Category Archives: NSA

NATIONAL Security Adviser (NSA) Babagana Monguno has assured that the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election would be rancour-free.

The off-season election is fixed for June 18, 2022.

The NSA, represented by Sanusi Galadima, gave the assurance on Friday while speaking at the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Monguno explained that the security agencies are monitoring developments in the South West state.

He noted that his discussions with the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, shows that everything is going smoothly.

We are very optimistic that the election will be conducted smoothly without any rancour, he said.

Galadima added that the NSA has assured all security personnel that will be involved in the election that they have nothing to worry about.

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In the end, he also directed me to tell other security agencies with ICCES members and all those involved in the Ekiti election and subsequent election of Osun State that they have nothing to fear.

The Federal Government is fully in their support, and all other logistics and other issues concerning the election will be provided.

At the end of the day, he prayed to Almighty God that Ekiti election will be peacefully conducted, devoid of any rancour, Galadima said.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, said his Commission was on top of logistics for the seamless conduct of both Ekiti and Osun state governorship elections.

Mahmood said INEC would continue to sustain consultations with stakeholders in both states towards the smooth conduct of the elections.

With only 15 days to the Ekiti Governorship election, all the major activities that are supposed to be carried out at this stage have been successfully undertaken. I led a team of INEC National Commissioners to Ekiti State early this week to assess the Commissions preparations for the elections.

We visited our offices in several Local Government Areas, held meetings with our staff, had an audience with the Council of Obas to solicit the support of their Royal Majesties for peaceful elections and met with the security agencies.

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As the Commission is getting ready for the Ekiti State Governorship election, we have also gone far with similar preparations for the Osun State Governorship election holding next month, that is Saturday, July 16, 2022. At the same time, the Commission continues with preparations for the 2023 General Election, Mahmood said.

He, however, warned about the unpalatable security situation in the country which, according to him, remained a threat to the Continuous Voters Registration exercise, which he said has been put on hold in some regions of the country.

See the article here:
Ekiti governorship election will be rancour-free NSA - ICIR

Abby and Emma Conrod both applied for the Howard D. Mast Scholarship figuring, at best, just one of them would receive the $5,000 award.

But the twins, both 18 and having just graduated from Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, had no idea both of them would receive twin, $5,000 scholarships. Scholarship committee Co-Chair Sandy Tucker and committee member and City Councilman Donald Goldberg were on hand the day before graduation to present it to them.

It was a nice surprise, but winning the scholarship also runs in the family. Their brother, Jacob, who graduated from NSA in the class of 2020 and attends the College of William & Mary, earned the same scholarship.

The Mast Scholarship is named for Howard D. Mast, who served as the citys parks and recreation director from 1949 to 1966 and died in 2006. He was known throughout the region as Mr. Tennis and was elected to the Mid-Atlantic Tennis Foundation Hall of Fame in 1995.

The scholarship helps pay for the winners college expenses and goes to either a graduating senior at one of the citys public or private high schools or accredited homeschool program, or a former graduate of one of the citys high schools or accredited homeschool program and enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited U.S. college or university.

The committee considers need, academics, extracurricular activities in school, extracurricular activities in the community and church and character, all things important to Mast.

These two were top dogs, Tucker said. They are outstanding citizens of the community, and its clear that theyre going to be outstanding citizens.

Abby, who will attend Liberty University to study nursing, said that with the rising cost of education, the scholarship will be helpful for her and her family with three siblings soon to be in college.

Its a great blessing and honor because as people know, education nowadays can be expensive, Abby said, so just being able to not have to worry so much about affording my education and to receive this is just a huge blessing, and Im very, very thankful that I can spend more time focusing on things like my studies instead of worrying about paying for my next semester.

Emma will attend the University of Virginia and has not decided on a major, though she is interested in mathematics and education. She echoed her sisters sentiments but also talked about the meaning of the scholarship itself.

Im really honored that I was chosen, and Im glad that they recognized us, Emma said. I dont know what I did right in the application.

She needed encouragement from her mom to talk about herself a little more, going the humble-brag route.

Through the whole winter when I was writing scholarships, my mom was like, You need to be specific and you need to say what youve done. You cant be humble, or whatever, Emma said.

In the essay, she needed to write about her character, hard work and dedication, so she focused on taking part in athletics such as basketball, cross country and lacrosse while at NSA. She also wrote about the schools honor code and being a part of the honor council, trusted to deal with cases among her peers.

Thats a lot to do, Emma said, You have to hold yourself to a much higher standard, I feel, just because everyones watching you for an example.

Abby focused on character traits she has learned in the sports shes played, having run cross country since sixth grade, and rising to varsity in eighth grade.

I talked about how that sport specifically really just taught me how to work hard, Abby said.

At NSA, she took part in four sports in addition to cross country basketball, lacrosse, track and field, and indoor track.

They said navigating the COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge.

The pandemic showed me how much a school like NSA cares for the students, Abby said, and how even when youre going through having to learn virtually and all the trials that come with that, how much energy and time all the teachers continued to put in despite the extra work it meant for them. And so as someone whos been at NSA for 13 years, Im going to miss the community and how much your teachers care for you the most.

Emma said it reminded her of the camaraderie and friendships she developed at NSA. Not being able to see those people in person made it more challenging, and it was harder for things like clubs to meet virtually.

You had to become more creative and you still wanted there to be the school spirit and community, but you obviously couldnt all meet in big groups, so you just had to become more creative, Emma said.

Abby recalled someone from William & Mary coming in to speak with students and telling them that they would never be in a place again that has people who care about their future as much as they did there, and being able to trust in the honor system, enough that her phone was on a bench in the hallway during a recent interview as numerous people moved about while graduation rehearsal was starting.

Thats one thing she said she will miss as she heads off to college.

All the time during free lunch, and on those benches, I just leave my keys, my wallet, my laptop and run to a teachers classroom to ask them a question, Abby said, and never in my wildest dreams would I ever imagine anything would not be there when I came back, which, that will also be different in college, I guess, so I definitely need to change my habits.

Excerpt from:
Twin-tastic NSA scholars receive scholarships - The Suffolk News-Herald - Suffolk News-Herald

FBI agent Grayden Ridd had a confidential message for his informant. An FBI team had been given the green light by the Justice Department to ambush and derail a planned meeting between a reporter and a source, and the informants job was to let the FBI know when and where the meeting would take place.

The reporter whose meeting they planned to target was me.

It was January 2014, and I was an investigative reporter in the Washington bureau of the New York Times focusing on national security. The FBI wanted to stop me from obtaining documents that Id been told would reveal the details of massive spying operations by the National Security Agency. The FBI was convinced that I was in contact with someone they had secretly nicknamed the second Snowden, who was about to give me an archive that they feared could go far beyond what former NSA contractor Edward Snowden had leaked about the agencys spying operations the year before.

The FBIs plan to grab my source at our scheduled meeting was approved by top officials at the FBI and the Justice Department during the Obama administration, according to audio recordings I obtained of several phone conversations between Ridd and his informant. At the time, Eric Holder was U.S. attorney general and James Comey was FBI director.

Right now, they are on board, Ridd said in one phone conversation to plan the ambush operation, referring to top Justice Department and FBI officials. I have to periodically go up to the throne room and recommit them. We actually have a lot of buy-in and a lot of support, but I do need to feed the beast.

The FBI declined to comment and the Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment. Holder did not answer a request for comment left with his office; Comey did not respond to a request for comment conveyed through his lawyer. Ridd did not respond to a request for comment placed with a relative or to a knock at the door ofhis homein Washington, D.C.

The FBIs attempt to identify and catch my source came as the Justice Department was waging a seven-year legal campaign against me in connection with a separate leak investigation. The Obama Justice Department had subpoenaed me and was demanding that I testify in court and reveal the confidential sources I had relied on for a chapter about a botched CIA operation in my 2006 book, State of War. I included the story in my book after the Times killed an article on the same topic under pressure from the White House and the CIA.

The attempt to derail my reporting on the purported NSA leaks came during a critical period in my legal battle with the Justice Department. In January 2014 just as the FBI was planning its ambush operation the U.S. Supreme Court was asked to hear arguments over my subpoena in the leak case involving the mismanaged CIA program. At the time, I was facing the possibility of going to prison for refusing to reveal my sources if the Supreme Court did not rule in my favor. But the Justice Department did not disclose to the Supreme Court that the FBI was simultaneously targeting my reporting on a completely separate story. The Justice Department and the FBI have also never acknowledged to me that they planned to conduct a raid at the scheduled meeting with my source.

The FBIs attempt to catch my source underscores the obsession over leaks to the press that has gripped the U.S. national security community in recent years, under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The FBI, CIA, and other agencies are now willing to take actions that would have been considered far outside the bounds of acceptable policy just a few years ago to prevent stories in the press that will embarrass powerful officials and reveal government wrongdoing.

The Trump administration went to even greater extremes than its predecessor to target the press. In 2017, then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo reportedly considered kidnapping WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who at the time was living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Yahoo News reported last September that former President Donald Trump even raised the possibility of assassinating Assange. Pompeo was reportedly obsessed with targeting Assange after a massive leak of CIA hacking tools, known as Vault 7. WikiLeaks published Vault 7 documents in 2017, revealing that the CIA had the ability to hack the computer systems built into a wide range of consumer products, including cars, televisions, and home appliances. In April 2017, Pompeo labeled WikiLeaks a hostile intelligence service.

I have previously been reluctant to write what I know about the FBIs scheme to ambush my source because the story is so complicated and confused that I am still not sure I fully understand it. But Michael Schmidt, my former colleague at the Times, made some elements of the story public when he wrote about the episode in his 2020 book, Donald Trump v. The United States: Inside the Struggle to Stop a President. The CIAs reported discussion of kidnapping or even killing Assange finally convinced me that I should share what I know about how the FBI also tried to target my reporting.

In late 2013, I met a source who was disgusted by the massive scale of the NSAs surveillance operations and wanted to expose the full scope of the agencys global power, which the source claimed went far beyond what Snowden had revealed. He said he was considering providing me with the NSA documents to prove it. Our first meeting was designed to help him decide whether he could trust me enough to give me the documents.

That initial meeting went well. We got along, and we agreed to get together again. The source had scheduled an upcoming trip to Brussels, so we agreed to meet in Belgium. I hoped he might be ready to hand over the documents.

I chose Bruges, a historic Belgian citywhere we would easily blend in among the crowds of foreign tourists. To be honest, I also chose Bruges because I wanted to visit the city; one of my favorite movies was In Bruges, the dark comedy starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. The films plot, about two hitmen waiting for something to happen in the Belgian city, made Bruges seem like an appropriate backdrop for a secret meeting with the source.

After a quick internet search of bars and restaurants, I chose the Caf Rose Red in the citys center as the place for our meeting. It was likely to be packed with tourists.

The source and I would be joined at the meeting by an American lawyer who had originally introduced us. I had known the lawyer for several years. When I first met him, he was in private practice and occasionally handled legal matters for individuals involved in the governments national security apparatus. Later, he split his time between the United States and Europe; he told me that he was sometimes involved in international arms deals.

The lawyer seemed to be an adrenaline junkie, someone who had found a home on the dark side of international intelligence. I considered him primarily a go-between, someone who occasionally introduced me to people involved in national security matters both in the United States and overseas, as well as people involved in more questionable activities, such as arms deals and money laundering. I found his contacts helpful to my reporting; through him, I gained access and insights into the intelligence underworld.

But by the time of the planned meeting in Bruges in 2014, the American lawyer had begun to inform on me and my new source for the FBI, I later learned. I dont know exactly when he began to do so. (Ive tried throughout my career to protect my sources. While the FBI knows who the lawyer is, I will not name him, even though he betrayed me.)

As I prepared to travel to Bruges, I tried to take a few precautions to avoid detection. I planned to fly from Washington to Paris, then pay cash for a train ticket to Bruges. I hoped that would reduce the digital evidence of my travel. I didnt know that my efforts were pointless because the FBI was already closely tracking my movements based on information the American lawyer had fed them.

Just before I was scheduled to leave Washington, I received an anonymous email from an odd address that I had never seen before. The email contained a brief but stunning message. It said not to go to Bruges.

Uncertain who was behind the message, I canceled my travel plans.

Much later, I asked the American lawyer if he knew what had happened and whether he had sent the email. He admitted that he was responsible for the warning.

Eventually, he confessed to me that the FBI had been waiting in Bruges to trap my source. He said that the FBI knew about the meeting because he had told them about it, and that he had also told the FBI that the source wanted to provide me with NSA documents. He admitted that he had been informing on me.

He said that, based on the information he had provided, the FBI had sent a large team to Bruges to try to arrest my source. The FBI told the American lawyer that senior Justice Department officials wanted to grab the source when I was not there, so they asked the lawyer to find a way to try to prevent or at least delay my arrival in Bruges.

Before I got the anonymous email warning me not to come, the lawyer and his FBI handler brainstormed how to keep me from getting to Bruges. In one phone conversation, he told Ridd that he would have his assistant pick me up at the train and then pretend to have car trouble so that I couldnt get to the caf in time.

I will put, without sort of pulling back the curtain, I will put my colleague, who he has a great deal of confidence in, on him for logistical support, and tell him Hey, shell meet up with you, shell help make your arrangements and be your driver, and essentially put her on him to keep tabs on him, the American lawyer told Ridd. She would have strict instructions to essentially queer that whole deal, up to and including having the car break down.

But that wasnt good enough for Ridd, who wanted the American lawyer to stop me from traveling to Europe.

That is a good tool at a tactical level, Ridd responded when the American lawyer suggested having his assistant stage a car breakdown. But that doesnt save us from the wrath of the attorney general and headquarters. If he shows up in country, all hell is going to break loose and so, if at all possible, our primary goal needs to be to dissuade, to talk him out of it. We need for him to not be in Europe for that weekend, and when I say we, I really mean you, because, brother, youre turning out to be the one whos got to do it. The higher powers are going to have a conniption if he is in country or floating around Europe.

Ultimately, the FBIs plans came to nothing. The source I was hoping to meet did not go to Bruges either, so the arrest didnt take place. The FBI team in Bruges waited and waited, according to the lawyer, frustrated and in vain. The plan turned into a debacle, Schmidt wrote in his book. The source never arrived at the caf, and the informant ended up getting drunk while waiting for him. When higher-ups at the bureau learned what had happened, they grew furious that an entire team had been sent to Belgium based on information from a man with little track record as a source who was also known to be double-crossing a reporter on the same matter.

The American lawyer later told me that he had also warned the source not to come to Bruges. I am still not sure about his motivations. I dont know whether he told me not to come because the FBI asked him to stop me or because he wanted to prevent the FBIs operation from succeeding. The American lawyer had introduced me to the source in the first place and had set up our introductory meeting. Why would he go out of his way to do that, only to turn around and set a trap with the FBI?

I never again heard from the source I was trying to meet, and I never obtained a cache of NSA documents from him. In fact, I am not sure whether he really had the documents or ever planned to give them to me.

When the lawyer confessed that he had been informing on me to the FBI, he apparently did not tell me the whole story. In his book, Schmidt reported that the lawyer also told the FBI that he had broken into one of my computers. He gave the FBI a flash drive that he claimed included data from a computer that I owned.

Schmidt wrote that the FBI never opened the flash drive, and that it sat untouched in a safe at the FBIs Washington Field Office. When officials sought approval from Holder to check the drives contents, the then-attorney general denied the request and was furious that it had been put in writing, Schmidt wrote. Schmidt also reported that the FBI cut its ties to the American lawyer, that two FBI agents involved in targeting my source and me were disciplined, and that one of those agents left the bureau. I do not know whether Ridd was one of the agents disciplined or what has happened to him since. The Justice Department briefly considered whether the American lawyer had violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for gaining access to my computer, according to Schmidt, but the bureau did not tell me about that possibility.

I may never know the truth, but I doubt that the flash drive the American lawyer gave the FBI actually contained any of my data. Schmidt writes that the lawyer told the FBI he could install spyware on my computer and that he had secretly copied a trove of documents from my computer when I invited him to my house in 2014. But I dont think he ever had the access or the skill to successfully hack my devices. My skepticism is based on my own experience with him. Soon after the FBIs attempt to arrest my source, the lawyer also gave me a flash drive, one that he claimed included NSA documents from the source. The flash drive could not be opened; the password he gave me didnt work. I became suspicious of the drive and whether it contained malware, so I turned it over to the New York Times security team for analysis. The security team couldnt find anything; they also talked to the American lawyer and questioned him about the drive.

I strongly suspect that the lawyer purposefully gave me a nonfunctional flash drive and that he probably played some kind of game with the drive he gave to the FBI as well. In his recorded calls with Ridd, the lawyer discussed putting a thumb drive containing secret documents in a microwave to destroy it before giving it to me. I have concluded that the American lawyer loved to play games with everyone, on all sides.

The lawyer told Ridd that he frequently lied to me and my colleagues at the Times. During the course of my career with Jim there have been a number of instances where Ive lent Jim assistance or Ive pointed him in a particular direction, and Im talking in years past, where it was mundane news reporting, the lawyer said. The moments that were important, I betrayed Jim.

In the run-up to the ill-fated operation in Bruges, he continued, the dishonesty had intensified. I, just bluntly Grayden, I lie my ass off every day, OK, when I have to deal with these guys. Everything about my relationship with Jim has become a lie, and it takes just one stick to fall down and then Im afraid that the whole house collapses on top of me, and it is incredible pressure for me.

But the recordings suggest that the lawyer often misled the FBI at the same time that he was informing on and lying to me.

In one conversation, the American lawyer told Ridd that I was planning to arrange with European intelligence services to show them any NSA documents I obtained from the new source. If he gets his hands on documents then presumably those documents are going to be stuck under the nose of people in Brussels and thats going to be a really bad thing, the lawyer said.

That was not true; it was one of several false or misleading statements the American lawyer made to his FBI handler. I wonder if the lawyer told the FBI that he had introduced me to the source, that he had set up our initial meeting, or that he told the source not to come to Bruges.

After he confessed that he had betrayed me, the American lawyer told me that the FBI had also become very suspicious of him, and that he was resisting their efforts to get him to take a polygraph. The recordings of his conversations with Ridd detail his arguments with the FBI over the issue. The lawyer acted offended that the FBI would question his truthfulness and credibility.

If people are not comfortable with the veracity of my reporting, Grayden, it hits me very much the wrong way, the American lawyer told Ridd. Im sorry guys at [FBI headquarters] dont get it but somebody should let them know that Ive been around the block and Im a nice guy, and I have busted my ass for the benefit of the government on this. Either the reporting is good and the facts are good or theyre not, and if theyre not, we should all walk away.

It was a masterful performance.

Continued here:
The FBI Tried to Ambush My Source. Now I'm Telling the Whole Story. - The Intercept

The fate of thousands of arbitrarily detained men and women should not rest in the hands of Egypts security agencies, namely the National Security Agency and General Intelligence, Amnesty International said today following the release of four prisoners held for political reasons, based on recommendations by the recently re-activated Presidential Pardons Committee.

Over the last three days, the Egyptian public prosecution ordered the release of Abdelrahman Tarek (known as Moka), Kholoud Saeed and nine others, who had been arbitrarily detained from as early as 2018, following a statement from the Presidential Pardons Committee earlier this month that they submitted a list of over 1000 political prisoners to security agencies for review.

We welcome the long overdue release of those detained solely for exercising their human rights and the promise to free more. Yet thousands of opponents and critics continue to languish in Egyptian jails, while fresh arrests and prosecutions continue unabated, said Amna Guellali, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Previous promises to release prisoners held for political reasons amounted to little more than disingenuous attempts to deflect international criticism of Egypts abysmal human rights record. To prove they are committed now, the Egyptian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained solely for exercising their human rights, including politicians, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders.

Amnesty International is calling on the authorities to adopt a rights-based approach and to end mass arbitrary detentions in line with their obligations under international human rights law and demands by independent Egyptian human rights groups.

Exclusions from pardons

On 5 May, following the re-activation of the Presidential Pardons Committee by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, eight Egyptian human rights NGOs called on the authorities to publicly clarify the criteria and timeline used to review prisoners files.

The groups expressed concern that prisoners of conscience and others held for political reasons could be excluded on discriminatory grounds, with security agencies in control of the decision-making process for releases.

Indeed,several committee members said that they would not consider releasing detained Muslim Brotherhood members.Several relatives whosubmitted requests for the committee to review their loved-ones detention told Amnesty International that two committee members demanded to see evidence that detainees did not belong to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Previous promises to release prisoners held for political reasons amounted to little more than disingenuous attempts to deflect international criticism of Egypts abysmal human rights record.

In a statement released on 9 May, Tarek al-Kholi, a member of the Presidential Pardons Committee and an MP, said that members of terrorist groups or those involved in violence would be excluded from pardons. This admission is highly alarming, considering the fact that thousands of individuals have been held in prolonged-pretrial detention in Egypt following baseless accusations of membership in a terrorist group. Among them is Youssef Mansour, a human rights lawyer, arbitrarily detained since 24 March 2022, pending investigations into membership in a terrorist group, solely due to his critical social media posts.

Thousands of others have been imprisoned on violence-related charges following grossly unfair, mass trials by emergency or military courts. On 29 May, an emergency court sentenced 25 political opponents, including politician Mohamed al-Kassas and former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh to 10 and 15 years in prison respectively for trumped-up terrorism-related charges and spreading false news.

Security forces should play no role in reviews

On 6 May, Tarek al-Kholi confirmed that requests for release received by the Presidential Pardons Committee would be sent to security forces for review. Yet security forces, including the National Security Agency (NSA), should not be granted any authority over releases, as they have repeatedly barred the release of prisoners held for political reasons and targeted individuals affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood and other high-profile activists, who played a prominent role in the 25 January Revolution, for particularly punitive and discriminatory treatment in prison. Since December 2014, Anas al-Beltagy, son of imprisoned Muslim Brotherhood figure Mohamed al-Beltagy, has remained in prison despite being acquitted by courts in four separate trials. Each time a judge ordered his release, the NSA has barred it.

According to an article by independent news site Mada Masr, which is blocked in Egypt, a source close to the committee who asked to remain anonymous said security agencies will not allow the release of prominent activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, a dual Egyptian-British national on a hunger strike for 60 days, who has been unjustly jailed since September 2019, or activist Ahmed Douma, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison in a grossly unfair trial over his participation in anti-government protests.

The releases of those held solely for exercising their human rights must also be unconditional. Amnesty International has learned that several of those released in April were warned by the NSA not to engage in any activism, or else face re-arrest. At least two were instructed to report weekly to the NSA for monitoring.

The Egyptian authorities must also immediately instruct security forces and prosecutors to stop arbitrarily arresting and detaining critics. Since April 2022, authorities have arrested three journalists Mohamed Fawzi, Hala Fahmy and Safaa al-Korbagi and detained them for sharing posts on social media deemed critical by the authorities, on accusations of membership in a terrorist group and/or spreading false news.

To ensure meaningful progress on the scourge of mass arbitrary detention in Egypt, sustained joint action is needed by the international community to privately and publicly press on the Egyptian authorities to release all those arbitrary detained in Egypt regardless of their political affiliation, and to put an end to the crackdown on peaceful dissent, said Amna Guellali.

Background

On 26 April 2022, during an Iftar attended by some opposition figures, President Abdelfattah al-Sisi called for the reactivation of the Presidential Pardons Committee to re-examine individuals detained for political reasons or for failure to pay debts. The move followed the release on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr of around 30 men and women held for political reasons. The committee is composed of two MPs, a former minister and two independents.

The Egyptian authorities have arrested tens of thousands of men and women since the military ousted former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, many of whom remain unjustly imprisoned in conditions that violate the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment.

Read more:
Egypt: Exclude security agencies from reviewing releases of jailed critics - Amnesty International

US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan on Monday expressed support for Turkey's continued direct talks with Sweden and Finland to resolve concerns over their applications for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). During a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Dr Ibrahim Kalin, NSA Sullivan also shared concerns over the ongoing aggression waged by Russia in Ukraine. The leaders further deliberated over respective efforts to enable Ukrainian agricultural exports to reach global markets, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

Separately, NSA Sullivan highlighted the importance of refraining from an escalation in Syria to preserve existing ceasefire lines and avoid any further destabilisation. He also urged Dr. Kalin to continue dialogue and diplomacy to"resolve any disagreements" in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Abandoning their long-standing military neutrality, Finland and Sweden finally forwarded their membership applications to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on May 18 despite stern opposition from Turkey and Russia. All 30 members of the international military bloc are needed to approve the bid for Sweden and Finland to join NATO. However, Hungary and Turkey have objected to the membership applications in what can be described as an attempt to gain political concessions driven by their national interests.

During the phone call with NSA Sullivan, Turkey's Dr. Kalin responded to this American counterpart by maintaining that Ankara looked forward to "concrete steps" by both the Nordic nations to eliminate what it refers to as Kurdish "terrorist organisations" in order to gain Turkey's support for ascension to NATO. It is to note, that Turkey has refused the joining, accusing Sweden and Finland of "nuzzling" Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) militants "to their bosom", a claim both Nordic countries have denied. Further, Turkey has also remained at odds withFinland andSweden after theyhalted arms export to Ankara in 2019. Dr. Kalin emphasised that the West-led intergovernmental alliance must "internalise values and principles on security and counter-terrorism," the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

This comes a day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 28 maintained that he intended to block the membership applications unless there are vivid steps to alleviate Ankara's security concerns. "We cannot say yes to countries that support terror joining NATO," he remarked at a presser, as quoted by Hurriyet. He further accused European allies of NATO of committing a "mistake" by supporting Sweden and Finland.

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US backs Turkey's continued talks with Sweden & Finland to fix concerns over NATO bid - Republic World

FORT MEADE, Md. The Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Executive team on Thursday took part in a series of cybersecurity workshops provided by the National Security Agency (NSA). These workshops focused on NSA cyber risk best practices and how they can be utilized to ensure security in the state cyber environment. The workshops provide information regarding risk management, cyber threats, and supply chain management.These workshops are one part of a continued partnership between the IT leadership of the State of Maryland and NSA. This partnership allows DoIT to further understand the best practices of the federal government and for both entities to share lessons learned. This is the second time the DoIT executive staff has visited NSA for a presentation from its federal partners on cybersecurity.DoIT and the State of Maryland are extremely lucky to have NSA expertise available to enhance our efforts to keep the State Government and all Marylanders safe from cyber threats said DoIT Secretary Michael Leahy.NSA is dedicated to fulfilling our commitment to help advise the State of Maryland on enterprise security," said Jason Jabers, NSA Fellow to DoIT. This workshop is one of the products of NSAs commitment to work with key partners to improve our nations cybersecurity posture.NSAs Jabers joined DoIT in October 2021 as a fellow who has been advising the state on enterprise data practice, policies, standards, and security. His main goal is to collaborate with the Governors Office, the Chief Information Officer, and other key government, academic, and private sector organizations on a comprehensive data architecture plan for the state.

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NSA Hosts the Maryland Department of IT in cybersecurity workshop - National Security Agency

New Jersey, United States,-Mr Accuracy Reportspublished new research on Global5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructurecovering micro level of analysis by competitors and key business segments (2022-2029). The Global 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure explores comprehensive study on various segments like opportunities, size, development, innovation, sales and overall growth of major players. The research is carried out on primary and secondary statistics sources and it consists both qualitative and quantitative detailing.

Some of the Major Key players profiled in the study areQualcomm, Intel, Avago, Skyworks, Ericsson, Samsung, NEC, Mediatek, Cisco, Marvell, Qorvo, Huawei, LG, NTT DoCoMo, SK Telecom, ZTE, Nokia

Get PDF Sample Report + All Related Table and Graphs @:https://www.mraccuracyreports.com/report-sample/192348

Various factors are responsible for the markets growth trajectory, which are studied at length in the report. In addition, the report lists down the restraints that are posing threat to the global 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure market. This report is a consolidation of primary and secondary research, which provides market size, share, dynamics, and forecast for various segments and sub-segments considering the macro and micro environmental factors. It also gauges the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, threat from new entrants and product substitute, and the degree of competition prevailing in the market.

Global 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure Market Segmentation:

5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure Segmentation by Type:

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5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure Segmentation by Application:

Smart Home, Autonomous Driving, Smart Cities, Industrial IoT, Smart Farming

Key market aspects are illuminated in the report:

Executive Summary:It covers a summary of the most vital studies, the Global 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure market increasing rate, modest circumstances, market trends, drivers and problems as well as macroscopic pointers.

Study Analysis:Covers major companies, vital market segments, the scope of the products offered in the Global 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure market, the years measured and the study points.

Company Profile:Each Firm well-defined in this segment is screened based on a products, value, SWOT analysis, their ability and other significant features.

Manufacture by region:This Global 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure report offers data on imports and exports, sales, production and key companies in all studied regional markets

Market Segmentation: By Geographical Analysis

The Middle East and Africa(GCC Countries and Egypt)North America(the United States, Mexico, and Canada)South America(Brazil etc.)Europe(Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.)Asia-Pacific(Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)

The cost analysis of the Global 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure Market has been performed while keeping in view manufacturing expenses, labor cost, and raw materials and their market concentration rate, suppliers, and price trend. Other factors such as Supply chain, downstream buyers, and sourcing strategy have been assessed to provide a complete and in-depth view of the market. Buyers of the report will also be exposed to a study on market positioning with factors such as target client, brand strategy, and price strategy taken into consideration.

Key questions answered in the report include:

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Table of Contents

Global 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure Market Research Report 2022 2029

Chapter 1 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure Market Overview

Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Industry

Chapter 3 Global Market Competition by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by Region

Chapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions

Chapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type

Chapter 7 Global Market Analysis by Application

Chapter 8 Manufacturing Cost Analysis

Chapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers

Chapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders

Chapter 11 Market Effect Factors Analysis

Chapter 12 Global 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure Market Forecast

If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want. you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.

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5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Architecture Infrastructure Industry is Expected to Reach $8 Billion by 2028 -Qualcomm, Intel, Avago, Skyworks, Ericsson,...

Even as the food crisis looms large due to the Russian-Ukraine war coupled with climate change, United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that food security would be the topic of discussion in the third edition of the Quad Summit in Tokyo.

Sullivan was responding to a question if President Joe Biden will have a talk with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reverse Indias decision to ban wheat exports.

Food security will be the topic of conversation at the Quad, Sullivan said on Sunday.

Ukraine and Russia account for 29 per cent of global wheat and 62 per cent of sunflower oil exports. The invasion has exacerbated food price inflation in emerging markets and developing economies and has impacted some of the poorest and most vulnerable countries.

Global food prices are almost 30 per cent higher than the same time last year, according to the UN.

India was forced to halt wheat exports after a brutal heatwave destroyed the crops, causing inflation and shortage in the country.

Watch |Indian PM Narendra Modi's Japan visit: 40 hours for 23 engagements

However, the Indian government had said that it would consider helping the nations that are in need.

Apart from the wheat export ban, the Quad summit will also likely discuss the Russian-Ukraine war where Indias stand has put it at odds with its allies.

Even though India has not outrightly condemned Russia, it had always sought for peaceful resolution of the conflict.

When Sullivan was asked if Biden wouldtalkwith Modi on this issue, he said, Well, they already had the opportunity to engage on that and the president had an extended discussion with PM Modi when they did a virtual Quad summit in March. They also got to speak about it when they had a short video bilateral 2+2 and when Indian ministers came to Washington.

So, it won't be a new conversation but a continuation of the conversation they have already had on how we see the picture in Ukraine and impacts of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, apart from wider sets of concerns in the world including food security concerns. So, they will talk all of that through, will leave the specific, they had private and constructive exchanges. This will be similarly constructive and straightforward.

Also read |WION @ Quad: Updates from Japan | Quad leaders to meet in Tokyo

When asked if President Biden would also raise human rights issues with PM Modi, the US NSA said, President Biden has been clear from the beginning in this administration that we will speak out when we see any form of departure or deviation from basic principles, fundamental freedoms, human rights, values of democratic institutions and rule of law.

Also read |WION reports from Tokyo: Quad leaders to meet under shadow of Ukraine war, China threat

That is true for a range of countries, and we dont single India out. We have found a way to pursue practical cooperation with countries who are democratic and non-democratic while at the same time being clear and consistent where our values lie.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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On Indias wheat export ban, US NSA said this.... - WION

The Northern Ethnic Group Assembly (NEYGA) has detailed how theNational Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno allegedly looted funds meant to tackle insecurity in Nigeria to acquire properties worth billions of naira in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK and US.

According to the group, Monguno's wife is currently in the US and only comes to Nigeria to stack money from her husbands office in anticipation of her husband's return to America to join his family ahead of handing over to his successor.In a statement sent to SaharaReporters, the group also claimed the NSA never wants the insecurity in the country to end because he benefits from it.The group also lamented that Monguno has not been brought to justice despite his alleged shady dealings.It added that the country's fight against insecurity will not come to an end if the NSA is not penalised.The statement reads: "It has become pertinent to notify members of the public that the Service Chiefs are not just ready to perform their functions, but also willing to cough out their 'whole nine yards' as a result, but this zeal and or quest is being prevented by the NSA - who is only masterminding lootings at the detriment of members of the Armed Forces and the teaming population."According to findings, the NSA has through General Emeka Onwamegbu and the current Director of Finance and Accounts acquired properties in the United Kingdom, Dubai, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America. They both acquired properties worth billions (of naira) in the countries mentioned above."Mongunus wife who has since relocated to the United States of America only comes to Nigeria to stack money from her husbands office in anticipation of her husband travelling to America to join his family, ahead of handing over to his successor, just like former Anambra State Governor Obiano State did a couple of months ago."It's crystal clear that Mongunu does not want the insecurity in Nigeria to be brought to its logical end, because of the illegitimate financial gains he usually earns from it. It would be recalled that he instigated former Governor of Borno State Shettima not to allow insurgence to come to an end because of the expected money coming to the state for reconstruction through the then planned establishment of the North Eastern Development Commission."Mongunu claimed that the money earmarked for reconstruction would be stopped should there be peace in the state. That was why the gains of the Armed Forces during the 6 weeks postponement of elections in 2015 were reduced to nothing and insecurity has enveloped the whole country. The military cannot succeed in their fight against insurgency as long as Mongunu remains in office as the NSA."Nigerians must be reminded of what the Royal Father, retired Commodore (Kunle) Olawunmi said about Mongunu for being one of the sponsors of Boko Haram. Mongunu as the National Security Officer succeeded in stopping regular addresses on the State of the Nation by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed. He also rubbished Governor Umar Zulum for not dancing to his beats. Governor Zulum and (Nasir) El-Rufai are never in his good books."Intelligence report reveals that he uses electronic monitoring equipment in his office to monitor all telephone conversations of governors like El- Rufai, Zulum, (Kayode) Fayemi, (Hope) Uzodinma, (Babajide) Sanwo-Olu and (Abdullahi) Ganduje."At a point, he surreptitiously planned to embarrass the Kano State Governor. the Peoples Democratic Party Governors are not spared. He is never comfortable with the Presidents nephew, vibrant young man called 'Tunde'. He believed that Tunde was exhibiting too much influence on the President to the extent that he is the only one that can administer drugs to Mr President. He has severely tarnished the image and performance of the present Honourable Minister of Defence, General Magashi with a view to personally replacing him as the next Minister of Defence in the last year of this administration."Mongunu who does not enjoy any immunity has continued to dent the image of Mr President who deemed him worthy of the position he's enjoying. In an attempt to curb his excesses, the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) Chairman wanted to expose his involvement in corruption, the NSA threatened to snuff live out of the Chairman with open confrontation."It would be recalled that Mongonu deployed Armed Men of the Armed Forces and Police to prevent EFCC staff from marking the following properties in Abuja. Since the beginning of the investigations, sources said the NSA had been using his office, making frantic efforts to frustrate the investigations over fears that the multi-billion-naira properties were linked to him."It would also be recalled that on Wednesday, May 27, 2021, soldiers allegedly on the orders of the NSA had threatened to shoot officials of the EFCC that came to mark properties seized from Mr Mohammed at Sun City Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja."Unfazed by the NSAs pressure to stop the investigation, the operatives of the anti-graft agency swung into action."It would be recalled also that the EFCC had obtained an interim forfeiture from a Federal High Court in Abuja on March 11, 2021, and proceeded to mark eight properties belonging to the military officer in Abuja. Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo had in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/007/2021 ordered the interim forfeiture of eight properties linked to Mr Mohammed, who is a trusted front or aide to the NSA."Some of the properties in Abuja include: a house at 7 Gods Own Estate, Road 1, Wamba District; a fenced plot at 1 Jubril Aminu Crescent, Katampe Extension; a plot at Kubwa Express Road directly opposite Abuja Model City Gate; a house at Block SD 22, Road 5, Kabusa Garden Estate, Abuja; Plot 15, 21st Crescent, Second Avenue, Gwarinpa; 3 Liverpool Close, Sun City Estate and; 25 Osaka Street, Sun City. Whilst properties in Kano valued at N10.9 billion were recently forfeited on orders of an Abuja Federal High Court, those properties in Abuja linked to General Mongunu through his proxy deals were yet to be charged to Court by EFCC or ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission) specially. His properties in the United States of America including his personal residence at 12712 Shoppes Ln Fairfax, Virginia, VA 22033 USA were to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria."Is there any difference between Diezani (Alison) Madueke under Peoples Democratic Party and Mongunu under All Progressives Congress? Mongonu has rubbished the performance of the Office of the National Security Adviser under the President's administration. It is most surprising that a corrupt person like Mongonu without constitutional immunity has not been brought to courts in Nigeria to defend his illegal acquisition of properties in many countries using proxies and Bureau De Change operators."The nation is watching ICPC and EFCC leadership who are afraid of embarrassing the President in bringing Mongonu to justice. Northern Youths have been clamouring for his removal for the loss of many lives in the North. And because he has not been removed, insecurity has enveloped the country because of his inability to do the needful. It must however be noted that his failure is largely because he was not an intelligence trained officer in the Nigerian Army. You cannot give what you dont have."The National Security Adviser is yet to be brought to Court like others implicated in the Presidential Arms Panel Committee Report - in which Mongonu was to account for N3,000,000,000 while holding sway as Chief of Defence Intelligence. EFCC under (Ibrahim) Magu was quick to arraign persons implicated in the Committees Report (but) failed to charge Monguno to Court. Mongonu as the National Adviser to the President has no immunity under the Constitution (1999 as amended) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Mongonu should be charged to Court now by the EFCC and ICPC based on various allegations against him."Insurgency in Nigeria would not end if the advice of HRM, retired Commodore Olawunmi against Mongonu is not dealt with. Nigerian soldiers and innocent civilians will continue to die as a result of the ineffective coordination by the National Security Adviser."

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How National Security Adviser, Monguno Looted Funds Meant To Tackle Insecurity To Acquire Multi-billion-Naira Properties In UK, US, DubaiNorthern...

Lucknow: TheYogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to take action on illegal parking stands. CM Yogi Adityanath has ordered the removal of all illegal parking stands from the entire state in 48 hours during a review meeting on road safety. At the same time, CM Yogi has also ordered to put gangsters on the operator who did not remove the illegal parking stand and confiscate the property. CM Yogi Adityanath made it clear that roadside restaurantson the highway without parking will also have to be closed.

CM Yogi ordered to earmark the location for street vendors so that there are no shops on the roads. He said speed breakers should not be made 'waist breakers'. Wherever standard reverse speed breakers have been made in the state, they should be removed. CM Yogi said that 'waist breaker' speed breakers can be fatal for sick people and pregnant women. Only tabletop speed breakers should be made. He said that do not let anyone of mafia tendency get involved with any contract-lease. If a single mafia joins, his entire gang will create a base of illegal activities.

In a stern tone, CM Yogi said that breaks the back of every mafia. He said to remove illegal roadside restaurants with inadequate parking from the roadside. The roads connected to highways, expressways, PWD, urban development or any other department should also eliminate illegal encroachments.

Ajay Kothiyal, CM face of AAP in Uttarakhand, resigned from the party

Congress to now preparing for new 'camp' after Chintan Shivir, will brainstorm again in June

Farmers movement started on Mohali-Chandigarh border, Bhagwant Mann arrived to talk.

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NSA to be imposed on those who do not remove illegal parking stands, property will be confiscated - News Track English