|
¡@
US TV station to air secret video of
Chinese spy deal
By William Lowther
STAFF REPORTER, IN WASHINGTON
Saturday, Feb 27, 2010, Page 1
¡§The Chinese are the biggest problem we have with respect to the level of
effort that they¡¦re devoting against us, versus the level of attention we are
giving to them.¡¨¡X Michelle Van Cleave, former head of US counterintelligence
A US television network has obtained an extraordinary FBI video showing a
Pentagon analyst selling US-Taiwanese military secrets to a Chinese spy.
It may be one of the most graphic and detailed pieces of espionage evidence ever
to be made public.
Chinese spy Kuo Tai-shen (³¢¥x¥Í), a Taiwan-born naturalized US citizen, can
clearly be seen stuffing a wad of money ¡X about US$2,000 ¡X into Pentagon analyst
Gregg Bergersen¡¦s shirt pocket as the two are heard discussing a deal.
It happened about two years ago in the front seat of Bergersen¡¦s car as he drove
through the Washington suburbs.
The FBI, suspicious that a spy deal was in the offing, had hidden at least two
tiny video cameras and sound recording equipment in the vehicle to record the
entire transaction.
Just how the CBS network obtained the video is not known, but it will be shown
in full on the 60 Minutes news program tomorrow evening.
Parts of it can be seen now on the CBS Web site.
After being shown the tape and other evidence against them, Bergersen and Kuo
pleaded guilty. Bergersen was sentenced to 57 months in prison for
¡§communicating national defense information¡¨ and Kuo was given 15 years for
espionage.
In a statement on its Web site, CBS says that the never-before-made-public video
¡§offers a rare glimpse into the secret world of espionage and illustrates how
China¡¦s spying may now pose the biggest espionage threat to the US.¡¨
Michelle Van Cleave, former head of US counterintelligence, is quoted as saying:
¡§The Chinese are the biggest problem we have with respect to the level of effort
that they¡¦re devoting against us, versus the level of attention we are giving to
them.¡¨
Bergersen, a civilian who had high security clearance, can be heard telling Kuo
about classified documents containing details of the weapons systems the US
intended to sell to Taiwan.
"I¡¦m very, very, very reticent to let you have it because it¡¦s all classified,
but I will let you see it," Bergersen tells Kuo. ¡§You know you can write all the
notes you want, it¡¦s just I can never let anyone know ... I¡¦d get fired for sure
on that. Well, not even fired, I¡¦d go to [word bleeped out] jail."
As previously reported, Kuo was the son-in-law of General Xue Yue (Á§©¨)¡V a key
adviser to Chiang Kai-shek (½±¤¶¥Û)¡V and a prosperous businessman involved in the
export-import trade with China. At one time he had offices in Taipei and
Beijing.
Bergersen may not actually have known that he was selling secrets to China.
He may have believed that Kuo was representing a Taiwanese politician who wanted
the weapons¡¦ information to promote his own career back in Taipei.
¡@
|
