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The growing Chinese 'gate crashers' trend is sparking espionage concerns The FBI and Department of Defense have reportedly tracked more than 100 incidents of Chinese nationals posing as tourists to attempt to breach U.S. military bases and other federal sites. Those responsible, dubbed "gate crashers," range from Chinese nationals detected crossing into a U.S. missile range in New Mexico, to scuba divers caught swimming in murky waters near a U.S. government rocket launch site in Florida, several U.S. officials recently told The Wall Street Journal. The growing trend represents a potential espionage threat, as authorities believe the Chinese government in...

Two men in Norway have made a splash on Google Streetview by chasing down the internet giant's camera van dressed in full scuba gear and waving pronged forks. Photos show the pair of pranksters in Bergen, south western Norway, patiently waiting in the sun on deck chairs for the Google van to pass by. PHOTOS: Google van ambushedWhen the van finally arrives, the men leap up and chase it all the way down the street waving their forks. Norway's Aftenposten newspaper reports the stunt took place during the country's previous summer as Google vans were photographing the region's roads. But...

British Intelligence: Al-Qaida Expanding -Full Story- British intelligence officials said they believe that al-Qaida has a secure base in Pakistan's Waziristan region and is planning terrorist operations.The group is reaching out to Muslims in North Africa, The Telegraph reported. Last year, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, an Algerian terrorist group, merged itself into al-Qaida, a move announced by Osama bin Laden's chief lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a tape promising action against the "apostates" in the Algerian government and "the treacherous sons of France."Al-Qaida is also believed to be planning expansion into Lebanon and Syria, the newspaper report...

The FBI is asking the nation's scuba instructors to watch for potential terrorist threats. The agency's Joint Terrorism Task Force recently alerted dive shops around the country to look out for divers seeking advanced training, including diving in murky water and in sewer pipes. FBI spokesman Richard Kolko described the advisory as routine and said it was not prompted by any threat. The advisory asked instructors to be aware of "odd inquiries that are inconsistent with recreational diving." That includes advanced navigation techniques, deep diving and the use of underwater vehicles. "It would definitely stand out," said Ken Loyst, who...

Washington, D.C. (Jun 22, 2007 16:51 EST) The purpose of this advisory is to provide situational awareness to the scuba industry regarding behavior that may indicate an individual(s) is involved in nefarious activity. The following threat indicators, taken in isolation, generally reflect legitimate recreational and commercial activities. In combination with other information, they can indicate possible links to criminal behavior. Please note, the below indicators are not an all inclusive list, these indicators represent a baseline that could possibly indicate suspicious behavior. Training Indicators Requests for specialty training, including odd inquiries that are inconsistent with recreational diving. These may include:...

Divers search for New Jersey police officers who drove off bridge NEW YORK (CNN) -- Divers from state and federal agencies searched Sunday for two police officers whose emergency vehicle drove off a drawbridge and plunged into the Hackensack River in New Jersey outside Jersey City, an official said.The vehicle was driving eastbound from Kearney toward Jersey City through heavy fog on the Route 1 and 9 Bridge -- also known as the Lincoln Highway Bridge -- at 8:15 p.m., when the accident occurred, said Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Tom Sperduto."The bridge was up; they couldn't see it and...

A local dive shop owner says FBI agents are wasting their time scouring Keys dive shops for information about suspicious people who took scuba classes. On May 23, the FBI released a warning that some terrorists had been seeking "an offensive scuba diver capability." Concerned that future terrorist attacks might come by sea, the bureau apparently is compiling a database of all the country's certified scuba divers. "Why spin your wheels interviewing the dive shops when they should be going right to PADI?" asked Capt. Bill Grosscup, owner of Captain's Corner on Greene Street. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors,...

United States Attorney Eastern District of Virginia District of Columbia TO: Anti-Terrorism Task Force FROM: Frank Shults Chief Information Officer RE: Kayak rentals The ATTF CIO in Milwaukee obtained the following information from an intelligence summary report of an Army CID ATTF rep. It is passed on to you for information purposes. (U//FOUO) California: On 21 May 2002, US Coast Guard (USCG) personnel were notified by a kayak distributor in Wilmington, CA, in metropolitan Los Angeles, that three or four men appearing to be of Middle-Eastern descent attempted to purchase four small "sit on top" kayaks several weeks ago. The...

JEDDAH, 6 December 2003 — Saudi authorities have detained two expatriates for questioning. The two continue to be held in a jail in Jeddah for as yet unspecified reasons, Arab News has learned. David Heaton, a British national and convert to Islam, and Abdullatif Ibrahim Bilal, a US national, were taken into custody for questioning last Thursday. “We confirm that David Heaton is currently being detained,” Barry Peach, a spokesman for the British Embassy, told Arab News. “The embassy has requested a counselor to assist Heaton and has been in touch with his next of kin, but up to now...