It's worth pointing out that this is one person's allegation and that it is being made in the context of a retaliation complaint against an employer. Some of what is in the complaint doesn't make a lot of sense, for instance, if someone was actively engaged in espionage, why would they post restricted technical information to a public website 65 times?
Caltech professor claims Israeli spy infiltrated JPL
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Re: Caltech professor claims Israeli spy infiltrated JPL
#32The article quotes Prof. Troian as saying, "JPL acted honorably throughout. They did the right thing and filed the right report. That part of the system worked well. ... My complaint is strictly with Caltech."
There's tension between the openness that a research university (Caltech) needs, and the secure handling of information that a lab doing some classified research (JPL) requires.
This tension exploded in 1952, when Caltech took government money for PROJECT VISTA. After that, Caltech decided that having faculty working on things they couldn't talk about was antithetical to the purpose of a research university [1]. Today, Caltech says [2]:
"The Caltech Way: Caltech policy does not allow the acceptance of grants or contracts supporting the conduct of classified research or other classified projects on campus. Exceptions to this restriction may be considered by the President of Caltech in times of national emergency or critical need upon an urgent request of the government." ("Standards of Conduct for Research on Campus," Chapter 1, Section 1.1).
At JPL, there has always been some classified research. In the 1980s, JPL almost become a weapons lab (it did not) [3].
Even if Dr. Gat's electrospray work wasn't classified, one can imagine how different attitudes to classified research feed over to different attitudes to ITAR violations.
I'm a former Caltech postdoc and a research associate at JPL. I know neither Gat nor Troian.
[1] http://www.patrickmccray.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2... [2] http://researchadministration.caltech.edu/theguide/tableofco... [3] "Into the Black": http://www.amazon.com/Into-Black-American-Program-1976-2004/...
Re: Caltech professor claims Israeli spy infiltrated JPL
#33It's worth pointing out that this is one person's allegation and that it is being made in the context of a retaliation complaint against an employer. Some of what is in the complaint doesn't make a lot of sense, for instance, if someone was actively engaged in espionage, why would they post restricted technical information to a public website 65 times?
The allegation that Dr. Gat was a spy seems to be sensationalism on the part of the Pasadena Star. One doesn't need to be a spy to violate ITAR.
The most substantial allegations against Dr. Gat are that he shared data with his adviser. It's quite easy to imagine a young researcher viewing ITAR as a dumb American law which inhibits collaboration, and deciding to continue sharing preprints and collaborating with colleagues abroad as though he were still in Israel. And why not? He doesn't seem to have been working on a project with obvious military potential, and is from an allied country. ITAR prosecutions against professors are extremely rare.
Re: Caltech professor claims Israeli spy infiltrated JPL
#34The article quotes Prof. Troian as saying, "JPL acted honorably throughout. They did the right thing and filed the right report. That part of the system worked well. ... My complaint is strictly with Caltech." There's tension between the openness that a research university (Caltech) needs, and the secure handling of information that a lab doing some classified research (JPL) requires. This tension exploded in 1952, w…
I haven't figured out your conclusion. I think you are giving credit to Caltech for supporting Dr. Gat's "openness" with Israel? Does that excuse Dr. Gat hacking into Dr. Troian's computer, or the Caltech administration's apparently dishonest and sinister behavior towards Dr. Troian?
Re: Caltech professor claims Israeli spy infiltrated JPL
#35This is not surprising. Israel is the number-one allied country spying in America [1] The problem is that with so many Israeli supporters in either of the administration [2] as well as in the FBI and on many campuses, any allegation of spying by whistleblowers is reacted by extreme retaliations. This is why we don't hear about it more often. This is not a new issue [3] from Pollard [4] to Rosen [5], recently [1] http…
The only source of your claim that "Israel is the number-one allied country spying in America" is a single Newsweek article from 2014, citing anonymous sources. Yet you treat it as an absolute fact. I don't remember anybody doing the same when Newsweek "exposed" Satoshi Nakamoto.
You claim that "any allegation of spying by whistleblowers is reacted by extreme retaliations", yet none of your source ([3], [4], [5]) support any of that. So what reasonable allegations of spying were in fact reacted by "extreme retaliations", considering that the above allegations were all reported by big and reputable news agencies in the US, gained quite a large exposure, and are remembered by many to this day?
It's quite common among people with anti-Israeli sentiments to make wild accusations and then explain away their unpopularity by appealing to some government pro-Israeli conspiracy. An alternative hypothesis, worth considering, is that the accusations are in fact baseless, and are unpopular exactly because of that.
I seriously doubt that it makes much sense for Israel - a tiny country surrounded by enemies, with a rather limited budget that is never enough for anything - to devote any significant part of its intelligence efforts to developing sources in the US, instead of - say - in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, etc'.
Re: Caltech professor claims Israeli spy infiltrated JPL
#36This is not surprising. Israel is the number-one allied country spying in America [1] The problem is that with so many Israeli supporters in either of the administration [2] as well as in the FBI and on many campuses, any allegation of spying by whistleblowers is reacted by extreme retaliations. This is why we don't hear about it more often. This is not a new issue [3] from Pollard [4] to Rosen [5], recently [1] http…
It is amazing just how much Israel spies on America, and how nobody knows about it. If you dare to say it publicly then your reputation and career are destroyed, and you are an antisemitic terrorist sympathizer, if not also a terrorist.
Please tell us exactly "how much" does Israel spy on America relative to other countries, based on what information, why is this "amazing", and provide some proof that "if you dare to say it publicly then your reputation and career are destroyed".
It's amazing how HNs usual standards of logical discourse seem to disappear once the argument becomes political.
Re: Caltech professor claims Israeli spy infiltrated JPL
#37This is not surprising. Israel is the number-one allied country spying in America [1] The problem is that with so many Israeli supporters in either of the administration [2] as well as in the FBI and on many campuses, any allegation of spying by whistleblowers is reacted by extreme retaliations. This is why we don't hear about it more often. This is not a new issue [3] from Pollard [4] to Rosen [5], recently [1] http…
Huh and yet here, as per your links, we have mainstream media reporting on it. Have those journalists been subjected to 'extreme retaliation'? Perhaps we don't hear about it frequently not because there is a conspiracy among 'Israeli supporters' (we all know what you mean bro!) but because the issue is not so pressing or widespread as you would have us believe?
I don't see anything at all in your comment that doesn't contribute to the discussion. The fact that you are downvoted on HN for just for stating an uncommon opinion is disgusting and extremely disappointing.
Re: Caltech professor claims Israeli spy infiltrated JPL
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
It is amazing just how much Israel spies on America, and how nobody knows about it. If you dare to say it publicly then your reputation and career are destroyed, and you are an antisemitic terrorist sympathizer, if not also a terrorist.
Please tell us exactly "how much" does Israel spy on America relative to other countries, based on what information, why is this "amazing", and provide some proof that "if you dare to say it publicly then your reputation and career are destroyed". It's amazing how HNs usual standards of logical discourse seem to disappear once the argument becomes political.
It's amazing how people who should know better demand proof of something obvious that's been written about so many times, just like how Fox News demands proof that Obama isn't secretly a Muslim. Or how people demand proof that goto is a Bad Thing™.
Re: Caltech professor claims Israeli spy infiltrated JPL
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
Huh and yet here, as per your links, we have mainstream media reporting on it. Have those journalists been subjected to 'extreme retaliation'? Perhaps we don't hear about it frequently not because there is a conspiracy among 'Israeli supporters' (we all know what you mean bro!) but because the issue is not so pressing or widespread as you would have us believe?
I don't see anything at all in your comment that doesn't contribute to the discussion. The fact that you are downvoted on HN for just for stating an uncommon opinion is disgusting and extremely disappointing.
I think people are very tired of the extremely preferential treatment Israel is getting in general. Can I say that without offending anybody?
Re: Caltech professor claims Israeli spy infiltrated JPL
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
Huh and yet here, as per your links, we have mainstream media reporting on it. Have those journalists been subjected to 'extreme retaliation'? Perhaps we don't hear about it frequently not because there is a conspiracy among 'Israeli supporters' (we all know what you mean bro!) but because the issue is not so pressing or widespread as you would have us believe?
I don't see anything at all in your comment that doesn't contribute to the discussion. The fact that you are downvoted on HN for just for stating an uncommon opinion is disgusting and extremely disappointing.
> conspiracy among 'Israeli supporters' (we all know what you mean bro!)
This line clearly links "anti Israeli" with "anti Semite". It's a vile tactic and does not belong on HN.