May 12
China has replaced Russia as Fidel Castro's main partner for electronic espionage and other activities directed against the United States in the Western hemisphere, NewsMax.Com reports in an article that first appeared in the April 2002 American Legion Magazine. Until recently, Russia paid Castro more than $200 million annually in much-needed hard currency for use of its massive electronic spy station at Lourdes. In a surprise move, however, Russian President Vladimir Putin suddenly withdrew his support and 1,500 advisers from Cuba in the wake of the September 11th attacks on Washington and New York. Now China, which had been building its own spy stations in Cuba, has supplanted the Russians as Castro's primary electronic espionage partner. Beijing has built a sophisticated new signals intelligence complex in Bejucal, Cuba, operating under the cover of Radio China.
In addition to being used for espionage, these installations are reportedly part of a robust cyber-warfare capability Castro is developing. The FCC has stated they are capable of interfering with U.S. communications and air traffic control. In one incident originating in Cuba, the report adds, U.S. officials claim that Chinese operatives sent a message to New York air traffic control replicating U.S. military fight codes and falsely identifying themselves as U.S. military transport planes - a chilling indication of things to come.
The above to illustrate the current vulnerability to manipulation of communications by terrestrials.