The Big Dig (FBI Searches for Buried Documents of Potentially Classified Information)

ABC news ^ | July 28, 2003 | By Pierre Thomas and Risa Molitz

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Former Air Force intelligence officer Brian Regan, who was convicted of trying to spy for Saddam Hussein and China, buried thousands of pieces of potentially classified information at undisclosed locations in the Washington metropolitan region, sources told ABCNEWS.

The information includes more than 10,000 pages of documents, slides and videos — some of which pertain to satellites and early warning systems, according to sources.

This disclosure raises important questions about the security of supposedly secure U.S. institutions housing the nation's most sensitive secrets. Officials are scrambling to figure out how Regan got so much material out of government sites, the sources told ABCNEWS.

Regan worked for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which oversees the operation of the nation's spy satellites. Was it possible that he simply walked out of buildings with documents? Did he download the classified material from public, non-secure Web sites?

Regan, 40, was convicted in February of attempted espionage on behalf of Iraq and China. After a jury concluded he did not provide Iraq with documents concerning nuclear weapons, military satellites or war plans, Regan was spared the death penalty.

New Clues?

Officials are now reassessing his case. The discovery of the buried documents raises new questions about whether Regan passed along classified material.

Sources said the U.S. government stumbled on Regan's pack-rat ways. Last fall, Alexandria, Va., jail deputies confronted Regan about an odd collection of papers held together by toilet paper tubes and a pen. Regan quickly flushed the papers, which were apparently written in code, down the toilet.

About a month later, sources told ABCNEWS deputies discovered a map in Regan's cell, with designated sites. Ever since, the FBI has been hunting — and shoveling — for the buried documents.

The NRO is conducting investigations into Regan's activities during his employment. The probe focuses on determining the quality of the information he compromised and includes a damage assessment and determination on what type of security was or was not in place at the time Regan breached it. The office plans to publish a report with conclusions by the end of the year, an NRO spokesperson told ABCNEWS.

There were some security enhancements implemented at the NRO after Regan was discovered, but further enhancements based on the breach of security committed by Regan, will be determined after the report is issued.

Regan's defense attorney, Nina Ginsberg, wouldn't comment due to the classified nature of the information.

[Shermy]

I saw that, but from some nut writing ramblings in a jail cell to actually finding something on the outside - all I see is insinuation and a journalist's step too far.

When I hear a quote "we dug at x and found Y" - from a real source - I'll change my position.

[lelio]

People were not allowed to take a newspaper out the door, much less classified stuff.
How do you enforce that today when you could bring in something like an Apple iTunes and use it as a data storage device? I suppose you could try and stop those devices from coming in.
What about telecomuters? Didn't John Duetsch have a laptop full of sensitive information? What about offshore projects for the Pentagon? How safe is that information?

[PhiKapMom]

You and me both! The damage he caused I think we will be seeing for years to come. Security to him meant nothing! Just more secrets to sell to the Chinese or whoever was the highest bidder IMHO!

I don't see how anyone from his Administration can sleep unless they are as corrupt as the Clintons including former SecDef Cohen who I used to respect!

[TruthNtegrity]

Oh, the sad stories I could tell you of what Clinton's laxness on security meant.

I'll give just one.

I was at a briefing for a follow-on system to the one I had worked on for 8 years. Up came a slide on the screen that was not only Top Secret, the darn thing was code-worded. I immediately made my way to the Admiral and his "science advisor" who were in the center of the auditorium.

That slide was quickly taken down.

But the same was true of the next screen. At that point, the Admiral stopped the briefing and announced that all slides would be reviewed before continuing.

Is this the end? No. All the programmers at the contractor who won this contract away from the development contractor were allowed to work on the software in Unclas mode. Only when the system went operational was the security level raised, and by then, the programmers and the personnal at that company now had the appropriate clearances. Trust me when I tell you that there were algorithms and other parts of the software that required a TS clearance.

I can't tell you how much I hate Clinton. Words fail me.

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.

[Bigg Red]

"Regan was spared the death penalty."

Sounds like there are grounds to retry the stinking traitor. Firing squad would be too quick, IMO.

[Bigg Red]

Your story is truly frightening.

Clinton and his hires had two things in common: a disdain for the primacy of this nation and a penchant for corruption for personal gain.

I share your loathing of that so-called man.

[Ann Archy]

I've never hated two people MORE than Bil and Hillary.....unless it was the idiots who supported them. They are very bad for our country.

[Reactionary]

Notice that they don't mention that he didn't supply *China* with documents concerning military satellites or nuclear weapons.