European lawmakers Call for Clarity on EU-US Data Transfers Over Privacy Fears.

European lawmakers Call for Clarity on EU-US Data Transfers Over Privacy Fears. (SP).

The lawmakers are debating the proposed text of the latest agreement with the US over the privacy of data related to EU citizens, held on US servers by multinational companies — called Privacy Shield.

The agreement has been under negotiation for months ever since the European Court of Justice ruled in October 2015 that the previous EU-US data agreement — Safe Harbor — was invalid. The issue arises from the strict EU laws — enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union — to the privacy of their personal data.

The Safe Harbor agreement was a quasi-judicial understanding that the US undertook to agree that it would ensure that EU citizens' data on US servers would be held and protected under the same restrictions as it would be under EU law and directives. The data covers a huge array of information — from Internet and communications usage, to sales transactions, import and exports.

The new proposed replacement — known as Privacy Shield — has been agreed after months of negotiation between the US and the EU and promises that: "for the first time, the US government has given the EU written assurance from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that any access of public authorities for national security purposes will be subject to clear limitations, safeguards and oversight mechanisms, preventing generalized access to personal data […] through an Ombudsperson mechanism within the Department of State, who will be independent from national security services."

However, lawmakers on the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in the European Parliament have called-in the details over fears Privacy Shield has been drafted too loosely and will not protect the personal data of EU citizens.

Speaking on the Commission's proposal, the committee chair Claude Moraes said:

"The new framework […] has no written text and my first concern is that it has too much in common with the previous Safe Harbor decision. The announcement does not indicate any measures which are legally binding on either party, but relies on 'declaration' by the US authorities on their interpretation of the legal situation regarding surveillance by the US intelligence services.

"Another key concern is that the creation of an Ombudsman which could be a positive step forward in assessing the complaints of citizens does not seem to be underpinned in the current statement by sufficient legal powers," he said. Read the full story here. 

German police possess leaked 'Islamic State' files on foreign fighters.

German police possess leaked 'Islamic State' files on foreign fighters. (DW).

Germany's federal police agency has obtained a cache of documents concerning foreign fighters, reported German media. The agency did not specify how it obtained the files that detail personal information of the fighters.

The material is based on "entrance interviews" given to foreign fighters when they first arrive in 'IS'-held areas.

"Süddeutsche Zeitung" added that the German attorney general knew of the files, noting that they were being used by authorities to identify citizens returning to Germany after having fought with the militant group.

Each IS-volunteer has to so-called general-border management have 23 make questions. In addition to name, nom and previous residence also information on traffickers, members, guarantor, religious education and so-called jihadist experience be queried. International students can also specify whether they want to be used for example as fighters or suicide bombers.

From the papers it is apparent that IS already asks when entering the special qualifications of new recruits. They marked at a Munich-based chemical students: "Important Has chemical knowledge.." According to US intelligence makes the IS toxic gas and is about mustard gas have been used in Syria and Iraq. Read the full story here. More here in German.

Iran official claims US send ‘CIA’ spy to Iran.

Iran official makes contradictory ‘CIA infiltration’ claim. (Taz).

A CIA agent, who was given a mission to infiltrate Iran, traveled to Tehran around June and visited all the universities in the city, Secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaee has claimed.

“In the future, we will release many documents about him,” said Rezaee, who formerly served as the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Tasnim news agency reported March 1.

“That man is the first person who went to the USSR after the atmosphere eased there,” Rezaee said, without making any further clarification.

But Rezaee, despite claiming that the CIA agent visited Iran around June last year, further said the person came to the country following the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, aka nuclear deal) by Iran and the P5+1 (the US, the UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany), which took place on July 14, 2015.

The JCPOA was backed by an IAEA report testifying to the peacefulness of Iran’s nuclear program and was put into force on Jan. 16, 2016, ending long claims over Iran’s nuclear ambitions by curbing its nuclear activities.

“We are facing enemies who are ahead of us by 100 years in terms of science and technology. They don’t have any problems with nuclear bombs… or missiles. They have problems with our scientific advancement,” claimed Rezaee.

Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been warning that “enemies” have special plans for infiltrating the country in the post-JCPOA era.


A number of Iran’s nuclear scientists have been assassinated in the past. Tehran accuses its “enemies” of having plotted the assassinations as a bid to hamper the country’s progress.

Russia - Armata tank weapon system designer convicted of treason.

Russia - Armata tank weapon system designer convicted of treason. (RBTH).

Defense physicist Maxim Lyudomirsky, one of the team responsible for developing the weapons systems for Russia's new Armata heavy tank, has been found guilty of treason.

The Moscow City Court sentenced Lyudomirsky, who was arrested back in 2014, to nine years in prison on Nov. 18.

Details of the hearing are not known, since the case is classified and was heard in closed session.

Maxim Lyudomirsky was a co-owner of the Elektrooptika research and production complex and concurrently held the post of chief engineer there.

The complex specializes in the development and manufacture of laser strapdown inertial navigation systems (LINS) (a navigation device for aircraft), their basic elements, as well as specialized software.

Lyudomirsky also designed some of the weapon systems for the Armata heavy tank. He is also the author of a number of works on laser technology.


According to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Lyudomirsky was found to have collaborated with a foreign country, passing valuable information on new developments in the Russian arms industry. Read the full story here.

ISIS advances in the DeepWeb among Bitcoin and darknets

ISIS advances in the DeepWeb among Bitcoin and darknets. (securityaffairs).

The Dark Web is a privileged environment for cyber criminals and state-sponsored hackers due to the anonymity offered by its services.

Unfortunately, another category of threat actors is exploiting the deep web, the terrorists, for this reason, the US intelligence plans to dive in the principal Darknets and explore the main hidden services to raise money and make propaganda in search of new followers to recruit.

The Dark Web is difficult to monitor for intelligence agencies and it is not so easy to locate members of terrorist organizations like the ISIS that share propaganda content. In the principal black markets hosted on the deep web it is possible to purchase any kind of illegal product and service, but in the dark part of the web it is possible to find propaganda videos and images.

Hidden services in the Deep Web also offer the possibility to download the mobile apps used by the jihadists to communicate securely and to transfer Bitcoins to terrorist cells in every place of the world.

“What keeps me up at night when I am thinking about digital currency…the real threats out there, these days we’re thinking a lot about ISIL,” Calvery declared. “How they’re moving their money, and how potential US-based individuals are becoming foreign fighters: Are they moving their money, can we identify them from the movement of their money? What does it mean if they start moving their money through bitcoin? We’ve started to see some public articles suggesting that has occurred.” Read the full story here.

Video - Tank biathlon: First comp in new paramilitary sport starts near Moscow.

Tank biathlon: First comp in new paramilitary sport starts near Moscow.HT: RussiaToday.

Russia is introducing ‘tank biathlon’, a new paramilitary sport about armor races and precision gunnery. The first international competition starts near Moscow on Monday. Several NATO countries, including the US, are expected to join the contest in 2014.

The concept of a direct tank crew competition recently introduced by the Russian Defense Ministry was born during an ordinary tank crew field firing exercise. What the military needs is a complex tank crew proficiency and gunnery skills test.

But while military drills are a serious and costly matter, tank biathlon is more about pure professionalism and sporting competitive spirit. The winner is champion, having ‘blown’ the competitors away.

The basic idea behind the tank contest is simple and repeats the rules of the classic biathlon: cover about 20km in shortest time while successfully hitting your targets.

The recent 2+2 meeting of the Russian Foreign and Defense ministers with their American counterparts has brought a number of positive results and among them some quite unexpected ones. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu made several proposals to the American side to further strengthen military cooperation and interaction and the US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel gave the green light to some. Among them is the participation of American tank crews (most probably American M1 Abrams main tanks) in the newly-invented Russian military contest.

“We have invited our American counterparts to participate in the tank biathlon competition in Russia,” Shoigu told reporters. “US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has accepted the invitation.”

Reportedly crews from other NATO countries are also likely to take part in the competition next year.

Shoigu stressed that the crews from the US and possibly Germany and Italy would be driving their own tanks. “Moreover, like our Italian counterparts said, they threaten the victory will be theirs,” Shoigu maintained. Hmmmm......Now that would be a 'nice' new olympic discipline.I wonder if Israel is allowed to play along?They're probably smart enough to refuse their 'hardware' being checked out.Read and see the full story here.