Dutch Intel Agency Witnessed 2016 DNC Attack by Russian Hackers — Q&A with Dutch Intel Expert Dr Peter Koop [UPDATE]

Posted on February 10, 2018 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

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AIVD Headquarters — Zoetermeer

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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Chief Judge Colleen McMahon: CIA Disclosures To One Are Disclosures To All

Posted on February 9, 2018 by L

“The CIA is spectacularly terrible at responding to FOIA requests. It’s so bad it’s highly possible the perceived ineptness is deliberate. The CIA simply does not want to release documents. If it can’t find enough FOIA exemptions to throw at the requester, it gets creative.”

Tim Cushing — TechDirt (Legal Issues)

“I suppose it is possible that the Government does not consider members of the press to be part of the public. I do.”

Chief Judge Colleen McMahon

Chief Judge Colleen McMahon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

The CIA claims that it can hand over classified information to some — ‘very friendly’ — journalists and still pretend the information has not been made public. Chief Judge Colleen McMahon just made it clear and simple for the Agency: “You cannot have your cake and eat it too.” Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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One Year Ago — Former Acting CIA Director Mike Morell : “Trump Has Some Special Bond With Putin”

Posted on February 9, 2018 by L

“President Donald Trump’s statements on Russia have been very bizarre and it suggests that he doesn’t have a good understanding of what Putin has done over a very long period of time.”

Former CIA Director Michael Morell

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February 7 2017 — Former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell has suggested that Trump’s affection for Putin may be to blame on Russia having compromising material on Trump. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Remembering American Investigative Journalist Robert Parry (June 4 1949 – January 27 2018)

Posted on February 8, 2018 by L

“The people who succeeded and did well were those who didn’t stand up, who didn’t write the big stories, who looked the other way when history was happening in front of them, and went along either consciously or just by cowardice with the deception of the American people.”

Robert Parry — Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (1993)

“This perversion of principles – twisting information to fit a desired conclusion – became the modus vivendi of American politics and journalism. And those of us who insisted on defending the journalistic principles of skepticism and evenhandedness were increasingly shunned by our colleagues, a hostility that first emerged on the Right and among neoconservatives but eventually sucked in the progressive world as well. Everything became information warfare.”

Robert Parry — Consortium News

“If there’s any one takeaway to be gleaned from Parry’s legacy, it is that we should all strive to have the CIA know us on a terrified first-name basis.”

Muckrock’s J. Pat Brown

Legendary investigative reporter Robert Parry tragically passed away on January 27 2018. Along with his AP partner Brian Barger, he was the first to report on Oliver North’s activities in the Iran-Contra affair, and the first to describe the Nicaraguan Contras’ involvement with cocaine traffickers. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Ahmadreza Djalali — Iran Ambassador To Belgium : “Death Sentence Decision Not Final”

Posted on February 8, 2018 by L

“The indisputable fact is that Dr. [Masoud] Ali-Mohammadi was martyred on January 12, 2010, at least three months before European agents approached me in the spring of 2010. This was even mentioned in the TV program based on my montaged statements, which prove that the accusations against me are contradictory lies. How could I be accused of giving information about someone who was martyred four months earlier?”

Professor Ahmadreza Djalali — Letter written in mid-January 2018

Last Sunday (February 4 2018), various media reported that a final attempt to persuade the Iranian judiciary to review the death sentence handed to Ahmadreza Djalali for allegedly spying on behalf of Israel had failed. According to these reports, his death sentence was definitive and imminent. Today (February 7 2018), the ambassador of Iran to Belgium has denied both allegations. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Spooks & The Media — How The Spooks Take Over The News

Posted on February 7, 2018 by L

“Standard journalistic contributors—reporters, anchors, editors, producers—pursue the news wherever it goes without fear or favor, as the famous motto puts it. But almost to a one, the TV spooks still identify with their former employers at the CIA, FBI, DEA, Homeland Security, or other security agencies and remain protective of their institutions. This makes nearly every word that comes out of their mouths suspect. Are they telling God’s truth or are they shilling for their former bosses? Or worse yet, do they have other employers causing them to pull punches in yet another direction?”

Jack Shafer — Politico’s senior media writer (February 6 2018)

“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.”

William Casey, CIA Director 1981-1987 (Attributed)

America’s top spies no longer retire. Instead, they sign very lucrative TV News contracts. Former CIA Director John Brennan has just been hired as a paid contributor by NBC and MSNBC. The downside of this new trend is obvious. These spies are not in the business of reporting the truth. Just like the primary mission of the New York Time is to protect the Time, the primary mission of the CIA is to protect the CIA. Once a spook, always a spook. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Germany — Crackdown on Iran Spies

Posted on February 7, 2018 by L

“Spying on people and institutions with special ties to the state of Israel on German soil is an egregious violation of German law.”

German Foreign Ministry official

On January 16 2018, German police cracked down on an alleged Iranian espionage campaign. They searched the homes and businesses of 10 alleged Iranian spies, but made no arrests. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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WikiLeaks — Arrest Warrant Against Assange Still Valid

Posted on February 6, 2018 by L

“The head of the C.I.A. has described WikiLeaks as a hostile non-state intelligence agency. In these circumstances, we remain concerned about the risk of extradition to the U.S.”

Jennifer Robinson — Assange’s lawyer in the UK

Today (February 6 2018), Judge Emma Arbuthnot has ruled that the UK arrest warrant against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is still valid. The final ruling in this case will be announced on February 13 2018. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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Norway — Former Border Inspector Behind Bars in Moscow on Charges of Espionage

Posted on February 6, 2018 by L

“Frode must come home, and Norwegian authorities must do what they can to get him out. It is not a good signal when such a positive and distinguished bridge-builder like Frode is arrested, it is not a good sign.”

Kirkenes town Mayor Rune Rafaelsen

“Once again we see the effects of big politics hitting us here locally, and we demand an end to that!”

Father Torbjørn Brox Webber

“I would not characterise the case as a global attack on bilateral relations. We have a relationship with Norway which develops in different areas. These kind of things happen, and it is uncomfortable, [but] our national legislation provides for adequate measures.”

Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (December 28 2017)

Frode Berg  — a 62 retired border inspector — was arrested by Russian security service agents in downtown Moscow on December 5th 2017. He is jailed  in isolation at the high-security Lefortovo prison.

On February 2, the Lefortovo District Court in Moscow  ordered that Frode Berg should remain in jail until May 5 2018.

Berg was allegedly caught receiving classified material about the Russian Navy that he is accused of planning to hand over to Norwegian and U.S. intelligence agencies. He denies the charges. 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)

Posted on February 5, 2018 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 and Sweden for more than five years. Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today Continue reading →

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