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| Home Front: WoT |
| Several arrested in Chinese spy sweep |
| 2008-02-12 |
| The FBI today arrested a Pentagon official and two Chinese-born residents on espionage charges for passing defense secrets to China, the Justice Department announced. Gregg William Bergersen, 51, of Alexandria, was arrested at his home on espionage charges. Tai Shen Kuo, a Taiwan-born U.S. citizen, 58, and Yu Xin Kang, a Chinese national, 33, both of New Orleans, were arrested in New Orleans on charges of conspiracy to provide defense secrets to China. Mr. Bergersen worked as a weapons system analyst for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, in Arlington, which is in charge of U.S. arms sales to foreign nations. He held a top-secret clearance. One official said the case involved the transfer of command, control, communications and intelligence equipment originally sold to Taiwan that was diverted to China. Court papers state that the three men conspired to transfer defense secrets during meetings with Chinese intelligence officials. “Today's prosecution demonstrates that foreign spying remains a serious threat,” said Kenneth L. Wainstein, assistant attorney general for national security. Mr. Wainstein said in a statement that the case has “all the elements of a classic espionage operation: a foreign government focused on accessing our military secrets; foreign operatives who effectively use stealth and guile to gain that access; and an American government official who is willing to betray both his oath of public office and the duty of loyalty we rightly demand from every American citizen.” Such spy networks “pose a grave danger to our national security, and we should all thank the investigators and prosecutors on this case for effectively penetrating and dismantling this network before more sensitive information was compromised,” he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 I can vouch for the fact that while engineering provides a comfortable income, you'll never get rich |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-02-12 10:18 |
| #2 Going into law or finance is easier work and the rewards, on average, greater. Americans are making a rational choice by avoiding engineering. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-02-12 08:21 |
| #1 "arested...two Chinese-born residents on espionage charges" Kind of explains what FDR was concerned about in 1942 when he established Manzanar etc. The underlying problem is that we have to use Chinese (and other immigrant) engineers and scientists to do the jobs Americans won't (or can't) anymore. We can't produce enough engineers because we won't teach math - anything with right or wrong answers might damage little Johnny's self-esteem. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-02-12 08:18 |