September 2020 Intelligence News

Release of U.S. Department of State Guidance on Implementing the UN Guiding Principles for Transactions Linked to Foreign Government End-Users for Products or Services with Surveillance Capabilities US Dept. of State 30 Sep 2020 -- Today, the U.S. Department of State released guidance to assist U.S. companies seeking to prevent their products or services with surveillance capabilities from being misused by foreign government end-users to commit human rights abuses.
Retired military man given two years for spying for China CNA 25 Sep 2020 -- A retired Taiwanese military man who was given a suspended sentence after being found guilty of spying for China and attempting to build a spy network in Taiwan has been given a 27-month jail term for the crimes on appeal.
Pompeo 'Outs' Chinese Consulate in NYC as Another 'Hotbed for Espionage' Sputnik 24 Sep 2020 -- In July, the US closed a Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas, declaring the location an espionage hot spot and a centre for attempting to steal medical data related to the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
Chinese Soldier Handed 'Early Retirement' for Sharing Army Secrets on Unregistered Cellphone Sputnik 24 Sep 2020 -- A Chinese soldier has been kicked out of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) after he shared military secrets with friends and family via an unauthorized cellphone.
Philippines: Facebook Removes China-based Fake Accounts Radio Free Asia 23 Sep 2020 -- Social media giant Facebook said it has taken down more than 150 fake accounts that originated in China over interfering in Philippine politics, including those that promote Beijing's interests in the South China Sea and that back President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter as his successor in 2022.
CIA's Haspel not allowing intel on Russia to get to White House: Sources Press TV 23 Sep 2020 -- The CIA is not relaying all the intelligence about Russia to the White House, probably over fears of displeasing President Donald Trump.
Bulgaria Expels Two Russian Diplomats For Alleged Military Spying RFE/RL 23 Sep 2020 -- Bulgaria has expelled two Russian diplomats accused of military espionage and ordered them to leave the country within 72 hours, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on September 23.
Bulgarian Prosecutors Accuse 2 Russian Diplomats of Spying to Obtain Military Information Sputnik 23 Sep 2020 -- Bulgarian Chief Public Prosecutor Ivan Geshev has officially informed the country's Foreign Ministry about the results of the probe into actions of two Russian diplomats expelled from Bulgaria earlier in the year, noting that the two were engaged in espionage activities to obtain information on the army modernisation plans.
Tibetan Police Officer Arrested in New York as Chinese Spy Radio Free Asia 23 Sep 2020 -- An ethnic Tibetan New York City police officer and U.S. Army reservist was unmasked this week as a spy working to inform China on the activities of Chinese citizens and the Tibetan community in the New York area, the U.S. Justice Department said in a press release on Monday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Denies Arrested New York Policeman Worked for Beijing Sputnik 22 Sep 2020 -- The allegation that recently-arrested New York City Police Department officer Baimadajie Angwang worked for the Chinese government is completely untrue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.
New York City Police Department Officer Charged with Acting As an Illegal Agent of the People’s Republic of China US Dept. of Justice 21 Sep 2020 -- The Defendant Reported to Officials with the PRC Consulate About the Activities of Chinese Citizens in the New York Area and Assessed Potential Intelligence Sources for the PRC Within the Tibetan Community in New York and Elsewhere
Former British diplomat and MI6 agent accused of being China ‘spy’ Press TV 20 Sep 2020 -- A former Secret intelligence Service (SIS – better known as MI6) agent who posed as a businessman has been accused of passing highly damaging information to Chinese intelligence.
Indian Journalist Arrested for Spying for Chinese Intelligence Sputnik 19 Sep 2020 -- Police said that senior journalist Rajeev Sharma had been a regular contributor for the Global Times between 2010 and 2014, following which he was invited to Kunming, China, by his alleged handlers.
Former Employee At Los Alamos National Laboratory Sentenced To Probation For Making False Statements About Being Employed By China US Dept. of Justice 15 Sep 2020 -- Turab Lookman, 68, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was sentenced on Sept. 11 to five years of probation and a $75,000 fine for providing a false statement to the Department of Energy. Lookman is not allowed to leave New Mexico for the term of his probation.
German, Swedish Labs Confirm Navalny Poisoned by Russian Nerve Agent VOA 14 Sep 2020 -- The German government said Monday two more laboratories in France and Sweden have independently confirmed that Kremlin critic and opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.
Chief of Defence Intelligence comments on threats the UK will face in coming decades UK MOD 13 Sep 2020 -- Lieutenant-General Jim Hockenhull looks to the future, outlining the changing character of the threat and the role of UK Defence
British military intelligence chief warns of 'supercharging' adversaries Press TV 13 Sep 2020 -- The Chief of Defense Intelligence (DI) has sounded the alarm over the rising threat emanating from Britain's state adversaries and has called on the government to take corrective action.
Whistle-Blower Says He Was Told To Downplay Russian 2020 Election Interference RFE/RL 10 Sep 2020 -- A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence analyst says in a whistle-blower complaint that the head of the department told him to stop reporting on Russian election interference and focus instead on interference by China and Iran.
Novichok's Developer Calls Fresh Reports on Navalny's 'Poisoning' Nonsense Sputnik 09 Sep 2020 -- Reports about the alleged poisoning of Alexey Navalny with a new type of Novichok nerve agent cannot be true, since there were no symptoms of poisoning with this substance, Leonid Rink, one of the developers of the chemical warfare agent, said.
Saudi crown prince's Misk Foundation under review amid espionage scandals: Report Press TV 09 Sep 2020 -- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's flagship "charity" foundation is said to be under review in the kingdom after it was mired in a series of scandals, including involvement in espionage activities on US soil.
Task force Marines increase unit readiness with small unmanned aircraft system USMC News 08 Sep 2020 -- The crisis-response capabilities of Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Southern Command reached new heights.
'Weapon Of Terror': A Novichok Creator Tells How Navalny Case Differs From The Skripal Attack RFE/RL 04 Sep 2020 -- Medical specialists in Germany have determined that Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who is being treated in a hospital in Berlin after falling ill on August 20 on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow, was poisoned with a form of the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok.
Date Set For Trial Of Alleged Killer of Former Chechen Rebel Commander In Berlin RFE/RL 03 Sep 2020 -- A date has been set for the trial of a Russian citizen suspected in killing of a Georgian national and former Chechen rebel commander in Berlin in last year.
Bulgarian Survivor Of Suspected Russian Poison Attack Decries Suspended Probe RFE/RL 03 Sep 2020 -- Bulgarian arms dealer Emilian Gebrev fell into a coma in Sofia in April 2015 after someone smeared the door handles of his car with a substance similar to Novichok - the nerve agent that hospitalized former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.
Name Your Poison: Exotic Toxins Fell Kremlin Foes RFE/RL 02 Sep 2020 -- The German government has announced that tests on blood samples taken from Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny showed the presence of a chemical nerve agent from the Novichok group.
'Novichok' Would Have Killed Navalny, Developer of Substance Says Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- The symptoms of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny's alleged poisoning are absolutely uncharacteristic of the use of the Novichok nerve agent, Leonid Rink, who was directly involved in the development of Novichok, said.
US Federal Appeals Court Rules NSA's Mass Surveillance Programme Was Illegal Sputnik 02 Sep 2020 -- Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA's mass surveillance programme collected telephone, email and internet browsing records on nearly everyone in the United States, despite a law prohibiting the monitoring of US citizens without a court order.
The Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Announce Critical Reforms to Enhance Compliance, Oversight, and Accountability at the FBI US Dept. of Justice 01 Sep 2020 -- These Reforms Will Improve the FBI's Internal Compliance Program, Ensure the Accuracy of FISA Applications, and Require Proper Oversight of FISA Applications Targeting Elected Officials and Campaigns
Bulgaria Suspends Probe Into Poisoning Linked To Russians RFE/RL 01 Sep 2020 -- Prosecutors in Sofia confirm they've "suspended" an investigation into the 2015 poisoning of a Bulgarian arms dealer that had been focusing on three suspected Russian agents.
Facebook Says It Removed Networks Of Fake Accounts In Russia, Pakistan RFE/RL 01 Sep 2020 -- Facebook says it has removed three networks of fake accounts last month located in Russia, Pakistan, and the United States as it seeks to combat "influence operations" on its platform.
US is world's top telecom spy while bluffing with 'China threat': FM Global Times 01 Sep 2020 -- While the US was bluffing the world with its "China threat" policy, and warning that Beijing could steal their data, Washington has been the world's top source of telecom espionage all the time, Hua Chunying, spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, told the Global Times at a press conference on Tuesday, urging some US politicians to stop smearing China immediately.

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