Charged with spying for Iran

NEW YORK (Dagbladet): - It is a sad day for America when one of the country's citizens betrays the country. It is even sadder when that person is a part of the american armed forces. Monica Witt is accused of having done just that, " says visejustisminister John Demers, according to CNN.

This week, it became known that the united STATES has indicted the former etterretningsspesialisten in the u.s. air force, Monica Witt (39), for having dealt in espionage for Iran.

She is now called by the FBI, and u.s. authorities suspect that she is in Iran.

- Provided information

The u.s. department of justice claims that Witt was recruited by Iran, and that she revealed a very secret innsamlingsprogram for intelligence and the identity of an american intelligence officer. Thus shall she have put his life in danger.

According to the indictment to Witt for conspiring with the iranian authorities, and given them documents and information related to the armed forces of the united STATES "with intent and reason to believe that it would be used to harm the united STATES and be to the benefit of Iran". It should have happened in the period from January 2012 to may 2015.

VISEJUSTISMINISTER: John Demers during a press conference in Washington D. C.. Photo: Zach Gibson//AFP Show more

In the sikelsen is claimed, too, that Witt created targeted packages to use for Iran against the u.s. agents and intelligence officers.

Iranian authorities will, in return, have given Witt the goods and services that included housing and equipment.

Also, four iranians indicted in the case for an attempt of data breach and identity theft directed against at least eight american agents, who at one time or another had contact or worked with Monica Witt. The four should have worked on assignment from Iran's revolusjonsgarde.

- Ideological left turn

- She didn't go into this for money sake. At one point she took an ideological left turn and ended up on the line with the iranians, " says Douglas H. Wise, who was formerly the vice president of the us defence intelligence service, to the New York Times.

the Newspaper has gone thoroughly into the Witts background through public documents and conversations with friends and acquaintances.

She was born in El Paso, and a few months after she turned 18, in 1997, recruited Witt to the air force. Quickly she became a part of the crew on a overvåkningsfly of the type RC-135.

the threat level is becoming more dangerous, more complex and is changing fast Comment

Witt was sent on a mission to the middle East for the first time in 2002. Then followed several service missions. In 2005 she spent the next six months in Iraq. The year after she was seven months on assignment in Qatar.

In June 2008, she left the air force. At the same time, she finished with a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland. Since she worked for two contracting companies who worked with national security.

Strong emotions

eventually she started on a master's degree at George Washington University.

- There was no warning of the type "go to the authorities". But she hidden not that she had strong feelings against american foreign policy. All just sat and looked at it, " says Cory Ellis to the New York Times.

He went on the same master's program. Ellis also claims that she seemed to be distanced from his family. Witt was a good deal older than many of the medstudentene, and she must have seemed shaken by what she experienced during the time she spent in Iraq.

She talked about how she couldn't sleep, and about what she saw and had been a part of, " says Ellis.

Lived with the collection agency on your neck. Ex-spionsjef: - A gift pack

According to him, talked Witt about droneangrep, murder and atrocities committed against children, that she thought her colleagues in the military boasted of. At the same time, she had major economic problems. A politikilde says to the New York Times that she at one point was homeless.

Filmkonferanse

While she was in the air force, she began to learn farsi. She also began to show interest in islam, according to an interview she gave to the iranian news agency in 2013.

It must have been after she came back to the united STATES from a conference in Tehran in 2012, that she should have changed. The conference was called "Hollywoodism," and talked about how Iran was poorly portrayed in the western movies.

Suddenly she began to wear the hijab and announced that she had converted to islam. According to fellow students talked she is also excited about Iran.

Back in Washington D. C. should Witt defend the thesis in his for a panel of professors. Ellis was present, and in the face of the New York Times he describes it as a "love letter to Iran".

- She was almost offended over anyone at all could the question by Iran as a peace-loving country. She was clearly upset, " says Ellis.

Still consisted Witt and graduated in 2012.

To operate iranian intelligence Dagbladet Plus the FBI warned

the Same month, she was contacted by FBI agents, who warned her that the iranian intelligence could attempt to enlist her. She should then have dismissed that she would provide any information to iranian authorities. But a month later, to Witt have been enlisted to help in an iranian propagandafilm.

In February 2013, she traveled to a new "Hollywoodisme"conference in Iran. She also made several videos where she was critical of the u.s. government, and she had meetings with Iran's revolusjonsgarde where she told them that she wanted to emigrate to Iran, according to the indictment.

It must have been a amerikanskfødte journalist, who now lives in Iran, and which, according to the indictment, recruited Witt. The two should have kept close contact in the months after the conference while Witt struggled to get a new visa.

28. august 2013, she received the final visa.

"I stop and pull out! Come home :)" wrote Witt in a text message to the woman who is accused of having recruited her.