Posted on 03/05/2002 2:27:35 PM PST by jmp702
U.S. Deports Israelis Amid Warnings of Espionage Activities
By Ted Bridis Associated Press Writer
Published: Mar 5, 2002
WASHINGTON (AP) - Authorities have arrested and deported dozens of young Israelis since early last year who represented themselves as art students in efforts to gain access to sensitive federal office buildings and the homes of government employees, U.S. officials said.
A draft report from the Drug Enforcement Administration - which first characterized the activities as suspicious - said the youths' actions "may well be an organized intelligence-gathering activity."
Immigration officials deported them for visa violations; no criminal espionage charges were filed.
The arrests, made in an unspecified number of major U.S. cities from California to Florida, came amid public warnings from U.S. intelligence agencies about suspicious behavior by people posing as Israeli art students and "attempting to bypass facility security and enter federal buildings."
The Israelis were arrested and deported on charges of working in the United States without authorization or overstaying visits on tourist visas, said Russ Bergeron, a spokesman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington. He described dozens of arrests since early 2001 but gave no exact figures.
The DEA report said a majority of the students questioned by U.S. investigators acknowledged having served in military intelligence, electronic signals interception or explosive ordnance units in the Israeli military. The DEA said one person questioned was the son of a two-star Israeli general, one had served as the bodyguard to the head of the Israeli Army and another served in a Patriot missile unit.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yaffa Ben-Ari said it was "nonsense" that the students were spying on the United States.
Another Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Irit Stopper, confirmed that a few Israelis posing as art students were expelled from the United States for working without permits. However they were not accused of espionage, she said. She did not say how many Israelis were expelled and did not give any additional details.
The DEA report was first obtained by a French Web site that specializes in intelligence news, Intelligenceonline.com, and confirmed Tuesday as authentic by DEA spokeswoman Rogene Waite in Washington. The Web site said 120 Israelis had been arrested.
"That these people are now traveling in the U.S. selling art seems not to fit their background," the report said.
An FBI official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted there were no espionage charges filed against any of the individuals and that they had been deported. Asked whether any spying activity occurred, the official repeated that no charges had been filed.
A Justice Department official, also asking not to be publicly identified, said investigators have been aware of some "alleged linkage" between the students and alleged espionage activities in the United States since early 2001, and said authorities have made arrests in Dallas, Chicago, San Diego and in south Florida. INS spokesman Rodney Germain in Miami said five or six people were arrested in that area at least six months ago on immigration counts.
Although security experts at the DEA first characterized the youths' behavior as suspicious, and INS authorities later arrested them, the FBI typically investigates espionage cases in the United States.
The DEA report said that among U.S. sites apparently targeted was Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, home to the military's AWACS surveillance planes and the place where many of the nation's B-1 bombers are repaired. Investigators also said that one female art student went to the home of a worker for the Environmental Protection Agency in Denver to sell paintings and returned later to photograph the house, according to the report.
No one within the Justice Department has expressed concerns about the Israeli students possibly committing espionage, Justice spokesman Bryan Sierra said. The deputy U.S. attorney general, Larry Thompson, declined to discuss the arrests when asked about them during a news conference Tuesday.
The U.S. Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, a federal agency, circulated a public warning in March 2001 urging employees to report contact with people describing themselves as Israeli art students.
"These individuals have been described as aggressive," the warning said. "They attempt to engage employees in conversation rather than giving a sales pitch."
Cooperation with Israel, a longtime key ally, is increasingly important in the U.S. war on terrorism.
AP-ES-03-05-02 1658EST
I had to switch schools when we moved to Hawaii. I had to go to a private school 2 hours from my home to avoid being beaten up routinely for being white and a "haole". The last day of the school year is kindly referred to by locals as "kill haole" day. I suffered all kinds of slights and insults all the time by people who proudly wore their liberal lapels shouting diversity. I also suffered trying to find work as I would be routinely passed over. I have been mugged several times and made to feel like a stranger in my own county.
And you are a complete Jackass of the first order. Don't talk about what you know little of.
I've met several of these students! They were no more aggressive than your average starving salesperson! They attempted to sell me some lovely oil paintings, at a fairly reasonable price (after some negotiation), which I bought, and hung with pride in my home. We have no feds in our office building - no secrets here! Just offices of people willing to buy art!
I hope she got some good shots of your home. Ask her to get double prints when she goes to get them developed at Wal-Mart.
I thought it was the Masons', but you people are always blowing my theories apart.
"The DEA report said that among U.S. sites apparently targeted was Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, home to the military's AWACS surveillance planes and the place where many of the nation's B-1 bombers are repaired. "
Over five years ago Chinese agents were detected trying to steal the AWACs JSTARS radar in OKC at Tinker AFB home of the AWACS. The US agents who detected them were blocked by their superiors in the Clinton administration in DC from going further to capture the Chinese espionage agents. Information about the operation was transmitted in 1999 to OK Senator Don Nickles office who was to have conveyed the info to George Tenet in a briefing with Nickles.
Israel was asked to terminate a business deal with China in 1999 in which Israel was going to modify Russian aircraft and install AWACs style radars on the aircraft for China.
Is it possible that the arrest of the Israeli students in connection with trying to conduct espionage for Israel at TInker AFB in Oklahoma City (OKC) were in any way connected with the deal between China and Israel for the AWACs planes?
Also in the 1990s Chinese students in local area Oklahoma universitites were suspected and found to be conducting espionage activities at Tinker AFB. Were the Israeli students working with these Chinese students or did they learn techniques from the Chinese students?
I am pro protecting Israel right to exist and from Palestianian terror attacks. However, I do not condone Israeli espionage against the US especially since Israel has been helping the Cniese military way too much.
Israeli early 20's x,y, or z (lost track, I'm a boomer) something students, selling art door to door, engaging in converstion to get INTELLIGENCE.
The Mossad isn't that stupid.
Israel and spies. My only thoughts there are that it is more or less understood that israel has as a last ditch effort something called "the samson option". My guess is, this option applies equally to everyone else. And you can't do that short of being a whopper super power with a thousand ICBM's unless you are on the ground everywhere, with spies and unconventional warfare people and " gear" handy.
You know, troll, your "israel first" code words render your "patriotism" fairly transparent.
Listen you hypocritical jackass, if I'm a "troll" for using the phrase "Israel Firster," what are you for using the phrase "pro-Islamist"? If you think you're the only one that can generalize about perceived biases, you can forget it.
By John Mintz and Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writers'
A wide array of U.S. officials yesterday dismissed reports that the U.S. government had broken up an Israeli espionage ring that consisted of young Israelis attempting to penetrate U.S. agencies by selling artwork in federal buildings.
"This seems to be an urban myth that has been circulating for months," said Justice Department spokeswoman Susan Dryden. "The department has no information at this time to substantiate these widespread reports about Israeli art students involved in espionage."
Read the whole article. Very interesting.
.......I think you should re-read Southern Federalist's post, and perhaps consider hiring him to write for your 'website'.
Please, Veronica, there are things a gentleman just won't do for any amount of money!
Oh, no! Justin really didn't pull THAT boner, did he? That's a laff riot, really hysterical! Where'd he go to school? The School of History and Cosmotology?
Is that why Pat had to fire the Brit ex-pats from the BNP from his campaign office? Hmmm, he's not above accepting assistance from immigrants.
Absolutely. Common sense should tell people each country is looking out for " their own interests first" Whether it is detrimental to us or not !!! When is America going to " catch on " and put America's interest first.
You can talk endlessly about what might be and why the Administration might say this or that and what you can imagine, but this story will still have no legs -- except for those who desperately need to believe that the treacherous, wily Jew has shown his bloodsoaked hand once again. I am not necessarily including you in this group; I but present the shoe, so that those whom it fits may wear it.
No, that was an Arab. But you know, they might need someone like Justin, who has their pathology but still knows how to keep from getting ludicrous. Well, some of the time at least ;).
Rotfl. The british author of this book seems even more squirrely than the british tabloid press, and you're quoting it as "documentation"??? Just a snip from the book:
Lees work at Los Alamos was so futuristic that, if he revealed even a hint, it would have monumental repercussions. Lee worked on what was known as Project HPHolographic Portal.The portal is designed to allow time travel across space-time and possibly interdimensionally.
This is quite impressive, ratcat. So much better than well-researched, dull, establishment stuff :))).
First off, they're not "kids" -- if they're old enough to have served in "military intelligence, electronic signals interception or explosive ordnance units", that's a strong indicator that they're over 18
Ok, let's have it your way. So there's a very innocent and reasonable explanation for why:
a majority of the students questioned by U.S. investigators acknowledged having served in military intelligence, electronic signals interception or explosive ordnance units in the Israeli military. The DEA said one person questioned was the son of a two-star Israeli general, one had served as the bodyguard to the head of the Israeli Army and another served in a Patriot missile unit.So, these adults were running trying to get into sensitive areas and taking interest in the homes of key personnel. Their lack of discretion might be viewed as lack of skill -- or it might just be audacity and arrogance, taking into account that the most that would happen is deportation.
Obviously I have read my postings. If you had seen this stuff before you would know that there were reports of Israelis cheering on a rooftop, which is what you initially vehemently denied. I am not impressed by the argument that fast-talking Israelis were misinterpreted as 'jumping up and down'.
TQ: "The 'car' with Israelis was widely reported. Some even suggested these were Arabs with forged passports (I have not heard this confirmed either). Your own article says that it is not clear whether the car is related to the moving business."
Huh???? There was a story weeks later about individuals in a car out west with Israelis passports and maps of nuclear plants. It sounds like you're mixing that up. The Bergen News story is how they apprehended some movers in a van that day, later stories refer to this traffic stop on Route 3 in Rutherford.
TQ: "Finally, your FBI report is a regular leads foollow up: they looked through video tapes, and follow up on everyone seen in the vicinity. The truck was spotted in Downtown at the time of the attack, they follow up ---- a completely correct procedure."
Huh???? Video tapes? In post 174 I quoted two instances of a FBI spokeswoman and a FBI Be On the LookOut report that refer to individuals that were considered suspicious because they had been observed 'celebrating' by witnesses.
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