FAS | Intelligence | News | 2000 ||||

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December 2000 Intelligence News

• President's Statement on Signing Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 20001, December 27.
• John Pike: An Intelligence Sleuth in His Own Right by Vernon Loeb, Washington Post, December 25. "Pike's most annoying accomplishment, as far as the NRO and the rest of the intelligence community are concerned, has been building the deepest and most useful intelligence site on the Web."
• White House Fact Sheet on Global Crime, 15 December 2000 -- The spread of international crime since the end of the Cold War is a significant, complex and growing phenomenon that threatens U.S. citizens and vital interests both at home and abroad.
• White House Press Briefing on Global Crime, 15 December 2000 -- We have representatives from the NSC, State, Justice, and Treasury here to go through the major points of the report with you.
• White House Statement on Global Crime, 15 December 2000 -- The growing reach of international crime poses threats to American citizens and American interests, both at home and abroad.
• US Terror Rewards, Voice of America, 14 December 2000 -- The United States is expanding a 15-year-old program under which it has offered cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of international terrorists.
• General Assembly calls for more work on comprehensive anti-terrorism treaty, UN News, 12 December 2000 -- The General Assembly today endorsed the continuation of talks aimed at elaborating a comprehensive convention against international terrorism as well as a treaty geared towards suppressing acts of nuclear terrorism.
• Assembly Seeks Continued Work Towards Convention Against Terrorism; Support Urged For Statute of International Criminal Court, UN Press Release, 12 December 2000 -- The General Assembly this morning endorsed the continuation of negotiations on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism next year, as it adopted two decisions and fourteen resolutions recommended by its Sixth Committee (Legal).
• U.S. Global Demand Reduction Efforts on Drugs, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 11 December 2000 -- A December 2000 fact sheet on U.S. international demand reduction initiatives on illicit drugs, issued by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) at the U.S. Department of State:
• U.N. Security Council Resolution on the Taliban, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 11 December 2000 -- A fact sheet released December 11 by the U.S. State Department on the new U.N. Security Council Resolution targeting the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
• Court: Espionage case against sailor must start over, By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes, 10 December 2000 -- The year-old espionage case against a Navy cryptologist charged with selling secrets to the Russians will have to start from the beginning after a military appeals court ruled Thursday the U.S. Navy violated the defendant's constitutional rights.
• Afghan - U-N Sanctions, Voice of America, 10 December 2000 -- Afghanistan's ruling Taleban movement is threatening to shut down the U-N political office in the country and boycott U-N sponsored peace talks if the world body imposes more sanctions against the war-ravaged country.
• U-S Cybersoldiers, Voice of America, 08 December 2000 -- The Pentagon is moving to shore up its computer security programs by bolstering its dedicated force of cybersoldiers.
• State Department Noon Briefing - Algerian Terrorism, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 07 December 2000 -- Q: Can you confirm reports that an Algerian by the name - I think it's Dahoumane - was arrested in Algeria a couple of months back, somebody who is linked to last year's plots - what the US says were plots to attack some sites in the US?
• cq-Colombia Rebels, Voice of America, 07 December 2000 -- In Colombia, the government has chosen to keep open a huge demilitarized zone for another two-months to give left-wing guerrillas time to return to peace talks.
• State Department Noon Briefing - South America, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 07 December 2000 -- Q: President Chavez of Venezuela says there is an effort being led by world power centers, or words to that effect, link him to anti-democratic elements in neighboring countries - Colombia, Bolivia and Ecuador. Do you have any comment on those?
• Speedy Trial Eludes Sailor Accused of Spying, By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes, 07 December 2000 -- For 431 days, Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel King has been sitting in jail on an accusation that he is a spy. He has not been indicted. He has not been convicted. He has not even heard the government's evidence against him.
• Pentagon Spokesman's Regular Briefing - Terrorist Threat, U.S. Department of Defense, 07 December 2000 -- Q: Okay, perhaps this was gone over in briefings while we were gone. Could you give us any details, including costs and dates, of when you are going to upgrade security of U.S. ships, especially in the Gulf, but around the world?
• UN Taliban sanction, Voice of America, 07 December 2000 -- Controversy has erupted at the United Nations over a proposal to drastically tighten sanctions against the Taleban movement in Afghanistan.
• U.S., Russia Propose New Sanctions Against Taliban, USIS Washington File, 07 December 2000 -- The United States and Russia introduced a resolution in the Security Council December 7 that would tighten sanctions against Afghanistan's ruling faction, the Taliban, for their failure to comply with previous council demands to turn over indicted terrorist Usama bin Laden.
• State Department Noon Briefing - UN Sanctions Against Afghnistan, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 07 December 2000 -- Q: This UN resolution on the Taliban, the arms embargo, what do you see as the chances that this is going to, in fact, go through? How effective realistically will it be? I mean, the other resolutions haven't really done what you wanted them to do. And the third thing on this is, doesn't it in effect actually end up hurting Pakistan, because that's where the arms sort of go through?
• Attorney General Reno's Weekly Press Conference, Dec. 7, The Department of Justice, Washington, DC, 07 December 2000 -- Q: Ms. Reno, do you know how U.S. law enforcement will - what their involvement or noninvolvement will be in monitoring the trial in Yemen of the defendants there? I mean, is there anything in the Memorandum of Understanding that you know about that provides further access to this trial or anything like that?
• State Department Noon Briefing - USS Cole Investigation, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 07 December 2000 --Q: On Yemen, Janet Reno said this morning that the State Department is taking the lead on making arrangements for whether and how the US would be involved in the trial next month of at least three, possibly six, suspects.
• State Department Noon Briefing - Colombian Insurgency, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 06 December 2000 -- Q: On Colombia - actually, on Colombia and Venezuela, there was an article in the Miami Herald saying that Mr. Peter Romero had said that the State Department is aware of some kind of intentions from President Chavez of (inaudible) kind of regional force in Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Do you have any comments on that?
• DoD Beefs Up Persian Gulf Port Security , American Forces Press Service, 06 December 2000 -- DoD is beefing up port security to protect U.S. ships and other forces in the Persian Gulf region, Pentagon spokesman Navy Rear Adm. Craig R. Quigley said during a Dec. 5 Pentagon press briefing.
• US Navy / Cole, Voice of America, 06 December 2000 -- U-S officials say they hope to negotiate new security agreements with all countries whose ports are visited by American warships.
• State Department Noon Briefing, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 06 December 2000 -- State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher briefed.
• U-N / Terrorism, Voice of America, 06 December 2000 -- The United Nations Security Council is calling for greater international cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
• Concerned at rise in terrorism, Security Council says it's ready to counter threat, UN News, 06 December 2000 -- Alarmed by the growing instances of terrorism around the world, the Security Council today renewed its condemnation of all terrorist acts, irrespective of motive, and said it was prepared to respond to the menace.
• Legal Counsel Briefs Security Council On Efforts To Combat Terrorism; Reviews International Legal Regime, Stresses Need For Cooperation, UN Press Release, 06 December 2000 -- States must realize that cooperation was indispensable if they were to succeed in countering terrorism and eliminating that cowardly form of indiscriminate violence, Hans Corell, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, told the Security Council this morning, as he briefed it on international efforts to combat terrorism.
• Security Council Reiterates Condemnation of Terrorism, In Presidential Statement, UN Press Release, 06 December 2000 -- Deeply concerned by the increase in many regions of the world of acts of terrorism in all forms and manifestations, the Security Council this afternoon reiterated its condemnation of all such acts, irrespective of motive.
• State Department Noon Briefing - USS Cole Investigation, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 06 December 2000 -- Q: The Yemeni Prime Minister has said that up to six people may be tried after Ramadan for the attack on the COLE.
• Proposed New U.N. Sanctions on Taliban, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 05 December 2000 -- Department of State Fact Sheet
• On Impact of U.N. Sanctions on Afghan People, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 05 December 2000 -- Department of State Fact Sheet
• On Criminal Charges Against Usama Bin Laden, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 05 December 2000 -- Department of State Fact Sheet
• White House Daily Briefing - Taliban Sanctions, The White House, Office of the Secretary, 05 December 2000 -- Q: Jake, China has decided to abstain in the Security Council vote on the new sanctions that the United States and Russia would like to apply to Afghanistan, particularly to the Taliban. Could you react to that decision by the Chinese government and explain what the U.S. government hopes to achieve with these sanctions?
• White House Daily Briefing - Plan Colombia, The White House, Office of the Secretary, 05 December 2000 -- Q: Is the President aware that the support for Plan Colombia and the region is falling apart, and that some countries like Ecuador is requesting $150 million to the U.S. trying to fight the trouble with the people who have been moving from Colombia to their territory because of narco-traffic fights and the civil war in Colombia?
• Jordan Terrorism, Voice of America, 05 December 2000 -- Jordanian officials say they have ordered a new trial for a Jordanian-American Islamic militant who was convicted and sentenced to death in absentia on charges of terrorism.
• Peru Coke Pt. 2, Voice of America, 05 December 2000 -- Rising prices in Peru for coca leaves, which are used to produce cocaine, may threaten U-S backed efforts to persuade peasant farmers to grow legal crops, instead of coca.
• Pentagon Spokesman's Regular Briefing - Cole Investigation, U.S. Department of Defense, 05 December 2000 -- Q: Craig, there was a news report yesterday which said that an American citizen is detained in Jordan as a suspect in the Cole bombing. Do you have any information about that?
• State Department Noon Briefing - Plan Colombia, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 04 December 2000 -- Q: On Colombia, we have some reports that the US is looking to expand Plan Colombia beyond the region. I know Under Secretary Pickering spoke a little bit about the need for it, but if you could talk about any US plans to expand the program?
• Peru Coca Pt 1, Voice of America, 04 December 2000 -- The price of coca leaf, the raw material used to make cocaine, is rising in Peru.
• State Department Noon Briefing - Colombian Rebel Activity, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman, 01 December 2000 -- Q: What can you tell us about the incident in Colombia, involving or perhaps not involving Ambassador Patterson and Senator Wellstone?
• Pentagon Secrets, Voice of America, 01 December 2000 -- A new Pentagon study has underscored the challenges that laptop computers and other new technology have created for officials trying to safeguard top secret information.