On This Day — IRA Launches Mortar shells at 10 Downing Street (February 7 1991)

Posted on February 7, 2019 by L

“It was a remarkably good aim if you consider that the bomb was fired 250 yards [across Whitehall] with no direct line of sight. Technically, it was quite brilliant and I’m sure that many army crews, if given a similar task, would be very pleased to drop a bomb that close. You’ve got to park the launch vehicle in an area which is guarded by armed men and you’ve got less than a minute to do it. I was very, very surprised at how good it was. If the angle of fire had been moved about five or ten degrees, then those bombs would actually have impacted on Number Ten.”

Peter Gurney — Head of the Explosives Section of the Anti-Terrorist Branch

The Downing Street mortar attack was carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on February 7 1991. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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Havana Syndrome — U.S. State Department Turns to National Academies for Answers [TIMELINE]

Posted on February 6, 2019 by L

“Yet some diplomats and their doctors now tell NBC News they have growing concerns that the U.S. is trying to downplay whatever happened — at least in China.”

NBC News — October 29 2018

“I think in this case, the State Department going to the National Academy of Sciences is a good idea, and a good move. In part because the independent authority of the academy on scientific matters is often very helpful to policymakers when they need to run with a conclusion, but are reluctant to base it entirely on information coming from within the scientific capacity in government itself.”

John Holdren — Science adviser to President Barack Obama

February 6 2019 — Better late than never! A standing committee at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will be aimed at “understanding the current cases of potential acoustic trauma, and develop a better understanding of possible causes of these cases and approaches for future incidents, whether of an apparent acoustic nature or a different environmental or clinical presentation,” says a “statement of task” sent to prospective members. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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One Year Ago — Dutch Intel Agency Witnessed 2016 DNC Attack by Russian Hackers — Q&A with Dutch Intel Expert Dr Peter Koop

Posted on February 5, 2019 by L

“We’d never expected that the Russians would do this, attacking our vital infrastructure and undermining our democracy.”

Chris Painter — Former cyber official at the U.S. State Department

aivd_zoetermeer

AIVD Headquarters — Zoetermeer

February 5 2018 — A Dutch Intelligence Agency directly witnessed the Russian involvement in the hacking of the Democratic Party, according to six (anonymous) American and Dutch sources. The story certainly sounds too good to be true but a Dutch expert told Intel Today that the narrative is entirely credible. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Two Years Ago — MOSSAD Chief’s Secret Visit to Washington

Posted on February 5, 2019 by L

“As the president has expressed many times, he hopes to achieve peace throughout the Middle East region. The Trump administration has not taken an official position on settlement activity and looks forward to continuing discussions, including with Prime Minister Netanyahu when he visits with President Trump later this month.”

Press secretary Sean Spicer

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Acting National Security Adviser Yaakov Negel (L), Mossad Director Yossi Cohen (C) and former Mossad director Tamir Pardo (L) attend a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on January 10, 2016 (Alex Kolomoisky/Pool)

January 5 2017 — Top Israeli Intelligence officials met with Trump’s National Security team in Washington recently. Here is what has been confirmed about the second such meeting since Trump’s election. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Russia Deploys New Blinding Weapons

Posted on February 5, 2019 by L

“Filin 5P-42, a non-lethal visual-optical inference device, has been deployed aboard Russian navy frigates Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Kasatonov.”

Russia  state-run RIA Novosti

A Russian Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate. (Russian Defense Ministry)

Russia is deploying a new kind of weapons aboard its warships, Russian state media reported. The weapon emits an oscillating beam of high-intensity light designed to cause temporary blindness, disorientation, and even nausea. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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On This Day — UN Panel : “Julian Assange Is Arbitrarily Detained” (February 5 2016) [2019]

Posted on February 5, 2019 by L

“The UN working group on arbitrary detention has concluded that Mr Assange is arbitrarily detained. The working group’s view differs from that of the Swedish authorities. We will forward a reply to the working group tomorrow. It will be more clear tomorrow why we reject the working group’s conclusions.”

Anna Ekberg — Spokesperson for the Swedish Foreign Ministry

“The process has been going on for 18 months, the UK government has made submissions to the working group so it has accepted its authority. What signal does it send that the UK and Sweden would ignore this UN body? It would completely destroy its authority. Are they willing to set that precedent? Egypt has not accepted its findings with regard to the detention of its former president [Mohammed Morsi] – is that the standard the UK wants to hold?”

WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson

On Friday February 5 2016, a UN panel published its findings which concluded that Julian Assange was “arbitrarily detained” by the UK. Assange was granted asylum by Ecuador in August 2012 and has remained in the Embassy of Ecuador in London since then. On July 27 2018, Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno said that he had begun talks with British authorities to withdraw the asylum for Assange. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Questions About the CIA? Just Ask Molly Hale!

Posted on February 4, 2019 by L

“Meet Molly Hale. She’s been the CIA’s public voice since 2002, responding to faxes, phone calls, emails, and snail mail sent to the Agency. Now she’s going digital.”

CIA Website (February 4 2019)

February 4 2019 — Today CIA Molly Hale went digital. I could not resist firing the very first question on Twitter! Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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On This Day — Palestine National Congress Appoints Yasser Arafat Chairman of the PLO (February 4 1969)

Posted on February 4, 2019 by L

“The report contains strong evidence, in my view conclusive evidence, that there’s at least 18 times the level of polonium in Arafat’s exhumed body than there should be. It’s what killed him. Now we need to find out who was holding the gun at that time. I would point to him being given a fatal dose. I don’t think there’s any doubt at all.”

David Barclay — British forensic scientist

“I want to find out who did it and their motive for doing it.”

Zahwa Arafat — Daughter of the late PLO Chairman

Yasser Arafat was appointed leader of the PLO on February 4 1969 at the meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) in Cairo. Arafat continued to be PLO leader for 35 years, until his death on November 11 2004. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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DNI Dan Coats : “U.S. Faces Toxic Mix of Threats”

Posted on February 4, 2019 by L

“The United States faces a toxic myth — mix  — of threats.”

Dan Coats — Director of US National Intelligence (January 29 2019)

On January 29 2019, Dan Coats, the Director of National Intelligence, testified before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. The United States faces a “toxic mix of threats,” Coats said. His last comment caught all my attention. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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On This Day — Madeleine Albright Discovers Her Jewish Roots (February 4 1997)

Posted on February 4, 2019 by L

“I do believe this to be a personal issue, but since it is an object of discussion, I would just as soon have you know what I know. I started to think about it and to put pieces together. There was more and more information, and it began to make more sense to me.”

Madeleine Albright  — U.S. Secretary of State (February 4 1997)

Many journalists have credited Madeleine Albright for her “Read My Pins” diplomacy.

On February 4 1997,  U. S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she had received information that two grandparents may have been Jewish and may have perished in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Seriously? Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY Continue reading →

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