January 19, 2007, - 3:27 pm
Pentagon Says Pentagon Spy Coin Report Was False
By Debbie Schlussel
Remember how I wrote about the Pentagon report detailing Canadian spy coins found on U.S. contractors and believed to be produced by Russians or Chinese? The coins were said to contain tiny transmitters. I thought it was the coolest new espionage technique.
Well, apparently, it’s so cool, so new, that it doesn’t really even exist. Today, AP reports that the Pentagon says that the spy coin portion of a 29-page report on espionage concerns could never be substantiated by the Defense Security Services, which published the report.
More proof that you can’t believe everything you read. But, mark my word, while transmitters may be the stuff of James Bond and The Jetsons, today, someday, they’ll be able to produce them.
Tags: Central Intelligence Agency, Debbie Schlussel Remember, James Bond, Pentagon, spy, United States
Please be aware that no government agency will not openly discuss covert methods or practices.
I have seen coins like that being made on, I believe the Discovery Channel. Magicians sometimes use such coins as well, which is where that photo probably originated. As for tiny transmitters, yes, they can be made to fit into such a coin. The technology problem is that such coins are likely to be put in circulation plus the metal in the coin can, technically, shield RF, thus rendering such a transmitter useless. While the technology is feasible, it may not be very particle fir a target as the device will eventually enter circulation and be lost to the owner, and eventually uncovered. There are much better ways to plant a tranmitter.
Such devices may, however, be used by field agents who will not spend the coin, but use it to get past metal detectors since they are expected to be metallic and are not likely to be scrutinized. Any transmitter, however, can be detected by ìRF sniffers,î devices that are designed to find radio transmitters, including low power ones.
The technology is, however, plausible.
Boycott Watch on January 20, 2007 at 9:40 pm