China taps into U.S. spy operations

The Washington Times ^ | December 21, 2007 | Bill Gertz

[george76]

China's intelligence service gained access to a secret National Security Agency listening post in Hawaii through a Chinese-language translation service, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

The spy penetration was discovered several years ago as part of a major counterintelligence probe by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) that revealed an extensive program by China's spy service to steal codes and other electronic intelligence secrets, and to recruit military and civilian personnel with access to them.

According to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, China's Ministry of State Security, the main civilian spy service, carried out the operations by setting up a Chinese translation service in Hawaii that represented itself as a U.S.-origin company.

The ruse led to classified contracts with the Navy and NSA to translate some of the hundreds of thousands of intercepted communications gathered by NSA's network of listening posts, aircraft and ships.

Naval intelligence officials familiar with the Chinese spy penetration said the access to both "raw" and analyzed intelligence at Kunia caused significant damage by giving China's government details on both the targets and the sources of U.S. spying operations. Such information would permit the Chinese to block the eavesdropping or to provide false and misleading "disinformation" to U.S. intelligence.

The officials did not say how long the Chinese operation lasted before being detected.

"There can be no higher target for an intelligence service, and that includes China's MSS and 2 PLA, than gaining access to an adversaries' codes and electronic intelligence," he said, because it is the ultimate in "foreknowledge" advocated by ancient Chinese strategist Sun Tzu.

The facility was singled out for criticism in the past by intelligence reform advocates because of its restrictive policies on information-sharing.

[george76]

China’s MSS and 2 PLA

[SCHROLL]

long past time we started treating China as the potential threat they are rather than a favored trading partner.

[SatinDoll]

>>
The facility was singled out for criticism in the past by intelligence reform advocates because of its restrictive policies on information-sharing.
>>

Good Gawd!! The above is the stupidest thing I’ve ever read.
COMINT is not for information-sharing.

After reading this article I’m beginning to believe that we can’t trust foreign born citizens to work in language translation positions involving sensitive information. Both Arab and Chinese translators seem to be sieves.

[AuntB]

“long past time we started treating China as the potential threat they are rather than a favored trading partner.”

And there is only one presidential candidate who agrees with you and didn’t vote for and support PNTR with China.

Duncan Hunter

[Zhang Fei]

The case led to an NCIS probe that discovered other intelligence personnel, many of them nearing the ends of their careers, who were targeted by Chinese intelligence for recruitment.

Although I would like to say that it is disconcerting that they did not approach the NCIS with information about Chinese probes, it may well be that this is how the NCIS discovered the penetration in the first place - navy intelligence people started reporting contacts.

[pissant]

WHEN THE F*** ARE WE GOING TO PULL OUR COLLECTIVE HEADS OUT OF OUR BUTTS AND CONFRONT THESE COMMUNIST SCUMBAGS?????????

[george76]

Apparently Los Alamos does alot of information-sharing, too.

[AuntB]

“
WHEN THE F*** ARE WE GOING TO PULL OUR COLLECTIVE HEADS OUT OF OUR BUTTS AND CONFRONT THESE COMMUNIST SCUMBAGS?????????”

When hell freezes over or Hunter is elected president.

I’ll take the later.:<)

[SunkenCiv]

Hey, what’s the worse that could happen? We could start buying our own designs of missiles and stuff from the Chinese for like one tenth the money. ;’)

[Caesar Soze]

COMINT is not for information-sharing.

Sure it is. Collectors and processors don't get to sit on raw intel forever. Eventually they have to share it with analysts and customers.

[VeniVidiVici]

Whoever granted this company the clearance to do this work for Kunia ought to be shot.

And why would a particular facility be singled-out for “information sharing” lapses? That about the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

[expatguy]

It is not just the Chinese that have infiltrated our nation's intelligence services - there are countless other instances including several which have yet to be discovered. Including ones I have personal knowledge of.

I've mentioned many times in the past that the United States preferance for hiring and entrusting non-US citizens for translation services was a big mistake. The idea of course is that "native speakers" will always be better than non native speakers. This is completely false. Translation is "two ways" and not one :-)

[M. Espinola]

America and the West have bankrolled the Eastern military beast through importing goods 'made in Red China' at the loss of jobs in our own backyard.

One day we shall most assuredly regret this dangerous trend, but then it will be far too late.

[DISCO]

Now that’s funny. Which years are we talking about? The 90’s? Several years ago? Hmmm!

[DISCO]

Valerie Plame?

[mkjessup]

Hey, what’s the worst that could happen? We could start buying our own designs of missiles and stuff from the Chinese for like one tenth the money. ;’)

Yeah, but everything we buy would be contaminated with lead and hazardous to handle.

[LibLieSlayer]

Boycott the Olympics... here come the chicom agents to spin this as “friendly intercourse”.

LLS

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Naval intelligence officials familiar with the Chinese spy penetration said the access to both "raw" and analyzed intelligence at Kunia caused significant damage by giving China's government details on both the targets and the sources of U.S. spying operations.

Idiots in the U.S. government and USN are just now waking up to the massive threat that is PRC and its PLAN.

[LonePalm]

Old Crow Ping

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)