Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 98 posts

Re: Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

#31

Post by dybber »

keewee7 wrote: post #23
throwaway4good wrote: post #6

This is an absolutely bonkers story by Danish standard. The guy is amongst the highest ranking civil servants, holds the order of Dannebro. On top of this a number of Danish journalists have been "taken in for a chat" by the intelligence services. The charges are still secret, but appears to be related to this story: Danish secret service helped US spy on Germany's Angela Merkel: report https://www.dw.com/en/danish-s…

If anyone is doubting how much influence US intelligence has over Danish intelligence: >Danish intelligence also helped the US agency to spy on the Danish foreign and finance ministries as well as a Danish weapons manufacturer. The FE also cooperated with the NSA on spying operations against the US government itself. https://www.dw.com/en/danish-secret-service-helped-us-spy-on... The NSA made the Danish FE spy on bot…

And it has been going on for 25 years, the deal being cited as the reason Bill Clinton visited Denmark in the 90’s (we usually never get visits from US presidents)

Re: Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

#32

Post by kzrdude »

Mizza wrote: post #27

Secret charges and courts corrupt democratic society. Extrajudicial "intelligence" agencies must be dismantled.

Maybe arresting the director is a good first step? (Alas, it is not, because the conflict seems to be mostly about leaking info about the security state operations to media, not doing any such operations that they shouldn't have.)

Re: Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

#33

Post by lotsofpulp »

topper-123 wrote: post #28

The timeline of this is very strange: - in august he had been put on administrative leave - he was imprisoned on the 9th of december - on the 13th of december an independant commission set up by parliament (consisting of three judges) exponerated everyone implicated in this case - on the 14th of december, the minister of defence welcomed him back to work - today, 10th of january the public learned for the first time…

> experated

I assume this is a typo for exonerated?

Re: Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

#34

Post by skrebbel »

samwillis wrote: post #29
keewee7 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If anyone is doubting how much influence US intelligence has over Danish intelligence: >Danish intelligence also helped the US agency to spy on the Danish foreign and finance ministries as well as a Danish weapons manufacturer. The FE also cooperated with the NSA on spying operations against the US government itself. https://www.dw.com/en/danish-secret-service-helped-us-spy-on... The NSA made the Danish FE spy on bot…

> “The FE also cooperated with the NSA on spying operations against the US government itself.” It’s long be standard practice for intelligence agencies in 5/9 Eyes to ask each other to spy on the others citizens when it would be illegal to do so themselves. The NSA for example would find it difficult to spy on Senators, this is there way around it. And there is no denying there has be a reasonable cause to in the las…

> And there is no denying there has be a reasonable cause to in the last four years.

Isn't this the same as saying that you don't think there should be fundamental rights for people you don't agree with?

Re: Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

#35

Post by pfortuny »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #33
topper-123 wrote: post #28

The timeline of this is very strange: - in august he had been put on administrative leave - he was imprisoned on the 9th of december - on the 13th of december an independant commission set up by parliament (consisting of three judges) exponerated everyone implicated in this case - on the 14th of december, the minister of defence welcomed him back to work - today, 10th of january the public learned for the first time…

> experated I assume this is a typo for exonerated?

That means to irritate but guess he meant exonerated.

Re: Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

#36

Post by topper-123 »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #33
topper-123 wrote: post #28

The timeline of this is very strange: - in august he had been put on administrative leave - he was imprisoned on the 9th of december - on the 13th of december an independant commission set up by parliament (consisting of three judges) exponerated everyone implicated in this case - on the 14th of december, the minister of defence welcomed him back to work - today, 10th of january the public learned for the first time…

> experated I assume this is a typo for exonerated?

Yes, corrected.

Re: Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

#37

Post by SiempreViernes »

topper-123 wrote: post #28

The timeline of this is very strange: - in august he had been put on administrative leave - he was imprisoned on the 9th of december - on the 13th of december an independant commission set up by parliament (consisting of three judges) exponerated everyone implicated in this case - on the 14th of december, the minister of defence welcomed him back to work - today, 10th of january the public learned for the first time…

The charges are about leaking to the media, not for breaking the law when spying on Danes, the latter being what the commission was set up to investigate.

Re: Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

#38

Post by artificialLimbs »

samwillis wrote: post #29
keewee7 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If anyone is doubting how much influence US intelligence has over Danish intelligence: >Danish intelligence also helped the US agency to spy on the Danish foreign and finance ministries as well as a Danish weapons manufacturer. The FE also cooperated with the NSA on spying operations against the US government itself. https://www.dw.com/en/danish-secret-service-helped-us-spy-on... The NSA made the Danish FE spy on bot…

> “The FE also cooperated with the NSA on spying operations against the US government itself.” It’s long be standard practice for intelligence agencies in 5/9 Eyes to ask each other to spy on the others citizens when it would be illegal to do so themselves. The NSA for example would find it difficult to spy on Senators, this is there way around it. And there is no denying there has be a reasonable cause to in the las…

>> And there is no denying there has be a reasonable cause to in the last four years.

Yea who needs laws when we can just instate shadow government agencies with shadow budgets and their own set of alternative laws.

Re: Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

#39

Post by samwillis »

skrebbel wrote: post #34
samwillis wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> “The FE also cooperated with the NSA on spying operations against the US government itself.” It’s long be standard practice for intelligence agencies in 5/9 Eyes to ask each other to spy on the others citizens when it would be illegal to do so themselves. The NSA for example would find it difficult to spy on Senators, this is there way around it. And there is no denying there has be a reasonable cause to in the las…

> And there is no denying there has be a reasonable cause to in the last four years. Isn't this the same as saying that you don't think there should be fundamental rights for people you don't agree with?

Not at all, it’s saying that sometimes rules have to bent in order for the intelligence services to go about their mission to protect the citizens of their country (including their rights). Sometimes potential threats come from within (even potentially from government ministers or civil servants) making them legally difficult to investigate quickly. Asking their mates to take a “quick look” is a good way of checking out if there is a problem that warrants further investigation.

Having said all that, I’m no expert, I’m just a John Le Carre fan.

Re: Danish intelligence chief held over suspected info leaks, local media report

#40

Post by vintermann »

SiempreViernes wrote: post #37
topper-123 wrote: post #28

The timeline of this is very strange: - in august he had been put on administrative leave - he was imprisoned on the 9th of december - on the 13th of december an independant commission set up by parliament (consisting of three judges) exponerated everyone implicated in this case - on the 14th of december, the minister of defence welcomed him back to work - today, 10th of january the public learned for the first time…

The charges are about leaking to the media, not for breaking the law when spying on Danes, the latter being what the commission was set up to investigate.

So they exonerated everyone for the spying, and punished the guy who revealed the spying?
Post reply on HN