FBI is tracking spies of all sorts

A recently released FBI report about the compromising ties between a Chinese-American Mata Hari and her FBI-agent lover is a stark reminder that, after terrorism, the greatest threat to our national security at home is espionage.

The FBI report, which details the 20-year relationship between Katrina Leung, an informant on Chinese intelligence activities in the United States, and FBI counterintelligence agent James Smith, shows why America better keep its eye squarely on the spy threat.

According to the U.S. government, spies from more than 140 nations are working overtime in our exceedingly open society to pinch U.S. defense and commercial secrets at a clip not seen since the Cold War ended. Foreign spies aggressively are collecting military and high-tech secrets using both “old school” and new spy tradecraft.

Foreign spy services are deviating from the traditional practice of placing operatives under official cover in their embassies, consulates or trade missions around the United States. According to the FBI, today’s foreign 007s are assigning defense attaches, emigres or visiting students, businessmen, scientists and researchers to respond to specific information requests and to exploit “targets of opportunity” they come across.

American high-tech industries are a key target. Every year, economic espionage costs American businesses billions of dollars. Spies recruit company insiders, form joint ventures and even engage in Dumpster diving for discarded data.

Although the United States is targeted for intelligence collection by many nations, 10 countries probably account for 60 percent of the counterintelligence threat, says the U.S. government’s National Counterintelligence Executive Office.

China, by far, constitutes the greatest counterintelligence threat today, according to the FBI. As many as 3,500 Chinese front companies operate here for the express purpose of gathering intelligence, especially highly prized information technology.

The FBI claims that the number of Chinese counterintelligence cases in Silicon Valley increases by 20 percent to 30 percent every year. But Beijing also uses espionage to support its unprecedented military buildup.

A Taiwanese citizen recently pleaded guilty to spying for Chinese intelligence in the United States. He brazenly sought to buy — and illegally export — cruise air-to-air missiles and parts for helicopters and fighter aircraft to China.

Russia is no post-Cold War pal on the Spy vs. Spy front, either. Moscow ranks as No. 2 on the counterintelligence threat list. Former KGB colonel — and current Russian president — Vladimir Putin keeps his former comrades plenty busy.

Cuban 007s are here, too. Havana concentrates its defensive intelligence efforts on penetrating Cuban-American communities in the States to ensure they don’t get stung by another Bay of Pigs-style invasion.

Iran’s secret service has similar concerns about counterrevolution. But while Tehran is focused on Washington’s deliberations over its nuclear program, it also is scrounging for embargoed spare parts for its Shah-era, U.S.-made fighter and cargo planes.

Moreover, several Iranian diplomats assigned to their U.N. mission have been expelled from the United States over the last few years for suspicious activities, including video-casing New York City tourist and transportation sites.

We must assume that non-state actors are gathering intelligence here, too. Hezbollah and Hamas surely are collecting information for terrorist strikes against U.S. targets in case we take military action against their sponsor, Iran.

Spies also focus on members of Congress and congressional staff on Capitol Hill. They see them not only as a source of insider “skinny” on legislative branch deliberations, but also as candidates for influence operations, too.

Considering the ongoing threat of terrorism here at home and the continuing challenge of law enforcement, adjusting to the growing peril of counterintelligence is no small task for the FBI.

In its efforts to counter the growing counterintelligence problem, the FBI is assigning spy catchers to all 56 field offices. In addition, the bureau has increased the number of counterintelligence officers in its ranks. Equally important, the FBI has expanded its counterintelligence cooperation with industry partners, especially with major defense contractors.

That may not be enough. We clearly have to do more to prevent foreign spies from nicking sensitive American information for ill-gotten commercial, military — or worse yet — terrorist gain.

Peter Brookes is a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation and the author of “A Devil’s Triangle: Terrorism, WMD and Rogue States.”

Copyright The Heritage Foundation