Intelligence

Further Reading

• Statement from DHS Spokesman Alexei Woltornist on DHS Intelligence & Analysis Directorate Reports DHS 31 Jul 2020 -- "Upon learning about the practice, Acting Secretary Wolf directed the DHS Intelligence & Analysis Directorate to immediately discontinue collecting information involving members of the press."
• US Appeals Court in Washington, DC Agrees to Rehear Flynn Case Sputnik 30 Jul 2020 -- The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia vacated it earlier ruling from last month and agreed to rehear the case in which the court's three-judge panel ordered a lower court to dismiss the criminal case against former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, according to a filing on Thursday.
• Researcher Pleaded Guilty to Conspiring to Steal Scientific Trade Secrets from Ohio Children's Hospital to Sell in China US Dept. of Justice 30 Jul 2020 -- Crime is Another Example of Economic Malfeasance Related to the Peoples Republic of China Accommodating Theft of Commercial Products They Cannot Field Organically
• US expands charges against former Twitter staff allegedly spying on dissidents for Saudi Press TV 30 Jul 2020 -- The United States has reportedly expanded charges against two former Twitter employees and another individual accused of spying for Saudi Arabia on dissidents.
• Russian Intelligence Hit In First Ever EU Sanctions Against Cyberattacks RFE/RL 30 Jul 2020 -- The European Union has imposed its first-ever sanctions against alleged cyberattackers, targeting four Russian citizens and a unit of Moscow's GRU military intelligence agency.
• The United States Applauds the EU's Action on Cyber Sanctions US Dept. of State 30 Jul 2020 -- The United States welcomes today's announcement from the European Union's High Representative Josep Borrell regarding the body's first designations under its cyber sanctions framework.
• Russia arrests suspected Ukraine spy in Black Sea Fleet Press TV 30 Jul 2020 -- The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) says it has arrested a serviceman from the country's Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean city of Sevastopol over suspected espionage for Ukraine.
• Russia's Security Service Arrests Black Sea Fleet Officer Working for Ukraine Intelligence Sputnik 30 Jul 2020 -- A serviceman of Russia's Black Sea Fleet who worked for the Ukrainian military intelligence was placed into custody in Sevastopol for committing high treason, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Thursday.
• University of Arkansas Professor Indicted for Wire Fraud and Passport Fraud US Dept. of Justice 29 Jul 2020 -- The Department of Justice announced today that Simon Saw-Teong Ang, 63, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Arkansas on 42 counts of wire fraud and two counts of passport fraud.
• Incoming MI6 Chief has strong diplomatic and intellignece background Press TV 29 Jul 2020 -- In the latest churn at the top of the British security establishment, Richard Moore has been named as the next chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), better known as MI6.
• Appointment of the new Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) UK FCO 29 Jul 2020 -- Foreign Secretary approves the appointment of Richard Moore CMG to succeed Sir Alex Younger
• NATO AGS Force's remotely piloted aircraft fleet continues to grow NATO 27 Jul 2020 -- On July 26, 2020, the fourth remotely piloted aircraft of NATO's Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Force arrived at the Italian Air Force Base in Sigonella, Italy. The aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California, USA, at 18:33 local time on July 25 and landed at Sigonella at 16:20 local time the following day, almost 22 hours later.
• MI6 admits to interfering in judicial matters Press TV 27 Jul 2020 -- The Secret Intelligence Service (better known as MI6) has been forced to apologize after it was established the agency had tried to interfere in judicial matters.
• Trump eases controls on exports of lethal drones to US allies Press TV 25 Jul 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has moved to make it easier to export some types of American-made lethal drones to Washington's allies, saying that the allies need US technology and that other countries outside of a non-proliferation pact were taking over the market.
• Statement by NCSC Director William Evanina: 100 Days Until Election 2020 Director of National Intelligence 24 Jul 2020 -- Election security remains a top priority for the Intelligence Community and we are committed in our support to DHS and FBI, given their leadership roles in this area. In recent months, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has been providing robust intelligence-based briefings on election security to the presidential campaigns, political committees, and Congressional audiences.
• US Intelligence Official Warns of Foreign Interference in US Elections VOA 24 Jul 2020 -- The director of the U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center has warned that Russia, China, Iran and other countries are meddling in U.S. political campaigns as the November 3 general election draws closer.
• Briefing With Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper On New Developments in the U.S. Defense Trade US Dept. of State 24 Jul 2020
• US State Department Eases Restrictions on Military Drone Exports to Foreign Nations Sputnik 24 Jul 2020 -- In a Friday statement, the White House announced changes to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) that would allow the sales of US military drones to other countries.
• Trump Administration Approves Updated Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Export Policy US Dept. of State 24 Jul 2020 -- Today, the administration announced an update to the 2018 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Export Policy which affects one of America's most innovative industries.
• Statement from the Press Secretary on Unmanned Aerial Systems Exports The White House 24 Jul 2020
• Singapore Citizen Pleads Guilty to Being Illegal Agent of Chinese Gov't, US Justice Dept. Says Sputnik 24 Jul 2020 -- A Singaporean national pleaded guilty on Friday to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, the US Justice Department said in a press release.
• Singaporean National Pleads Guilty to Acting in the United States as an Illegal Agent of Chinese Intelligence US Dept. of Justice 24 Jul 2020 -- Jun Wei Yeo, also known as Dickson Yeo, entered a plea of guilty today to one count of acting within the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign power without first notifying the Attorney General, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 951. Yeo's plea was entered via videoconference before the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
• Widow Of Chechen Killed Near Vienna Confirms He Was Police Informant RFE/RL 24 Jul 2020 -- The widow of a Chechen man who was gunned down earlier this month in a Vienna suburb says her husband was an informant for Austrian security agencies and that police were examining his cell phone, which she said had recordings and other possible evidence.
• Chinese Researcher Suspected of Visa Fraud Arrested After Trying to Seek Refuge in Consulate VOA 24 Jul 2020 -- A Chinese cancer researcher accused of hiding her ties with the Chinese military on her visa application was taken into U.S. custody overnight in California.
• Researchers Charged with Visa Fraud After Lying About Their Work for China's People's Liberation Army US Dept. of Justice 23 Jul 2020 -- China's San Francisco Consulate Harboring Known Fugitive from Justice
• Chinese Scientist Wanted for Visa Fraud Hiding in San Francisco Consulate, US Prosecutors Say VOA 23 Jul 2020 -- U.S. prosecutors say the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco is harboring a scientist who hid her affiliation with the Chinese military.
• Scottish Nationalists Urged to Boycott Russian State Media VOA 23 Jul 2020 -- Scotland's nationalists are coming under mounting political pressure to stop appearing on Russian state-backed broadcaster RT following an explosive report earlier this week by Britain's parliamentary intelligence watchdog, which said Moscow has been actively seeking to boost the campaign for Scottish independence.
• UK considers adopting new 'espionage' law to counter Russian influence Press TV 22 Jul 2020 -- Following the publication of the Russia report there is growing clamor in the British political establishment for a new espionage law that takes stock of both actual and potential national security threats.
• UK minister: No evidence of Russian meddling in Brexit vote Press TV 22 Jul 2020 -- A British minister rejects the notion that Russia meddled in the 2016 Brexit referendum following the disclosure of a report that showed the UK was "clearly a target" for disinformation campaigns around its elections.
• Russia Report: Kremlin Denies Election Meddling as Dossier Compiled by UK Spy Agencies Published Sputnik 21 Jul 2020 -- A report on alleged Russian interference in British politics which was completed last year has finally been published. Publication of the report was deliberately delayed until after the General Election, reportedly to spare the blushes of the ruling Conservative Party.
• US Indicts Two Chinese Hackers For Vast, 10-Year Global Theft Campaign Radio Free Asia 21 Jul 2020 -- A U.S. grand jury has indicted two hackers affiliated with China's Ministry of State Security for a 10-year global campaign in which they broke into computer systems of hundreds of companies, and recently targeted firms researching a coronavirus vaccine, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
• US Unveils Criminal Charges Against 2 Chinese Hackers Accused of Targeting COVID-19 Vaccine Research Sputnik 21 Jul 2020 -- A newly unveiled United States indictment against two Chinese hackers alleges that they targeted companies in at least ten countries, Assistant US Attorney General for National Security John Demers announced in a press conference.
• Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers Remarks for Press Conference on United States V Li, Et Al. (EDWA) US Dept. of Justice 21 Jul 2020 -- Today, the Justice Department unsealed charges in a significant national security cyber matter. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington (EDWA) and the National Security Division (NSD) have charged two Chinese hackers working with the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), including the Guangdong State Security Department (GSSD) of the MSS, with a sweeping global computer intrusion campaign. In making this announcement, I'm joined here by Dave Bowdich, Deputy Director of the FBI, Bill Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, and Raymond Duda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Seattle Field Division.
• Two Chinese Hackers Working with the Ministry of State Security Charged with Global Computer Intrusion Campaign Targeting Intellectual Property and Confidential Business Information, Including COVID-19 Research US Dept. of Justice 21 Jul 2020 -- Indictment Alleges Two Hackers Worked With the Guangdong State Security Department (GSSD) of the Ministry of State Security (MSS), While Also Targeting Victims Worldwide for Personal Profit
• US Charges 2 Chinese Nationals in Global Hacking Campaign VOA 21 Jul 2020 -- Two Chinese nationals working with China's state security ministry have been charged with a decade-long global campaign targeting intellectual property and confidential business information at hundreds of entities, including COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research conducted by U.S. firms.
• U.S. Democrats Demand FBI Briefing On Foreign Election Interference RFE/RL 21 Jul 2020 -- Top Democrats in the U.S. Congress have demanded an urgent intelligence briefing over what they say is a concerted foreign campaign to spread disinformation to interfere in the November 3 election.
• Memorandum on Reinforcing Operations Security DoD 21 Jul 2020 -- Today the Secretary for Defense released a memorandum for all Department of Defense personnel reinforcing Operations Security (OPSEC) and the importance of preventing unauthorized disclosures.
• U.K. Report Calls For Further Study Of Russian Interference, Claims Meddling In Scottish Vote RFE/RL 21 Jul 2020 -- A British parliamentary committee has criticized the government for failing to investigate Russian interference during the 2016 Brexit referendum despite "credible" commentary that Moscow had tried to meddle in the Scottish independence referendum two years earlier.
• Russian Influence in Britain is 'New Normal,' Intelligence Committee Warns VOA 21 Jul 2020 -- A long-awaited House of Commons report laying bare Kremlin-sponsored bids to influence the outcomes of British elections and other votes, and to meddle in the workings of British democracy generally, was released Tuesday, with lawmakers on the intelligence and security committee saying Russia sought to break up the United Kingdom by attempting to "influence" the 2014 Scottish independence vote.
• Nicola Sturgeon takes London to task over Russia report Press TV 21 Jul 2020 -- As the British political establishment digests the contents of the Russia report, Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has seized the initiative by calling out the government for its complacency.
• Long-awaited Russia Report triggers political storm in Britain Press TV 21 Jul 2020 -- The long-awaited report into alleged Russian "interference" in British national life was finally released today after the government caved into public pressure.
• Man spying for CIA/Mossad put to death IRNA 20 Jul 2020 -- Mahmoud Mousavi Majd who was linked with CIA and Mossad and has provided them with intelligence from security bodies, especially armed forces including the IRGC was executed on Monday morning.
• Mahmoud Mousavi Majd spying for CIA, Mossad executed ISNA 20 Jul 2020 -- Iran's Judiciary announced that Mahmoud Mousavi Majd who was linked with CIA and Mossad and has provided them with intelligence from security bodies, especially armed forces including the IRGC was executed on Monday morning.
• Iran executes US, Israeli agent who spied on General Soleimani Press TV 20 Jul 2020 -- Iran says it has executed a CIA and Mossad agent, who had been convicted of espionage for US and Israeli spying agencies, including the exposing of top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani's whereabouts to them.
• Iran Executes Man Charged With 'Spying', Defying Popular Call To Stop Executions Radio Farda 20 Jul 2020 -- The Iranian Judiciary has announced on Monday July 20 that Mahmoud Mousavi Majd, a young man who was in jail on charges of "spying for the CIA and Mossad" has been executed.
• Iran Executes Man Convicted Of Giving U.S. Information On Soleimani RFE/RL 20 Jul 2020 -- Iran's judiciary says the country has executed a man convicted of providing information to the United States and Israel about a top Iranian commander later killed by a U.S. drone strike in Iraq.
• Iran Executes Man Accused of Spying for US, Israel VOA 20 Jul 2020 -- Iran's judiciary says a former translator Monday, whom the government accused of spying for U.S. and Israeli intelligence, and of helping to locate Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani has been executed. Soleimani was killed in an America drone attack earlier this year.
• Russia's U.K. Envoy Says Allegations Of Vaccine Hacking Make 'No Sense' RFE/RL 19 Jul 2020 -- Russia's ambassador to Great Britain has denied Western allegations that Moscow helped hackers target laboratories conducting research on vaccines to fight the coronavirus.
• Russia's UK envoy: COVID-19 vaccine hacking claims nonsensical Press TV 19 Jul 2020 -- Moscow's ambassador to London has rejected allegations made by the UK and its allies that Russian intelligence services attempted to steal data on coronavirus vaccine research projects from laboratories around the world.
• The Return Of Cozy Bear: Russian Hackers In The Crosshairs Of Western Intelligence Agencies - Again RFE/RL 18 Jul 2020 -- Six years ago, Dutch intelligence agents reportedly infiltrated a malicious group of hackers working out an office building not far from the Kremlin. Dutch agents hacked into a security camera that monitored people entering the Moscow building, according to the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant; they also reportedly monitored in 2016 as the hackers broke into the servers of the U.S. Democratic Party.
• Biden Briefed On U.S. Intelligence, Says Russia Still Meddling In Electoral Process RFE/RL 18 Jul 2020 -- U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden says he is now getting regular intelligence briefings and has been told that Russia is continuing in its attempts to meddle in the upcoming U.S. election.
• British Lawmakers Seen Pushing for Earlier Huawei Ouster VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- The British government's decision to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G telecom network beginning in 2027 is only the "opening salvo" of what is to come, according to a leading expert on U.S.-British relations.
• Chinese FM slams US accusation of cyber attacks by China to 'steal' US vaccines Global Times 18 Jul 2020 -- China's Foreign Ministry has slammed US accusations that China and Russia launched "cyber attacks" to "steal" US vaccines and COVID-19 treatments, and pointed out that China is a global leader in COVID-19 vaccine research and development.
• Russia Says No Need to Steal Western Coronavirus Research VOA 17 Jul 2020 -- Russia still expects a tentative agreement with a multinational pharmaceutical company to manufacture a COVID-19 vaccine under development with Oxford University to move forward, despite accusations Russia has been trying to steal vaccine data, the head of Russia's wealth fund said Friday in an interview with Reuters.
• Kremlin denies UK allegations of vote meddling, COVID-19 vaccine hacking Global Times 17 Jul 2020 -- The Kremlin on Thursday denied claims by Britain that "Russian actors" sought to meddle in last year's general election and that Russian intelligence services most likely hacked coronavirus vaccine research.
• Book, Report Spark Concern Over China's UK Elite Influence Operations Radio Free Asia 17 Jul 2020 -- Concerns are growing over Chinese influence in the U.K. after a prominent member of a Chinese Communist Party-backed "friendship" organization was able to meet with five prime ministers and several members of the royal family, according to a recent report in the Daily Mail newspaper.
• Russia Categorically Denies Meddling in UK Elections, Warns of Negative Consequences for Relations Sputnik 17 Jul 2020 -- On Thursday, London hurled a string of accusations at Moscow, accusing it of trying to interfere in the UK's 2019 general election, and of using hackers to try to steal British coronavirus vaccine research. The same day, a parliamentary intelligence committee promised to release a report on alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 Brexit referendum.
• Russia refutes West-sourced 'coronavirus research theft' claims Press TV 16 Jul 2020 -- Russia rejects allegations emerging from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada claiming that Moscow was trying to steal research data on the new coronavirus.
• UK condemns Russian Intelligence Services over vaccine cyber attacks UK FCO 16 Jul 2020 -- The Foreign Secretary has called out Russia's unacceptable cyber attacks against COVID-19 vaccine developers.
• Russia Accused of Stealing Western Coronavirus Research VOA 16 Jul 2020 -- U.S., British and Canadian officials accused the Kremlin Thursday of being behind a massive and ongoing cyber hack aimed at stealing from Western pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions doing research into coronavirus vaccines and treatment therapies.
• Moscow Refutes UK Claims That Russia-Linked Hackers Tried to Steal Data on COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik 16 Jul 2020 -- Last month, the head of the UK spy agency GCHQ said that Britain's intelligence agents had detected multiple cyberattacks on the country's health infrastructure this past spring, linking the attacks to attempts to steal sensitive data about a possible COVID-19 vaccine.
• Britain, U.S., Canada Accuse Russia Of Trying To Steal COVID-19 Vaccine Research RFE/RL 16 Jul 2020 -- Britain, Canada, and the United States have accused Russia of trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions around the world.
• Britain: 'Almost Certain' Russia Tried to Meddle in 2019 Elections VOA 16 Jul 2020 -- Britain's foreign ministry said Thursday Russia sought to interfere in Britain's 2019 general election by illicitly acquiring sensitive documents relating to a planned free trade agreement with the United States and leaking them online.
• Moscow Court Upholds Space Agency Aide's Pretrial Detention In High Treason Case RFE/RL 16 Jul 2020 -- The Moscow City Court has upheld the two-month pretrial detention of former journalist Ivan Safronov, currently an aide to the chief of Russia's Roskosmos space agency, who is charged with high treason.
• Russian Couple On Treason Trial Over Wedding Photos Faces New Charge RFE/RL 16 Jul 2020 -- A Russian couple that is on trial for high treason for photographs taken at their wedding five years ago that revealed the identity of a security operative when published online are facing a new charge: passing secret information to Latvian intelligence.
• Intelligence and Security Committee: Russia report to be published within days Press TV 16 Jul 2020 -- The report into Russian influence in UK politics, which has been suppressed for over nine months by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is to be published before July 22, when parliament breaks up for the summer.
• Moscow Court Excludes From Safronov's Warrant Claims He Cooperated With Czech Intelligence Sputnik 16 Jul 2020 -- The Moscow City Court ruled on Thursday to exclude from high treason suspect Ivan Safronov's arrest warrant the claims that he cooperated with the Czech intelligence.
• 'A Vehicle to Strike Back': Secret Trump Orders Gave CIA Wide Authority to Wage Cyberwar - Report Sputnik 15 Jul 2020 -- A new report by Yahoo News claims the Trump administration has given almost unprecedented leeway to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to wage cyberwar against US adversaries like Russia, Iran, China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The powers came via a secret 2018 order that has now come to light.
• UK Bans Huawei From 5G Rollout, Risking China's Wrath Radio Free Asia 14 Jul 2020 -- Britain on Tuesday announced it has banned Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G telecom network, a sharp policy shift that angered Beijing and was seen as a win for the Trump administration, which has argued that the company threatens national security.
• Britain's Huawei Ban Resets Relations With China VOA 14 Jul 2020 -- British officials are bracing for fierce Chinese government reaction and possible retaliation to Britain's decision Tuesday to block Chinese tech giant Huawei from playing any role in the development of Britain's next generation 5G phone network.
• London's Huawei decision 'turning point' for China-UK ties: analyst Global Times 14 Jul 2020 -- The UK's move to ban Huawei may further sour strained China-UK political ties, largely reduce personnel exchanges, and most likely prompt Beijing to take reciprocal measures against London's discriminatory policy, Chinese observers said.
• Britain Bans China's Huawei from New 5G Network VOA 14 Jul 2020 -- The British government has banned China's Huawei telecommunications equipment company from playing a limited role in Britain's new high-speed mobile phone network.
• Welcoming the United Kingdom Decision To Prohibit Huawei From 5G Networks US Dept. of State 14 Jul 2020 -- "We welcome news that the United Kingdom plans to ban Huawei from future 5G networks and phase out untrusted Huawei equipment from existing networks."
• UK orders all mobile providers to cut ties with Huawei by 2027 Press TV 14 Jul 2020 -- As widely expected, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has decided to end the Chinese technology giant Huawei's role in the development of the UK's 5G network.
• Iran executes CIA spy; another agent of US, Israel on death row Press TV 14 Jul 2020 -- The Iranian Judiciary says it has executed a former employee of the Defense Ministry convicted of spying for the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and that another agent of American and Israeli spy services is now on death row.
• Iran Executes Retired Defense Employee Charged With 'Spying For CIA' Radio Farda 14 Jul 2020 -- Iran says it has executed a retired Ministry of Defense employee on charges of "spying for the CIA," the spokesman for Iran's Judiciary Gholamhossein Esmaili said on Tuesday July 14.
• Tehran Says It Has Executed Alleged Iranian Spy For CIA RFE/RL 14 Jul 2020 -- Iran's judiciary says a a former defense ministry worker convicted of selling information to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been executed.
• Iran's Former Defence Ministry Worker Executed for Allegedly Spying for CIA Sputnik 14 Jul 2020 -- Tehran has executed a former Iranian Defence Ministry official over charges of alleged espionage for the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaeili said on Tuesday.
• Iran Executes Man Convicted of Spying for CIA VOA 14 Jul 2020 -- Iran has executed a former defense ministry employee who was convicted of selling information to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Iran's judiciary said Tuesday.
• UK selling spyware to 17 repressive regimes, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain Press TV 13 Jul 2020 -- Britain is providing more than a dozen repressive regimes around the world with wiretaps, spyware and other telecommunications interception equipment likely to be used to spy on dissidents, according to public records.
• Judicial Official Says Several 'Spies' Convicted In Iran Radio Farda 13 Jul 2020 -- A judicial official in Iran has announced Monday that "several people" working for foreign intelligence organizations and opposition groups have been tried and their verdicts have been issued in the city of Kerman.
• Russian Investigators Bring High Treason Charges Against Roscosmos Aide Safronov Sputnik 13 Jul 2020 -- Russian investigators have brought high treason charges against Ivan Safronov, a former defen?e journalist and currently an adviser to Russian space agency Roscosmos chief, lawyer Ivan Pavlov said on Monday, adding that Safronov keeps denying his guilt.
• Ex-Journalist Safronov Formally Indicted For High Treason By Russian Investigators RFE/RL 13 Jul 2020 -- Investigators of the Federal Security Service have formally charged an aide to the chief of Russia's Roskosmos space agency, journalist Ivan Safronov, with high treason.
• Israeli Court Blocks Amnesty International Attempt to Curb Spyware Firm NSO Sputnik 13 Jul 2020 -- In January, Amnesty International filed a lawsuit against Israeli cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group, urging the court to revoke the company's export license and restrict it from selling technology allegedly used to violate human rights across the globe.
• US Judge Wants Clarity on Roger Stone Prison Commutation VOA 13 Jul 2020 -- A U.S. judge in Washington on Monday ordered the government to explain the scope of President Donald Trump's commutation of the 40-month prison sentence she had imposed on his friend Roger Stone for political corruption.
• Former Special Counsel Defends Probe Into Russian Interference In 2016 Election RFE/RL 12 Jul 2020 -- Former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who conducted a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, has defended his investigation and said the conviction of Roger Stone, an adviser to President Donald Trump, was handled properly.
• Robert Mueller Supports Stone's Conviction, Says Russia Investigation Was 'of Paramount Importance' Sputnik 12 Jul 2020 -- According to the White House, Stone, a former advisor to President Trump, is a victim of the Russia investigation and efforts by the Democrats to undermine the Trump presidency.
• Top Democrats Blast Trump's Commutation of Roger Stone Sentence VOA 12 Jul 2020 -- Two leading U.S. Democrats on Sunday condemned President Donald Trump's clemency for his long-time friend Roger Stone, wiping out his 40-month prison sentence for political wrongdoing, saying it was a perversion of American legal standards.
• Ex-CIA Chief Says U.S. May Need To Respond With 'Bold' Action If Russian Bounties Prove True RFE/RL 11 Jul 2020 -- The former head of the CIA said the United States may need to respond with "bold" action against Russia, including imposing harder-hitting sanctions, should a report prove true that Moscow offered Taliban-linked militants money to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan.
• Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding Executive Grant of Clemency for Roger Stone, Jr. The White House 10 Jul 2020
• US Judge Asks Appeals Court to Reconsider Order Dismissing Flynn Case Sputnik 10 Jul 2020 -- US Judge Emmet Sullivan, who is overseeing the criminal prosecution against former Trump adviser Michael Flynn, has asked a federal appeals court to reconsider its decision to dismiss the case, court documents revealed on Thursday.
• Indian Army Asks Soldiers to Delete Tinder, Facebook and 87 Other Apps to Plug Information Leak Sputnik 09 Jul 2020 -- India has been tightening its noose on foreign mobile apps, citing a threat to national security. There have been incidents where soldiers have been honey trapped by foreign intelligence agencies and coaxed into divulging information. The country recently banned 59 Chinese apps following the border standoff in Ladakh.
• Researcher Charged with Illegally Using U.S. Grant Funds to Develop Scientific Expertise for China US Dept. of Justice 09 Jul 2020 -- A rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China has been ordered held without bond to face a charge of grant fraud for not disclosing that he was engaged in a sophisticated scheme to use approximately $4.1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop China's expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology.
• Employee of Angela Merkel's Press Office Suspected of Spying for Egypt - Report Sputnik 09 Jul 2020 -- An employee at German Chancellor Angela Merkel's press office is suspected of spying for Egypt's intelligence service, AFP reported Thursday, citing a police report.
• Facebook Takes Down 'Inauthentic' Social-Media Pages Connected To Ukraine Ad Agency RFE/RL 08 Jul 2020 -- Facebook said it has taken down a network of "coordinated, inauthentic" Ukrainian social-media pages tied to a digital advertising agency in the nation's capital as it seeks to combat the spread of disinformation.
• China Targets Chinese Overseas, Including Foreign Nationals, in Pressure Campaign: FBI's Wray Radio Free Asia 08 Jul 2020 -- China has been targeting its own nationals living in other countries, especially those involved in rights activism or who are critical of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, with threats, often made by agents of the state in person on U.S. soil, the head of the FBI has warned.
• China finding ways to block U.S. officials' visits to Taiwan: FBI CNA 08 Jul 2020 -- China is using all means at its disposal to prevent American government officials from visiting Taiwan as part of its efforts to influence Washington, a top United States intelligence official said Tuesday.
• A 'Hard Rain': Five Takeaways From A Treason Charge In Russia RFE/RL 08 Jul 2020 -- Prominent former defense reporter Ivan Safronov has been arrested and jailed in Moscow on a charge of treason, accused of passing state secrets to a NATO country that his lawyer says is the Czech Republic. Safronov denies the allegation, and former colleagues say it's absurd. Here's a look at possible motives and meanings behind the latest prosecution to rock Russia.
• 'Pandora's Box Is Open': After Journalist's Arrest, Russian Civil Society Fears Crackdown By Emboldened Security Services RFE/RL 08 Jul 2020 -- The last time a journalist in Russia was arrested on suspicion of treason - before the detention of Ivan Safronov on July 7 - was November 20, 1997. On that day, environmental journalist Grigory Pasko was returning from a reporting trip in Japan when agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB) met him in Vladivostok and accused him of spying.
• Russia Accuses Former Military Reporter Of Supplying Arms-Trade Data To Czech Republic RFE/RL 08 Jul 2020 -- Russia has arrested a former journalist on a charge of high treason for allegedly passing military secrets to a NATO government in what some are calling a clear attack on press freedom.
• Ex-Journalist Appeals Detention As Russian Media Demand Transparency In Treason Case RFE/RL 08 Jul 2020 -- Lawyers for Ivan Safronov, a former reporter and adviser to the chief of Russian space agency Roskosmos, say they have appealed their client's pretrial arrest on a high-treason charge he rejects.
• Russia Charges Former Journalist with Treason VOA 08 Jul 2020 -- A former Russian journalist currently employed by the country's space agency has been arrested and charged with state treason for passing secrets to the West – punishment, his supporters argue, for his past coverage of sensitive Russian military and political affairs.
• US Officials Warn Americans Against Using TikTok VOA 08 Jul 2020 -- U.S. officials and lawmakers are warning Americans against using Tiktok, a popular video-sharing application owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, citing privacy and security concerns.
• The Threat Posed by the Chinese Government and the Chinese Communist Party to the Economic and National Security of the United States FBI 07 Jul 2020 -- Christopher Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• FBI Opens a New China-Related Counterintelligence Case Almost Every 10 Hours, Director Wray Says Sputnik 07 Jul 2020 -- Last month, the US domestic intelligence agency added to its laundry list of allegations against Beijing, accusing the Chinese ambassador and another diplomat of working to recruit American scientists in an effort to get access to advanced US research and technology.
• Russia arrests aide to space agency chief on charges of treason Press TV 07 Jul 2020 -- Russia has arrested an aide to the head of the country's space agency Roscosmos on charges of state treason.
• Russian Space Agency Aide, Former Journalist Pleads Not Guilty To High Treason RFE/RL 07 Jul 2020 -- Ivan Safronov Jr., an adviser to the chief of Russia's Roskosmos state space agency and a former journalist, has pleaded not guilty after being detained on a charge of high treason for allegedly passing military secrets to a NATO government.
• Roscosmos Chief's Adviser Safronov Placed in Custody for Two Months Over Treason Charges, Court Says Sputnik 07 Jul 2020 -- Safronov, serving as an adviser to the chief of the Russian space agency Roscosmos since May, was detained earlier in the day. The ex-defence reporter denies the treason charges.
• Roscosmos Chief's Adviser Safronov Denies Treason Charges Sputnik 07 Jul 2020 -- Ivan Safronov, an adviser to the head of Russian space corporation Roscosmos, denied on Tuesday his guilt in handing classified defence information to NATO, a Sputnik correspondent reported from a district court in Moscow.
• U.S. Citizen Pleads Guilty To Fleeing Country With Classified Data, Seeking Russian Help RFE/RL 07 Jul 2020 -- A 46-year-old U.S. citizen has pleaded guilty after fleeing the country with her daughter and national-security materials that she hoped to offer Russia in exchange for Moscow's assistance.
• West Virginia Woman Admits to Willful Retention of Top Secret National Defense Information and International Parental Kidnapping US Dept. of Justice 06 Jul 2020 -- Elizabeth Jo Shirley, of Hedgesville, West Virginia, has admitted to unlawfully retaining a document containing national defense information and committing international parental kidnapping, the Department of Justice announced.
• Israel puts new spy satellite in orbit in taunt to Mideast countries Press TV 06 Jul 2020 -- Israel has launched a new spy satellite, with reports linking the launch to the Israeli regime's hostility towards Iran and its peaceful nuclear activities.
• Israel Launches New Spy Satellite To 'Monitor Iran' RFE/RL 06 Jul 2020 -- Israel's Defense Ministry has announced the successful launch of a new spy satellite that the ministry said would provide high-quality surveillance for its military intelligence.
• Israel Successfully Launches New Advanced Spy Satellite 'to Monitor Any Threats' Sputnik 06 Jul 2020 -- At least two more Israeli reconnaissance satellites are currently operational - the Ofek 5, launched in 2002, and the Ofek 11, which has been zooming in on possible targets since 2016.
• US intelligence involved in 'drug trafficking' in Afghanistan: Russia envoy Press TV 05 Jul 2020 -- The Russian presidential envoy to Afghanistan says the US intelligence has been involved in "drug trafficking" in the country, while dismissing accusations by Washington that Moscow has colluded with the Taliban to kill American troops.
• US Intelligence, Accusing Russia of Shady Deal With Taliban, Is Involved in Drug Trade, Envoy Says Sputnik 04 Jul 2020 -- US intelligence is deeply involved in the Afghan drug trade at the same time as it accuses Russia of conspiring with the Taliban, Special Presidential Envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said on Saturday.
• Afghan Lawmakers: Russian Support to Taliban No Secret VOA 03 Jul 2020 -- Amid controversy in Washington over reports that a Russian intelligence unit paid bounties to Taliban militants to kill U.S. and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan, some Afghan lawmakers say it is no secret Russia has cultivated close contacts with the Taliban and it is likely Russia has financially supported Taliban violence.
• Biden Slams Trump on Russia Bounties in Foreign Policy Contrast VOA 03 Jul 2020 -- Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's rebuke of President Donald Trump's handling of allegations that Russians paid bounties for the killing of American soldiers reflects his longstanding criticism of the president on national security and foreign policy.
• Pelosi: US should put sanctions on Russian intelligence, defense sectors Press TV 03 Jul 2020 -- US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for sanctions on Russia's intelligence and defense sectors after a briefing on reported Russian payments to Taliban militants to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan.
• U.S. Citizen Whelan Begins 16-Year Sentence For Espionage In Russia RFE/RL 03 Jul 2020 -- A lawyer for former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was convicted of espionage in Russia last month, says her client's 16-year prison sentence has begun.
• Pelosi Accuses White House of Trying to 'Con' US Public on Intelligence VOA 02 Jul 2020 -- Leading Democratic lawmakers are slamming the White House, one of them accusing the president and his aides of trying to trick the American public into believing intelligence on an alleged Russian plot to pay for attacks on U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan is not serious.
• Top Intelligence Officials Brief Congress on Alleged Russian Bounties VOA 02 Jul 2020 -- Top U.S. intelligence officials briefed key members of Congress Thursday on what is known – and what is not known – about an alleged Russian plot to pay militants for attacks on American and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
• U.S. Intelligence Officials To Hold Classified Briefing On Allegations Russia Offered Bounties To Taliban RFE/RL 02 Jul 2020 -- A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is due to be briefed on July 2 by senior intelligence officials following reports alleging Russia paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
• 'Fully Briefed' Trump Calls Russia Bounty Report 'Fake News Media Hoax' VOA 01 Jul 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump is dismissing intelligence reports suggesting Russia may have offered a bounty to Taliban-linked militants for attacks on U.S. forces after top aides said he was fully briefed on the matter.
• More Lawmakers Urge Trump To Consider Repercussions For Russia Over Alleged Bounties RFE/RL 01 Jul 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump should consider imposing new economic sanctions on Russia if reports alleging that Moscow paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan are true, Democrats who were briefed on the matter said.
• US Allegedly Has Financial Data to Support Russia Bounty Claims - Reports Sputnik 01 Jul 2020 -- The US intelligence community's claims that Russia offered bounties for US soldiers in Afghanistan is allegedly supported by data obtained showing financial transfers from the GRU to a Taliban-linked account, the New York Times reported citing three officials familiar with the matter.
• Trump: 'Russian Bounty' Intel Claims Never Presented to Him Since It 'Didn't Rise to That Level' Sputnik 01 Jul 2020 -- US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was never briefed on claims published by the New York Times about bounties on US soldiers in Afghanistan given to the Taliban by Russian intelligence agents because US intelligence agencies don't believe it ever happened.
• Trump blames Russian bounty allegations on fake news Press TV 01 Jul 2020 -- US President Donald Trump has blamed the "fake news" for the allegations about suspected Russian bounties on coalition forces in Afghanistan, calling it a "hoax."