SGT Korbein Schultz (24), an NCO and intelligence analyst at Fort Campbell, KY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official.
In exchange for approximately $42,000, SGT Schultz collected and transmitted information to China an enormous amount of damaging information about US satellites, drones, weapons systems, tactics, technology, and aviation. Please see bottom for detailed and lengthy list.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 23 Jan 2025. Schultz faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information; 20 years in prison for exporting technical data related to defense articles to the PRC without a license; 20 years in prison for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); and 15 years in prison for bribery of a public official.
Korbein Schultz betrayed his country and tried to enlist others in this conspiracy while providing a potential military adversary with valuable information that can be used against the US and his fellow Soldiers. The FBI and US Army Counterintelligence Command investigated this case.
Sources:
Five Things the Recent Shujun Wang Trial in NYC Revealed About Chinese Espionage
Chinese American author Shujun Wang speaks with reporters outside of federal court in Brooklyn after he was found guilty of espionage 6 Aug 2024. (Jane Tang/RFA)
The case against Shujun Wang, a former academic in Flushing, Queens, recently unfolded in a Brooklyn courthouse. Federal prosecutors presented evidence showing he had been working for the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) for years, providing them with information about the pro-democracy movement in the US. The evidence in the trial provided insights into the tactics Chinese intelligence officers use to spy and “to silence, harass, intimidate people right here in New York,” said one of the prosecutors.
Here are five things learned about MSS methods from the court case.
One: Chinese intelligence work can be a long family affair
Wang was first approached by Chinese intelligence while he was visiting his hometown, Qingdao, in 2003. The meeting took place because of a family connection. The officer had gone to school with Wang’s nephew and was also a neighbor of the Wang family.
Years later, in 2016, Wang met two other officers through his daughter and son-in-law, who co-owned businesses in Hong Kong. The officers worked at a different MSS branch, in Guangdong province. Wang’s daughter and son-in-law had turned to the officers for assistance in the past and had asked them for help in recovering money after a business transaction had gone wrong.
These interactions would not have seemed out of the ordinary for Wang, as the intelligence officers’ connections to him were a form of guanxi – cultivated relationships based on mutual obligations, where favors are expected to be repaid. According to one of the government’s witnesses, an intelligence officer had brought “business opportunities” to his daughter and son-in-law, and in fact, on Chinese holidays, Wang’s daughter gave the officers red envelopes of cash as payments for favors, kickbacks or just to maintain their close ties.
Two: The long arm of China could be felt in a Brooklyn courtroom
Throughout the trial, the courtroom was tense. A law student in the courthouse made jokes about spies: “If the CCP sent someone, you’d never know it,” he said, referring to undercover agents from the Chinese Communist Party.
Defense lawyer Kevin Tung said that people in his office, a group that includes many ethnic Chinese, had expressed concerns about being associated with the case. On the third day of the trial, a juror asked to be excused because she was worried about her family in Taiwan.
Three: Methods used by the Chinese intelligence service can be surprisingly basic
The “intelligence reports” Wang was giving to his handlers were often delivered through WeChat messages and phone calls, or via email. MSS officers set up an email account where Wang would save his reports as “drafts” so that his handlers could later log in to read them. For one of the accounts, the MSS officers devised a password based on the date of their meeting: 17 February 2016. And so, the password read “20160217-.”
Four: Chinese spies are also on a budget
One of the officers told Wang to book his roundtrip ticket to China early so he could get a better rate. “You should arrange the trip and purchase the airline tickets in advance to get a discount,” wrote the officer.
“Boss He hopes you can stay in Hong Kong a bit longer after the Spring Festival. Boss He said they would like to cover your plane ticket.” He added a smiley emoji.
Wang responded, “Will comply!”
Five: Prosecutor links United Front and Overseas Chinese Affairs to MSS operations
The MSS, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, and the Chinese consulates work together under the United Front Work system. This system is the leading body responsible for coordinating and carrying out the Chinese Communist Party’s influence work.
The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office focuses on studying and building relationships with overseas ethnic Chinese or who are connected to the international community. The MSS prefers to select targets from existing Overseas Chinese Affairs networks and cultivate them into assets.
Sources:
Coriolanus Post: 08 August 2024
Five things the Shujun Wang trial revealed about Chinese espionage — Radio Free Asia (rfa.org)
Haaretz: IDF Uses Palestinians as Human Shields to Check Areas That May Be Booby-Trapped Before Soldiers Enter
IDF troops in an underground tunnel in Gaza, 4 Feb 2024. (IDF/AFP)
The Haaretz daily newspaper reported that IDF troops operating in Gaza have been using Palestinian civilians as human shields, forcing them to enter tunnels and homes ahead of soldiers due to fears that the structures may be rigged with traps.
“It is better that [the Palestinians] explode and not the soldiers,” said an IDF commander, justifying the human shield practice.
The IDF said it was reviewing the allegations.
According to the report, which cited testimonies obtained from returning IDF soldiers who have regularly witnessed use of this tactic, troops scouted out Gazan civilians who they believed will be an asset to them while operating in dense urban areas.
On most occasions, the “recruited” Palestinians were adult men, although IDF soldiers also recounted instances in which elderly men or teenagers were selected. The Palestinians were not terror suspects, but were detained specifically to be sent into buildings and tunnels that were possibly booby-trapped. The Palestinian men were told that they would be released after completing one “mission.” These human shields were kept with the IDF troops for varying lengths of time, ranging from one or two days to a week.
This alleged practice has been widely employed across the Gaza Strip in recent months, and that senior IDF staff, including Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, are aware of it.
One IDF soldier related that he was guarding a 16-year-old Palestinian teenager prior to the human shield mission he’d been selected for.
“You keep quiet and try to convince yourself, ‘OK, let’s go, let’s use them,’” the soldier said. “[The commander] tried to explain it in a rational way, but at the end of the day, you have a 16-year-old boy sitting inside the house handcuffed, with his eyes covered.”
The IDF soldier added that it wasn’t until this human shield was released a few days later that he realized the Palestinian teenager hadn’t been a terror suspect at all. Moreover, the IDF knows “that it’s not a one-time incident of a young and stupid commander who decides to take someone of his own accord,” one of the soldiers reported.
According to the International Criminal Court, the use of human shields is a war crime.
“In the context of international armed conflicts, this rule is set forth in the Third Geneva Convention (with respect to prisoners of war), the Fourth Geneva Convention (with respect to protected civilians) and Additional Protocol I (with respect to civilians in general).[1] Under the Statute of the International Criminal Court, “utilizing the presence of a civilian or other protected person to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations” constitutes a war crime in international armed conflicts.[2]“
Sources:
https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/customary-ihl/v1/rule97
Ex-Colorado County Clerk Found Guilty of 2020 US Election Interference
A former Colorado county election official was found guilty of tampering with voting machines after the 2020 presidential election. Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a Republican, was found guilty on seven out of 10 counts in the election interference case. Peters has become well known among election deniers who falsely believe the 2020 presidential election was rigged against former President Donald Trump.
The case represents the first time a local election official has been prosecuted over a suspected security breach during the 2020 election.
“Tina Peters willfully compromised her own election equipment trying to prove Trump’s Big Lie,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold stated.
The former county clerk was convicted of three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty and failing to comply with the secretary of state. Peters helped breach the county’s election computer systems and allowed an unauthorized individual to access voting equipment and election records. The person posted secure election equipment images online.
Investigators also issued a search warrant for MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, a proponent of election fraud claims, in connection to Peters’ case. Tina Peters will be sentenced on 3 Oct 2024.
Sources:
Ex-county clerk found guilty of tampering with voting machines (bbc.com)
American Police Brutality: Ohio Officer Faces Murder Charge and Arkansas Officer Fired After Beating Handcuffed Man
Police brutality against unarmed people continues unabated in America. An Ohio police officer was indicted on murder and other charges for shooting of Ta’Kiya Young, a 21-year-old pregnant black mother.
Young was suspected of stealing bottles of alcohol when Blendon Township police officer Connor Grubb and a fellow officer approached her car. The other officer ordered her out. Instead, Ms. Young rolled forward toward Grubb, who fired a single bullet through her windshield into her chest killing her. The daughter Ms. Young was expecting in three months also died. Grubb was indicted on charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in the death of Young and her baby.
In the BodyCam video, an officer at the driver’s side window tells Young she’s been accused of shoplifting and orders her out of the car. Young protests, both officers curse at her and yell at her to get out, and Young can be heard asking them, “Are you going to shoot me?”
Seconds later, she turns the steering wheel to the right, the car rolls slowly forward and Grubb fires his service weapon. Moments later, after the car comes to a stop against the building, they break the driver’s side window. Police said they tried to save her life, but she was mortally wounded.
Sean Walton, the family’s attorney, said:
“In no scenario does someone shoplifting contribute to their murder by a police officer. She bears no responsibility.”
In Arkansas, Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott fired Officer Joseph Harris one day after he was caught on his patrol car video elbowing and punching a handcuffed man and then slamming the car door on his head after the man choked himself with a seatbelt.
The inmate, Billy Lee Coram (42), had been in the custody of the sheriff’s office and was being treated at a hospital for allegedly ingesting fentanyl when he escaped. He was apprehended by Officer Joseph Harris and was being returned to the county jail when the assault occurred.
In the nearly 12-minute video, Coram appeared visibly distraught and said that he had ingested a bag of fentanyl the day before. Dressed in a hospital gown and socks, the inmate said that he hadn’t used the bathroom since taking the fentanyl. Coram is seen wrapping a seatbelt around his neck to try to choke himself. After the police car pulled over, Harris opened the door and punched and elbowed Coram several times in the face as he unraveled the seatbelt from Coram’s neck.
Harris had worked for the Jonesboro Police Department for a little over five years and was immediately fired based on his conduct and actions. This incident was referred to local prosecutors and the FBI.
Sources:
Officer faces murder charge in shooting of Ta’Kiya Young, pregnant Black woman | AP News
Police officer in Arkansas fired over beating of handcuffed man (bbc.com)
https://www.myr2m.com/craigheadroster/Default.aspx
‘I am not a fan’: GOP women in Pennsylvania Unload on Trump in CNN report
Pennsylvania will be one of the most crucial battleground states in November, with both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris‘ paths to 270 electoral votes depending largely on carrying it.
CNN interviews with conservative women in the Keystone State reveal that while many of these women don’t trust Kamala Harris, they are also fed up with Donald Trump.
Joan London, a municipal government attorney who voted for Nikki Haley in the GOP primary changed her registration to Independent. She was enraged by Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance attacking childless women.
“I’ve led a very full life that way, and to say I don’t have a stake in the future of the country … I had some difficulty with that. And all I could think of, Senator Vance, are you going to tell Ann Coulter or Condoleezza Rice or Elizabeth Dole, they are miserable cat ladies? I don’t think so.”
She added that it’s “highly unlikely” she’ll vote for Harris, instead she’ll write in a vote, but that she might reconsider if Trump or Vance becomes “outrageously offensive” enough.
Cynthia Sabatini found herself in a similar situation. “My street was rock-ribbed Republican. Now, you have to shake a stick to find a Republican.” She wrote in a GOP senator in 2016 and voted for Joe Biden in 2020. She has concerns about Harris but made clear she will not vote for Trump this time either: “I watch his campaign rallies. It’s all about him. It’s not about the country.”
Carol Carty, an attorney and longtime Republican, said she was disgusted by Trump’s constant smears against judges amid his legal problems. She has drifted toward the Democratic Party in recent years, saying, “I’m now turning on ’80s songs to go back to the ’80s. In my lifetime, the Republican Party has changed with Donald Trump.”
She voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. She resigned to voting for Trump in 2024 because of inflation and immigration, but Harris becoming the nominee has made her reconsider.
“I am not a fan of Donald Trump,” she said. And regarding Vance, “I didn’t meet the right person until I was over 40 years old. And it’s by the grace of God that we naturally had a child. So I could very well be one of those childless women and I found the comment insensitive and narrow-minded.”
Senior Republicans recently warned the ex-President’s campaign to curb the misogynistic or racist comments and concentrate on policy differences with Kamala Harris lest they lose the women’s vote this November.
Sources:
‘I am not a fan’: GOP women in key battleground state unload on Trump in CNN report – Raw Story
The South Shall Rise Again! Virginia Students Return to School with Restored Confederate Name
Any glorification of a Confederate general or the rebel flag is a glorification of white supremacy and slavery that once brutally dominated the antebellum South. (Whipped Man / Bridgeman Images)
Shenandoah County, Virginia students will begin classes this fall at Stonewall Jackson High School, named after a prominent Confederate general in the Civil War. But in 2020, the school board had discarded the name of that traitor in favor of Mountain View High School after the police killing of an unarmed black man named George Floyd in Minnesota.
According to data gathered by Education Week at least 61 schools changed their names to non-Confederate names since June 2020. But just four years later, the school board in Shenandoah County inexplicably reversed its decision, changing back to the original name honoring the Confederate traitor.
There are approximately 340 schools in 21 states which are still named after traitorous Confederate figures.
After rudimentary searches Coriolanus was unable to locate one school, bridge, or military base in the US venerating traitors from other American wars. For example, Revolutionary War traitor Benedict Arnold has nothing named after him in America. Yet the US seems to have a history of honoring these Confederate traitors.
Chandra Manning, a professor of history at Georgetown University, explained it best. She stated that naming schools after Confederate traitors sky-rocketed in the 1950s after the government mandated that whites-only segregated schools had to accept black pupils. This was the school board’s racist attempt to make black students feel unwelcome.
As an endnote, a federal commission has been re-naming military bases which used to lionize Confederate heroes. For example, Fort Bragg, NC was amended to Fort Liberty, NC and Fort Lee, VA is now Fort Gregg-Adams, VA.
Sources:
Virginia school district makes U-turn on Confederate names (bbc.com)
Footnote to First Story:
SGT Korbein Schultz provided Chinese intelligence a staggering amount of information:
(1) Lessons learned by the US Army from the Ukraine/Russia war applicable in defending Taiwan; (2) an operations order of his unit’s deployment in support of NATO operations; (3) a USAF Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (AFTTP) document relating to the HH-60 helicopter; (4) an AFTTP manual on the F-22A fighter aircraft; (5) an AFTTP manual on ICBMs; (6) information related to the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft; (7) information describing modifications of the B-52 aircraft; (8) information on drone and anti-drone tactics; (9) documents relating to PLA military tactics, preparedness, and the PLA Rocket Force; (10) documents relating to US rocket, missile, and artillery weapons systems; (11) documents relating to US military exercises and forces in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines; and (12) information relating to US military satellites.
Coriolanus 