Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: Several soldiers were killed in the Beit Hanoun ambush
Israeli media: 16 soldiers were injured, including four in critical condition, as a result of a security incident in the northern Gaza Strip
Israeli media: At least 10 soldiers injured in two serious incidents in the Gaza Strip
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: Hezbollah is an independent force defending its country, just like all resistance movements in the region
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: All Iranians set aside their differences and united to confront the aggression
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: Words like surrender or retreat do not exist in our books or dictionaries, and any aggression will be met with unforgettable blows
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: Many Western countries rushed to send weapons to the [Israeli] entity after the end of its aggression against Iran
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: In the event of any mistake or act of aggression, we will cross all red lines
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: The Israeli army and US forces deployed across West Asia are within the range of our armed forces' firepower
Brigadier General Shakarchi to Al Mayadeen: The United States is primarily responsible for the war on Iran, and we warn it, its proxy, and all those who support them against launching any new aggression

Biden intelligence advisor involved in Israeli NSO spyware deals

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 19 Oct 2022 16:26
  • 5 Shares
3 Min Read

NSO member, Jeremy Bash, provided committee advice on Pegasus spyware sales to foreign agencies.

  • x
  • Biden intelligence adviser previously vetted deals for Israeli NSO.
    Biden intelligence advisor involved in Israeli NSO spyware deals

Prior to being recently appointed by Joe Biden to an intelligence advisory board, a former senior CIA official held a crucial advisory position with NSO Group, where he reviewed contracts for the Israeli spyware company and cast votes on whether sales of the contentious hacking tools could proceed.

As a member of NSO's Corporate Ethics Committee (BEC), Jeremy Bash helped the organization determine if proposed sales by the Israeli group to particular foreign government clients would be deemed acceptable by the US government, according to various persons with knowledge of the situation.

From around 2017 through 2020, Bash is thought to have advised NSO via a parent company called Q Cyber, though his company refuses to confirm the timeframe. He has previously served as Leon Panetta's chief of staff at the CIA and the US Department of Defense.

Read next: Israeli spyware company NSO Group lays off 100, CEO steps down

Bash's position on the BEC allowed him to cast a vote on whether or not proposed sales of potent malware from NSO to specific foreign governmental organizations should go forward.

When NSO's malware, known as Pegasus, is effectively used against a target, it can secretly infiltrate a phone, listen to phone calls, track encrypted communications on applications like Signal and WhatsApp, and monitor a user's position. By remotely managing a phone user's microphone and camera, it can also transform a phone into a listening device.

Numerous instances of spyware being used to target and hack dissidents, journalists, political opponents, and attorneys have been revealed by researchers at the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto and the security lab of Amnesty International.

The Guardian and other publications have reported on the hacking program being widely used in the past in nations like Mexico, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Rwanda. NSO does not reveal the identity of its government clients.

Read next: Former NSO CEO, ex-Austrian Chancellor start cyber firm

Additionally, the administration said that NSO had engaged in "actions that are inimical to the interests of the United States in terms of national security or foreign policy." NSO declared at the time that it was appalled by the decision and will fight to get it overturned.

Moreover, Bash seems to have attended at least one meeting with a potential investor when he allegedly defended NSO's screening procedure. An employee of the financial services firm Jefferies Group wrote about meeting Bash in relation to a potential investment in NSO to a colleague in an email from 2019 that was obtained by The Guardian.

He explained how the investment committee at his company had been "comfortable" with the idea of making an investment after being persuaded that the technology was subject to "painstaking layers of approvals and penalties of misuse."

Read next: 'Israel' pushing US to remove NSO from blacklist

  • Jeremy Bash
  • United States
  • Israeli NSO
  • Joe Biden

Most Read

Syria demands 1/3 of Golan, Lebanese areas for 'Israel' peace deal

Syria demands 1/3 of Golan, Lebanese areas for 'Israel' normalization

  • MENA
  • 4 Jul 2025
Al-Qassam hits IOF groupings in Khan Younis; ‘tough incident’ reported

3 Israeli soldiers killed by Resistance gunfire in south, north Gaza

  • Palestine
  • 4 Jul 2025
Concrete and rubble fall from a heavily damaged building as Israeli soldiers search for survivors in a residential area hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, Sunday, June 15, 2025 (AP)

'Israel' concealed damage inflicted by Iran in war, report finds

  • Politics
  • 5 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • Today

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Big beautiful bill's ugly reality for American healthcare
US & Canada

'Big beautiful bill's' ugly reality for American healthcare

Ukrainian Forces struggle to hold Eastern front lines: NYT
Europe

Ukrainian forces struggle to hold eastern frontlines: NYT

Plan proposes transit camps for Gazans ahead of possible relocation
US & Canada

GHF proposed 'transit areas' plan prior to Gaza residents 'relocation'

Lavrov: IAEA will be held accountable for pre-strike Iran assessments
Europe

IAEA to be held accountable for pre-strike Iran assessments: Lavrov

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS