INTELLIGENCE ISSN 1245-2122 N. 71 New Series, 1 December 1997 Fortnightly Publishing since 1980 Editor Olivier Schmidt (email intelligence-adi@wanadoo.fr; web http://www.blythe.org/Intelligence) TABLE OF CONTENTS, N. 71, 1 December 1997 FRONTPAGE BELGIUM - "CRAZY KINGDOM" TOPS ITSELF WITH VEECKMAN SCANDAL p.1 TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNIQUES PEPPER SPRAY MISUSE MAKES THE HEADLINES p.2 BRITISH & U.S. GULF WAR SYNDROME REPORTS RELEASED p.3 CELLPHONE TECHNOLOGY OUTPACING THE DUTCH COPS p.4 EAVESDROPPING - Title III Equipment Case Lost. p.5 COUNTERFEIT - New $50 Bills Fails Entrance Test. p.6 SPACE - U.S.-E.U. Technological Cooperation. p.7 PASSPORTS - French Tech Too Cheap. p.8 PEOPLE GREAT BRITAIN - DAVID SPEDDING p.9 NORTHERN IRELAND - MARTIN DILLON p.10 FRANCE - PIERRE JOANA p.11 ISRAEL/PALESTINE - KAMAL HAMED p.12 U.S.A. - David Kriskovich & Livio Beccaccio. p.13 U.S.A. - William Bratton. p.14 U.S.A. - Kevin Mitnick. p.15 BULGARIA - Ahmed "Sava" Dogan. p.16 CUBA/ISRAEL - Raphael "Dirty Rafi" Eitan. p.17 ISRAEL - Hayim Oren. p.18 ISRAEL - Avigdor "KGB" Lieberman. p.19 PAKISTAN - Ayyaz Baluch. p.20 INDONESIA - Suharto Family. p.21 AGENDA COMING EVENTS THROUGH 1 JANUARY 1998 p.22 INTELLIGENCE AROUND THE WORLD U.S.A. - EASTERN AIRCRAFT SPREAD GULF WAR FEVER p.23 U.S.A./WESTERN EUROPE - GLOBAL TAPPING REGIME PROGRESSES p.24 Recent Intelligence Literature. p.25 Media Report Log. p.26 CANADA - "Expanded" Eavesdropping Unconstitutional. p.27 GREAT BRITAIN - THE HUNT FOR "MARDI GRA" RESTARTS p.28 Dr. Pimlott's Strange Death. p.29 GREAT BRITAIN/NORTHERN IRELAND - BELFAST-TRAINED MI5 SIGNS ON FOR DOLE FRAUD p.30 SCOTLAND - HM CUSTOMS CLAIMS SUCCESS IN FAILURE p.31 NORTHERN IRELAND - CLOSELY OBSERVED LEGAL SYSTEM p.32 ANTI-PEACE LEAKS AT NIO p.33 IRELAND - RADICAL POLICE REFORMS UNDER WAY p.34 FRANCE - INTELLIGENCE & PRESS REORGANIZE ... TOGETHER p.35 RG Front National "Notes Blanches". p.36 Media Report Log. p.37 GERMANY - NEW SPY LITERATURE & COMING PROBLEMS p.38 NETHERLANDS - BVD's "In Box" is Empty. p.39 AUSTRIA - CHANCE DISCOVERY OF U.S. TAP ON KOREANS p.40 ITALY - SISMI Organizes a Conference. p.41 SWEDEN - More Court Trouble for SAPO. p.42 WESTERN EUROPE - More Details on Foiled GIA Plot. p.43 RUSSIA - MOSCOW REPRESENTATIVE INSIDE NATO p.44 FBI Rep. "Feels the Heat". p.45 SOUTH AFRICA - CURRENT & PAST RIFTS IN ANC SECURITY p.46 ISRAEL - National Security Advisor Imposed. p.47 INDIA - "UNBECOMING" BRITISH DIPLOMAT p.48 SRI LANKA - Zimbabwe Arms Sink with LTTE Morale. p.49 --------------------------------------------- Intelligence, N. 71, 1 December 1997, p. 11 FRANCE - PIERRE JOANA The weekly "Le Point", and its "defense and intelligence specialist", Jean Guisnel, are well-known for their spy scoops of which the latest was the publication, on 15 November, of the recent appointment of Colonel Pierre Joana, 51, as chief of the DGSE foreign intelligence's secret covert operations Service Action commando unit. Although this journalistic scoop could also be seen as a timid attempt at intelligence "transparency" by the new Socialist government, it looks more like it's part of a thoroughly organized and subtle use of the press by the French intelligence community (see our article "Intelligence & Press Reorganized ... Together" in this issue). Indeed, when "Intelligence" tried to obtain official confirmation of what "Le Point" published (and for which there was no official denial or reprimend), the Defense Ministry and its official SIRPA press office were incapable of handling the request. None of over 15 calls were returned and many promises for response resulted in nothing. Unofficially, we were told that the press would have to rely on the "Le Point" article and an AFP press release that was at the origin of the information. No such AFP press release exists and Guisnel seems to be the original source of the information. According to "Le Point", Col. Joana is a naval infantry (similar to the U.S. Marines) officer who is "the first officer of that rank to serve in such a position" without having previously served with the DGSE. In clear, this means that Col. Joana apparently not only commands the Service Action (SA) troops, a position supposedly previously held by other officers of his rank, but also the "branch" of the DGSE that operates the SA. This could imply the "Direction Operations" of the DGSE which, indeed, is considered a general officer post. But, as one specialist noted, a general officer requires some "transparency", meaning the SIRPA is required to have an official biography on hand for all general officers. According to information received by "Intelligence" from various specialists, Col. Joana's career began with the French navy, but his career is now managed by the French army. French naval infantry or "Marsouines" (meaning "dolphins" because they "follow the ships") have a tight relationship with both the navy and the army, but Col. Joana's rank and service record indicate he is now clearly considered an army officer. He has served abroad, at least once on a foreign Cooperation Mission, and apparently also on Reunion Island. There is some talk of a brief passage at the DSPD internal military security service, formerly the Security Militaire (INT, n. 35 52 & 57, & n. 36 54), but it seems far more likely that his intelligence experience dates from his posting to the General Staff of the French Armed Forces and a post last year at the "prime minister's intelligence service", the Secretariat General de la Defense Nationale (SGDN) which, at the time, was being "downsized" out of existence and transformed into an "interministerial post office box for defense matters" (INT, n. 64 20 & n. 70 28). His role in that transformation is not known at present. Col. Joana lives in Paris, has a personal telephone on the non- directory "Red List", but is reportedly a friendly officer who would prefer contact with the public. Apparently the Socialist government of Prime Minister Lionel Jospin has decided otherwise and imposed a "Code 7" level of secrecy on Col. Joana's career which results in its "deletion" from official files. According to one source, "Code 7" secrecy is exceptional and has only been used once in the last ten years in the case of General Jean Heinrich (INT, n. 63 27), the founding director of the Direction du Renseignement Militaire (DRM). Therefore, it is probably no coincidence that Heinrich was also SA chief before being promoted to chief of the DGSE Direction Operations where Col. Joana is now. --------------------------------------------- Intelligence, N. 71, 1 December 1997, p. 17 CUBA/ISRAEL - Raphael "Dirty Rafi" Eitan. When we mentioned former Mossad officer and "controller" of U.S. spy, Johathan J. Pollard, in our last issue, we, like the Israeli press, were wondering why Raphael "Dirty Rafi" Eitan, now called the "King of Cuba" because of his contribution to increasing the island nation's citrus production, hadn't been singled out by the Clinton administration for breaking the U.S.-imposed economic boycott of Cuba. That lacuna was filled on 13 November by a letter from the U.S. State Department spokesman, Lee McCleeny, to B. M. Group in Israel warning it that it was violating the 1996 Helms-Burton Act. After illegally "exporting" strategic secrets from the Pentagon via Pollard, one can't imagine that "Dirty Rafi" is really worried by McCleeny's letter and Europe will always buy cheap Israeli and Cuban orange juice. --------------------------------------------- Intelligence, N. 71, 1 December 1997, p. 35 FRANCE INTELLIGENCE & PRESS REORGANIZE ... TOGETHER "Intelligence" recently got a look at the secret "black list" of 84 journalists in France to whom defense, security and intelligence officials should not speak. All persons associated with "Intelligence" were on the list, but several other well-known French journalists, "specialized in intelligence", were not. Indeed, as the new Socialist government "settles in" and starts restructuring security and intelligence in France (see "France - Tempest in Intelligence 'Tea Cup'"; INT, n. 63 27; INT, n. 67 34 & n. 70 29), relations with the press, via journalists "specialized in intelligence", is apparently also being restructured. Since "transparency" in intelligence is far from being "on the agenda" in France, it was somewhat embarrassing for the French intelligence community when the CIA recently revealed its total budget (INT, n. 70 21). But the French establishment had its own response to "transparency" ready: "Le Monde" intelligence specialist, Jacques Isnard, wrote a detailed article, on 2 November, on the budget of DGSE foreign intelligence, clearly stressing that it was no longer increasing globally and even decreased by five percent this year. Nonetheless, 64 new jobs will be created at the DGSE. Such an "organized" leak is quite effective against any campaign for "transparency". Clearly, French Defense Minister, Alain Richard, is not surrounded with amateurs when it comes to press relations. When he took over his job this summer, he chose Pierre Bayle as Communications Advisor. Up until then, Bayle, a journalist "specialized in intelligence", was editor of the "Tres, Tres Urgent (TTU)" newsletter, created when powerful Socialist hardliner, Pierre Joxe, was interior minister, then defense minister. Bayle is "no longer with TTU", but Luc Viellard, TTU "acting editor", still doesn't have the official title of "editor". Certain specialists say TTU, and another newsletter "specialized in intelligence", are now suffering from lack of "inside information" but French administration subscriptions have greatly increased. Viellard disagrees, and told "Intelligence" that subscriptions haven't changed and he's receiving even better information since Bayle went to the Defence Ministry. Of course, neither Bayle, Viellard nor the editor of the other newsletter "specialized in intelligence" are on the official "black list". Neither is the weekly "Le Point" defense and intelligence specialist, Jean Guisnel. And in terms of transparency, "Le Point" did almost as good as "Le Monde". On 15 November, for the first time a journal was permitted to publish the recent nomination of the head of the DGSE's secret covert operations Service Action commando unit, Colonel Pierre Joana (see the "People" section in this issue). The "brief" on Joana even provided some biographical detail, just enough to disarm any call for further "transparency". There are also rumors that publishing his name helped disarm a political maneuver by conservative politicians to embarrass the Socialist government. The publication of details concerning the 10 November nomination of another of Defence Minister Richard's personal advisors, General Philippe Rondot, Middle East expert and the "captor of 'Carlos'" the terrorist (INT, n. 38 22 & n. 39 38), falls into the same category of fighting "transparency" and parliamentary intelligence oversight. The French intelligence community hopes that the appointment of Rondot as Richard's Security and Intelligence Advisor will defuse and disarm bills calling for intelligence oversight and transparency, and officials calling for a National Security Council to coordinate intelligence services' activities. Indeed, one newsletter "specialized in intelligence" went so far as to state that with Rondot's appointment, "the idea of parliamentary oversight of intelligence (...) appears out of the question for now." The General would not have expressed himself differently if he had been permitted to write those lines. It would probably be helpful for MPs to get a look at the "black list" of journalists "specialized in intelligence" to "get a feeling" and some "background" on these press reports which are telling the politicians what they can and cannot do concerning intelligence services. --------------------------------------------- Intelligence, N. 71, 1 December 1997, p. 40 AUSTRIA CHANCE DISCOVERY OF U.S. TAP ON KOREANS On 7 November, the Austrian government announced that a U.S. diplomat had been arrested on 29 October for tapping the home telephone and fax of the first secretary of the North Korean embassy in Vienna. Officially, the operation was discovered in June by a post-telecommunications worker, but the true story seems much less clear-cut. According to specialists, the tap was discovered entirely by chance, apparently because the telephone bill hadn't been paid for the "safe house" apartment in the Vienna 18th district being used to record fax and voice data. Moreover, the "unprofessional" tap, a "bridge" from the North Korean's line to the safe house, was easy to spot when post-telecom technicians inspected the lines. The safe house apartment had been rented by an unnamed U.S. "businessman" because he "had a lot of meetings to attend in Vienna". That person could well have been a real businessman doing a "favor" for the CIA which was running the tap. His name has not been published, he was reportedly not in Austria and his case will probably be dropped without a request for his extradition. After the discovery of the "bridge", Vienna criminal police broke into the safe house and found the CIA's high-tech eavesdropping station and called in the Statzpolizei internal security service which "staked out" the safe house and arrested a man who came by a day or so later to change the tapes (this would make the official June discovery date impossible). the suspect produced valid identity papers but, under interrogation, finally told the Statzpolizei to telephone the U.S. embassy. He was indeed a second secretary, under U.S. diplomatic immunity and apparently a CIA officer, perhaps even a Korean language specialist. Quickly released by the Statzpolizei, he was swiftly and secretly "exfiltrated" from Austria before the government called for his expulsion. Kid Moechel, who recently published a book on Vienna, the "spy capital of the world", told "Intelligence" that the affair reveals the truly unprofessional quality of current espionage and counter-espionage, and underlined that fact that Vienna remains the spy capital of the world. --------------------------------------------- Intelligence, N. 71, 1 December 1997, p. 49 SRI LANKA - Zimbabwe Arms Sink with LTTE Morale. In late October, Zimbabwe's Defence Minister, Moven Mahachi, confirmed that 34,400 rounds for 81 mm mortars, manufactured by the Zimbabwe Defence Industries and bought by the Sri Lankan government, missing since three months ago when they were transported by sea to Sri Lanka, have been hijacked at sea by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and were being used by the rebels. On 2 November, Sri Lankan jets bombed and destroyed a large Tamil rebel ship that was unloading ammunition off the northeast coast of Sri Lanka. On 19 November, the LTTE published the names of 14 senior Sea Tiger officers among 26 rebels killed in the attack. Certain intelligence specialists believe the same shipment was involved in all this action. Morale is low in LTTE ranks and has not been helped by the publicity surrounding the defection of Selvadurai Senthinathan, an English-speaking LTTE officer who gave himself up to Sri Lankan security forces at the scene of the attack against the arms ship. To round things out, the government obtained a pledge of support from Interpol and its members at a conference being held in New Delhi, India, at the time. The wind has clearly shifted against the LTTE. ---------------------------------------------