Our Friends the Chinese
Excerpted from The Washington Times, in a story The Washington Post considered Page A20 material, no comment necessary:
Four arrests linked to Chinese spy ring (Nov. 5)
Four persons arrested in Los Angeles are part of a Chinese intelligence-gathering ring, federal investigators said, and the suspects caused serious compromises for 15 years to major U.S. weapons systems, including submarines and warships.
U.S. intelligence and security officials said the case remains under investigation but that it could prove to be among the most damaging spy cases since the 1985 one of John A. Walker Jr., who passed Navy communication codes to Moscow for 22 years.
The Los Angeles spy ring has operated since 1990 and has funneled technology and military secrets to China in the form of documents and computer disks, officials close to the case said.
The ring was led by Chi Mak and his wife, Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, along with Mr. Chi’s brother, Tai Wang Mak, and his wife, Fuk Heung Li, officials said.
Key compromises uncovered so far include sensitive data on Aegis battle management systems that are the core of U.S. Navy destroyers and cruisers.
China covertly obtained the Aegis technology and earlier this year deployed its first Aegis warship, code-named Magic Shield, intelligence officials have said.
The Chinese also obtained sensitive data on U.S. submarines, including classified details related to the new Virginia-class attack submarines.
Officials said based on a preliminary assessment, China now will be able to track U.S. submarines, a compromise that potentially could be devastating if the United States enters a conflict with China in defending Taiwan.
Mr. Chi, an electrical engineer, also had access to details on U.S. aircraft carriers and once was aboard the USS Stennis. A Pentagon report made public earlier this year said China’s military is building up capabilities to attack U.S. aircraft carriers.
China also is thought to have obtained information from the spy ring that will assist Chinese military development of electromagnetic pulse weapons — weapons that simulate the electronic shock caused by a nuclear blast — that disrupt electronics.
It also is thought to have obtained unmanned aerial vehicle technology from the spy ring.
All four persons were arrested yesterday and charged with theft of government property. Law-enforcement officials said that the charges are expected to be upgraded to espionage or espionage-related once the nature of the information involved is fully investigated.
….. Investigators think Mr. Tai worked as either a courier or a spy handler with China’s Ministry of State Security or the 2 PLA.
Intelligence officials said Mr. Chi held a secret-level security clearance and worked on more than 200 U.S. defense and military contracts as an electrical engineer with the defense contractor Power Paragon, a subsidiary of L3/SPD Technologies/Power Systems Group in Anaheim, Calif.
UPDATE: S.O.B. Alliance co-conspirator Weapons of Mass Discussion posted on this earlier today.
An update on the persecution of Chi Mak:
Original charges against Chi Mak et al have been dropped. Government’s demand to withhold bail has been denied. It seems the prosecution have lied on so many things, it’s beginning to smell like another Wen Ho Lee or James Yee:
- no classified document; not about weapons at all
- data was not encripted or hidden in music file; It’s zipped for size
- no such list from China asking for data
- map of Knolls Atomic Lab turned out to be a hotel map from an old visit
- wiretap showed Chi Mak had no interest in the broken down Mak ancestrial home in Hong Kong
With no charge to nail the sister in-law, prosecution have trumped up a “fake marriage” charge, insinuating she whored herself out. Shame on us America:
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=51289
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-chi19jan19,0,6387915.story
Comment by bobby fletcher — February 15, 2006 @ 5:29 pm
#1, I’m frankly unimpressed whether or not a conviction is obtained. The Chinese Communist government got the secrets somehow, and failure to successfully prosecute their case won’t change that.
In other words, the espionage occurred. Surely you’re not denying that?
And the message from all of this is that the government and companies need to be more careful about who they employ in sensitive defense positions.
From the original post above:
Key compromises uncovered so far include sensitive data on Aegis battle management systems that are the core of U.S. Navy destroyers and cruisers.
China covertly obtained the Aegis technology and earlier this year deployed its first Aegis warship, code-named Magic Shield, intelligence officials have said.
The Chinese also obtained sensitive data on U.S. submarines, including classified details related to the new Virginia-class attack submarines.
Officials said based on a preliminary assessment, China now will be able to track U.S. submarines, a compromise that potentially could be devastating if the United States enters a conflict with China in defending Taiwan.
Comment by TBlumer — February 15, 2006 @ 7:33 pm
Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Comment by bobby fletcher — February 20, 2006 @ 2:37 pm
#3, my point is that the Chinese got the secrets from somebody (that is not in dispute, whether you care about their importance or not), and even if the evidence isn’t sufficient to convict them in a court of law, there appears to be enough indicators that the people accused were involved that I’m not going to conclude that they are as pure as the driven snow if they are acquitted. Sorry.
Comment by TBlumer — February 20, 2006 @ 3:07 pm
Gee I hope you will never be convicted based on “indicator”.
Comment by bobby fletcher — February 20, 2006 @ 3:59 pm
#5, if convicted, it won’t be because of indicators, it will be on hard evidence.
If they get off because there’s not enough hard evidence, I personally believe the indicators are sufficient to lead me to believe that they will have beaten the rap. I’m entitled to my opinion.
Comment by TBlumer — February 20, 2006 @ 4:08 pm
Good to know your opinion isn’t based on evidence.
Fact remains that our government’s original charge where dropped because so many lies were told to make it and couldn’t stand scrutiny. For example the supposed map of the nuclear lab turned out to be a hotel map.
Comment by bobby fletcher — February 20, 2006 @ 4:43 pm
#7, If I leave a couple of cookies on the table and tell my kid not to eat them and 2 minutes later I come back and they’re gone, I won’t be able to convict him at a legal level but I’ll know he ate them.
The analogy holds here, unless I see something that changes my (still open) mind.
This has officially gone nowhere.
Comment by TBlumer — February 20, 2006 @ 4:50 pm
#7, You just played the race card in your unposted comment. Buh-bye.
Comment by TBlumer — February 20, 2006 @ 5:13 pm
10. #7, censorship is what a government does. I moderate comments.
Comment by TBlumer — February 20, 2006 @ 5:55 pm