To what extent has the CIA and its operatives breached our classified security and defence intelligence, wonders Patriot.
The Washington Post expose relating to the sale of rigged spying devices – manufactured by Crypto AG, linked to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and sold to 120 governments – sends a chilling message that classified security and defence intelligence might have been captured by the CIA on governments that had acquired the device.
Malaysia has been named as one of the countries that acquired the spying device, and in all probability, such spying devices would only be used either by the military or the police or by both the agencies. Only Russia and China have been identified as governments that had not acquired the spying device.
If indeed our government acquired the device, the question is to what extent has the CIA and its operatives breached our classified security and defence intelligence. We believe it could be extensive. We would not be surprised if telephone conversations between national leaders and other world leaders have been monitored.
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Our National Security Council needs to seriously look into this issue and if possible, totally revamp the security apparatus acquired from Crypto AG.
It has been reported that a board member of Crypto AG had formerly served with the Israel Defence Force, and the Israeli government is well known for having spy operatives planted throughout the world.
Our government is at the mercy of the more advanced countries in terms of the acquisition of high-performance devices to be used by our intelligence agencies and operatives.
Ideally we should have developed such devices to be self-reliant in such sophisticated intelligence matters. The over-reliance on a foreign purchase of such devices clearly shows that we do not have the capacity nor the ability to develop and manufacture indigenously such sophisticated and sensitive spying devices.
The reality is that there is no political will to venture into such development and manufacturing capability. Or are we not too concerned about our security and defence matters?
How long more do we need to depend on foreign acquisitions of such highly sophisticated and sensitive spying devices is a question that needs to be answered and viewed seriously by the government today.
Retired Brigadier-General Dato Mohamed Arshad Raji is president of the National Patriots Association (Patriot)
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