Intel cooperation

Israeli Intelligence Helped Thwart Dozens of Terror Attacks Worldwide

The Israeli intelligence community has shared information with other countries over the past two years that has helped thwart dozens of terror attacks about to be perpetrated by Islamists who were in contact with members of Islamic State and Middle Eastern factions identified with Al-Qaida. 

As part of the international effort to fight radical Islamic terror, Israeli intelligence bodies have tightened coordination with counterparts in friendly countries in recent years. Until now, there have been reports of Israeli warnings that helped thwart attacks such as the one planned by ISIS terrorists at a soccer game between host Albania and Israel. 

Intel cooperation

British intelligence passed Trump associates' communications with Russians on to US counterparts

British and other European intelligence agencies intercepted communications between associates of Donald Trump and Russian officials and other Russian individuals during the campaign and passed on those communications to their US counterparts, US congressional and law enforcement and US and European intelligence sources tell CNN.

The communications were captured during routine surveillance of Russian officials and other Russians known to western intelligence. British and European intelligence agencies, including GCHQ, the British intelligence agency responsible for communications surveillance, were not proactively targeting members of the Trump team but rather picked up these communications during what's known as "incidental collection," these sources tell CNN.

Intel cooperation

Terrorism makes int’l security services cooperation ‘possible, necessary’ – New Russian intel chief

Security services of various countries should coordinate their efforts despite all political differences, the newly appointed chief of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Sergey Naryshkin, told Russian media in an interview.

“Cooperation between the intelligence services of various countries is not only possible but necessary,” Naryshkin said during the interview with Vesti, adding that he is “convinced” that security officials “can and should” cooperate in countering “specific threats and particularly terrorism” despite all political differences.

Russian intelligence is ready to cooperate with the US, British and other western security services, adding that security officials “should work together particularly because they understand the level of threat as well as what needs to be done to counter it better than anyone else,” he added.

Intel cooperation

Moscow Building Spy Site in Nicaragua

The Russian government is building an electronic intelligence-gathering facility in Nicaragua as part of Moscow’s efforts to increase military and intelligence activities in the Western Hemisphere.

The signals intelligence site is part of a recent deal between Moscow and Managua involving the sale of 50 T-72 Russian tanks, said defense officials familiar with reports of the arrangement.

The tank deal and spy base have raised concerns among some officials in the Pentagon and nations in the region about a military buildup under leftist Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega.

Disclosure of the Russia-Nicaraguan spy base comes as three U.S. officials were expelled from Nicaragua last week. The three Department of Homeland Security officials were picked up by Nicaraguan authorities, driven to the airport, and sent to the United States without any belongings.

Intel cooperation

Iran intelligence chief meets Iraqi officials

Iran's Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi has exchanged views with senior Iraqi officials about the latest political and security developments in the region, including ways of fighting terrorism.

In a visit to the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Saturday, Alavi met with Iraq's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, and Head of State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki.

In the meeting with Jafari, Alavi discussed the bilateral relations with the neighboring country and the regional and international developments. He also insisted on the necessity of an international coordination to eliminate the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

Regional and Iraqi political and security issues were also the themes of discussion between the Iranian minister and Maliki.

Earlier, Alavi and his accompanying delegation exchanged views with Jabouri regarding the necessity of the cooperation and coordination between the two countries.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Daesh terrorists mounted an offensive in June 2014. Iraqi army soldiers and fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units are seeking to win back militant-held regions in joint operations.

Intel cooperation

Spying on Friends? Atmosphere of Distrust Hinders EU Anti-Terror Cooperation

The man who wants to explain the psyche of Germany's foreign intelligence service sips a cappuccino and talks about the abduction of German tourists in the Sahara Desert a few years ago. A crisis committee was meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, and agents at the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) in Pullach, outside Munich, were trying to figure out how to get information about the kidnappers. Human lives were at stake, the pressure considerable.

The French intelligence services had good sources in the region, but they had been unwilling to share their information with the Germans, so the BND decided to spy on the French to get it. This was how it came to be that the Germans spied on a government agency in a friendly country, one they treated as being among of their closest political allies. Friendly? Allied? In the man with the cappuccino's work, the two were mutually exclusive terms.

Intel cooperation

CIA chief visited Moscow this month for Syria talks: US official

CIA director John Brennan visited Moscow in early March to discuss Syria and put the case for the departure of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, a US official said Monday.

While meeting Russian officials, the spy agency chief "reiterated the US government's consistent support for a genuine political transition in Syria, and the need for Assad’s departure," the US official told AFP.

Brennan also stressed "the importance of Russia and the Assad regime following through on their agreements to implement the cessation of hostilities in Syria," the US official said.

Intel cooperation

Ex-CIA Director: US, Russia Intelligence Cooperation Could Thrive

Intelligence cooperation between the United States and Russia could thrive, though it may be limited by poor relations between the two governments, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Michael Hayden told Sputnik.

"I am not saying that the political relationship means we won’t have good intelligence cooperation, actually I am saying quite the opposite, that sometimes you have very good cooperation even in troubled political times," Hayden said on Friday.

The Russian government has repeatedly called for cooperation and intelligence sharing with the United States in the fight against the Islamic State. Moscow has also pushed for a broader international coalition to combat terrorism. The United States has publicly rejected deeper cooperation, citing fundamental differences in the two nations’ political objectives in the Middle East.

Intel cooperation

U.S. Intelligence Director in New Zealand to Discuss Espionage

The director of National Intelligence of United States, James Clapper, held meetings in Wellington on Monday with New Zealand authorities to discuss espionage issues ahead of his visit to Australia for the “Five Eyes” intelligence meeting.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key told the daily New Zealand Herald that he will discuss with Clapper the possibility of authorizing the Government Communications Security Bureau to issue its own orders of surveillance, as recommended by a study last week.

Key ruled out Clapper’s visit to the country, en route to Australia, would lead to a subsequent visit by U.S. President Barack Obama.

Clapper arrived in Wellington on Sunday on a U.S. C-17 Globemaster, a long range heavy military transport aircraft, local news portal Stuff reported.

Intel cooperation

Russia and UAE Discuss Terrorism in Libya and Intelligence Ties

Russian and United Arab Emirates officials discussed the compounding issues in Libya and the enhancement of their military and intelligence ties during a visit to the UAE by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The two officials agreed to "continue close and confidential political ties and contact between our intelligence agencies on security issues," Lavrov said at the joint news conference with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi on Feb 2.

"We also took note of the dynamic and efficient work of the Intergovernmental Commission for Military and Technical Cooperation," he said.

According to Theodore Karasik, senior advisor to Washington-based Gulf States Analytics, the intelligence cooperation between the two countries is part of a quadruple arrangement between Russia, UAE, Jordan and Egypt.

Intel cooperation

Could US and Russia Enhance Intel Relationship?

The head of the CIA is "determined" to keep conversations open between the intelligence communities of the United States and Russia and wants to see relations between the two nations "enhanced" to prevent future terrorist attacks, particularly from the Islamic State group, commonly known as ISIS or ISIL.

John Brennan also said the "ISIL threat demands" an "unprecedented level of cooperation" among the international intelligence community, mere hours before the Obama administration announced new rules easing the sharing of intelligence with France in the wake of the Nov. 13 Paris attacks.

Intel cooperation

US 'freezes intelligence cooperation with German troops in Iraq'

The US has reportedly frozen intelligence cooperation with Germany in Iraqover fears of possible leaks. American concerns centre on a German parliamentary inquiry into foreign spying, according to Bild newspaper. Britain earlier this year threatened to end all intelligence cooperation with Germany if any details of joint operations were revealed to the inquiry.

Intel cooperation

REPORT: GERMAN INTELLIGENCE HELPED TRACK DOWN AL QAEDA’S OSAMA BIN LADEN

Germany’s equivalent to the CIA, the Bundesnachrichtendienst(BND), helped U.S. intelligence services pinpoint the location of Al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, according to a new report published Sunday by Germany’s most circulated newspaper.