Posted on 10/06/2005 5:35:48 AM PDT by Calpernia
A former U.S. Marine is under arrest for stealing classified intelligence documents while he was working at the White House, according to a bombshell report last night.
Leandro Aragoncillo, 46, a naturalized citizen from the Philippines who had bragged about his loyalty, is the first suspected spy inside the White House in modern history.
In addition to working for Vice President Dick Cheney, the accused traitor also had served Vice President Al Gore and told friends he worked for President Bill Clinton and Condoleezza Rice.
Aragoncillo's shocking alleged espionage involved...
Excerpt
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
A former U.S. Marine is under arrest for stealing classified intelligence documents while he was working at the White House, according to a bombshell report last night.
wow.
ping
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=252919
Spy stole documents from Dick Cheney
Washington, United States
A former United States marine and naturalised US citizen from the Philippines breached security at the White House and allegedly used his top secret clearances to steal classified documents from Vice President Dick Cheney's office, ABC News reported.
The network said on Wednesday that Leandro Aragoncillo (46) worked undetected at the White House for almost three years before leaving to take a job with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was arrested last month and accused of downloading more than 100 classified documents from FBI computers.
Officials told ABC the classified material which Aragoncillo stole included damaging dossiers on Philippine President Gloria Arroyo. They were allegedly passed on to opposition politicians planning a coup in the Pacific nation.
The FBI and CIA are calling it the first case of espionage at the White House in modern history, according to ABC.
The White House referred reporters to the FBI, but confirmed an investigation had been launched.
"No comment, all questions have to be addressed to the FBI, it's a pending investigation and the White House will do its best to cooperate," said deputy White House spokesperson Trent Duffy.
In Manila, the Philippine government said the matter was an internal US affair and declined comment.
"We consider it as the business of the US government and we are not making any further comment," Arroyo spokesperson Ignacio Bunye said.
Officials are trying to figure out how Aragoncillo got his job at the White House in 1999, and when he started spying, ABC said.
The former marine worked on the staff of then vice-president Al Gore in 2000 and told friends he also worked with former president Bill Clinton and with Condoleezza Rice when she was national security advisor, the network said.
"Even though it's not for the Russians or some other government, the fact that it occurred at the White House is a matter of great concern," John Martin, the government's lead espionage prosecutor for 26 years, was quoted as saying.
"Of course, it is a source of embarrassment when you find out that this kind of activity has been carried out literally right under your nose."
The former marine's alleged spying is suspected of being part of opposition attempts to gain information to bring down Arroyo's government.
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this is easy, just turn him over to the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps and a detail of Marine Sergeants.
How about if we executed a spy for a change?
I'd think that might have a major deterrent effect.
It'd sure reduce recidivism.
Good idea.
ping
I like this idea best of all. Let the Gyrenes handle it.
It sounds like he did not have much understanding of the difference between a worthless document or a valuable one, though. He took info that was embarrassing to the Phillipine government.
So what?
I'm confused. Sounds like he's accused of something he did at the FBI, not to Cheney. So why that headline?
Thanks, Bubba.
>>>breached security at the White House and allegedly used his top secret clearances to steal classified documents from Vice President Dick Cheney's office
Maybe he stole from FBI and Cheney's officer?
officer = office
ping
A spy from the Philippines makes me nervous. Too much terrorist activity in that part of the world, and some of the worst of the worst are from there.
Hey, no problem, he'll get Sandy Berger's attorney and he'll walk. Unless his spying has caused serious damage to our national security I don't see him getting hung. Its not like the Walkers' case.
It seems, that if he was able to take info on the Phillipines, then he could have taken other, more sensitive stuff...and we just aren't being told.
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