Although
recent FBI reports allege that foreign spies have been
gaining access to U.S. secrets by posing as reporters, it turns out that this may be nothing new. In fact, one hard-working Chinese spy was caught working as a journalist covering an NBA playoff game a few seasons back.
Security staff from the
Utah Jazz basketball team were asked by the FBI to help capture a spy from China who was at a 1997 game in Salt Lake City as an accredited member of the press. It happened during the fourth game of the series between the Jazz and the Chicago Bulls.
"This person was a legitimate member of the media who was covering the NBA finals," explained Jazz spokesman Dave Allred. "(The FBI) were trying to track this person down and identify who he was, and they had an idea of what name he was using, but they didn't know exactly what he looked like and who he was. So what they asked us to do was see if we could identify where he was sitting, which we knew because of the seating, the way that we set it up during the finals. And then we asked one of our photographers to shoot some pictures of him," explained Allred in the exclusive interview with WorldNetDaily.
Lax security has been blamed for problems at the State Department building. |
It is not unusual for foreign spies to pose as members of the press, according to FBI officials. The House International Relations Committee held a hearing last week to look into a security breach by the State Department. The committee is concerned about reports that foreign spies obtain credentials as reporters to gain access to U.S. secrets. Recently a laptop computer was reported missing in the State Department that contained top-secret information.
"Over the last 15 years, no foreign intelligence service officer under media cover has been declared persona non grata for engaging in espionage activities,"
said Timothy D. Bereznay, section chief from
the National Security Division of the FBI as he testified before the
house committee last week.
Maybe not, but then, no one seems to know what happened to the Chinese spy who liked basketball.
"When our photographer got ready to shoot the pictures, the spy was gone. It was just prior to the beginning of half time. What happened was that this guy had left his seat because he wanted to see the half time. The half time was when AT&T gave away a million dollars, or they were attempting to give away a million dollars," recalled Allred.
"The alleged spy, I guess we should call him, decided that he wanted to come down courtside to see what was going on. He happened to get down courtside and was standing next to our director of security who had been upstairs, had identified this guy, knew who we were looking for, and with his quick thinking went up to the guy and said, 'Hey, are you a foreign reporter?' And the guy said, 'Yeah.' So he said, 'Well, I'm just trying to get my picture taken with as many of you as I can. Would you mind if I get my picture taken with you?'
"And he grabbed one of the photographers courtside and had him shoot the picture," said Allred, who was proud of his efforts to help the FBI. "I understand from our director of security that they eventually did follow up on apprehending this guy when he went to Chicago," he added.
Allred doesn't remember the name of the spy, and the director of security at the time is no longer with the Jazz. Bill Matthews, spokesman for the FBI field office in Salt Lake City, did not return WND's calls, and no one at the Bulls' office in Chicago seemed to know about the incident either.
Still, the question: Why would a spy from China be at a basketball game?
"I have no idea. I don't know if that was his cover, as to what he was working or doing. Obviously they didn't pull us in and give us all the information," explained Allred. "He was an accredited reporter. That was his cover. I don't know who he was writing for. I didn't even write down the guy's name. He was a legitimate reporter though."
Bereznay told the committee that many spies pretend to be reporters, but none have been forced to leave the country.
"Historically, hostile intelligence services have utilized media cover for intelligence activities in the United States. However, because intelligence officers under media cover do not have diplomatic immunity, they normally perform in-depth but overt intelligence collection. Clandestine handling of agents or other covert activity is usually assigned to intelligence officers under diplomatic cover," he said.
"In addition to overt intelligence collection, intelligence officers under correspondent cover have been engaged in active measures campaigns designed to support their national interests and to influence United States policy makers. Active measures campaigns take the form of oral persuasions or the dissemination of written information favorable to their national policy -- both of which are facilitated by intelligence officers under media cover. Hostile intelligence services use active measures as an inexpensive and relatively low-risk way to advance their international positions," explained Bereznay in his testimony last week.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says she will look into Bereznay's claims that spies are working undercover as news correspondents and are able to move about the State Department unescorted.
Bereznay said the FBI does not tell the State Department about suspect members of the media in order to protect sources and sensitive cases. He said the information would be provided to the State Department only "if asked."
The FBI was quick to counter Bereznay's comments by issuing a statement the next day.
"The FBI coordinates closely with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Department of State, on all security issues," it said. "The FBI shares information with them whether or not we are specifically asked. If the FBI is in possession of any information of that nature, we would share it with the State Department."
Members of the press are given permanent badges to enter the main building of the Department of State, according to Jacquelyn L. Williams-Bridgers, Department of State Inspector General in her testimony before the same committee last week.
"These identification cards are coded to allow the press personnel access to any of the card readers at Main State's perimeter entrances. The Department's long-standing policy is to allow press personnel with identification cards 24 hours access, including weekends and holidays," said Williams-Bridgers. She said there is a concern that press officials could use the cards to gain access to parts of the building where top-secret information is kept.
"The lax attitude in the department toward security is no longer tolerable," David G. Carpenter, assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security and senior adviser to the Secretary of State on security issues, testified before the committee. Despite that conclusion, he devoted much of his testimony to explaining why security at the building is so difficult.
"The Department of State building is the second largest government building in the nation's capital," explained Carpenter, who went on to describe the building's size and high volume of daily activity.
"I fully expect that we will see that the Department's efforts aimed principally at better education at existing requirements ... and that there will be substantial and voluntary adherence to security rules and procedures. But if I am wrong, we are fully prepared to use enhanced disciplinary procedures to further underscore the seriousness with which we view this issue," said Carpenter.
Previous story: