Posted on 03/23/2014 8:08:51 PM PDT by kristinn
U.S. military satellites spied Russian troops amassing within striking distance of Crimea last month. But intelligence analysts were surprised because they hadn't intercepted any telltale communications where Russian leaders, military commanders or soldiers discussed plans to invade.
America's vaunted global surveillance is a vital tool for U.S. intelligence services, especially as an early-warning system and as a way to corroborate other evidence. In Crimea, though, U.S. intelligence officials are concluding that Russian planners might have gotten a jump on the West by evading U.S. eavesdropping.
"Even though there was a warning, we didn't have the information to be able to say exactly what was going to happen," a senior U.S. official says.
To close the information gap, U.S. spy agencies and the military are rushing to expand satellite coverage and communications-interception efforts across Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states. U.S. officials hope the "surge" in assets and analysts will improve tracking of the Russian military and tip off the U.S. to any possible intentions of Russian President Vladimir Putin before he acts on them.
The U.S. moves will happen quickly. "We have gone into crisis-response mode," a senior official says.
Still, as Russia brings additional forces to areas near the border with eastern Ukraine, America's spy chiefs are worried that Russian leaders might be able to cloak their next move by shielding more communications from the U.S., according to officials familiar with the matter. "That is the question we're all asking ourselves," one top U.S. official says.
The Obama administration is "very nervous," says a person close to the discussions. "This is uncharted territory."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Imagine that —spying on Russians.....ALSO.
Very novel.
Our security organizations have been too busy spying us to give Russia much attention.
You mean they’d have to now give up spying on Tea Partiers?
Good thing we have THIS, huh..?
Nice work, guys.
I agree.
Dien Bien Phu just fell. Our rifles had better be clean.
Bingo!
Yep. That will give them advanced notice if an American calls somebody in America. May come in handy.
Wouldn’t our intellignce resources be better spent spying on American citizens who disagree with his Majesty, El Presidente Obama?
Russia is good at intelligence related stuff. They probably have couriers hand delivering documents so that no electronic intercepts are useful. They are good at doing cheap, low tech stuff that is effective.
Anna Vasil'yevna Chapman (Russian: А́нна Васи́льевна Ча́пман; born Anna Vasilyevna Kushchyenko Russian: А́нна Васи́льевна Кущенко; 23 February 1982) is a Russian national who was residing in New York City when she was arrested, along with nine others, on June 27, 2010, on suspicion of working for the Illegals Program spy ring under the Russian Federation's external intelligence agency, the SVR (Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki).
[2][4] Chapman pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General, and was deported back to Russia on July 8, 2010, as part of a prisoner swap.
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Can't we all just get along?
Ever since Snowden acquainted the Russians about NSA electronics surveillance , the Russians returned to using typewriters for communications.
They probably now make military directions via postal couriers
and in 10 years , the USA to evade Russian surveillane will be returning to the Pony Express
As the administration agenda states : " Foreward " ( by looking backward ).
They’re too busy spying on the TEA Party to worry about America’s real enemies. Hussein is a petty little fish in a big pond and it shows glaringly when he has to deal with foreign policy. All he knows is “domestic policy”, Chicago-style.
They missed the communications because the focus of US intel is now on the TeaParty.
U.S. Scurries”? What the hell have we been paying all those CIA people for all these years, not to mention the others who have similar responsibilities. Once again, INCOMPETENENCE at the highest level. The entire gubmint needs an overhaul.
U.S. Scurries”? What the hell have we been paying all those CIA people for all these years, not to mention the others who have similar responsibilities. Once again, INCOMPETENENCE at the highest level. The entire gubmint needs an overhaul.
Oh, and don’t forget to downsize our military too, we don’t them in any great numbers, “all is good”.
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