Intelligence & National Security Discussion

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 08 Feb 2012 23:14

By conducting diversions like in Karnataka Assy?

Vashishtha · Post by **Vashishtha** » 09 Feb 2012 01:11

By conducting diversions like in Karnataka Assy?

kittoo · Post by **kittoo** » 09 Feb 2012 03:28

chiragAS wrote:Don't know if its posted already
how true is this ?
Hackers threaten to release Symantec source code Tuesday

Evidence at the time suggested that hackers found the code after breaking into servers run by Indian military intelligence

Read more here-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lords_of_Dharmaraja

These idiots also revealed that India was asking Nokia, RIM etc to spy on other countries etc. WTF is wrong with these people? The urge to gloat about their 'hacking prowess' is so much that they sacrificed national intelligence?

uddu · Post by **uddu** » 09 Feb 2012 08:05

Nah, it's said to be a big fraud.

member_21708 · Post by **member_21708** » 09 Feb 2012 11:48

kittoo wrote:Read more here-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lords_of_Dharmaraja

These idiots also revealed that India was asking Nokia, RIM etc to spy on other countries etc. WTF is wrong with these people? The urge to gloat about their 'hacking prowess' is so much that they sacrificed national intelligence?

its a chinese group claiming to be indian hackers

Fake letter blows lid off hackers’ espionage claim

NEW DELHI: A sensational claim by a hacker group -- that India was secretly granted access to the data networks of Apple, Nokia and Blackberry -- which triggered a formal US investigation, could be based on an elaborate hoax.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 456606.cms

Fake Lords of Dharmaraja

More than serving any patriotic cause, it is clear that hackers were trying to embarrass India.

There is a good chance that they are not even Indian.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/220 ... -blog.html

Suspicion grows China was behind hack of U.S. commission

(Reuters) - Suspicion is growing that operatives in China, rather than India, were behind the hacking of emails of an official U.S. commission that monitors relations between the United States and China, U.S. officials said.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/01/1 ... JW20120118

kit · Post by **kit** » 09 Feb 2012 12:11

I think MMS knows the porous state of the bureaucracy in Delhi that is totally unsuitable for vital decision making especially on the economic front. Mega projects have been stalled for umpteen reasons. What he needs is an ultra secret (disposable) Strategic Programme Staff to conduct his affairs !! No one else needs to know anything else !!

Thinking about it maybe its after all a good idea. India is no china to bull doze governmental decisions esp strategic economic decisions esp in crucial infrastructure however sense it makes !

Look at FDI in retail and the growth in power sector...

member_20617 · Post by **member_20617** » 09 Feb 2012 15:04

suryag wrote:wah wah reminds me of the self goal in the DI bump off case. The central agencies should have allowed these folks to do what they want and tail them and intervene only in case their stay was inimical to our interests

Suryag, I agree with your views.

Rahul, you disagreed with suryag because of possible collateral damage but our civilians could get hurt inadvertently by our own intelligence agencies during risky operations, couldn’t they?

member_21708 · Post by **member_21708** » 09 Feb 2012 15:12

kit wrote:I think MMS knows the porous state of the bureaucracy in Delhi that is totally unsuitable for vital decision making especially on the economic front. Mega projects have been stalled for umpteen reasons. What he needs is an ultra secret (disposable) Strategic Programme Staff to conduct his affairs !! No one else needs to know anything else !!

Thinking about it maybe its after all a good idea. India is no china to bull doze governmental decisions esp strategic economic decisions esp in crucial infrastructure however sense it makes !

Look at FDI in retail and the growth in power sector...

peddling scientific dictatorship?
people need to know about decisions that have a direct bearing on their lives, PM needs to take transparent policy decisions and connect with public, instead of imposing his decisions through a secret cabal of advisers. Keep in mind excessive secrecy led to 2G scam.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 11 Feb 2012 19:14

In a first, Antony goes to Saudi Arabia on key defence visit

As part of India's larger geopolitics and global security strategy, AK Antony will pay a two-day visit from Monday to Saudi Arabia, the first ever Indian defence minister to visit the kingdom.

During his stay in Saudi Arabia, India's key energy security partner, Antony will carry out
a security dialogue aiming to provide a major boost to the two countries' defence cooperation.

The dialogue will go beyond the two nations' existing defence cooperation arrangement in the field of training exchanges, port visits by each other's warships and high-level military delegation visits.

"This is going to be the first ever visit by an Indian defence minister to Saudi Arabia," said a defence ministry spokesperson.

Antony will be accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, Indian Army vice chief Lt Gen SK Singh, Indian Navy deputy chief Vice Admiral Satish Soni and Indian Air Force's Air Vice Marshal MR Pawar.

Antony will hold discussions with saudi Defence Minister Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, and meet other leaders, the spokesperson said.

Antony's visit is expected to facilitate discussions on areas where such cooperation can be expanded, hold talks on regional security issues such as terrorism and piracy.

Antony will also be interacting with representatives of the about two-million-strong Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia.

India and Saudi Arabia may not have a formal defence cooperation agreement, but the two countries have in the last decade enhanced their interaction with their militaries holding joint training exercise, particularly in counter-insurgency and mountain warfare techniques.

Their navies too cooperate, with bilateral port visits as also in the anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

Saudi Arabia is a very important nation from India's perspective, as it is a key member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and one of the top oil exporting countries.

India with its large Muslim population sees Saudi Arabia from the global perspective as the seat of Islam's two most scared sites -- Mecca and Medina -- to which a large number of Indian Muslims go on pilgrimage annually.

Saudi Arabia also has one of the largest concentrations of non-resident Indians and people of Indian origin, who go there in search of livelihood and contribute heavily in terms of foreign remittances.

Antony hails from Kerala, which probably has sent the largest number people to Saudi Arabia as work force.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 13 Feb 2012 07:22

Working in real time: Ajit Doval

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 14 Feb 2012 03:23

Shankaraa wrote:
suryag wrote:wah wah reminds me of the self goal in the DI bump off case. The central agencies should have allowed these folks to do what they want and tail them and intervene only in case their stay was inimical to our interests
Suryag, I agree with your views.

Rahul, you disagreed with suryag because of possible collateral damage but our civilians could get hurt inadvertently by our own intelligence agencies during risky operations, couldn’t they?

Inside India, it should always be the Indian intel which reigns supreme. If the other agencies get any leads inside India, they give the info to us and we follow the leads and share back any gained info as we see fit.

If that protocol is not followed, any cells busted go out irrespective of the stage of their operation. If it is a friendly country we simply say hard luck but you have to go back. If it is others, well detention for "unknown" periods, depending on the fate of our busted operatives in their country.

You have interests not friends and having other intelligence agencies run amok inside one's country is going to be worst for our interests.

sum · Post by **sum** » 14 Feb 2012 19:03

^^ One pooch for the gurus here:

Does the RAW have a "operations wing" and "analyst wing" like how the CIA is divided into Directorate of operations ( having actual "spies" for covert action and foreign espionage) and the Directorate of analysis( which consists of non-spies who are analysts)?

Ankit Desai · Post by **Ankit Desai** » 14 Feb 2012 20:10

I may be wrong but in the past I might read that there is anti-spy/anti-espionage wing some where in Indian intelligence. I may be wrong.

But if there is none than need to create one or if there is one than time to clear dust and start it working.

Current episode of attack on Israel Diplomat is like some Hollywood movie. The Bourne re-born in India !?

There may be more angles and media is discussing all the angles. Exciting as well let down (as far Indian intelligence failed to stop it an incident 200 meters from PM house) episode as far I am concern.

-Ankit

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 14 Feb 2012 20:50

Kamal Chauhan, former RSS worker, planted bombs on Samjhauta Express: NIA

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 14 Feb 2012 20:59

Aditya_V wrote:Kamal Chauhan, former RSS worker, planted bombs on Samjhauta Express: NIA

some ill advised morons are playing with fire.

This will certainly come back to bite them in the ass in the very near future.

This is the real meaning of communalisation.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 14 Feb 2012 23:32

sum wrote:^^ One pooch for the gurus here:

Does the RAW have a "operations wing" and "analyst wing" like how the CIA is divided into Directorate of operations ( having actual "spies" for covert action and foreign espionage) and the Directorate of analysis( which consists of non-spies who are analysts)?

Sort of. Set up is very different to the CIA though. Things are being changed to have an analyst wing to collate, analyse the intel coming through from others. Less said the better

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 17 Feb 2012 04:57

China pushes India-ASEAN towards strategic partnership?

Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Singapore’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said: “India’s presence in ASEAN would create a more prosperous, peaceful and stable region. With India emerging as a global power, this partnership has become more indispensable to ASEAN.”

Manu · Post by **Manu** » 17 Feb 2012 15:08

chetak wrote:
Aditya_V wrote:Kamal Chauhan, former RSS worker, planted bombs on Samjhauta Express: NIA

some ill advised morons are playing with fire.

This will certainly come back to bite them in the ass in the very near future.

This is the real meaning of communalisation.

I suspect that it will not. For the intended victims of this political chicanery are such blundering septuagenarian and octogenarian fools that they keep committing more self-goals than anyone else.
When the bright minds in the current ruling dispensation first sired the term “Saffron Terrorist”, the response was so idiotic that there is a counterintuitive theory to suggest that it must be secretly brilliant.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/terro ... jp/614743/

So far, not an iota of proof has been presented against the Sadhvi or Col. Purohit, yet they languish is jail and have been the victim of many a Narco test. Not even a PIL from anyone.

Ultimately, the old do not gracefully make way for the young in India, they have to be shown the door (or dropped from the team, not waiting for them to announce retirement).

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 17 Feb 2012 21:52

I have come to conclusion that what Indian agencies gather is information and not intelliegence, which is information that is collected and processed for the use of the policy maker to frame policy and take actions.

This is because the policy maker's goals are to stay in power.

The fault is with the policy maker themselves and not the agencies.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 17 Feb 2012 23:58

MMS approves 36 posts for recruitment in RAW via UPSC. They are ending the friends and family business in RAW.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 18 Feb 2012 00:13

They need to re-energize the various area studies centers in the universities all round the country to create new experts. Thanks to MEA myopia they managed to make them unviable.

Krishna Menon to his credit pushed for these centers long ago. Then his detractors ensured they whither on the vine.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 18 Feb 2012 01:11

There is so much still that needs to be done. Manpower needs to be a start, hopefully this move changes things . MEA needs to take intel support more seriously rather than top down.

sum · Post by **sum** » 21 Feb 2012 10:29

CAG gets a toehold in RAW

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has got a toehold in the auditing process of Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s premier intelligence agency.

In directions issued by the cabinet secretariat earlier this month, RAW has been told to submit a copy of its annual internal audit report to CAG. The report is prepared by a senior officer of the Indian Audit Service. A series of follow-up steps are also listed in the communication, which has been the subject of high-level discussions over the past few months.

RAW’s audit process came up after CAG completed its special audit of the National Technical Research Organisation. The report was critical of purchases, procedures and recruitment.

RAW’s audit practices were discussed at a high-level meeting at CAG headquarters, which the RAW chief, officials of the cabinet secretariat and PMO attended.

The RAW chief has been asked to “personally’’ keep CAG informed of how the audit paras listed in the internal report have been “settled.’’ The RAW chief is expected to keep the CAG posted on action taken by it on audit objections or expense anomalies.

RAW has also been advised to set up a monitoring committee headed by its chief, which will periodically review the settlement of audit objections. Agency officials said the directive is a reiteration of old guidelines, and that interaction with the CAG and cabinet secretariat, on the lines suggested, has been set in motion.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 22 Feb 2012 07:13

‘Resident Pak spy’ arrested in Capital

Pak national held with defence papers

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 25 Feb 2012 06:10

NTRO deploying assets
Centre looks to deploy more UAVs in anti-Naxal fight

Josy Joseph, TNN | Feb 24, 2012, 04.01AM IST
Article
Comments (2)
Read more:UAVs|NTRO|Naxal areas|Maosits|CRPF|Anti-Naxal ops
2

NEW DELHI: The Centre is proposing to significantly expand UAV deployment in Naxal-affected areas.

Sources said the move comes in the wake of noticeable successes from UAVs that have been based in central India and operating over Naxal areas. These UAVs have been providing live streaming of images from areas where Maoists are active. "They have been extremely helpful in our operations, in figuring out camps, tracks etc," an official in the security establishment said.

The UAVs, deployed from the fleet belonging to the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), have long endurance and can linger over an area for 15-18 hours. Given that they are controlled via satellites, they are able to loiter for long hours, unlike the previous generation that the IAF had deployed. The air force UAVs were 'line of sight' vehicles that had limited range and endurance, and thus reduced capability to loiter over an area, the official said.

The initial experience with the air force UAVs was not very exciting, the official said. "But now, with the NTRO's UAVs that are controlled by ground stations through satellites, we have been able to achieve a very long endurance. It is making all the difference," he said.

The live feed from the UAVs are received at joint command centres where both NTRO technical experts and CRPF personnel are deployed. Based on the inputs, the CRPF has carried out several successful operations in recent months, sources said.

Officials said the home ministry has now asked NTRO to open a second ground station for UAVs for anti-Maoist operations. The effort is to further extend the strategic reach over the Red Corridor, an official said.

As part of efforts to further strengthen UAV deployment, CRPF is also finalizing a proposal to acquire tactical UAVs that can be carried around by troops. They could be looking at a version of miniature UAVs, that can be shoulder-launched, or of similar capability, sources said.

Presently, the parameters for these miniature UAVs are being finalized. These miniature UAVs are to provide advance information to troops on operation, and could be integral part of the operational capability of anti-Naxal battalions, sources said.

-----------------------

NTRO can't eavesdrop, says govt

Josy Joseph, TNN Feb 18, 2012, 04.32AM IST
Tags:

Radia intercepts|
NTRO

NEW DELHI: The government has granted nine intelligence agencies the right to lawfully intercept and monitor communications within the country but, ironically, the technical intelligence agency created exclusively for the purpose does not figure in the list.

On January 17, the government notified the standard operating procedure (SOP) for lawful interception and monitoring. The list of agencies empowered to do so left out the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), which was created after the Kargil conflict as a dedicated technical intelligence agency.

"It means the NTRO cannot carry out any legal interception, definitely not within Indian borders," a senior official said.

According to sources in the intelligence community, the NTRO's absence from the list could be due to opposition from the home ministry, which did not want classification of the NTRO as an intelligence agency and its notification as a monitoring agency. It was also opposed by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), which had for years protested the inclusion of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in the list of monitoring agencies.

The ministry's opposition came despite the Cabinet Committee on Security, while setting up the NTRO, clearly spelling out that the agency should be notified as a monitoring agency.

The government's notification followed the leak of the Niira Radia tapes, the resultant controversy and consultations within the government on the issue. There has been much debate within the government and outside about the agencies which should be permitted to carry out lawful interception and monitoring.

The final list of empowered agencies includes the IB, RAW, the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the CBI, the Narcotics Control Bureau and three others.

Although a committee headed by the cabinet secretary had earlier recommended that the power be denied to the CBDT, which had carried out the Radia intercepts, it made it to the list while the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau failed to do so this time.

The home ministry's opposition to the inclusion of the NTRO in the list also meant that the Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985 was not notified for the NTRO. The Act prevents employees of a notified agency from forming associations, and has several other clauses, including stricter conditions on handling of official secrets.

According to the new SOP, which makes legal interception a more stringent affair and increases accountability, eavesdropping can take place for only 180 days. It allows accessing of voice, data such as SMSs, GRPS data, call detail records and others. The SOP also holds service providers responsible for actions of individual employees, when it comes to intercepts.

sum · Post by **sum** » 25 Feb 2012 09:33

"It means the NTRO cannot carry out any legal interception, definitely not within Indian borders," a senior official said.

According to sources in the intelligence community, the NTRO's absence from the list could be due to opposition from the home ministry, which did not want classification of the NTRO as an intelligence agency and its notification as a monitoring agency. It was also opposed by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), which had for years protested the inclusion of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in the list of monitoring agencies.

Errr, so what exactly is NTRO's job?

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 25 Feb 2012 09:39

^^Eavesdropping on companies, NGOs, politicians, and citizens of india for the benefit of the ruling party?

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 25 Feb 2012 21:58

These days police officers in groups invest in interception tech - and charge the clients (kidnap cases) for use of the service. So its even available to the ordinary people on the cheap.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 25 Feb 2012 22:00

sum wrote:Errr, so what exactly is NTRO's job?

Nuclear, Internet security, Credit card related stuff and cross border interception/surveillance.

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 26 Feb 2012 06:36

Modasa blast: Small detail on bike gave NIA big lead

Prabu · Post by **Prabu** » 28 Feb 2012 18:30

This should have been done much earlier. And whiy did we simply deport ? why di not slap other Anti Indian charges ?
German national held, deported for aiding anti-nuke protests

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 29 Feb 2012 11:47

^^^
a quote from that article

"I have met this man even four to five years ago. He identified himself as a friend of India," S. P. Udayakumar, spearheading the protests, said.

I saw the tv interview in a regional channel. What he actually said was that he has known the german for 4-5 years. There is a big difference between meeting someone and knowing someone.

May be this is a government hatched conspiracy against Udayakumar and the German national, but I hope it succeeds for the good of the nation.

*** Added later
unless this report has any truth to it..

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 29 Feb 2012 11:48

Two LeT men nabbed in Delhi; terror strikes foiled

In a major operation, Delhi police has arrested two suspected LeT terrorists who were allegedly planning to carry out terror strikes in the capital targeting vital installations and VVIPs.

Delhi Police sources said the operation was launched to nab the two Lashkar-e-Toiba men after receiving inputs from Central intelligence agencies that the duo have entered the capital to carry out strikes.

Effective coordination with Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand Police helped nab the two terrorists, the sources said.

They said the two were planning to carry out major strikes in the national capital by targeting vital installations and VVIPs.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 01 Mar 2012 03:43

Tajik airfield to be reconstructed

India is working towards reconstruction of the strategic Ayni airfield in the central Asian nation of Tajikistan and is also hoping to set up a military hospital there. India has always officially denied reports in the past decade that it is maintaining any airbase at Ayni. Defence minister A.K. Antony had also visited the strategically-located airfield during his visit to Tajikistan last year.

India is working towards further strengthening defence ties with the former Soviet state that borders Afghanistan, sources said.

India already has several medical facilities in Afghanistan. Repeated attacks in the past by Pakistan-backed Taliban terrorists on Indian missions have been carried out, even as Pakistan has grown increasingly jittery over the increased Indian presence in Afghanistan and central Asia.

In other defence-related developments, as reported by this newspaper earlier, the government on Wednesday confirmed that Indian Ordnance Factories would manufacture 100 Bofors 155 mm artillery guns for the Indian Army, which has placed orders for these. The Ordnance Factory Board had received technology transfer for manufacture of the guns years ago.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary consultative committee on defence on Wednesday discussed the functioning of the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) during which MPs pointed out the “shortcomings” in the organisation that has led to the “delay in the induction of the Light Combat Aircraft in the Indian Air Force, delay in the development of Kaveri Engine, delay in phasing out of MiG-21 aircraft and lack of an aggressive strategy to export HAL products”.
The IAF is working towards phasing out of some of the variants of the MiG-21 aircraft.

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 02 Mar 2012 11:44

US forces in five South Asian nations including India

US Special forces teams are currently stationed in five South Asian countries including India as part of the counter-terrorism co-operation with these nations, a top Pentagon commander has disclosed.

These teams have been deployed by US Pacific Command as part of its effort to enhance their counter-terrorism capabilities, in particular in the maritime domain, Admiral Robert Willard, the PACOM Commander said yesterday.

"We have currently special forces assist teams - Pacific assist teams is the term - laid down in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, as well as India," Willard told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing in response to a question on co-operation with India on counter-terrorism issues.

"We are working very closely with India with regard to their counter-terrorism capabilities and in particular on the maritime domain but also government to government, not necessarily DOD (Department of Defence) but other agencies assisting them in terms of their internal counter-terror and counterinsurgency challenges," Willard said.

Willard said, Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) is a very dangerous organisation. It not only has very good operational security, but also a lot of international design in terms of their aspirations.

"So it is a very important threat, and we're working very closely with the nations in the region to help contain it," he said.

link2

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 02 Mar 2012 12:09

I note that a whole lot of internet cable cutting has been going on around the world. First off the coast of China about 5 years ago. Then middle east, then off the coast of India, now East Africa.

Is it just my paranoir or is the CIA installing equipment to intercept network traffic on these cables?

----

Ships did not cut internet cables: Egypt

Ships are not responsible for damaging undersea internet cables in the Mediterranean, Egypt's Government says.

Two cables were damaged earlier this week in the Mediterranean sea and another off the coast of Dubai, causing widespread disruption to internet and international telephone services in Egypt, Gulf Arab states and South Asia.

A fourth cable linking Qatar to the United Arab Emirates was damaged on Sunday causing yet more disruptions, telecommunication provider Qtel said.

Egypt's transport ministry said footage recorded by onshore video cameras of the location of the cables showed no maritime traffic in the area when the cables were damaged.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-02-04/s ... pt/1031698

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 02 Mar 2012 12:21

Bugs found in AKA office I hear

Confirmed: bit.ly/wjydqR

MI is the one under suspicion. If you ask me I think they want to get rid of VK Singh one way or another.

Tamang · Post by **Tamang** » 02 Mar 2012 14:08

X-Posting

Antony's office 'bugged', defence ministry orders probe

NEW DELHI: Defence minister A K Antony's office is 'bugged' and the defence ministry ordered probe with Intelligence Bureau, according to sources.

The bugging came into notice on February 16 following which defence secretary Shashikant Sharma took up the matter with IB for a probe.

Last year, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had confirmed that he suspected his finance ministry offices were bugged and had sought an inquiry into the alleged incidents.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 02 Mar 2012 21:04

MoD denies the above. VKS meets AKA, told him MoD babu's spreading the rumour that IA was bugging the phones. It was DGMI that told DefSec about sounds in AKA's house line and the problem was solved with MTNL. But MoD babu's making VKS the villain. IB wasnt even called in apparently.

uddu · Post by **uddu** » 02 Mar 2012 21:12

Will investigations be launched against those who spread the rumours and the corrupt ones punished?