The Gertz File

Defense and National Security News


From Washington

By Bill Gertz

Senior Editor, The Washington Free Beacon
Columnist, The Washington Times


  • Inside the Ring
    By Bill Gertz

    Notes from the Pentagon

    BAD NEWS FOR 'RESET'
    U.S. intelligence agencies threw cold water on the President Obama's thus-far-unsuccessful effort to "reset" relations with Russia by making concessions to Moscow.

    Also, Syrian tipping point; Iran nuclear red line. (Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012)


  • Latest articles

    New space-arms control initiative draws concern
    January 17, 2012
    The Obama administration is launching a new space arms-control initiative that critics say will lead to restrictions on U.S. military activities in space, a key U.S. strategic war-fighting advantage.

    Feds: France hinders probe of satellite technology sale to China
    December 21, 2011
    U.S. lawmakers and Obama administration officials say France has stymied a 3½-year State Department investigation into whether a French defense contractor illegally gave U.S. satellite technology to China.

    General: Prioritize nuclear upgrades in budget
    November 23, 2011
    U.S. strategic nuclear forces are old, in dire need of modernization and face “draconian” cuts because of the federal budget crisis, the commander of U.S. nuclear forces said Tuesday.

    Cold War strategist Ikle dies; ex-Pentagon leader
    November 17, 2011
    Fred Charles Ikle, one of the key Pentagon strategists who helped win the Cold War during the Reagan administration, died Nov. 10. He was 87.

    Pentagon battle concept signals Cold War posture on China
    November 10, 2011
    The Pentagon lifted the veil of secrecy Wednesday on a new battle concept aimed at countering Chinese military efforts to deny access to areas near its territory and in cyberspace.

    Watchdog reveals Iran’s nuclear arms work
    Nov. 9, 2011
    Iran has carried out extensive development of nuclear weapons, including work on a warhead for its medium-range Shahab-3 missile and preparations for an underground test, the International Atomic Energy Agency revealed in an internal report Tuesday.

    FBI says Russian spies got close to Cabinet
    November 1, 2011
    The FBI rounded up a network of deep-cover Russian spies last year after the group came close to placing an agent near a Cabinet official in the Obama administration, a senior FBI counterspy said Monday as the bureau released once-secret documents on the case.

    Defense chief says U.S. is shifting focus to Asia
    October 27, 2011
    Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta traveled to Asia this week, and his message to allies and adversaries - mainly China and North Korea - was clear: The United States is shifting its focus to the region and bolstering forces and alliances there.

    A new look at Berlin as the wall was built
    October 27, 2011
    The CIA and National Archives are releasing declassified documents Thursday that provide new insights into the Berlin crisis of 1961, when the Soviet Union and United States faced off over access to West Berlin and the building of the Cold War’s most infamous symbol.

    Cybercommand chief opposes U.N. net control
    October 21, 2011
    BALTIMORE -- The commander of the U.S. Cyber Command said Thursday that he does not favor giving the United Nations the power to regulate the Internet.

    Export changes raise proliferation worries
    October 13, 2011
    The Obama administration recently informed Congress that it is planning to loosen controls on foreign sales of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and other weapons, possibly C-130 transports and even F-16 fighters, according to congressional aides.

    Chinese telecom firm tied to spy ministry
    October 12, 2011
    A U.S. intelligence report for the first time links China’s largest telecommunications company to Beijing’s KGB-like intelligence service and says the company recently received nearly a quarter-billion dollars from the Chinese government.

    Chinese think tank also serves as spy arm
    September 29, 2011
    When Vice President Joseph R. Biden met a group of five Chinese “think tank” experts in Beijing on Aug. 20, the meeting at the U.S. Embassy was billed in his official schedule as simply a round-table discussion with academics.

    U.S. selling JDAM guided bombs to Taiwan
    September 22, 2011
    The Pentagon on Wednesday announced the sale of advanced “smart bombs” and other high-tech strike arms to Taiwan under a new $5.8 billion arms package to upgrade the island’s F-16 force.

    Brian Kelley, veteran counterspy, dies at 68
    September 21, 2011
    Retired CIA officer Brian J. Kelley, a veteran counterspy who broke the code on how Moscow secretly communicates with deep-cover agents and who mistakenly was hounded by the FBI as a suspected KGB mole, has died. He was 68.

    Arms sale to Taiwan may fray China ties
    September 20, 2011
    The Pentagon is bracing for some cutbacks in military and other cooperation efforts with China as a result of a new arms package for Taiwan, expected to be announced formally this week.

    Computer-based attacks emerge as threat of future, general says
    September 14, 2011
    The general in charge of U.S. cyberwarfare forces said Tuesday that future computer-based combat likely will involve electronic strikes that cause widespread power outages and even physical destruction of thousand-ton machines.

    Military, CIA shun 9/11 panel on covert operations
    September 9, 2011
    The U.S. military and the CIA failed to agree on implementing a key recommendation of the commission that investigated the 9/11 terrorist attacks: Give special-operations commandos the lead for all covert military action.

    Jihadists plot to take over Libya
    September 5, 2011
    Jihadists among the Libyan rebels revealed plans last week on the Internet to subvert the post-Moammar Gadhafi government and create an Islamist state, according to U.S. intelligence agencies.

    China expanding its nuclear stockpile
    August 26, 2011
    China is expanding its nuclear forces with a new multiwarhead mobile missile and keeps its strategic stockpiles in deep underground bunkers, the Pentagon disclosed in its annual report to Congress on the Chinese military.

    Pentagon report: China closer to matching modern militaries
    August 25, 2011
    China made impressive gains last year in its military buildup that pushed the Communist Party-controlled People’s Liberation Army closer to matching modern militaries, according to the Pentagon’s annual report to Congress made public Wednesday.

    China begins to build its own aircraft carrier
    August 1, 2011
    China has begun work on its first aircraft carrier and probably will develop two or more, along with outfitting a former Russian carrier that is set to begin sea trials soon, Pentagon officials said.

    VOA overseer creates static with switch to Internet, social media
    July 31, 2011
    The Obama administration is sharply restructuring the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the agency in charge of all U.S. government broadcasting, while being urged to increase the spread of unfettered news and information around the world.

    Pentagon rejects call to halt spy flights near China
    July 27, 2011
    The Pentagon on Wednesday rejected China’s demand that all U.S. surveillance flights near China be halted after two Chinese fighter jets recently intercepted an American U-2 spy plane over the Taiwan Strait.

    Chinese jets chase U.S. surveillance jet over Taiwan Strait
    July 26, 2011
    Two Chinese warplanes intercepted an American spy plane over the tense Taiwan Strait last month in China’s most aggressive challenge to U.S. surveillance flights since a 2001 collision that touched off an international crisis.

    Pro-Russia policy stalls Afghan copters
    July 25, 2011
    A Pentagon program to rush 21 helicopters to Afghan military forces in time for this summer’s fighting season was derailed by the Obama administration’s conciliatory policy toward Russia and by Army procurement missteps amid allegations of corruption, according to current and former defense officials and military contractors.

    Report: China building electromagnetic pulse weapons for use against U.S. carriers
    July 22, 2011
    China's military is developing electromagnetic pulse weapons that Beijing plans to use against U.S. aircraft carriers in any future conflict over Taiwan, according to an intelligence report made public on Thursday.

    Pressure builds for sale of F-16 jets to Taiwan
    June 8, 2011
    Congress is stepping up pressure on the Obama administration to sell more F-16 jet fighters to Taiwan as the island’s air defenses deteriorate and China’s air power grows.

    Gates warns of ‘hollowing effect’
    May 25, 2011
    Outgoing Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who cut major weapons programs during 4½ years at the Pentagon, is warning against “hollowing out” the U.S. military through unwise spending cuts planned by the Obama administration.

    Chinese military visit questioned
    May 19, 2011
    A senior House Republican leader on Wednesday called for a review and strengthening of restrictions on Chinese military visits amid heightened concerns over visits by a Chinese military delegation to sensitive bases.

    Chinese to view sensitive U.S. sites
    May 18, 2011
    China’s top military leader and a group of officers are set to visit sensitive U.S. military bases this week, in exchanges that defense and congressional officials say run counter to a 2000 law designed to limit such exchanges from bolstering Beijing’s arms buildup.

    Bin Laden’s death likely to shatter al Qaeda
    May 11, 2011
    U.S. security and intelligence officials say al Qaeda is severely weakened after losing Osama bin Laden, and some analysts go further, noting cautiously that the terrorist group may be in its death throes from the relentless U.S. and allied campaign to kill and capture its leaders and members.

    Debate flares anew on harsh interrogation
    May 4, 2011
    The successful operation against Osama bin Laden has rekindled debate over the use of harsh interrogation techniques during the Bush administration, as a key intelligence leader acknowledged their role in a TV interview Tuesday.

    Intelligence break led to bin Laden’s hide-out
    May 3, 2011
    The nearly flawless, 40-minute covert military raid that killed Osama bin Laden began with an intelligence breakthrough in August that helped pinpoint the compound where the terrorist leader was suspected of hiding.

    China’s espionage in Chile raised U.S. worry
    April 19, 2011
    A newly released State Department cable reveals Chinese intelligence-gathering efforts in Chile and U.S. concerns that Beijing’s growing ties to the Chilean military will compromise U.S. defense secrets shared with the South American nation’s armed forces.

    L.A. police use intel networks against terror
    April 12, 2011
    LOS ANGELES | Police are using a combination of aggressive spy operations and community outreach to counter what Deputy Police Chief Michael P. Downing called the growing threat of Mumbai-style terrorist attacks — car bombings and small-arms-equipped suicide teams.

    Gadhafi henchman defects to Britain
    March 31, 2011
    Libya’s foreign minister and one of Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s closest henchmen, Musa Kusa, defected to Britain on Wednesday, according to the British Foreign Office and U.S. officials.

    Coalition batters Libya’s air defenses
    March 21, 2011
    U.S.-led military forces knocked out much of Libya’s air defenses over the weekend with scores of Tomahawk cruise missiles and aerial bombs in the first phase of creating a U.N.-mandated no fly-zone, as differences emerged over targeting Libya’s leader, Col. Moammar Gadhafi.

    Report alters Iran nukes outlook
    March 8, 2011
    An annual intelligence report to Congress has dropped language stating that Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions are a future option.

    Financial terrorism suspected in 2008 economic crash
    March 2, 2011
    Evidence outlined in a Pentagon contractor report suggests that financial subversion carried out by unknown parties, such as terrorists or hostile nations, contributed to the 2008 economic crash by covertly using vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system.

    Iran militia claims credit for VOA cyberstrike
    February 23, 2011
    An Iranian government official on Tuesday claimed the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was behind a recent computer attack that disrupted Voice of America Internet programming.

    Iranians hack into VOA website
    February 22, 2011
    Iranian computer hackers on Monday hijacked the website of the Voice of America, replacing its Internet home page with a banner bearing an Iranian flag and an image of an AK-47 assault rifle.

    Military to bolster its forces in Pacific
    February 18, 2011
    The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific said Thursday that the Pentagon is developing new battle plans for Asia that include adding Marines to better-coordinated naval and air forces in the region where China is expanding its military might.

    VOA radio broadcasts to China signing off, while Beijing boosts propaganda
    February 16, 2011
    The Obama administration will cancel shortwave radio broadcasts by Voice of America into China this year, as Beijing is expanding its propaganda operations in the United States and around the world.

    Mongolian president uses Reagan playbook
    February 4, 2011
    ULANBATOR, Mongolia | Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj was a Soviet Red Army draftee studying in Ukraine in the early 1980s when he first heard reports that America’s president, Ronald Reagan, had given a speech calling the Soviet Union an "evil empire."

    Show of strength urged for cyberwar
    January 27, 2011
    Military cyberwarriors are building up efforts to pinpoint the sources of foreign computer break-ins on U.S. networks and will need to demonstrate a major computer attack capability in the future to deter increasingly sophisticated threats, according to the outgoing commander of the U.S. Strategic Command.

    Chinese firm tied to steel used in Iran nukes
    January 24, 2011
    The State Department in 2009 sought the Chinese government's help in blocking a sale to Iran of 25 tons of specialty steel for Tehran's defense industry to be used in building nuclear-related centrifuges, according to a classified department cable.

    China spurns strategic security talks with U.S.
    January 11, 2011
    China's defense minister on Monday rebuffed an offer from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to hold strategic nuclear talks, saying military dialogue will be limited to counterpiracy, counterterrorism and peacekeeping cooperation.

    China's stealth jet coming on, Gates confirms
    January 10, 2011
    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates confirmed Sunday that U.S. intelligence agencies underestimated China's progress in developing a new stealth jet fighter.

    Netanyahu seeks pardon for imprisoned spy Pollard
    Jan. 5, 2011
    The White House is reviewing a new pardon request from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the case of former Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Jay Pollard, who is serving a life sentence for spying for Israel.

    China has carrier-killer missile, U.S. admiral says
    December 28, 2010
    China's military is deploying a new anti-ship ballistic missile that can sink U.S. aircraft carriers, a weapon that specialists say gives Beijing new power-projection capabilities that will affect U.S. support for its Pacific allies.

    Report: Gitmo transfers return to terrorism
    December 8, 2010
    Nearly one in four terrorists released from the detention facility at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, resumed terrorist activities against the United States and the number is expected to rise, according to a report to Congress by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

    Secret talks with Russia focused on missile defense
    December 1, 2010
    The Obama administration, despite public denials, held secret talks with Russia aimed at reaching a ballistic missile defense agreement that Moscow ultimately rejected in May, according to an internal State Department report.

    Obama calls on China to restrain North Korea
    November 25, 2010
    The Obama administration called on China Wednesday to rein in North Korea after its artillery attack on a South Korean island, as the Pentagon ordered the USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group to the Yellow Sea for naval exercises with South Korean forces.

    Kyl drops bomb on arms treaty prospects
    November 17, 2010
    President Obama's bid to win ratification of a new strategic arms pact with Russia suffered a major blow on Tuesday when a key Republican senator came out against holding a vote before the Senate adjourns at the end of the year.

    Chinese missiles can ravage U.S. bases
    November 15, 2010
    China's military can destroy five out of six U.S. bases in Asia with waves of missile strikes as the result of its large-scale military buildup that threatens U.S. access and freedom of navigation in East Asia, according to a forthcoming congressional report.

    N. Korea linked to covert missile, nuke trade
    November 11, 2010
    A report by the U.N. Security Council made public Wednesday states that North Korea is linked to covert shipments of banned nuclear technology and missiles to Iran, Syria and Burma.

    Report: Army failed to identify Fort Hood threat
    November 10, 2010
    The Army failed to properly identify the insider threat posed by the Fort Hood shooting suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hassan, and did not receive threat information from the FBI, according to an internal Army report on the shooting made public on Tuesday.

    Military probes plume off coast of California
    November 10, 2010
    A mysterious smoke plume that looked like a missile firing off the California coast on Monday may have been an aircraft, U.S. military officials said late Tuesday.

    Package bombers not 'quite there yet'
    November 1, 2010
    U.S. intelligence agencies remain on alert but do not think additional package bombs are immediately heading for the U.S. after the third failed attack by the Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula over the weekend.

    Spy's arrest underscores Beijing's bid for agents
    October 26, 2010
    A former American student in China whom Chinese intelligence recruited as a spy was caught after he sought work in the CIA's espionage branch, highlighting Beijing's efforts to plant spies inside the agency.

    Senators seek data on secret U.S.-Russia missile talks
    October 21, 2010
    Six Republican senators have asked Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to provide documents on secret talks between U.S. and Russian officials on missile defenses, amid conflicting reports that a deal with Moscow is close to completion.

    CIA sues ex-agent for book's breach of 'secrecy'
    October 19, 2010
    The CIA has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against a former deep-cover agent who published a book critical of the agency without allowing CIA censors to remove large portions of the manuscript before publication.

    Obama loosens sanctions on C-130s to China
    October 12, 2010
    President Obama issued a waiver loosening Tiananmen arms sanctions for C-130 military transports for China a day after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to an imprisoned Chinese dissident who dedicated the prize this past weekend to the victims of the 1989 crackdown.

    Taiwan shops for newer air defenses
    October 7, 2010
    Taiwan urgently needs newer model F-16 jet fighters to bolster its air defenses and overall security because of growing missile and aircraft threats from China, Taiwan's deputy defense minister said Wednesday.

    FBI chief cites probes of extremists
    October 7, 2010
    FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III on Wednesday said the bureau is continuing investigations into religious extremists who may be involved in terrorism aside from the nationwide community outreach programs to ethnic and religious groups.

    Hamas-linked cleric took part in FBI outreach effort
    October 1, 2010
    The FBI on Thursday defended its inclusion of a Chicago Muslim cleric tied in the past to the terrorist groups Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood in a group that recently visited the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) and FBI headquarters.

    Yemeni cleric part of terror plots
    September 28, 2010
    The radical Islamic cleric who is the target of an Obama administration kill-or-capture order played a major role in directing the attempted bombing of an airliner on Christmas Day and in other terror plots, a senior U.S. intelligence official has revealed.

    U.S. 'watching' rising China-Japan tensions
    September 24, 2010
    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Thursday said that the United States is closely monitoring growing tensions between China and Japan while voicing strong U.S. support for Japan.

    Shariah a danger to U.S., security pros say
    September 15, 2010
    A panel of national security experts who worked under Republican and Democratic presidents is urging the Obama administration to abandon its stance that Islam is not linked to terrorism, arguing that radical Muslims are using Islamic law to subvert the United States.

    China targets U.S. troops with arms buildup
    August 17, 2010
    China is aggressively building up military forces capable of striking U.S. forces in the western Pacific and elsewhere as part of what the Pentagon calls an array of high-tech "anti-access" missiles, submarines and warplanes in its latest annual report.

    China report to be released by Pentagon
    August 16, 2010
    The Pentagon this week will release its long-delayed annual report to Congress on China's military with a new title that officials say reflects the Obama administration's conciliatory, "soft power" approach to world affairs.

    New details point to sinking by N. Korean torpedo
    July 30, 2010
    An international investigative team released new details this week to bolster earlier conclusions that the South Korean warship Cheonan was sunk by a high-tech North Korean torpedo that exploded beneath the ship.

    Russia violated '91 START till end, U.S. report finds
    July 28, 2010
    Russia continued to violate provisions of the 1991 START nuclear-arms treaty up until the agreement expired in December, raising new concerns that Moscow will violate the pending "New START" treaty now being debated for ratification in the Senate.

    Senators rap Pentagon's delay on China report
    July 26, 2010
    Republican and Democratic senators alike are calling on the Pentagon to explain why it has failed to provide Congress with an annual report on China's military power that was needed for debate on the defense bills.

    U.S.: Russian cheating on START is insignificant
    July 21, 2010
    A classified State Department report to Congress says that potential Russian cheating on the new START nuclear-arms pact would not be significant because of the size of U.S. nuclear forces.

    Spy swap puts halt to fact finding
    July 14, 2010
    The Obama administration's rapid release of 10 Russian intelligence officers removed the prospect of a public trial revealing embarrassing facts about Russian influence operations, like the targeting of a key Democratic Party financier close to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

    Northcom's new leader boosts focus on Mexico
    July 6, 2010
    COLORADO SPRINGS | The new commander of the U.S. military's homeland security forces is stepping up cooperation with Mexico in an effort to stem drug trafficking and related violence.

    Military in Iran seen as taking control
    June 21, 2010
    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Sunday that Iran's government is becoming a military dictatorship, with religious leaders being sidelined and, as a result, new sanctions could pressure Tehran into curbing its illegal nuclear program.

    Russians pressing Kyrgyzstan to oust U.S. base
    June 13, 2010
    The strategic U.S. air base at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, is once again facing closure as Russia works behind the scenes to influence Kyrgyzstan's interim government, which faced new violence in ethnic clashes over the weekend.

    Mullen irked by China's response to North Korea
    June 10, 2010
    President Obama's most senior military adviser said Wednesday that he was dismayed by China's failure to support U.S. and allied calls for punishing North Korea over its sinking of a South Korean warship.

    2008 intrusion of networks spurred combined units
    June 4, 2010
    A foreign computer intrusion two years ago reached classified Pentagon computer networks, prompting a reorganization of offensive and defensive cyberwarfare efforts, the commander of the new U.S. Cyber Command said Thursday.

    Report: Iran mum, but making nuke material
    May 31, 2010
    Iran is continuing to hide details about its current and past nuclear-weapons activities, including efforts to develop a nuclear missile warhead, according to a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

    North Korea elite linked to crime
    May 25, 2010
    A group of offspring of senior North Korean communist and military leaders, including Kim Jong-il's sons, have been linked by Western intelligence authorities to Pyongyang's illicit activities around the world, including distribution of counterfeit $100 bills and drug trafficking.

    Taiwan issue spurs China to build up missile forces
    May 25, 2010
    China's rapid development of ballistic and cruise missile forces is altering the balance of power in Asia and threatens U.S. forces in a conflict over Taiwan and beyond, according to a forthcoming report.

    U.N. sanctions loophole: Russia can send missiles to Iran
    May 21, 2010
    A draft U.N. resolution that would impose sanctions on Iran, including limits on global arms transfers, will not block the controversial transfer of Russian S-300 missiles to the Iranian military, according to U.S. and Russian officials.

    House panel OKs probe of Gitmo lawyers
    May 21, 2010
    The House Armed Services Committee approved legislation Wednesday that would require the Pentagon's inspector general to conduct an investigation into whether defense attorneys for detainees at the detention facility at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay,

    Troops likely to see spike in fighting
    May 14, 2010
    U.S. and allied forces will see increased fighting in Afghanistan as their offensive in the southern part of the country unfolds in coming weeks, Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal said Thursday.

    Iran's meddling in Afghanistan 'not significant'
    May 11, 2010
    The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan said Monday that Iran is continuing to back Taliban forces, but its supply of training and weapons is insignificant.

    Security coalition set to oppose cuts
    May 11, 2010
    A coalition of conservative national security groups is launching an initiative that calls for strengthening U.S. defenses and opposing what they say is an effort by the Obama administration to weaken security.

    Ex-CIA lawyer: Gitmo IDs graver than Plame leak
    May 6, 2010
    Covertly taken photos of CIA interrogators that were shown by defense attorneys to al Qaeda inmates at the Guantanamo Bay prison represent a more serious security breach than the 2003 outing of CIA officer Valerie Plame, the agency's former general counsel said Wednesday.

    Organized-crime triads targeted
    April 30, 2010
    HONG KONG -- China's notorious organized crime groups known as triads, which once thrived in collaboration with communist clandestine services, still operate large-scale criminal enterprises but are facing pressure from local authorities.

    Iran boosts Qods shock troops in Venezuela
    April 21, 2010
    Iran is increasing its paramilitary Qods force operatives in Venezuela while covertly continuing supplies of weapons and explosives to Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to the Pentagon's first report to Congress on Tehran's military.

    Critics: Obama admin hyping terrorist nuclear risk
    April 14, 2010
    The Obama administration is warning that the danger of a terrorist attack with nuclear weapons is increasing, but U.S. officials say the claim is not based on new intelligence and questioned whether the threat is being overstated.

    Pentagon to brief 2 lawmakers on CIA risk
    April 12, 2010
    The Pentagon will conduct a briefing this week for two senior House Armed Services Committee members on the investigation into whether defense attorneys for al Qaeda members endangered the lives of CIA interrogators.

    Obama strategy frustrates nuke foes
    April 7, 2010
    The Obama administration's nuclear strategy review made public on Tuesday keeps in place all strategic weapons needed to fight a nuclear war and presents only minor policy changes, a move that upset arms-control advocates who had sought major cuts in U.S. forces.

    CIA says ACLU-backed plan endangered Gitmo officers
    March 31, 2010
    A team of CIA counterintelligence officials recently visited the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and concluded that CIA interrogators face the risk of exposure to al Qaeda through inmates' contacts with defense attorneys, according to U.S. officials.

    CIA: Iran capable of producing nukes
    March 30, 2010
    Iran is poised to begin producing nuclear weapons after its uranium program expansion in 2009, even though it has had problems with thousands of its centrifuges, according to a newly released CIA report.

    Admiral: China's buildup aimed at power past Asia
    March 26, 2010
    The commander of U.S. military forces in the Pacific said Thursday that the buildup of Chinese armed forces is continuing "unabated" and Beijing's goal appears to be power projection beyond Asia.

    Cyber-attack on U.S. firms, Google traced to Chinese
    March 24, 2010
    The cyber-attack on Google and other U.S. companies was part of a suspected Chinese government operation launched last year that used human intelligence techniques and high-technology to steal corporate secrets, according to U.S. government and private-sector cybersecurity specialists.

    Threat in Asia is anti-ship missiles
    March 23, 2010
    The Obama administration's regional missile-defense strategy is designed to counter emerging threats like China's new anti-ship ballistic missile and other so-called anti-access weapons, a senior defense official said Monday.

    Navy warns of al Qaeda risk near Yemen
    March 22, 2010
    The Navy is warning ships sailing in waters near Yemen that al Qaeda is planning seaborne attacks similar to the 2000 suicide boat bombing of the USS Cole.

    Gitmo suspects allowed laptops while in custody
    March 19, 2010
    The Pentagon allowed five captured al Qaeda members currently held at the Guantanamo Bay prison to use laptop computers in detention, raising concerns among security officials that the terrorism suspects could pass sensitive data to terrorists in the future, according to U.S. officials.

    Tehran aiding al Qaeda links, Petraeus says
    March 17, 2010
    Iran is assisting al Qaeda by facilitating links between senior terrorist leaders and affiliate groups, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East told Congress on Tuesday.

    Justice, CIA clash over probe of interrogator IDs
    March 15, 2010
    The CIA and Justice Department are fighting over a secret investigation into a controversial program by legal supporters of Islamist terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay that involved photographing CIA interrogators and showing the pictures to prisoners, an effort CIA officials say threatens the officers' lives.

    Violence fails to deter Iraqi voters
    March 8, 2010
    President Obama on Sunday praised Iraqis for successfully holding their third democratic election since U.S. forces invaded the country in 2003, as millions cast votes amid election day violence that killed at least 36 people.

    China rhetoric raises threat concerns
    March 5, 2010
    Recent statements by Chinese military officials are raising concerns among U.S. analysts that the communist government in Beijing is shifting its oft-stated "peaceful rise" policy toward an aggressive, anti-U.S. posture.

    Ex-staffer held in theft of CIA electronics
    March 2, 2010
    A CIA technical-support official has been arrested on charges of selling more than $60,000 worth of pilfered agency electronic gear.

    Chinese spy buy caught on surveillance video
    March 1, 2010
    FBI surveillance video made public Sunday reveals details of a Chinese espionage operation to obtain secrets from the Pentagon through a group of Americans who spied for China.

    State Department lifts ban on exports of night-vision goggles
    February 24, 2010
    The State Department has lifted a ban on exports of night-vision equipment that was imposed in 2007 on a U.S. company caught selling sensitive defense articles to China and other countries without a license.

    Veteran Times columnist Beichman, 96, dies
    February 22, 2010
    Arnold Beichman, columnist for The Washington Times and well-known anti-communist scholar, died on Feb. 17. He was 96.

    Biden seeks test ban and end to all U.S. nukes
    February 19, 2010
    The Obama administration will move ahead with Senate ratification of a treaty banning nuclear tests that was voted down by Republicans more than a decade ago, Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. said Thursday.

    Chinese see U.S. debt as weapon in Taiwan dispute
    February 10, 2010
    China's military stepped up pressure on the United States on Monday by calling for a government sell-off of U.S. debt securities in retaliation for recent arms sales to Taiwan.

    Army warned about jihadist threat in '08
    February 9, 2010
    Almost two years before the deadly Fort Hood shooting by a radicalized Muslim officer, the U.S. Army was explicitly warned that jihadism — Islamic holy war — was a serious problem and threat to personnel in the U.S., according to participants at a major Army-sponsored conference.

    Nuclear missile threats to U.S. mount
    February 4, 2010
    North Korea is expected to deploy a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching parts of the United States in the next decade, despite two long-range missile flight-test failures, according to the Pentagon's ballistic-missile defense review.

    Pentagon turns focus to fighting insurgents
    February 2, 2010
    The Pentagon is reorienting U.S. military forces toward battling insurgents and terrorists, and on Monday released its new four-year strategy and a $708 billion defense budget request to support it.

    Arm sales to Taiwan provoke Beijing's ire
    February 1, 2010
    China's reaction to the latest U.S. arms sale to Taiwan includes the first public warning that Beijing will impose sanctions on U.S. companies that sell weapons to the island.

    Overhaul of export controls on table
    January 27, 2010
    Senior Obama administration national security and trade officials will meet Wednesday with key congressional leaders to seek support for a major overhaul of U.S. export controls, aimed at loosening the restrictions with an eye to economic gains.

    Beijing accuses U.S. of cyberwarfare
    January 26, 2010
    China's government and state-run media stepped up criticism of the United States on Monday over the issue of computer network cyber-attacks.

    White House OKs Taiwan arms package
    January 26, 2010
    The Obama administration has agreed to sell a new package of arms to Taiwan in a move that is expected to be met with an angry response from China, according to U.S. officials.

    China removed as top priority for spies
    January 20, 2010
    The White House National Security Council recently directed U.S. spy agencies to lower the priority placed on intelligence collection for China, amid opposition to the policy change from senior intelligence leaders who feared it would hamper efforts to obtain secrets about Beijing's military and its cyber-attacks.

    China's 'aggressive' buildup called worry
    January 14, 2010
    China's military buildup is worrying to both the U.S. military and American allies in Asia, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific told Congress Wednesday.

    Rights, liberties down for 4th straight year
    January 13, 2010
    Political rights and civil liberties around the world declined for a fourth straight year last year, according to an annual survey of global freedom

    Beijing reports successful 'defensive' missile test
    January 12, 2010
    China conducted a successful test Monday of a missile-defense interceptor, revealing for the first time its development of an anti-missile system, something Beijing has criticized the United States for doing.

    Afghanistan bombing shows perils of CIA counterspying
    January 7, 2010
    The recent bombing of a CIA base in Afghanistan revealed a sophisticated al Qaeda operation to plant a double agent inside Jordanian intelligence and highlighted the perennial problem of lax CIA counterspying, according to current and former U.S. intelligence officials.

    Nuclear weapons review put off
    January 7, 2010
    The Pentagon has notified Congress that it is delaying a required report on the future of the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal because of the "complexity" of issues being addressed.

    Chinese companies evade U.S. sanctions
    Wednesday, January 06, 2010
    Chinese state-owned companies sanctioned by the U.S. government for illicit arms sales to Iran evaded those restrictions by selling goods to U.S.-based companies, according to a report by a Washington research group.



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  • Links:
    The Washington Times
    Defense Link
    Drudge Report
    Breitbart.com-Just the News
    U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission
    International Assessment and Strategy Center
    Andrew Erickson, China analysis from original sources
    World Tribune.com
    Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control
    Federation of American Scientists
    U.S. Federal Government Agencies
    Office of the Director of National Intelligence reports and publications
    Annual reports on foreign economic espionage, Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive
    National Security Archive documents
    Geostrategy-Direct
    East-Asia-Intel.com
    State Department reports
    Big Peace
    Daily NK - news on North Korea



  • Now in paperback!

    The inside story of the out-of-control government bureaucracy by Bill Gertz

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    Interview with
    Bill Gertz on Fox News Channel, Nov. 21.




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    Bill Gertz and Frank Gaffney discuss 'The Failure Factory''

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    Bill Gertz interview on Fox's Hannity and Colmes


    The Failure Factory is an important book exposing the worst excesses of an out-of-control government bureaucracy, including the highly politicized National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, the failure to wage a war of ideas against Islamist extremism, and the undermining of America's security by unelected officials with their own agenda operating deep inside the State Department, White House, Pentagon and U.S. intelligence community.

    Book review in The Washington Times: Bureaucrats be afraid

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    The blockbuster book by Bill Gertz

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    Bill Gertz on The Rush Limbaugh Show, September 29


    Miami Herald: Turncoat analyst an effective spy for Cuba, book says

    Excerpts of Enemies from The Washington Times

    Part 1: Fumbled China spy probe an intelligence failure
    Part 2: North Korea: Criminal State
    Part 3: Countering the Terrorist Threat


    Highlights from Enemies:

  • How FBI informant Katrina Leung and her FBI handler J.J. Smith helped China obtain vital secrets on U.S. electronic eavesdropping.
  • New details on the technical intellignece-gathering spy ring of Tai Mak and Chi Mak, two brothers arrested for supplying China with vital defense technology.
  • How information compromised to China allows Beijing to track U.S. Virginia-class submarines.
  • How the CIA was informed in 1999 that at least three of its clandestine service officers were on the payroll of Chinese intelligence, but the agency failed to find the spies.
  • How China has established a special, ultra-secret intelligence unit tasked with planting spies inside the U.S. government.
  • How China ran a high-level penetration agent inside the U.S. government code-named "Mother."
  • How the FBI mistakenly hounded CIA counterintelligence officer Brian Kelley and his family for nearly two years, while the real target of the mole hunt, FBI Agent Robert Hanssen, operated freely and passed secrets to Moscow.
  • How Russia has dispatched scores of intelligence operatives to the United States, rivaling Cold War levels of spying.
  • How weak counterintelligence has allowed terrorists to infiltrate the U.S. military gain access to U.S. secrets.
  • How North Korea conducted intelligence-related abductions of Japanese nationals.
  • How Cuba penetrated the Defense Intelligence Agency and other agencies with high-level mole Ana Montes, who spied to help Nicaragua's Sandinistas and then became Cuba's most important agent.
  • How British military intelligence penetrated the terrorist Irish Republican Army with an agent code-named Stakeknife.

    Buy the updated paperback of Treachery

    Buy 'Treachery'



    Buy 'Treachery'

    Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, from Treachery:

    “Over the coming decade, depending on how the world community conducts itself, there could be another five nuclear powers. There could be several more countries with chemical and biological programs, and there could be additional countries with the ability to deliver those capabilities long distances. The effect of that, to the extent that those countries are not democracies, but rather countries on the terrorist list— is to make the world a more dangerous place.”


    With friends like these
    Washington Times book review by Gary Anderson


    Excerpts from Treachery
    Part 1: French connection armed Saddam

    Part 2: Libyan sincerity on arms in doubt

    Part 3: U.N. nuclear agency asleep at the switch

    Praise for Treachery:

    "Treachery with its reams of classified and other insider information, reveals how our nation's enemies obtain weapons from China, Russia, France, Germany and other supposed friends. The book is must-reading if you want to know the confidential story of the growing danger of global arms proliferation."

    -- Rowan Scarborough, Pentagon reporter, Washington Times, and bestselling author of Rumsfeld's War

    "Two big factors will determine America's national security over the next twenty years. The first is the capability of our military weapons as determined by the health of our defense industrial base. And, second, the extent to which our adversaries are able to buy or steal advanced military technology from the U.S. and our allies. Bill Gertz focuses superbly on the hemorrhaging of critical military technology to our enemies. Treachery should be read by all our policymakers."

    -- Congressman Duncan Hunter of California, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee

    "Bill Gertz has written a bone-chilling expose about what has been done behind our backs. Can we ever be safe? You must read this."

    -- Greta Van Susteren, host of Fox News's On the Record with Greta Van Susteren

    "Bill Gertz gets it! Treachery brilliantly exposes our allies who have become our enemies in the War on Terror just because the U.N., France, Germany, and Russia looked at Iraq and other rogue states as trading partners rather than enablers of terrorism. This is a major piece of work in the War on Terror."

    -- Lt. Gen. Thomas G. McInerney, USAF (Ret.), bestselling author of Endgame.

    "Mr. Gertz's articles are liable to have two types of consequences that I can only regret: In the short term, Mr. Gertz may succeed in rekindling the flame of French-bashing, which might provide short-term satisfaction to Mr. Gertz but will not help solve the difficult situation we face in Iraq. French-bashing in the United States as well as anti-American sentiments in Europe are both dangerous trends that we must all do our best to combat."

    -- Jean-David Levitte, French ambassador to the United States


    Revised and Updated Softcover Edition

    Buy 'Breakdown'


    Excerpts from
    Breakdown: The Failure of American Intelligence to Defeat Global Terror

    Part 1: Military analyst's terror warning fell on deaf ears

    Part 2: Legal concerns make the CIA 'risk averse'

    Part 3: Too much focus on being cops



    Click Here To Buy a Copy of the hardcover edition of
    'Breakdown: How America's Intelligence Failures Led to September 11'
    at a 30 Percent Discount
    from Amazon.com

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    Praise for Breakdown:

    "Bill Gertz has written a first-rate analysis of the most serious problem to confront the nation since the Cold War, and it reads like a thriller. You won't be able to put it down. But when you do, send it to your congressman or senator."
    -- Richard Perle, Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, and former Assistant Secretary of Defense.

    "A deeply disturbing account of how America's intelligence agencies failed to discern the elaborate plots of Osama bin Laden's men were planning against us. Exciting. Upsetting. Strongly recommended."
    -- Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, Leavey Professor of Government, Georgetown University, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

    "Bill Gertz, one of America's most accomplished and credible investigative reporters, offers a compelling analysis of our nation's intelligence problems, including their historical roots, and provides a comprehensive prescription for correcting the deficiencies and improving national security."
    -- Edwin Meese III, former Attorney General of the United States.

    "A great read."
    -- John McLaughlin, host, "One on One"


    Eyes Wide Shut
    Washington Times book review by Joshua Sinai

    'Breakdown': A Catastrophic Failure to Think the Unthinkable
    New York Times book review by Sam Roberts

    Intelligence: A smarter route
    By Edwin J. Feulner


    CNN/Time Poll:
    Did U.S. Intelligence Agencies Fail on 9/11?

    September 2002
    Yes: 65 percent
    No: 31 percent

    September 2001
    Yes: 55 percent
    No: 38 percent

    (Poll conducted August 28-29, 2002 Sampling error: +/-3% pts)



    Available in both hardcover and soft cover edition

    Click here to purchase 'The China Threat: How the People's Republic Targets America'
    at a 30 Percent Discount from Amazon.com

    Buy 'The China Threat'

    Excerpts from 'The China Threat'
    in The Washington Times

    Part I: Beijing's spies gain access to secrets
    Part II: Clinton critic says he was targeted
    Part III: China prepares for war with U.S. over Taiwan

    The New Cold War
    Washington Times book review by Steven Mosher

    Wire stories about 'The China Threat'

    Reviews:

    "There is no Churchill in America today. Where are they to turn then, those patriots in our security services who understand what the fecklessness, stupidity and corruption of the Clinton administration are costing us? It would not be very surprising if they were to seek out a sympathetic journalist, in the slim hope that the American public might take their eyes away from Hollywood and Wall Street long enough to pay attention. If so, their contact of choice would be Bill Gertz, defense reporter for the Washington Times."
    -- John Derbyshire, National Review, Dec. 4, 2000

    "The China Threat is especially strong in piecing together the larger pattern of modernization in the Chinese military and the looming U.S.-China confrontation over Taiwan."
    -- Tom Donnelly, The Weekly Standard, Dec. 4, 2000

    "Sheer fabrication out of ulterior motives, with which we express our strong dissatisfaction. It must be pointed out that there are always some people in the United States who cling to the Cold War mentality and have prejudice of and hostility against China... We demand those who have plotted the so-called 'China Spy Case' see clearly the trend of history and immediately stop their despicable acts of wantonly attacking China."
    -- Sun Yuxi, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, People's Republic of China, Nov. 16, 2000




    Available in both hardcover and soft cover edition

    Click here to purchase 'Betrayal: How the Clinton Administration Undermined American Security'
    from Amazon.com at a 30 Percent Discount

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    Praise for Betrayal
    "This will be the Clinton administration's least favorite book on its foreign policy. But the rebuttals are likely to be long on adjectives and short on refutation, for these tough charges are backed, the Gertz way, by fact after fact after fact."
    -- R. James Woolsey, former CIA Director

    "Mr. Gertz has performed a signal service by writing this thorough, frightening, and sad chronicle of how we fell from our ability to provide leadership in the quest for peace without appeasement."
    -- The Honorable Caspar Weinberger, former Secretary of Defense, Chairman of Forbes magazine

    "I know of no national security reporter in the U.S. who is better sourced or more respected for accuracy than Bill Gertz. His reporting is essential reading for those who wish to stay in the know. An so is Betrayal."
    -- James Webb, former Secretary of the Navy, author of Fields of Fire and The Emperor's General

  • Contact Bill Gertz at 202-636-3000




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