Spy Schools

by Daniel Golden

  “Although he didn’t use his own email address”: Email message from Naijia Guan to Shi Kun, November 11, 2011, Exhibit 8, Memo to Dr. Ralph Wilcox.

  “extremely affected”: Letter from Guan to Karen Holbrook, November 8, 2011, Exhibit 3, Memo to Dr. Ralph Wilcox.

  “it became clear that”: Lara Wade-Martinez, “USF Response to Dan Golden,” October 17, 2014.

  The university suspended him: “Notice of Suspension,” letter from the provost’s office to Peng, May 23, 2013.

  the university offered to shorten: “Settlement and General Release Agreement Between the University of South Florida Board of Trustees and Dr. Dajin Peng,” proposed agreement that expired November 8, 2013.

  11: NO-SPY ZONE

  a letter cosigned by an FBI lawyer: Ibison and James P. Greene, chief division counsel, sent the letter on April 4, 2012, to Greg W. Kehoe, USF’s lawyer.

  over the FBI’s objections: Lara Wade-Martinez, email message to the author, February 2, 2015.

  detecting key phrases in conversations: See, for example, the IARPA-funded Babel project, https://www.iarpa.gov/index.php/research-programs/babel.

  “drones kill kids”: Ally Johnson, “Protests Shut Down CIA Director’s Talk at Penn,” Daily Pennsylvanian, April 1, 2016.

  At twenty-five to thirty-five universities each year: Lara C. Tang, “CIA Hosts Recruitment Event on Campus,” Harvard Crimson, April 2, 2015.

  Postol spoiled the celebration: Daniel Golden, “Missile-Blower,” Boston Globe Magazine, July 19, 1992.

  wrote a scathing memoir: Jones, The Human Factor.

  When I visited him in 2012: Daniel Golden, “Why the Professor Went to Prison,” Bloomberg Businessweek, November 1, 2012.

  more than twice as many: http://www.globalhighered.org/. The United Kingdom is second with thirty-eight.

  to bar foreign students: Julia Edwards, “U.S. Targets Spying Threat on Campus with Proposed Research Clampdown,” Reuters, May 20, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-students-idUSKCN0YB1QT.

  about two-thirds stay: “Five-Year Stay Rates for U.S. S&E Doctorate Recipients with Temporary Visas at Graduation, by Selected Country/Region/Economy,” Table 3-29, Science and Engineering Indicators 2014, http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind14/index.cfm/chapter-3/c3s6.htm#s3.

  “Users do not need to search”: Wankun Zhu email message to the author, June 20, 2016.

  SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Abrahams, Harlan, and Arturo Lopez-Levy. Raúl Castro and the New Cuba. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2011.

  Albright, David. Peddling Peril: How the Secret Nuclear Trade Arms America’s Enemies. New York: Free Press, 2010.

  Andrew, Christopher, and Vasili Mitrokhin. The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB. New York: Basic Books, 1999.

  Ball, Philip. Invisible: The Dangerous Allure of the Unseen. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2015.

  Bergman, Ronen. The Secret War with Iran: The 30-Year Clandestine Struggle Against the World’s Most Dangerous Terrorist Power. New York: Free Press, 2008.

  Blum, William. The CIA: A Forgotten History. London and Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Zed Books, 1986.

  Carmichael, Scott W. True Believer: Inside the Investigation and Capture of Ana Montes, Cuba’s Master Spy. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2007.

  Chan, Gerald. International Studies in China: An Annotated Bibliography. Commack, NY: Nova Science, 1998.

  Crumpton, Henry A. The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA’s Clandestine Service. New York: Penguin Group, 2012.

  Dawidoff, Nicholas. The Catcher Was a Spy. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.

  De Pierrebourg, Fabrice, and Michel Juneau-Katsuya. Nest of Spies: The Startling Truth About Foreign Agents at Work Within Canada’s Borders. Toronto: HarperCollins, 2009.

  Eftimiades, Nicholas. Chinese Intelligence Operations. Reed Business Information, 1994.

  Faddis, Charles S. Beyond Repair: The Decline and Fall of the CIA. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press, 2010.

  Fialka, John J. War by Other Means: Economic Espionage in America. New York: Norton, 1997.

  Hannas, William C., James Mulvenon, and Anna B. Puglisi. Chinese Industrial Espionage: Technology Acquisition and Military Modernization. New York: Routledge, 2013.

  Johnson, Loch K. America’s Secret Power: The CIA in a Democratic Society. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.

  Jones, Ishmael. The Human Factor: Inside the CIA’s Dysfunctional Intelligence Culture. New York: Encounter Books, 2008.

  Kiriakou, John, with Michael Ruby. The Reluctant Spy: My Secret Life in the CIA’s War on Terror. New York: Skyhorse, 2009.

  Latell, Brian. Castro’s Secrets: Cuban Intelligence, the CIA, and the Assassination of John F. Kennedy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.

  May, Ernest R., and Philip D. Zelikow, eds. Dealing with Dictators: Dilemmas of U.S. Diplomacy and Intelligence Analysis, 1945–1990. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2006.

  Mills, Ami Chen. C.I.A. Off Campus: Building the Movement Against Agency Recruitment and Research. Boston: South End Press, 1991.

  Moyar, Mark. Phoenix and the Birds of Prey: Counterinsurgency and Counterterrorism in Vietnam. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2007.

  Paget, Karen M. Patriotic Betrayal: The Inside Story of the CIA’s Secret Campaign to Enroll American Students in the Crusade Against Communism. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2015.

  Richmond, Yale. Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: Raising the Iron Curtain. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2003.

  Rizzo, John. Company Man: Thirty Years of Controversy and Crisis in the CIA. New York: Scribner, 2014.

  Roche, Edward M. Snake Fish: The Chi Mak Spy Ring. New York: Barraclough, 2008.

  Shorrock, Tim. Spies for Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008.

  Simon, Denis Fred, and Cong Cao. China’s Emerging Technological Edge: Assessing the Role of High-End Talent. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

  Sulick, Michael. American Spies: Espionage Against the United States from the Cold War to the Present. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2013.

  Turner, Stansfield. Secrecy and Democracy: The CIA in Transition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985.

  Weiner, Tim. Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. New York: Anchor Books, 2008.

  Winks, Robin. Cloak and Gown: Scholars in America’s Secret War. London: Collins Harvill, 1987.

  Xu, Meihong, and Larry Engelmann. Daughter of China: A True Story of Love and Betrayal. New York: Wiley, 1999.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  While I have long covered higher education, reporting and writing Spy Schools required me also to understand espionage and intelligence agencies, a world I’d encountered mainly in novels and movies. Aware of my limitations and unsure of my judgment, I have depended more than ever on the kindness of family, friends, colleagues, and, yes, strangers.

  First, I would like to thank my smart, tireless agent, Lynn Johnston, who not only marketed and advocated for this book but also skillfully edited my proposal. Serena Jones, my editor at Holt, guided and shaped Spy Schools, kept me on track, and was a constant source of insight and good advice. Her editorial assistant, Madeline Jones, was also a pleasure to work with.

  I am indebted to my sister, Olivia Golden, my lifelong friend Katie Hafner, and my friend and former colleague David Glovin for reading the manuscript at various stages and improving it with their wise counsel. My friends Charles Stein, Mina Kimes, and Kirsten Lundberg made helpful suggestions on various chapters.

  Because Spy Schools is international in scope, I enlisted the help of journalists based abroad. Michael Standaert, Su Dongxia, and Jessica Meyers contributed outstanding reporting in China, and Paul O’Mahony and Stepan Kravchenko did the same in Sweden and Russia, respectively. Kean Zhang translated documents from the Chinese and researched Chinese-language websites. Ronen Bergman shared his expertise
on U.S.-Israeli intelligence activities regarding Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

  I am grateful to Nigel West, I. C. Smith, Mark Galeotti, and others for taking the time to enlighten me about the basics of intelligence work. David Major generously gave me access to the CI Centre database. Lili Sun compiled an authoritative list of Chinese defendants in espionage cases who attended U.S. universities. Also helpful with research advice and contacts were James Bandler, Renee Dudley, Michael Smith, Shai Oster, Prashant Gopal, Priscilla Lee, John Hechinger, Peter Toren, and Jeffrey Richelson. Nirmala Kannankutty at the National Science Foundation and Sharon Witherell at the Institute of International Education were invaluable sources of data on foreign researchers and students in the United States. Sara Logue, an archivist at Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton, provided Marta Rita Velázquez’s senior thesis and other documents.

  My lawyers at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, especially Katie Townsend and Adam Marshall, as well as local counsel Bruce S. Rosen, brilliantly pursued my open records case involving New Jersey Institute of Technology and the FBI. Due to a quirk of state law, we included a New Jersey resident as a co-plaintiff, and Holt’s Tracy Locke fulfilled that role admirably.

  My thanks also go to the public relations professionals at universities and government agencies who cheerfully responded to my requests and endured my badgering, especially Lara Wade-Martinez at the University of South Florida, Dennis O’Shea at Johns Hopkins, Lindsey Waldrop at the School of Advanced International Studies, Mark Johnson at Arizona State, and Susan McKee at the FBI.

  Without University of South Florida professor Dajin Peng, this book would not exist. He contacted me about his predicament, supplied me with key emails and documents, and answered my questions for hours on end. Laurie Hays, Jonathan Kaufman, John Brecher, and Tom Moroney encouraged my Bloomberg articles about Peng, which Gary Putka and Peter Jeffrey edited with care. Katherine Kriegman Graham, Bloomberg’s newsroom counsel, advised me on open records requests for the Peng articles, and also connected me with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. John Ring at Bloomberg’s Boston bureau came to my rescue during many a computer-related office mishap. Reto Gregori, deputy editor in chief at Bloomberg News, granted me the leave of absence during which much of this book was reported and written.

  My family was supportive far beyond my fondest hopes. My sister, Olivia, helped me conceptualize key themes and sections, especially the conclusion. My son, Steven, set up my home office, assembled my personal computer, stored my files, transferred open records documents from discs, and enthusiastically solved my every digital need. My beloved wife and best friend, Kathy, offered countless sagacious suggestions, accompanied me on reporting trips, and did her best to keep me from obsessing.

  There are many other people who deserve credit, but for various good reasons they shared their information and insights anonymously. I hope they enjoy this book, and take pride in their vital contributions.

  INDEX

  The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your e-book. Please use the search function on your e-reading device to search for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.

  Aalborg University

  Abaid, Nicholas

  Abu Dhabi

  academic conferences

  Academic Security Awareness Program

  Academy of Equipment Command & Technology (China)

  Adelman, Jonathan

  Afghanstan

  Soviet invasion of

  U.S. invasion of

  Africa

  Al-Arian, Sami

  Albright, David

  Alfa Bank

  Ali-Mohammadi, Masoud

  Allison, Graham

  Al Qaeda

  Alvarez, Carlos

  Alvarez, José Julian

  “Amanda”

  American Association of University Professors

  American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

  American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

  American Institute (Taiwan)

  American Psychological Association

  Americans, The (TV show)

  American University

  Ames, Aldrich

  Amherst College

  Amiri, Shahram

  Amnesty International

  Anderson, Marshall

  Andrusyszyn, Walter

  angular rate sensors

  Aponte Toro, Roberto

  Applied Technology Associates

  Arabs

  Arab Spring

  Arcos, Sebastián

  Argentina

  Arizona Republic

  Armenia

  Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

  Armstrong, Fulton

  Armstrong, Lloyd

  assassinations

  Atkinson, Richard

  Austria

  Badger, Ellen

  Baltimore Sun

  Barlow, Thomas

  Baruch College

  Batista, Fulgencio

  Beard, Richard

  Begin, Menachem

  Beijing

  U.S. embassy in

  Yale center in

  Beijing Foreign Studies University

  Beijing Normal University

  Beijing University of International Relations

  Belousov, Alexander

  Berg, Moe

  Bergman, Ronen

  Bezrukov, Alexander

  Bezrukov, Andrey (“Donald Heathfield”)

  Bezrukov, Timothy

  Bhutan

  Bislev, Ane

  Black Panther Party

  Bloomberg News

  Blue, Dan

  Blunt, Anthony

  Bo Cai

  Boeing

  Bogusky, Rick

  Bok, Derek

  Bolivia

  U.S. embassy in

  Boone School

  Booth, John

  Booz Allen Hamilton

  Boren Awards

  Boston College

  Boston Globe

  Boston Globe Magazine

  Boston Marathon bombing

  Boston University (BU)

  Boycan, Philip

  BP/Global Alliance

  Brain Drain, Operation

  branch campuses abroad

  Brandon, Harry “Skip”

  Brazil

  Brennan, John

  Brigham Young University

  Britain. See also United Kingdom

  British Army

  British Council

  British Foreign Office

  British intelligence

  Brizendine, Robert

  “Broadband Ground-Plane Cloak” (Liu, et al.)

  Brookhaven National Laboratory

  Brooklyn College

  Brothers to the Rescue

  Brown, Crystal

  Bruno, Joseph

  Brzezinski, Zbigniew

  Buckley Amendment (1984)

  Bundy, McGeorge

  Bunn, Matthew

  Bureau of Intelligence and Research (State Department)

  Burgess, Guy

  Bush, George W.

  CACI

  Cairncross, John

  Calderón, Felipe

  California Institute of Technology (CalTech)

  Cambodia

  Cambridge Five

  Canada

  Canadian Security Intelligence Service

  Carleton College

  Carmichael, Scott

  Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)

  Carnesale, Albert

  Carroll, David

  Carter, Amy

  Carter, Ashton

  Carter, Jimmy

  Carter, Rosalynn

  Carter Center

  Casey, William

  Castor, Betty

  Castro, Fidel

  assassination plots vs.

  Castro, Raúl

  Catcher Was a Spy, The (Berg)

 
Center for China and Globalization (Beijing)

  Center for International Education (UIR)

  Center for National Security Studies

  Center for Naval Analyses

  Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior

  Central Command

  Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

  academic conferences and

  Afghanistan and

  assassinations and

  Balkans and

  Boren Awards and

  Boston University and

  branch campuses abroad and

  Central America and

  China and

  Church Committee and

  Columbia University and

  Cuba and

  Director’s Fellows

  early history of academia and

  FBI and

  GWU and

  Harvard and

  India and

  Indiana University and

  Iran and

  Iraq and

  Libya and

  MIT and

  National Student Association and

  NJIT and

  NSHEAB and

  Ohio State and

  open-source material and

  Pakistan and

  Peng and

  Penn State and

  Princeton and

  Rochester Institute of Technology and

  Russia and

  scholars-in-residence program

  South Vietnam and

  Soviet Union and

  Taiwan and

  UCSB and

  Yale and

  Centra Technology

  Century Data Systems

  Chalupa, Leo

  Chamorro, Violeta

  Chapman, Anna

  Chappell, Dean W., III

  Charhar Institute

  Charlie Wilson’s War (film)

  Chavez, Luis

  Chehabi, Houchang

  Chen, Gang

  Cheng, Wen-Yu

  Chennault, Claire

  Chiang Kai-shek

  Chin, Larry Wu-Tai

  China. See also Confucius Institutes; University of International Relations; and specific agencies and individuals

  brain drain

  CIA and

  communist revolution

  Duke invisibility research and

  India and

  students from, in U.S.

  UMass Boston and

  U.S. campuses abroad in

  USF, Peng, and FBI and

  U.S. study-abroad programs and

  China Daily

  China Foreign Affairs University

  China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR)