FBI says Chinese, Russian spies busier than ever in U.S.

March 8, 2000
Web posted at: 10:08 p.m. EST (0308 GMT)

In this story: Former CIA head: Russia on high-tech mission Congress to consider China trade status From one dragon to multiple snakes RELATED STORIES, SITES

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Despite the fact the Cold War has ended, spying against the United States is on the rise, with Russia and China intensifying efforts to steal U.S. military and economic secrets, according to the FBI.

ALSO Clinton asks Congress to pass China trade agreement     MESSAGE BOARD Spies in America

"The counterintelligence programs in the United States have not only continued at their pre-1989-1990 levels, but have actually increased in some respects," FBI Director Louis Freeh said on Capitol Hill this week.

There are now more Russian spies operating in the United States than at the height of the Cold War, and China continues to maintain a vigorous spy program aimed at U.S. technology, law enforcement sources tell CNN.

The FBI's Freeh and CIA head George Tenet laid out the scope of the problem during a closed-door briefing for the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday.

Freeh had already briefed the House Intelligence Committee, and afterward Chairman Porter Goss said China's mission is simple:

"They very definitely would like to find out all our secrets so they could copy them and take advantage of them, either in terms of their national security, the modernization of the army -- the PLA -- or in terms of competition in the marketplace," said Rep. Goss, R-Florida.

"They are looking hard for technology to get leverage with their conventional forces and to move more quickly than they have been able to in the past into the world of computers, electronics and so on," former CIA director James Woolsey said of the Russians.

FBI officials point to the Stanislav Gusev spy case as an illustration of recent Russian boldness. Gusev was sent home after the FBI caught him allegedly monitoring an electronic listening device planted in a conference room at the U.S. State Department.

The United States continues to investigate allegations that China stole information about the U.S. nuclear weapons program.

The intelligence warnings come as President Bill Clinton is pushing Congress to quickly pass a bill giving China permanent trading privileges in the U.S., instead of annually holding a contentious review of China's human rights and trade record.

"We have a far greater chance of having a positive influence on China's actions if we welcome China into the world community instead of shutting it out," said Clinton during a speech Wednesday.

However, one day earlier, Freeh told Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, that he and Tenet planned "to exactly lay out the parameters of that (Chinese espionage) threat so that can be considered appropriately" by the Congress.

"Would you characterize it as 'very serious'?" asked Specter.

"Yes, sir, absolutely," Freeh replied.

A secret FBI report recently presented to the House panel begins with a description of the Chinese threat -- what Freeh acknowledged Tuesday was "an extensive, detailed" account of activities that "not only the FBI, but our other security agencies treat with the utmost seriousness."

Freeh also repeated his testimony from last year that more than 20 nations use their clandestine services to acquire trade secrets.

"Trade secrets which go directly to the economic security of the United States, which today is tantamount to our national security," Freeh said.

Both the FBI and CIA are pushing for greater counterintelligence resources to cope with the growth of international spying.

Former CIA chief Woolsey said the situation has gotten more difficult following the fall of the Soviet Union.

"It's as if we were fighting with dragon for some 45 years and slew the dragon and then found ourselves in a jungle full of a number of poisonous snakes," said Woolsey.

Woolsey said the snakes -- rogue states and terrorists -- were "a lot harder to keep track of than the dragon ever was."

Justice Department Correspondent Pierre Thomas and White House Correspondent Major Garrett contributed to this report.

FBI director says China poses 'very serious' espionage threat
March 8, 2000
Former Soviet spy: Small nuclear devices planted in U.S.
January 28, 2000
U.S. nuclear secrets found in open archives
January 20, 2000
TIME: It's still spy vs. spy
December 20, 1999
Russians detain U.S. diplomat for spying
November 30, 1999

Central Intelligence Agency
Federal Bureau of Investigation
China Trade Relations Working Group

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.