Posted on 11/07/2005 8:52:31 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SANTA ANA, Calif. - A federal judge on Monday denied bail for two Chinese nationals accused of conspiring to steal sensitive documents on U.S. Navy warship technology and smuggle them to China.
Tai Wang Mak, a broadcast and engineering director for the Phoenix North American Chinese Channel, and his wife, Fuk Heung Li, were arrested Oct. 28 in Los Angeles as they prepared to board a flight to China.
In Li's luggage, authorities found a disk that contained information on U.S. technology designed to suppress the noise of submarine propulsion systems, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Deirdre Eliot. The disk had been encrypted with a Chinese code.
Mak's attorney, John Early, argued that prosecutors hadn't proved the information was classified and stressed that his client had not been charged with espionage.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Marc Goldman scheduled a hearing for Nov. 15, after a grand jury hears evidence in the case.
Also charged in the case are Mak's brother, Chi Mak, a naturalized U.S. citizen from China, and his wife, Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, an American of Chinese descent. The four face charges of stealing government property, aiding and abetting, transportation of stolen goods and conspiracy.
Chi Mak allegedly took computer disks from Anaheim defense contractor Power Paragon, where he was lead engineer on a sensitive research project involving Navy warships. Authorities said his wife helped copy the information. As of Monday, she had not posted the $300,000 bail set last week. Chi Mak was ordered held without bail.
Eliot said authorities recovered restricted documents on the DDX Destroyer, considered the destroyer of the future, that were marked "for official use only."
They also found two lists in Chinese asking Chi Mak to get documents about submarine torpedo technology, electromagnetic artillery systems, weapon standardization, early warning technology to detect incoming missiles and defenses against nuclear attack, Eliot said.
She said the information was to be fed to China's science and technology committee, "basically equivalent to the government itself."
Authorities believe Chi Mak has been feeding information to the committee since 1983, including highly sensitive information about Aegis warships, Eliot said.
What a WEAK headline for an espionage activity!!
I was going to add some specifics but being as
AP didn't think it was important to.. ;-)
It's indicative of a Clinton mindset that is still pervasive thruout the MSM as a whole and a big chunk of Congre$$ as well..
Those who want and need to know will see thru the omission.
Fuk Heung Li...
ummmm... What kind of parents would name their daughter Fuk?
That would be Mr. and Mrs. Horni Fuk Wu
Where that "head up the ass picture that foats around here??" How about passing legislation restricting "chinese nationals from working on sensative projects!" I thought I heard that as a researcher for a university to work on a DOD funded project, the rules say the person has to be a US citizen..also I think there are security requirements for buildings and locking up of lab notes. Shouldn't these be universal rules??
The next time Congre$$ ups the number of H1B visas, ask them how they know that there aren't agents amidst those who come to work here... and how many are already here and for who knows how long.
One of the chaps in question has been here since 1983, per the article.
One of the detained is a naturalized citizen, btw.
Then if we still need to imoort scientists for their knowledge, let it be done through the CIA so they can monitor things better and "correct" problems before the get out of hand.
BTTT
I think it's even more important for the spouses to be citizens, because many spouses have enormous influence and nearly unlimited access. (although this doesn't apply in this case)
Plenty of naturalized citizens are loyal to their adopted country and have contributed great innovations, so perhaps simply more vigilence is needed, varying with the countries of origin and parents' nationalities. The engineer in this case is alleged to have passed info to the Communist Chinese starting from the 1980's. If we knew so long ago, why was the spying allowed to continue?
If it was up to me, we'd have investigations with teeth as part of the security clearance process and ongoing surveillance of holders of clearances. There would be heavy duty behavioral interviewing and written tests. Anyone married to, friends with or otherwise attached to people from anti Western countries, would be barred. Anyone caught cheating or spying would be severely punished. The death penalty is underutilized as a punishment for espionage. Let there be thousands of Rosenbergs. Just a taste of my program ... much more to it than this.
Ping!
My thought also.
I guess Chinese Spies Caught Red Handed is a bit insensitive in journalistic circles these days.
Alleged scheme - good one. I thought it was going to be a telemarketing scam or something.
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