OK, before I post this (knowing in the back of my head that it will somehow unfortunately devolve into a Israeli v. Palestinian or, even worse, a Nazi thread) please try to rem. that ALL of our allies are spying on us, and we spy on them.  Nevertheless, if true, this ally has its shit organized well...

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAQS1FAGYC.html


U.S. Deports Israelis Amid Warnings of Espionage Activities
By Ted Bridis Associated Press Writer
Published: Mar 5, 2002




U.S. Deports Israelis Amid Warnings of Espionage Activities
By Ted Bridis Associated Press Writer
Published: Mar 5, 2002



 
WASHINGTON (AP) - Authorities have arrested and deported dozens of young Israelis since early last year who represented themselves as art students in efforts to gain access to sensitive federal office buildings and the homes of government employees, U.S. officials said.
A draft report from the Drug Enforcement Administration - which first characterized the activities as suspicious - said the youths' actions "may well be an organized intelligence-gathering activity."

Immigration officials deported them for visa violations; no criminal espionage charges were filed.

The arrests, made in an unspecified number of major U.S. cities from California to Florida, came amid public warnings from U.S. intelligence agencies about suspicious behavior by people posing as Israeli art students and "attempting to bypass facility security and enter federal buildings."

The Israelis were arrested and deported on charges of working in the United States without authorization or overstaying visits on tourist visas, said Russ Bergeron, a spokesman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington. He described dozens of arrests since early 2001 but gave no exact figures.

The DEA report said a majority of the students questioned by U.S. investigators acknowledged having served in military intelligence, electronic signals interception or explosive ordnance units in the Israeli military. The DEA said one person questioned was the son of a two-star Israeli general, one had served as the bodyguard to the head of the Israeli Army and another served in a Patriot missile unit.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yaffa Ben-Ari said it was "nonsense" that the students were spying on the United States.

Another Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Irit Stopper, confirmed that a few Israelis posing as art students were expelled from the United States for working without permits. However they were not accused of espionage, she said. She did not say how many Israelis were expelled and did not give any additional details.

The DEA report was first obtained by a French Web site that specializes in intelligence news, Intelligenceonline.com, and confirmed Tuesday as authentic by DEA spokeswoman Rogene Waite in Washington. The Web site said 120 Israelis had been arrested.

"That these people are now traveling in the U.S. selling art seems not to fit their background," the report said.

An FBI official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted there were no espionage charges filed against any of the individuals and that they had been deported. Asked whether any spying activity occurred, the official repeated that no charges had been filed.

(cont'd)

A Justice Department official, also asking not to be publicly identified, said investigators have been aware of some "alleged linkage" between the students and alleged espionage activities in the United States since early 2001, and said authorities have made arrests in Dallas, Chicago, San Diego and in south Florida. INS spokesman Rodney Germain in Miami said five or six people were arrested in that area at least six months ago on immigration counts.

Although security experts at the DEA first characterized the youths' behavior as suspicious, and INS authorities later arrested them, the FBI typically investigates espionage cases in the United States.

The DEA report said that among U.S. sites apparently targeted was Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, home to the military's AWACS surveillance planes and the place where many of the nation's B-1 bombers are repaired. Investigators also said that one female art student went to the home of a worker for the Environmental Protection Agency in Denver to sell paintings and returned later to photograph the house, according to the report.

No one within the Justice Department has expressed concerns about the Israeli students possibly committing espionage, Justice spokesman Bryan Sierra said. The deputy U.S. attorney general, Larry Thompson, declined to discuss the arrests when asked about them during a news conference Tuesday.

The U.S. Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, a federal agency, circulated a public warning in March 2001 urging employees to report contact with people describing themselves as Israeli art students.

"These individuals have been described as aggressive," the warning said. "They attempt to engage employees in conversation rather than giving a sales pitch."

Cooperation with Israel, a longtime key ally, is increasingly important in the U.S. war on terrorism.

AP-ES-03-05-02 1658EST

This is nothing but anti-semitism.

How could you post such a thing? Terrible! I just won't believe it :P

Interesting.  I wonder how many Palestinians have been deported lately.

Hey, I've seen some of these kids!  About 2 years ago in my last job, a group of "Isreali art students" came to our office peddling their paintings.  However, my office was nowhere near government buildings, but the three girls were really cute.  A year and half ago, when I bought my new house, another group of two girls came selling arts again, probably figure people with new houses need decorations.  But by then wife's with me and that put an end to that.

True story.

Daman,

Please dont get upset and mad, this is just kidding.


But,

[whacko]
[:P]

Sorry, had to do it!

Regards,

satcong

If true, this would be [b]VERY DISTURBING[/b]. Israelis spying on the US is nothing new, [b]but, if the Israelis had prior knowledge of the planned 09-11 attacks and kept it to themselves..... that would REALLY PI$$ ME OFF[/b]!

I'm checking other sources to find out if this article is true.

Reuters also had an article on the Israeli deportation.
[url]reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=worldnews&StoryID=664733[/url]

DaMan

PS - That's OK, [b]saddong[/b].  I understand you can't argue with facts, so you have to play the fool! [:P]

I can concur.  If had them at my business also (one was very cute for an Israeli) but after hearing the story yesterday, I started thinking.

I never thought much about it until this story broke.  Although I do not work for a government agency, my company does work in the "electronic signals" industry in South Florida.  And now that I think about it, I never saw them peddling their wares to any of the other businesses in our complex (hmmmmmm - can you say paranoid???).

It was interesting that the 3 "art students" seemed to have the same exact artwork in their portfolios and for a price they could have the artwork framed and delivered to our office.

Makes you wonder what might have been built into the frames if they had made a successful sale.

I wouldn't doubt it one bit if Israel was up to such things.  It's happened before.

Mid-east descent still includes Israelis - and quite a few Christians of various backgrounds.  

BTW, Some of the hottest women I have ever met were Isreali, so it wouldn't shock me that they sent some cute "art students" over to help close the deal, so to speak...

Why all their interest in ELINT & SIGINT though.  The B-1 Base in OK?  Wierd.

I know they have their own AWACS version, developed their own advanced fighter (both of which they sold or in the Phalcon case, tried to, to China).  

btt for easy reference from DaMan's post...