Spotlight | United States
CIA awaits Biden's marching orders on China, Saudi Arabia, and UAE

The Tech Telegraph
Russell and Rucker to Dataflow Security, Kyiv deploys Vega on frontline, Dror Michman's exit, Faisal al-Bannai's PR push

From SIGINT to GEOINT and OSINT, with a dose of cyber, each week we report on events both big and small that matter in the community of technical intelligence providers.

Gloucester/WashingtonDataflow hires big wigs to tap into US and UK intelligence markets

KyivVega deploys drone imagery software to frontline

LondonDror Michman bids goodbye to Voyager Labs

Washington/Abu DhabiFaisal al-Bannai's CNN charm offensive

United States
ODNI suffers political fallout from Biden classified documents discovery

Controversy over the mishandling of classified documents by the US leadership has put the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in a tight spot, where it is torn between fighting leaks on the one hand and respecting its responsibility to keep out of politics on the other.

United States
As midterms loom, Washington tackles political tensions around intelligence community

With political violence mounting in the US in the lead-up to the midterm elections, the US intelligence community has also been affected by the growing polarisation of US society. The government is working to eradicate a phenomenon that has harmed the efficiency and credibility of the intelligence services.

Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Seoul uses influential agents to break into defence

If China, much to Washington's dismay, is pushing hard to make its mark on Saudi Arabia's sovereign markets, the real winners of Riyadh's new interest in Asia remain, for now, South Korean.

United States
US intelligence adopts two-pronged approach on Houthis and Riyadh

The proposals outlined in the draft bill on Yemen that Congress is about to give to the Director of National Intelligence illustrates Washington's harder line against Riyadh. The US will nevertheless continue to provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence support.

Spotlight | United States
New CIA espionage operations boss keeps watch over Middle East

David Marlowe's arrival, the first appointment made by new CIA director William Burns, makes it clear US intelligence is still very much concerned with the Middle East, despite China taking the front stage.

China, UAE
US wary as China and UAE lean into security cooperation

Tensions with Washington have deepened as news of the Chinese security minister's phone call with the UAE interior minister hits the headlines.

United States
Diplomatic Spymaster Holmgren has White House inside track

Nominated by Joe Biden at the end of March as Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), [...]

Canada, Saudi Arabia
Al Jabri case highlights private investigation firm ATNOH

A battle playing out in the Supreme Court in Ontario [...]

United States
Qatar opens transfer season for Gulf lobbyists in Washington

After years nurturing an army of lobbyists close to the Republican Party and Donald Trump, Doha is now adjusting its game in order to get ready for the Democrats. The EAU, Saudi Arabia and other regional powers are still biding their time before switching sides.

United States
DNI Avril Haines faces fresh CIA drone turf wars

Rivalry between the CIA and the Pentagon for management of drone strikes, which came under renewed scrutiny at the end of the Trump administration, is among the major issues facing the new Director of National Intelligence.

Europe, Iran
German aircraft brokers await end of Tehran blockade

With the new Biden administration and the Iranian government expected to resurrect the Iran nuclear deal, the aircraft broker German Aviation Capital (GAC) and its offshoot Aircraft Finance Germany (AFG) are waiting to get back to business.

United States
White House crisis spares intelligence financial officers

Although the situation in the White House ahead of the [...]

Saudi Arabia, United States
AITC to support Saudi military intelligence

Despite political divergence, the Pentagon is stepping up its intelligence support to Riyadh.

United Kingdom
Abu Dhabi's anti-Qatar efforts gain traction in Westminster

Despite ongoing negotiations between Washington and the Gulf countries to end the blockade against Doha (see here), the influence manoeuvres [...]

China, United States
Marseille becomes focus of US-China submarine cable battle

A report from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations reiterates the risks posed by Chinese-built cables, such as the SMW6 and Peace, both of which will land in Marseille.

Saudi Arabia
Mohammed bin Salman counts on APCO to promote Saudi nuclear programme

According to our sources, the Emirati office of the American consulting firm APCO Worldwide recently won the contract to handle [...]

United States
Blocker ticks boxes for CIA role

Along with Thomas Donilon (see above) and Michael Morell (see [...]

United States
Biden's intelligence transition team heavy on data specialists

Joe Biden's interim administration includes a number of Obama-era spymasters, who were waiting patiently in the private sector. Their clients have much to gain.

Afghanistan, United States
Vogle tipped to replace Khalilzad

CIA veteran Greg Vogle has joined US President-elect Joe Biden's [...]

United States
Congress wants to keep eye on Trump's acting intelligence heads

The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives is looking to counter President Donald Trump's successive moves to appoint acting heads of the [...]

Adonis Pouroulis brings on board Trump's special envoy for Great Lakes

The British firm Rainbow Rare Earths welcomed a big-hitting advisor onto its board on 17 May in the person of J. Peter Pham.

US Army passes baton to private sector in Somalia

Soon to be deprived of virtually all of the US special forces that had been training it, the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia will nevertheless continue to receive support from contractors funded by the Pentagon and State Department.