<i>Washington Post</i>: Israel a target of US counter-intelligence operations
Paper publishes secret intelligence budget, obtained from Edward Snowden, detailing intel operations, including monitoring of Israel.
By JPOST.COM STAFFEdward Snowden 370(photo credit: REUTERS)
US intelligence agencies have carried out counterintelligence operations against Israel, a secret report published by The Washington Post revealed on Thursday.According to the report, Israel is the only US ally that American counterintelligence officials suspect of spying on the United States. The other countries listed as targets of counterintelligence operations are adversaries or rivals of the US.The Washington Post obtained the top-secret “black budget” from Edward Snowden, the former US intelligence contractor who is wanted in the United States for leaking details of government surveillance programs.Snowden is in Russia, which granted him asylum for one year.According to the 178- page report, the budget of all 16 agencies that make up the US intelligence community is almost $53 billion.According to the report, US intelligence officials displayed an active interest in America’s friends and foes alike, and counterintelligence operations “are strategically focused against priority targets of China, Russia, Iran, Cuba and Israel.”The Washington Post said it censored portions of the secret budget at the request of US officials to avoid endangering agents and operations methods, but still published many details of the intelligence agencies’ efforts to regroup after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
