Trial opens against German intelligence officer who passed secrets to CIA, Russia

The trial against a German intelligence officer accused of passing secret information to the CIA and Russian consulate has begun in Munich. The defendant faces life in prison if convicted.

Under high secrecy and security the trial against former Federal Intelligence Service (BND) agent Markus R. has begun in Munich.
The 32-year-old faces corruption, breach of secrecy and treason charges for passing classified information to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) between 2008 and 2014 in exchange for around 95,000 euros ($102,000).
"At the BND, I had the impression that no one trusted me with anything," he told the court, "but the CIA you had the opportunity to prove yourself."
The case has caused tension between the United States and Germany following revelations the NSA spied on German leaders and collected bulk intelligence on German citizens.
He also allegedly offered the Russian consulate in Munich classified information in 2014 before being apprehended by German federal authorities.
Code name 'Uwe'
Using the code name "Uwe" the defendent allegedly handed over to the CIA lists of German agents, the structure of intelligence operations, BND foreign operations and counter-espionage activities.
A CIA agent named "Alex" acted as a handler, while monthy payments were made through another middle-man named "Craig" in Salzburg and other cities in Austria.
Documents were also provided to the CIA through encrypted messaging and at one point the US spy agency gave R. a notebook computer with a special email program.
In the year before he was arrrested R. was handing over information on a weekly basis. The CIA allegedly gave him between 1,200 and 1,600 euros a month for handing over more than 200 documents total.
The defendant has admitted to the charges, which could land him in prison for life. Security around the trial is so tight that no one in the courtroom is allowed to have electronic devices like cell phones or laptops.
Considering the highly sensitive nature of the charges, the trial is expected to last for months, and will likely wrap up in March of next year.
cw,es/jil (AFP, Reuters)

Hasan Azizul Haque files GD seeking security

Eminent fiction writer Hasan Azizul Haque files general diary with Motihar police station following yesterday's death threat from an unknown caller over the phone. Star file photo

Star Online Report

Eminent writer Professor Hasan Azizul Haque today filed a general diary with the local police station over a death threat he received from an unknown caller over the phone yesterday.
Professor Haque, who lives with his two daughters in a house at Bihash, a small housing plot owned by university teachers near Rajshahi University, received the death threat reportedly for his views on freedom of expression.
Seeking security of his life, Haque filed the GD this afternoon with Motihar Police Station, the Officer-In-Charge Humayun Kabir told our RU Correspondent.
“We have started the investigation to identify the culprits,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rajshahi University Teachers’ Association (RUTA) and RU unit Chhatra Federation today strongly condemned the death threat demanding his security.
In a statement signed by RUTA President Professor Ananda Kumar Saha and General Secretary Professor Rejaul Karim, teachers expressed grave concern over the continuation of such threats on the freethinkers of the country.
They urged the law enforcers to trace out the “radicals” who are repeatedly threatening the freethinkers of the country and bring them to book.
About 50 leaders and activists of RU unit of Bangladesh Chhatra Union brought out a procession on campus and joined a rally at the university’s Tukitaki Chattar around 12:00pm protesting the death threat.
Addressing the rally, the speakers said that the government has failed to identify the real culprits though such death threats were being issued against the freethinkers repeatedly.
“Such incidents will rise if the culprits are not caught as soon as possible”, said Ayatullah Khomeni, president of RU Chhatra Union unit.
They urged the law enforcers to ensure the safety of Professor Haque.

Paris attacks 'planned from Syria': France PM

People gather outside Le Carillon restaurant, one of the attack sites in Paris, November 15, 2015. Photo: Reuters

BBC Online

Friday's attacks by Islamist militants in Paris were planned and organised from Syria, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said.
He added that the authorities believed new terror attacks were being planned in France and other European countries.
Meanwhile two more of the attackers have been named, as well as the five already identified.
A total of 129 people died in the attacks on bars and restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade de France.
France is to hold a nationwide minute of silence at midday local time (11:00 GMT) for the victims.
A huge manhunt is under way for surviving members and accomplices of the Islamist group that carried out the attack.
Police have named Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam, 26, as a key suspect. He was reportedly stopped by officers in the wake of the attacks - but then let go.
Meanwhile, French aircraft have attacked Raqqa, the stronghold in Syria of the Islamic State group, which has said it carried out the attacks.
Valls said that France was dealing with a "terrorist army", rather than a single terrorist group.
"We know that operations were being prepared and are still being prepared, not only against France but other European countries too," he said, quoted by AFP news agency.
The prime minister said more than 150 raids on militant targets in different areas of France early on Monday.
"We are making use of the legal framework of the state of emergency to question people who are part of the radical jihadist movement... and all those who advocate hate of the republic," he said.
Police sources told news agencies that properties in the Paris suburb of Bobigny, as well as the cities of Grenoble, Toulouse and Lyon, had been targeted.
Reports said large amounts of weapons were found and several people arrested.
Seven attackers died in the assault on the French capital, most of them after detonating suicide belts.
Five were identified over the weekend, and on Monday another two were named by the Paris prosecutor as Ahmad al-Mohammad and Samy Amimour.
Al-Mohammad is said to be from Syria. The other attackers so far named are all from Europe.
Amimour was said to be facing terrorism charges in France.
SUSPECTED PARIS ATTACKERS
Salah Abdeslam, 26 - urgently sought by police
Mohammed Abdeslam - reportedly arrested in Belgium
Brahim Abdeslam, 31 - named as attacker who died near Bataclan concert hall
Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29, from near Paris - died in attack on Bataclan
Bilal Hadfi, 20 - named as attacker who died at Stade de France
Ahmad al-Mohammad, 25, from Idlib, Syria - died at Stade de France
Samy Amimour, 28, from near Paris - suicide bomber at Bataclan
Two other attackers died during the assaults in the city
IS CHANGES TACTICS
Salah Abdeslam, the man named by police as a key suspect, is said to have rented a VW Polo car that was found near the Bataclan concert hall, where 89 people died, and believed to have been used by attackers.
On Saturday he was in a vehicle with two other men near the Belgian border when it was stopped by police, officials said, but was released after checks.
Belgian police again stopped the car in the Molenbeek area of Brussels, but he was no longer inside, France's Le Monde newspaper reported.
It is unclear whether the French authorities had matched the VW Polo found at the Bataclan venue to him at the time he was stopped.
Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.
Media captionParisians at Place de la Republique sum up how they feel after the attacks - in one word
Tributes at Place de la Republique near some of the attack sites - 16 NovemberImage copyrightReuters
Police have described Salah Abdeslam as dangerous, and warned people not to approach him.
One of the main lines of investigation concerns the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek. One of Abdeslam's brothers, Mohammed, was reportedly arrested there when he returned from Paris.
He remains in custody. Belgian police say they have made a total of seven arrests.
Belgium's Premier Charles Michel said the Belgian authorities would crack down on Molenbeek, which has a reputation as being a haven for jihadists.
France is currently marking a second day of national mourning. A state of emergency declared by President Hollande remains in force. Thousands of extra police and troops are on the streets of Paris.