SubscribeBush Pushes House to Renew Surveillance Law
February 26, 2008
“President Bush called on the House of Representatives today to renew a surveillance law that expired this month and to protect telecommunications companies from lawsuits, saying it was “not fair” to allow the firms to be sued for cooperating with the federal government’s efforts to monitor terrorist suspects.
Addressing an annual gathering of the nation’s governors, Bush began his speech by lobbying once again for legislation that would permanently extend provisions of the Protect America Act of 2007, which expired Feb. 16, and would add retroactive legal immunity for telephone companies.” (Washington Post)
Homeland Security Training NYC Firefighters to Spy
February 19, 2008
“In New York City, the Department of Homeland Security is training New York City firefighters to assist in gathering intelligence information during routine inspections and emergencies.
In November, the Associated Press reported that in New York, Homeland Security was testing a program called the Fire Service Intelligence Enterprise (FSIE) to help identify “material or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities.”" (AlterNet)
A Key Gap In Fighting Terrorism
February 15, 2008
“One of the most critical weapons in the fight against terrorists and other foreign intelligence threats — the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) — has not kept up with the technology revolution we have experienced over the past 30 years. We are on the brink of bringing this 20th-century tool in line with 21st-century technology and threats.” (Washington Post)
Domestic Access to Spy Imagery Expands
February 13, 2008
“A plan to use U.S. spy satellites for domestic security and law-enforcement missions is moving forward after being delayed for months because of privacy and civil liberties concerns.
The charter and legal framework for an office within the Homeland Security Department that would use overhead and mapping imagery from existing satellites is in the final stage of completion, according to a department official who requested anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about it.” (AP)
Ex-Boeing engineer charged in China spying case
February 11, 2008
“A former Boeing engineer was arrested on Monday on charges of stealing trade secrets for China about several aerospace programs, including the Space Shuttle, the U.S. Justice Department said.
It also announced a separate case in which a U.S. Defense Department official and two others from New Orleans were arrested on Monday on espionage charges involving the passing of classified U.S. government documents to China.” (Reuters)
Terrorist’s Appeal Uncovers CIA Tape Info
February 6, 2008
“Convicted terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui’s drawn-out appeal is revealing new information about interrogation tapes in possession of the CIA and that prosecutors on the case knew that a CIA interrogation tape of Abu Zubaydah had been destroyed.” (ABC News)
CIA Sets Changes To IG’s Oversight
February 2, 2008
The CIA’s inspector general has agreed to tighter controls over its investigative procedures, agency officials revealed yesterday, in what appeared to be an attempt to soften resentments among agency officials over the watchdog’s aggressive probes into the legality and effectiveness of the CIA’s counterterrorism efforts and detention programs.” (Washington Post)
Pakistan rejects secret request by U.S. to increase CIA presence
January 27, 2008
“The top two U.S. intelligence officials traveled secretly to Pakistan this month to press President Pervez Musharraf to allow the CIA greater latitude to operate in the tribal territories where Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other militant groups are all active, according to several officials who have been briefed on the visit.
But in the unannounced meetings on Jan. 9 with the two U.S. officials - Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, and General Michael Hayden, the CIA director - Musharraf rebuffed proposals to expand any U.S. combat presence in Pakistan, either through unilateral covert CIA missions or by joint operations with Pakistani security forces.” (International Herald Tribune)
Bush Order Expands Network Monitoring - Intelligence Agencies to Track Intrusions
January 26, 2008
“President Bush signed a directive this month that expands the intelligence community’s role in monitoring Internet traffic to protect against a rising number of attacks on federal agencies’ computer systems.
The directive, whose content is classified, authorizes the intelligence agencies, in particular the National Security Agency, to monitor the computer networks of all federal agencies — including ones they have not previously monitored.” (Washington Post)
The List: The World’s Top Spy Agencies
January 22, 2008
“With the Cold War long over, the CIA no longer faces any real competition, right? Wrong. The world’s top espionage agencies are as busy as ever. This week, the FP List looks at the countries that best know how to wield a cloak and dagger.” (Foreign Policy)