange of disseminating secret documents with the intent of doing harm to the United States.
Norwegian Jailed By Russia For 14 Years For Spying RFE/RL 16 Apr 2019 -- A Russian court has convicted a Norwegian man of espionage and sentenced him to 14 years in a high-security prison.
Moscow Court Sentences Norway's Berg to 14 Years in Jail for Espionage Sputnik 16 Apr 2019 -- A Moscow court has found Norwegian national Frode Berg guilty of espionage and sentenced him to 14 years in a high-security jail, a Sputnik correspondent reported Tuesday from the courtroom.
President Moreno: Assange used Ecuador's London Embassy for spying Press TV 15 Apr 2019 -- Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno claims WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange tried to use Ecuador's Embassy in London as a "center for spying," and that the decision to strip the whistleblower of his political asylum followed "violations" of that status.
US Charges Chinese Intruder Arrested at Mar-a-Lago With Lying, Illegal Entry Sputnik 13 Apr 2019 -- US authorities have formally charged Yujing Zhang – the Chinese woman arrested trying to enter Mar-a-Lago last month – with lying to a federal agent and entering restricted property without permission, according to published reports on Friday.
Argentina Declassification Project DoD 12 Apr 2019 -- Today, at the request of the President of the United States, the Department of the Defense released records to clarify the facts surrounding human rights abuses, acts of terrorism and political violence in Argentina from 1975-1985.
Trump distances himself from WikiLeaks after Assange arrest Press TV 12 Apr 2019 -- US President Donald Trump, who praised WikiLeaks during his 2016 presidential campaign, has distanced himself from the whistleblower organization after its founder, Julian Assange, was arrested in Britain.
Trump: 'I Know Nothing About WikiLeaks'; US Seeks Assange Extradition VOA 12 Apr 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he has no knowledge of the website WikiLeaks, after the whistleblowing site's founder, Julian Assange, was arrested in Britain.
Former Estonian Security Agent Suspected Of 'Cooperating' With Russian Intelligence RFE/RL 12 Apr 2019 -- A former Estonian security agent who was once awarded a medal for his service to the small Baltic nation has been detained on suspicion of cooperating with Russian intelligence, the director of Estonia's Internal Security Service (KAPO) said on April 12.
WikiLeaks' Founder Julian Assange Arrested in Ecuadorian Embassy in London Sputnik 11 Apr 2019 -- The arrest comes some 24 hours after WikiLeaks claimed that Assange had been subject to a sophisticated spying operation, with the obtained data presumably being transferred to US authorities.
WikiLeaks Founder Charged in Computer Hacking Conspiracy US Dept. of Justice 11 Apr 2019 -- Julian P. Assange, 47, the founder of WikiLeaks, was arrested today in the United Kingdom pursuant to the U.S./UK Extradition Treaty, in connection with a federal charge of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for agreeing to break a password to a classified U.S. government computer.
US files 'conspiracy' charges against WikiLeaks founder Press TV 11 Apr 2019 -- United States officials have announced that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had been charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested in UK, faces US charges Press TV 11 Apr 2019 -- British police have arrested WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where the Australian whistleblower had been living since 2012.
Assange Appears In London Court After Arrest, U.S. Announces Charges RFE/RL 11 Apr 2019 -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested at the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, where he had been holed up since 2012.
Sir Alan Duncan statement on Julian Assange UK FCO 11 Apr 2019 -- A statement from Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan.
UN experts warn Assange arrest exposes him to risk of serious human rights violations UN News 11 Apr 2019 -- Independent UN rights experts on Thursday said the arrest of Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange by police in the United Kingdom, after the Ecuadorian Government decided to stop granting him asylum in their London embassy, exposed him to "the risk of serious human rights violations", if extradited to the United States.
US Charges WikiLeaks Founder Assange After London Arrest VOA 11 Apr 2019 -- The U.S. on Thursday unsealed charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in a computer hacking conspiracy linked to the release of hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. documents, just hours after British police dramatically arrested him at the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he had been holed up for nearly seven years.
Assange: From Trump Cheers to US Criminal Charges VOA 11 Apr 2019 -- Less than a month before Donald Trump was elected as the U.S. president in 2016, he said, "WikiLeaks, I love WikiLeaks," as the anti-secrecy group released another cache of emails hacked by Russian operatives from the computers of Democratic officials that were damaging to Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton.
Former FSB Employee Jailed For Six Years In High-Profile Treason Case RFE/RL 10 Apr 2019 -- A former employee of the Federal Security Service (FSB) has been sentenced to six years in prison on high-treason charges in a case linked to a major scandal at Russia's main security agency.
Russia Demands 14-Year Sentence For Norwegian Accused Of Spying RFE/RL 09 Apr 2019 -- Russian prosecutors have demanded a 14-year prison sentence for a Norwegian citizen accused by Moscow of spying on its nuclear submarines.
Novichok Survivor Gets 'Propaganda' In Meeting With Russian Ambassador To U.K. RFE/RL 07 Apr 2019 -- A survivor of a Novichok poisoning in England last year has met with the Russian ambassador to Britain to ask questions about Russia's involvement in the string of poisonings that killed one and left four others seriously ill.
US conducted secret surveillance of Huawei: Prosecutors Press TV 05 Apr 2019 -- Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies has been spied on by US authorities, a court prosecutor says.
Trump 'not worried' about allegations of Chinese espionage at Mar-a-Lago Press TV 04 Apr 2019 -- US President Donald Trump says he is "not worried at all" about possible Chinese espionage on his Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago, after reports emerged that the Secret Service arrested an alleged spy there.
NATO Members Risk Losing US Intel Over China Tech VOA 04 Apr 2019 -- Some European countries could soon find themselves cut off from U.S. intelligence and other critical information if they continue to cultivate relationships with Chinese technology firms.
Lithuania Sentences Russian-Born Sailor To Seven Years For Spying For Moscow RFE/RL 03 Apr 2019 -- A Lithuanian court has sentenced a Russian-born sailor to seven years in prison on charges of spying for Moscow, the latest in a series of espionage-related cases between the two neighboring countries.
US House Panel Subpoenas Former White House Security Clearance Chief VOA 02 Apr 2019 -- A Democratic-controlled congressional panel on Tuesday subpoenaed a former White House security clearance chief to answer questions about a whistleblower's claims that senior Trump administration officials granted national security badges to at least 25 people that government reviewers had rejected for an array of concerns.
Up to 25 security clearance denials reportedly reversed by Trump Press TV 02 Apr 2019 -- Longtime White House security adviser Tricia Newbold has claimed that the Donald Trump administration has reversed 25 security clearance denials related to unqualified officials.
Russian Man Sentenced In Treason Case Linked To FSB Cyberscandal RFE/RL 02 Apr 2019 -- A Russian Internet businessman has been sentenced to seven years in prison for state treason, in a case linked to a major scandal at Russia's main security agency.
Chinese Woman With Malware, Tech Devices Bluffs Her Way into Trump's Mar-a-Lago Sputnik 02 Apr 2019 -- A Chinese woman carrying a thumb drive with malware, as well as multiple passports and electronic devices, was arrested at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday while US President Donald Trump was there. She bluffed her way past security multiple times before being caught, according to court documents.
Norwegian Tried in Russia for Collecting Data On Nuclear Submarines - Prosecutor Sputnik 02 Apr 2019 -- Norwegian national Frode Berg, who is on trial in a Moscow court, has been charged with espionage for collecting data on Russian nuclear submarines, a state prosecutor said Tuesday.
Facebook Removes More Than 100 Military-Linked Accounts In Pakistan RFE/RL 01 Apr 2019 -- Facebook has removed 103 pages, groups, and accounts that it said were part of a network linked to the Pakistani military's public relations wing.
Facebook deletes accounts in India, Pakistan Press TV 02 Apr 2019 -- Facebook has deleted hundreds of accounts and pages allegedly tied to India's opposition and ruling parties as well as Pakistan's military, citing "inauthentic behavior."
Whistleblower: Trump Aides Gave Security Clearances Deemed Unwarranted VOA 01 Apr 2019 -- A whistleblower from inside the White House has told congressional investigators that senior Trump administration officials granted national security clearances to at least 25 people that government reviewers had rejected for an array of concerns.

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