Congress, International, Media

Report: Israel Planted Surveillance Devices Near White House But Trump Administration Buried Story


The U.S. government has often denounced countries that have been found to have spied on the United States. While Israel has always denied spying on the United States, it has been repeatedly found to have done so including the case of Jonathan Pollard. After the release of Pollard, Israeli officials again reassured Americans that it did not engage in spying on the United States. However, a new report states that Israel planted cell-phone surveillance devices near the White House and other sensitive locations around Washington, D.C. However, the Trump Administration buried the story and made no public disclosure. President Trump has said that he simply cannot believe that Israel would ever spy on the United States and that he assumes that the devices were planted by another country. In the meantime, the United States recently gave billions more to Israel in aid and took the controversial step of moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in a showing of solidarity. Israel denies that it placed the surveillance devices in the locations.

The miniature surveillance devices known as “StingRays,” effectively trick cell phones in revealing confidential information. The belief is that Israel was spying on President Trump and his top aides. Trump has been criticized for being lax on White House security protocols.

Members of Congress seem to be largely avoiding the story for the same reason as the White House, particularly as the Congress continued to give massive aid to Israel. Since Israel obviously knows that the devices were found, the burying of the story is curious. The White House and key members of Congress were informed but not the public.

163 thoughts on “Report: Israel Planted Surveillance Devices Near White House But Trump Administration Buried Story”

  1. I’m becoming less and less surprised to see Professor Turley endorse fake news and eschew facts and evidence. He clearly has biases involving certain subjects that are so strong that anything he says remotely connected to those subjects should be dismissed by any thinking, reasonable person. In this particular case, his bias is against Israel and when he reads a story published by Politico, which itself has a history of publishing fake news anti-Israel stories, that’s good enough for him, where unnamed former “top intelligence and national security posts . . felt confident” that Israel must have planted spy devices. So, who are these pusillanimous alleged former government officials? And what makes them “confident” about their claim. Professor Turley and Politico say that doesn’t matter. A charge from unnamed sources against Israel is all that is needed to support the claim.

    Plus, Professor Turley also strong believes that if a piece of anti-Israel propaganda is repeated enough, it will be believed. Unfortunately, Professor Turley is correct about that concept, given the ubiquitous nature of anti-Israel stories in the media.

    But for those who do care about such things as facts and evidence, Alex Safian has written a balanced analysis of the latest piece of anti-Israel propaganda entitled “Spy Stories, This Time In Politico.” https://www.camera.org/article/spy-stories-this-time-in-politico/

    1. Good comment James. Not too long ago it was apparent JT wasn’t writing all his posts. When that occurred, they were heavily biased and devoid of his usual stream of legal reasoning. The exception to this is always something to with climate and the environment; that’s his kryptonite. He seems to have dropped those other contributors or they’ve improved their writing skills; so it’s difficult to tell if this is him or not. One thing is certain, he doesn’t write like this for the articles going in The Hill.

      1. I hadn’t considered that Professor Turley may not have authored this or other pieces and may not have even approved them. Perhaps he needs to include a disclaimer for the articles that he doesn’t actually write or approve:

        Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of Professor Jonathan Turley. Professor Turley assumes no responsibility for any false, misleading, biased, irresponsible, or offensive content.

        1. Perhaps he needs to include a disclaimer for the articles that he doesn’t actually write or approve:

          Well, this blog is Turley’s Colosseum and he is the Emperor. A disclaimer would stop some people from participating in all the fun. 😉

          1. Olly, when Darren writes his name is published. I can’t see Turley having another person write for him on the blog. I think some of his articles are a way to relax. He is human like the rest of us.

              1. Because he’s sick up to his gills of all of us and doesn’t want to have to cull the boards on his own posts.

              2. Neanderthals exist and some of them are on this blog.

                I think Darren felt it was impossible to have a decent discussion on the blog and therefore didn’t want to have to defend what he wrote with ungrateful and stupid people.

  2. Of course Israel spies on the Untied States. We spy on our allies, too, which is why not much notice was taken.

    Countries spy on friend and foe alike. They do not rely on sanitized diplomatic statements for news.

    2. Everyone spies on everyone when they can but circumstances are such that Israel might resist spying on the US in US territory.

      There are many nations that would spy on the US and anxious to blame it on Israel and many people in government that do not favor Israel and would be happy to bend the details against Israeli interests.

      I have to wonder about the report from Politico which didn’t have the meat to make such claims except for the reasonable idea of many that “Of course Israel spies on the Untied States. We spy on our allies, too, which is why not much notice was taken.”

      Why now, at this particular moment when a new Israeli election is being hotly fought? It sounds more like propaganda and an interest in affecting the Israeli election rather than reporting the news. Did Obama favor Israel? No and he spied on them and tried to affect Israeli elections earlier. Who would these former officials be that Politico got its information from? Likely the same officials that under the Obama administration were intent on defeating Netanyahu. The actual evidence could pertain to virtually every technologically developed nation of the world but Politico has its interests and they are not necessarily journalistic in nature.

      1. Regarding Politico, I remember a statement made by Henry Luce of Time magazine about journalism. I don’t know if this is an exact quote or not. ‘The mission of journalists is to tell the truth as they see it and NOT to strive for the phantom of objectivity.’ Apparently ADVOCACY was the design of Time rather than the truth.

        One should recognize that advocacy is the design of much of the news media today which also has to focus on on sales.

        In summary, when one reads something from the news media, think whether that something is directed to advocacy, money or the truth. The truth seems to lose out to the former two.

        1. ha ha Henry Luce was a big propagandist himself. him and CD Jackson. CIA friends and allys.

          there is no getting around having a framework of what one believes is in the national interest or things like that.

          facts exist but interpretation of the facts is always rife with value-judgments and strategic interests in the minds of those who render the facts.

          every editor who picks what to report and how, is acting according to some set of values which dictates the news that’s fit to print– whether that may be the boss/ ownership’s preferences, or the advertisers’ interests, or perhaps just his own ideas of right and wrong.

          I know that is supposedly a “leftist” viewpoint but it actually precedes the contemporary left.

          today the left embraces this, but continues with the liberal charade of journalistic objectivity, with a straight face, even as they are telling one joke after another in their rags like the NYT

  3. Key points in turn

    *************************

    Politico

    un-named sources

    The devices were likely intended

    “Chinese spies are often listening”

    By then, as part of tests by the federal government, officials at the Department of Homeland Security had already discovered evidence of the surveillance devices around the nation’s capital, but weren’t able to attribute the devices to specific entities. The officials shared their findings with relevant federal agencies,

    according to the former officials,

    It was pretty clear that the Israelis were responsible,” said a former senior intelligence official.
    *********************************************************************************************************
    no attributable facts
    no dates, times, sources,
    guess work
    no sources at all every one was an un-named source
    many were repeated more than once
    unreliable primary source

    and how many former officials were former officials or hadn’t been fired or not up for trial themselves.

    So we have reportedly, purportedly and alleged

    Plenty of BS

    Where’s the beef?

    Had I made an arrest on crap like this I would have been fired.

    Come on. Did Natacha write this piece of C-Rap?

    1. mespo727272 just makes stuff up. This time about me. Ah well, can’t expect too much from mere lawyers.

        1. I don’t watch YouTube without some warning as to content. So most likely not even then.

          This is usually a case of a thousand words being vastly more informative than a lousy video. So even fewer words ordinarily suffices.

              1. Mespo is up late into the night posting idiotic comments instead of spending intimate time with his wife, replying to you?

                You two should elope and have at it in a Motel 6

                dont leave the light on for the locals

      2. David Benson is the God Emperor of Making Stuff Up and owes me thirty-five citations (one from the OED, one from the town ordinances and two from the Old Testament), an equation and the source of a quotation, after forty-three weeks, and needs to cite all his work from now on. – so, anyone who calls you out is just making stuff up? BTW, I added 10 (count them ten) citations that are needed for Princess Trohar. There are actually more, however I am feeling generous this morning.

        1. Trohar will give you a citation from a manifest loon. Jill will give you one from a j-school graduate in St. Cloud, Mn.

    2. I attempt to ignore anything posted by entities entitled “anonymous”. Use a proper handle.

      1. David Benson is the God Emperor of Making Stuff Up and owes me thiry-five citations (one from the OED, one from the town ordinances and two from the Old Testament), an equation and the source of a quotation, after forty-three weeks, and needs to cite all his work from now on. – David, you attempt to ignore everyone.

  8. Actually the FBI, with the assistance of the NSA, put up the devices to test White House security.

    As good a hypothesis as the others…

  9. Y’all act like this is new news.

    This was reported in the summer of 2018, and if one cares to follow the links in the articles below, it was known much before then.

    https://www.wired.com/story/dcs-stingray-dhs-surveillance/

    https://theweek.com/articles/777728/nsa-knew-about-cellphone-surveillance-around-white-house-6-years-ago

    Where is Kurtz on this one? He is even wrong about the legality of “stingray” devices, from Wikipedia — the very same page he linked to:

    _______

    On August 24, 2017, the U.S. District Court of Northern California ruled in United States v. Ellis that the use of a Stingray constituted a search that requires a warrant, but did not suppress the evidence based on exigent circumstances and good faith exception.

    On September 21, 2017, the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled in Prince Jones v. United States that using a Stingray requires a warrant.

    On November 3, 2017, the New York Supreme Court in Brooklyn ruled in People v. Gordon that using a Stingray constitutes a search, thus requiring a warrant separate from a pen register/trap and trace order.

    On July 18, 2018, the U.S. District Court of Northern California ruled in United States v. Artis that the evidence obtained from a stingray device must be suppressed due to deficiencies in the warrants obtained by the Federal agents.

    On September 5, 2018, the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal issued two rulings. In the first, Florida v. Sylvestre, it affirmed the lower court’s suppression of evidence obtained from the warrantless use of a Stingray because it is unconstitutional. In the second case, Ferrari v. Florida, it reversed the lower court’s refusal to suppress evidence obtained from warrantless cell-site location information.
    ___________

    Much to be decided yet, but Kurtz’s postings show that he maybe reads the first sentence of his cite.

    Y’all are fools, chattering amongst yourselves, but i do enjoy reading your tripe, especially the posts from the clown car driver PCS.

    1. R. Lien – I told the blog it started during Obama and Hillary. And the clowns are the hit of circus.

  11. OBL, in his 1996 Declaration of War against the West including the USA, declared war because the US military occupied the holiest of all Islamic holy lands, Mecca and Medina, and because the US blindly supports Israel, sworn enemy of Islam (read the Declaration for proof).

    The USA and League of Nations installed Israel by threat of force for a US military presence in the ME, to protect and enable easier access to ME oil (a need that long ago ceased to exist, we are now the world’s biggest supplier of oil).

    There is positively nothing in the US Constitution, not one syllable supporting our relationship with Israel.

    Finally, no less an authority than George Washington, in his Farewell Address, advised that “all foreign entanglements are temporary,” for the exact reasons I describe above. When the net effect of the US relations w/a foreign power is negative, such relationship must cease. I would call a large ratio of 1.6 billion members of one certain religion declaring war against the USA a net negative. Israel-firsters cheer such wars.

    It’s critical for readers to know the following: the origin of the US becoming the policeman of the world originated with Woodrow Wilson, who wrongly declared that the more the USA spreads democracy around the globe, the better and more peaceful would become the world. A bigger lie has seldom been told.

      1. David Benson is the God Emperor of Making Stuff Up and owes me twenty-five citations (one from the OED, one from the town ordinances and two from the Old Testament), an equation and the source of a quotation, after forty-three weeks, and needs to cite all his work from now on. – point out Princess Trohar’s errors and back it up with citations.

          1. David Benson is the God Emperor of Making Stuff Up and owes me twenty-five citations (one from the OED, one from the town ordinances and two from the Old Testament), an equation and the source of a quotation, after forty-three weeks, and needs to cite all his work from now on. – No you academic twit. You made the claims, you back them up. How many citations owed should I add to you “bill”?

            BTW, I have an undergraduate major in history. I have read a ton of history books and am reading three right now.

    2. In fact Princess, since WWII, the US has involved itself in world affairs to a greater extent than ever, or greater than any nation in history. In that time, the number of democracies has greatly increased and the world has enjoyed not only the longest period of overall peace in history, but a growth in global wealth, health, and longevity. We also enjoy the safest time ever for human life and the smallest likelihood of being killed by another human on a per capita basis in the history of our species.

      You’re prescription for peace is shown by clear evidence to be wrong.

        1. Paul, the history needs to be better understood. The US as a super power has been very generous and had done more good than bad. Good and bad are relative. With someone like Trohar we would all be doomed and she definitely doesn’t know her history.

          2. Allan – as our favorite retired engineer has said, everyone can go out and just read a history book. However, the problems are so subtle that you need either several books or several courses in the areas. Factually, Trohar is correct. Emotionally she is off base. 😉

            1. Paul, I agree with what you are trying to say but if you read Trohar again you will find that not everything was factual and what was factual was misleading.

                1. I would point to the middle three paragraphs in particular. Of course we might have a difference of opinion so if you differ perhaps you should let me know how you interpret what she said.

                  1. Allan – I deal with everything in email, so I would have to find the email again and it is not worth it. 😉

                    1. There I agree. Trohar isn’t worth it. Suffice it to say you probably latched onto certain statements and forgot the rest.

                    2. Allan – I read everything and it seemed on the up and up. Without fact-checking it, it looks legitimate. I know much of it was legitimate.

                    3. Paul, her comment is just upstream. You will be fine as long as you don’t bump into anonymous. She stinks.

        2. Paul, the princess is wrong about the course of US and world history since Wilson, 100 years ago. Perhaps you think that’s a minor point.

          1. Anon1 – her facts are not wrong, but if you think they are, correct them. Show your work.

  14. I’ve been searching for information since it dropped this AM. You and politico were only ones pushing it. Mark Levine on Hanity mentions 2 ex Obama people dropped this. America and Israel have the strongest alliance than at any other time. Obama for sure did not treat Israel as it is one of greatest allies.

    1. “Pushing it?” WTH does “pushing” mean in this context?

      America benefits absolutely nothing by its association with Israel, unless you call OBL declaring war against the US, partly because of its support for Israel, the most hated nation extant…unless you call that a benefit. Which, if you’re a war monger or someone who benefits financially by war, or if your a foaming Israeli-firster, of course you would love war against the US.

      I know, you don’t have to type it, everyone who does not want to die for Israel and give Israel (one of the world’s richest nations) all our wealth, is of course, wait for it………………………………..an ANTI-SEMITE. Which makes all Israel firsters like you, by definition, an ANTI-GOYIM.

      If Israel loves the US so much, why the illegal spying? Why is Israel in bed with China, our worst military enemy, enabling a Chinese military presence in Haifa, next door to the US Navy’s port for the Sixth Fleet? “China Loves Israel” rally: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-pressures-israel-drop-china-belt-and-road-investments

        1. You didn’t read with comprehension. The source for the Breitbart piece is also anonymous. But more importantly, I already indicated my doubts about the Politico piece.

          “A pox on both their houses.”

            2. mespo – I have been saying that for 10 months. Good luck. Start your clock. 😉

              1. Paul:
                Benson disputes the foundation of Western jurisprudence and argumentation since the times of the ancient Romans. His position: I don’t like it. Sounds about right for our blog’s Prevaricator in Chief.

                1. mespo – maybe Weart overturns Western jurisprudence. Michael Mann has still not legally proved climate change. He won’t show the evidence.

        2. mespo, as someone who has bought a wall you were promised would be free, I’m not sure you should be trying your hand at more infrastructure dealing.

    2. does it ever occur to these geniuses that disinformation is a foreign intelligence technique?
      disinformation. look that up folks

      i wonder how many “mainstream media” goofs are actually fed the inside scoop by agents of foreign powers

      but of course only concerns like that adhere to Russians Russians Russians

      what’s funny is, the Russians would love to see a litle distance between the US and Israel

      the strategic relationship between the USSR & Russia and Israel is a long and interesting story but not much for soundbites and perpetual lies and oversimplifications

  19. Speaking of deep dive investigative reporting by the NYT, WaPo, WSJ, etc., how well did they cover Imran Awan and co.?

    Here we have this “robust” reporting by Politico about “likely” spying and another story regarding a convicted faith healer. Who knew Awan originally came into this country and set himself up as a faith healer? He’s a two-fer.

    https://www.judicialwatch.org/videos/the-untold-story-of-the-awan-bros-house-democrats-i-t-scandal-inside-report/?utm_source=deployer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=action+alert&utm_term=members&utm_content=20190912231019

    1. oh, but he took it in the backside for mortgage fraud. that’s serious business in america.

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