CIA spies travel to European countries - including Greece - with absolutely no obstacles, according to secret documents obtained by the Wikileaks and exclusively present THE NEWS. In the travel instructions distributed by the American secret services to their agents, there is a special reference to our country and the "Eleftherios Venizelos" airport. In addition to TA NEA, the German Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Publico.es in Spain had access to these files.
In particular, one of the two documents leaked at WikiLeaks includes an analysis of security systems at the border and at the Schengen entry points. In essence, these are CIA instructions for spies traveling to Europe so that they know what awaits them in the checks that they will have to go through when they enter European countries.
«Biometric systems at the borders of the Schengen area in the European Union pose little threat to its disclosure ID cardς των αμερικανών επιχειρησιακών ταξιδιωτών, επειδή πρωταρχικός στόχος τους είναι η παράτυπη μετανάστευση και οι εγκληματικές δραστηριότητες, όχι η αντικατασκοπεία. Οι αμερικανοί ταξιδιώτες συνήθως δεν ταιριάζουν με τα χαρακτηριστικά των ύποπτων στόχων. Οι επιχειρησιακοί ταξιδιώτες με ταξιδιωτικά έγγραφα από τις ΗΠΑ δεν υποχρεούνται να παρέχουν βιομετρικά data during their passage through the external border of the Schengen zone," the classified CIA document, which is also classified as "NOFORN," states that it should not be disclosed to non-US citizens.
The analysis shows that most of the systems that control entry into the European arena pose a "minimal" risk to CIA agents: among them are the two Schengen Information Systems SIS and SIS II, the SIRENS, version Visa for Schengen countries, the EURODAC (the European fingerprint database mainly used for irregular immigration and asylum seekers) as well as the EES (Advanced Traffic Control Entry Control System, which is not yet in operation). A limited risk also poses the activity of its border guards Frontex.
Small - and not minimal - risk for its disclosure identity of spies, according to the document, lurks in the Visa Information System (VIS) which was launched in 2011. The VIS system facilitates the exchange of Visa data between Schengen countries and is designed to prevent a practice known as “Visa shopping” in which an applicant to whom a Member State has refused to issue a Visa , apply to other Member States for any of them to be accepted. "It is unclear whether holders of official and diplomatic passports traveling to France, Greece or Spain should provide biometric data for the acquisition of Visa. The threat of revealing the identity of travelers who do not carry US travel documents and need to acquire Visa for entry into the Schengen zone will grow as the VIS system spreads in more countries, "he said, hitting the bell for those spies using other passports except for the US to enter the European area.
What is reported about "El. Venizelos »
The second classified document obtained by Wiki|eaks, also restricted to non-US citizens, is titled "Surviving the Secondary" and includes information on airports and detailed screening procedures. Secret agent reports from experiences them at airports. "Secondary checks they can put pressure on business travelers for their identity, "he says. A table included in the confidential document also mentions Athens International Airport, in the context of a special chapter that analyzes how the country where the traveler is from and previous destinationsaffect auditors' decisions for detailed audits. "The past of travel that indicates a possible link with drug trafficking, Islamic extremism or illegal immigration can lead to a secondary one," he says. Σthe case of "Eleftherios Venizelos" points out that passengers from countries like Egypt, Iraq and Iran raise concerns about terrorism, while from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and the Netherlands for drug trafficking.
The European Commission manual
To issue instructions to "business travelers" the CIA's people have supplied the manual that the Commission gives to border guards so that controls in the EU are governed by the maximum possible uniformity. The analysis of the American secret services shows that even if they have passed a second more detailed check, the "travelers" are in serious danger of revealing their identity.only if there is additional information about them or a suspicious activity has been perceived. Among other things, apart from checking the date of entry, residence and authenticity of passports, the CIA documents state that European border guards are obliged, in accordance with the Commission's instructions, during the second checks, to examine travel documents for falsification or forgery, using various technical aids and making comparisons with samples.
They are also being asked to cross the points of departure, the destination and the purpose of the visit, as well as to confirm that travelers have the necessary sums of money to enable them to live during their stay in Schengen.
