NPR: U.S. Official, 4 Others to be Charged with Spying

U.S. Official, 4 Others to be Charged with Spying

The Associated Press reports that a U.S. government official and up to four Chinese nationals, are going to be charged with spying on the United States for China.

Law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity say the charges are being unsealed later Monday by federal courts in California and Virginia. The officials asked for anonymity because the case has not yet been made public.

It's not clear at this time in which department the official worked, but one reports says it was the Department of Defense.

Officials will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EST to release more details.

Update: Justice Department officials say that there are two cases, one in Virginia involving an official connected with the Defense Department who had high security clearance, and another in California involving a suspect who allegedly tried to get tech secrets from Boeing and send them to the People's Republic of China.

More: The three individuals in Virginia will actually be charged with a criminal complaint, rather than an indictment. The U.S. official is being charged with, basically, talking to other people about defense documents. Although the other people involved were connected with China, that is the extent of the charges so far.

In the second case, the individuals are being charged with giving U.S. classified documents to China. Justice Department read from letters from officials in the People's Republic of China praising the individual being charged for his work on their behalf.

1:41 PM ET | 02-11-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

So wait, espionage is against the law?

Considering that the practice has been around for millennia, and is, in fact essential to warfare (You have read the Art of War have you not?) how can they make it illegal?

In fact, why don't they just make war illegal. That would freaking rule. Can we just ban war?

In the modern age it only serves to make wealthy men richer to the detriment of the countries involved, and of course, the young men suckered into fighting the conflict.

Wake up.

Sent by Jody Sol | 2:19 PM ET | 02-11-2008

How can so many Chinese people come over to the U.S. and work in or near sensitive materials? Doesn't the State Department know that most Chinese are still in the Communist Party??

Sent by Jude | 3:58 PM ET | 02-11-2008

It is interesting how news like this can be analyzed in a unilateral fashion and ultimately be used to feed the conservative nationalist blindness here in the U.S.

According to Kenneth Wainstein, assistant attorney general for national security "These two cases plainly represent the magnitude of the threat we face. ... It's a threat to our national security and to our economic position in the world ... a threat that is posed by the relentless efforts by foreign intelligence services to penetrate our security systems." Mr. Wainstein's declaration was clearly made to a public that is conditioned to see just one side of these events (and of history as a whole).

The U.S. is obviously not a victim in this process, but only another player in the game of information collection countries play. Just think about how many other Valerie Plames are still out there. This type of declaration can feed ignorance and clearly extends the spectrum of sources of the so called "threat". The many times recycled discourse involving national security is being expanded and now it not only incorporates religious fundamentalists, but also "foreign intelligence services" and whole foreign nations. It would only be natural if other nations reciprocated and saw the same type of "threat" coming from the U.S., exemplified by the Hainan Island incident.

Unfortunately, groups inside the American society view the war against terrorism as an opportunity to ascend to power and use any chance they have to justify their existence and perpetuate their position.

Sent by Sergio | 4:45 PM ET | 02-11-2008

US is also a player of this spy game. Only difference is that you are more skilled to do this with the help of higher technology. Don't speak like an innocent victim and point finger at other's face. There are thousands of americans now in China. Don't tell me that they are all purely "good" men. I believe any government can easily dig out someone who is working on some improper things. It is just a subtle game.

Sent by hsh | 5:14 PM ET | 02-12-2008

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