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Thursday, June 1, 2023

The Cipher Brief curates open source information from around the world that impacts national security. Here's a look at today's headlines, broken down by region of the world:  

In the Americas

Trump Allegedly Kept Classified Document on Iran, Tape Recording Shows.   Federal prosecutors have reportedly obtained an audio recording in which former President Donald Trump acknowledges that he held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran after he left the White House.  The alleged recording of a summer 2021 meeting suggests that Trump understood he retained classified material after leaving office, in contrast to his argument that all materials he had were declassified.  The recording is reportedly central to investigations over Trump’s handling of classified documents after such materials were found at his Mar-a-Lago residence.  Al Jazeera CNN Reuters Washington Post

Air Force Chooses Colorado Springs for Space Force Missions.  The US Air Force announced Wednesday that four more Space Force missions will be located in Colorado Springs, rather than Huntsville, Alabama.  Former President Donald Trump chose Alabama as the permanent base for US Space Command at the end of his administration, but the Air Force has preferred Colorado, which houses Space Command’s temporary headquarters. Analysts say that the final basing decision has been impacted by politics regarding Alabama’s strict abortion laws and the move by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) to hold up military nominations over the U.S. military’s reproductive health policies for service members, though the Pentagon and White House say the Space Command issue is separate.  The Space Force news came as President Joe Biden traveled to Colorado Springs on Thursday to deliver a speech at the US Air Force Academy.  Associated Press 

U.S. Set to Allow GE to Make Engines in India.  According to multiple briefed sources, the US is set to sign a deal allowing General Electric (GE) to manufacture jet engines for Indian military aircrafts on Indian soil. The announcement is expected to be made June 22, directly coinciding with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the U.S. As the world’s largest arms importer, India is heavily reliant on Russia for military supplies. The GE manufacturing deal aims to boost Indian defense production to both deepen critical ties with the United States and help New Delhi lessen dependence on Moscow.  Reuters

Brazil’s Lula Embraces Venezuelan Leader,  Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s support of Venezuela’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro damaged the image of accord and unity at Tuesday’s South America Summit. Lula convened the summit in an attempt to unify the nations of South America by reinvigorating the Union of South American Nations, progressing talks on a regional currency, and collaborating on ways to counter climate change.  However, his support of Maduro drew protests from other countries, casting a shadow on other efforts. Lula criticized the U.S. and other nations for imposing economic sanctions on Venezuela, as well as governments for failing to recognize Maduro as an elected leader. Chilean President Gabriel Boric argued against Lula’s statement that Venezuela just needs to change its “narrative” and regain respect, saying that “the human rights situation in Venezuela . . . It’s not a narrative. It’s a reality, it is serious.”  Associated Press

Western Europe

Macron Says Negotiations May Trump Putin War Crimes Trial.  French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin for an end to the Ukraine war may have to take precedence over sending Putin to a war crimes trial.  Speaking at a meeting of EU leaders in Bratislava, Slovakia, Macron said that while Russia has lost all legitimacy with its invasion of Ukraine, if there is a point “in a few months” where there has to be a choice between negotiating a peace and prosecuting Putin for crimes in Ukraine, the latter may need to be put on hold.  He explained that there should not be a situation where Putin and other Russian leadership is told, “I want you to go to jail but you are the only ones I can negotiate with.”  More broadly, Macron said that western European nations should be more sensitive to concerns and interests of eastern neighbors, saying that eastern Europe should not be allowed to fall into the Russian sphere of influence again and harkening back to past decisions where the West “lost an opportunity to listen to [eastern Europe].”  He additionally called for a boost of support for Ukraine, as it is protecting Europe, and called for a “path to membership” for Kyiv to join NATO.  Macron also urged an increase in European defense spending, saying that Europe’s security “should not be delegated and left at the discretion of US voters,” suggesting that ongoing US support for Ukraine may change following the upcoming election.  The Guardian

NATO Launches Arctic Exercises, Pledges Protection of Finland.  Finland is hosting the first joint NATO training exercise in the Arctic region since becoming a member of the alliance in April. Roughly 6,500 Finnish troops are joined by approximately 1,000 military personnel from the UK, the US, Norway and Sweden for the drills. This exercise is the largest land-force drill above the Arctic Circle for Finland in modern history. Neighboring Sweden, which is a key military partner with Finland and has applied to join NATO, is also participating in the drills.  Al Jazeera Reuters

Central and Eastern Europe

NATO Chief Says Alliance Agrees Ukraine Will Become Member.  NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that all NATO allies agree that “Ukraine will be a member of the alliance.”  Speaking ahead of an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo, Stoltenberg reiterated NATO’s “open door policy” for new members, saying that Russia cannot “veto against NATO enlargement.”  He added that NATO will continue to support Ukraine in countering Russia’s invasion and is bolstering its military presence on its eastern flank to prevent the Ukraine conflict from spilling over into the rest of the region.  Beyond Ukraine, Stoltenberg announced that he will soon visit Turkey to discuss Sweden’s NATO membership bid in an effort to finally get Turkey and Hungary to ratify Stockholm’s application.  CNN Reuters 

Zelensky Pushes for Swift NATO Membership for Ukraine.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with other European leaders on Thursday to promote Ukraine’s case for admission into NATO and call on the alliance to make a clear decision on whether it will make Ukraine a member.  Speaking at a summit in Moldova, Zelensky said Ukraine is “ready to be in NATO” and specifically called for a “clear invitation” for Ukraine to join at the alliance’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania in July, as well as security guarantees during Ukraine’s application process.  While NATO has largely agreed to grant membership to Ukraine (as Stoltenberg said above) the alliance is divided over the speed of Ukraine’s accession.  Those advocating for a slower process say moving too quickly could bring NATO into direct conflict with Russia.  CNN Reuters

Kyiv Missile Strikes Kill Three, Including 9-Year-Old Girl.  Russia launched another missile barrage at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Wednesday night.  The Ukrainian military said that air defenses destroyed all 10 Russian missiles launched at the city, but falling debris from the missiles damaged a children’s clinic, two schools and a residential building.  The debris also killed three civilians, including a 9-year-old girl and her mother, who were reportedly trying to enter a bomb shelter that was closed.  Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city’s police will patrol bomb shelters at night to ensure they are open during air raids.  CNN

Russia Says Repelled Cross-Border Incursions.  Russia’s defense ministry said it repelled three attempted cross-border incursions from Ukraine into the western Belgorod region on Thursday.  The ministry said the attacks occurred near the town of Shebekino and that Russian forces killed 30 Ukrainian fighters and destroyed four armored vehicles.  The Belgorod region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said Ukrainian forces shelled Shebekino with rockets, injuring nine civilians and forcing the evacuation of hundreds.  In contrast to official Russian accounts, the anti-Putin paramilitary group Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) claims it is fighting inside Russian territory.  Russian officials have denied this.  Ukraine continues to deny involvement in the raids into Russia, though Moscow blames Kyiv for organizing them.  CNN Reuters

Russia Seeking Third Suspect In Bombing That Killed Pro-War Blogger.  Russian authorities are searching for a third suspect allegedly involved in the St.Petersburg cafe bombing in April that killed pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.  Russia’s Investigative Committee said it is seeking Ukraine-based Russian journalist Roman Popkov for terrorism and explosive charges linked to the bombing.  Popkov was previously a leader of Russia’s banned ultranationalist National Bolshevik Party.  Russian officials previously named Russian activist Darya Trepova and Ukrainian national Yury Denisov as suspects in the bombing.  Reuters

UN Trying to Expand Black Sea Grain Deal to Save It.  The UN is reportedly working on expanding the Black Sea grain deal to include more Ukrainian ports and other cargoes.  Sources say the UN is focusing on negotiating the resumption of Russian ammonia exports through Ukraine as part of the expansion for the deal.  Russia agreed to a two-month extension of the deal in May, but has said it will only commit to a longer-term extension if more Russian grain and fertilizer exports are facilitated.  Ukraine and Turkey have reportedly agreed to this expansion and the UN is calling on Ukraine to prepare to pump Russian ammonia to its ports again as an agreement if finalized.  Ukraine says it will take 30 days to prepare its pipelines to receive Russian ammonia again.  Despite this apparent progress, Kyiv now reports that Russia is again halting the deal by blocking registrations of ships for inspection at all Ukrainian ports.  Reuters

Asia and Oceania

Austin Calls Failure to Arrange Meeting with Chinese Counterpart ‘Unfortunate.’  U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday described China’s refusal to arrange a meeting between him and his Chinese counterpart was “unfortunate.”  The U.S. sought to have Austin meet Chinese defense chief Li Shangfu at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend, but Beijing declined as Li is under U.S. sanctions.  Austin said communication with China, especially between military leadership, is critical to manage crises and "prevent things from spiraling out of control unnecessarily” — a pertinent remark following the recent confrontation between a Chinese fighter jet and U.S. reconnaissance plane in the South China Sea, which Austin referred to as “very concerning.”  Associated Press Nikkei Asia

U.S., Japanese Defense Chiefs Meet in Tokyo.  Austin mentioned the failure to secure a meeting with Li while in Tokyo, where he met with Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada.  The two discussed ways to bolster U.S.-Japanese bilateral cooperation and strengthen U.S. extended deterrence for Japan.  They additionally discussed ways to strengthen U.S.-Japan-South Korea ties and other multinational formats.  The two defense chiefs also criticized North Korea’s failed satellite launch on Wednesday for its use of ballistic missile technology; Austin said Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs are “dangerous and destabilizing” for the whole region.  Austin also highlighted how the U.S. and Japanese militaries are “operating and training together like never before,” noting strengthened information-sharing, collaboration on advanced technologies like hypersonics and autonomous systems, and cooperation on building defense supply chains.  Austin had a later meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who called on U.S. support to strengthen Japan’s deterrence and response capabilities, namely regarding its use of strike capabilities. (Looking ahead: Japanese Defense Minister Hamada is set to meet Chinese defense chief Li Shangfu at the Shangri-La Dialogue. The meeting will follow the pair’s recent talks on a newly established defense hotline between Tokyo and Beijing, which contrasts with Austin’s call on a similar U.S.-China crisis line going unanswered.  We’ll be watching the Hamada-Li meeting closely, especially given the Chinese snub to Austin.)  Associated Press Nikkei Asia

Elon Musk Concludes China Trip.  Tesla CEO Elon Musk concluded a two-day trip to China on Thursday.  Musk met with China’s foreign, commerce and industry ministers, the chairman of battery supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), and Shanghai’s party secretary during his visit.  Sources say Musk also met Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday.  It is the first reported instance that Ding, the sixth highest-ranked leader in the Politburo Standing Committee, met with a foreign CEO.  Little is known about these meetings, which likely focused on Tesla’s presence in China and the development of electric vehicles.  China’s foreign ministry did say on Tuesday that Musk said in his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang that he opposes decoupling between the U.S. and China as their economic interests are connected and inseparable, like “conjoined twins.”  Forbes Reuters Wall Street Journal

Chinese Entrepreneurs Seeking to Leave China.  In contrast to Musk’s warm visit to China, Reuters is out with a report on how Chinese entrepreneurs are seeking to leave China.  The primary reason for a growing “de-China” trend is mainly due to recent U.S.-China tensions preventing Chinese businesses from easily expanding their businesses in the U.S., namely due to assumptions and concerns in the U.S. that Chinese companies are linked to the Chinese government.  Despite these challenges, Chinese firms still want to expand into the U.S. given opportunities there, the regulatory crackdown in China, and the fact that successful businesses in China do often have to cultivate ties with the Chinese Communist Party.  This has caused an increase in Chinese firms seeking to rebase offshore in other Asian countries and in Europe to de-emphasize their Chinese identity in a bid for greater acceptance in the U.S.  Reuters

Kim Jong Un’s Sister Promises Future Spy Satellite Launch.  Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, vowed that North Korea will launch a spy satellite in the near future and boasted that the country’s military surveillance capabilities will increase. Kim Yo Jong gave no indication that the recent failure to put a spy satellite into orbit has overshadowed the overarching mission to do so. In an effort to counter the poor press surrounding the launch failure, numerous North Korean leaders have criticized the actions of the United States and other partner countries in the region; Kim Yo Jong called the U.S. a “group of gangsters” that views even a satellite launch as “illegal and threatening.”  New analysis shows that the latest rocket used for the attempted satellite launch appears to be a new design that appears to use an engine from an older North Korean intercontinental-range ballistic missile.  Reuters

Taiwan, U.S. to Sign First Deal Under New Trade Framework.  The U.S. and Taiwan are signing their first trade deal on Thursday.  It will be the first agreement under the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, which aims to strengthen economic ties between Taiwan and the U.S. and facilitate the export of U.S. goods to Taiwan.  BBC Reuters

Middle East and Northern Africa

Iran Arming Syrian Militants, Working With Russia to Oust U.S. From Region.  Iran is reportedly arming militants in Syria with stronger weapons to target U.S. troops in the country and is working with Syria on ways to force U.S. forces out of the region, according to leaked intelligence documents.  The documents, which are based on intercepted communications by Syrian and Lebanese militants allied with Tehran, say that Iran is supplying armor-piercing roadside bombs, called explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), to its proxies in Syria that specifically aim to target U.S. military vehicles and kill U.S. personnel.  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Quds Force reportedly assisted in developing the bombs and tested the weapon in Damascus, according to the documents.  Beyond the bombing campaign, the documents detail efforts by Iran, Russia and Syria to provoke grassroots and popular resistance against US forces in eastern and northeastern Syria to drive them out of the area and allow the Syrian government to reassert control in the region, especially in eastern provinces controlled by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces.  Despite the increased cooperation between Russian and Iran in Syria, the documents note that the “transactional” relationship between Moscow and Tehran is an area of friction as both sides sometimes take different approaches to the postwar administration of Syria, namely regarding Russia’s engagement with Israel and Turkey on the matter.  Washington Post

UAE Stops Participating in U.S.-Led Gulf Task Force.  The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday that it is ceasing participation in a U.S.-led task force that protects Gulf shipping.  Sources said the UAE made the move out of frustration with the lack of U.S. response to recent tanker seizures by Iranian naval forces in the region.  The UAE said this was a “mischaracterization” of the situation, but confirmed it stopped taking part in the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) two months ago and has not said when or whether it will resume participation.  However, it does not appear that the UAE has left the CMF, according to the task force’s website and U.S. officials.  Reuters

Sub Saharan Africa

Sudanese Army Withdraws from Ceasefire Discussions, U.S. Imposes Sanctions.  Sudan’s army on Wednesday withdrew from armistice discussions after accusing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of repeatedly breaching the recently negotiated U.S. and Saudi Arabia-backed cease-fire. On its Facebook page, the army said it was pulling out of talks because the paramilitary had fallen short of executing “any of the provisions of the agreement and to continue violating the armistice.” The RSF claimed on Twitter that breaches by the army had “not deterred us from honoring our commitments” and that it was “unconditionally” supporting the cease-fire. The withdrawal from talks damages efforts at ending the conflict and providing humanitarian aid and services in Sudan. In response, the U.S. on Thursday imposed economic sanctions and visa restrictions on those “perpetuating the violence” in the country, without detailing specific actors targeted by the measures.  New York Times Reuters 

BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in South Africa.  Foreign ministers from BRICS countries are meeting in South Africa in what analysts said was part of efforts to turn the bloc into an “alternative to the West” as a space for emerging powers.  The foreign ministers from Brazil, Russia and India were present, while China was represented by a deputy minister.  The meeting was overshadowed by questions over how South Africa would respond to a potential visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Cape Town for an upcoming BRICS leaders’ summit.  South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said the country is considering its “legal options” on the matter as the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin over his war crimes in Ukraine.  South Africa has offered diplomatic immunity to all participants in the BRICS summit, but as a signatory to the ICC, it may still be obliged to detain Putin.  Reuters

Congo Regional Force’s Mandate Expanded to September.  The Democratic Republic of Congo said Wednesday that a regional force established to counter militia violence in the country’s east will be extended to September.  The force, made up of troops from seven countries of the East African Community (EAC), was set up in April last year to deal with militant activity in eastern Congo.  Some Congo officials have questioned the effectiveness of the force, saying that it has not acted firmly enough, especially in regards to the M23 rebel group.  Reuters 

Cyber and Tech

State Department Framework Lays Out Diplomatic Role in U.S. Space Strategy.  The State Department on Tuesday released a “Strategic Framework for Space Diplomacy” that seeks to reinforce international partnerships in both civil and national security space ventures.  The framework also sets out to promote a “rules-based international order” for space and to advance efforts to shield the U.S. and allies from “space-enabled threats.”  The State Department will enact the goals of the framework by bringing before foreign governments “space-related issues, activities, and programs.”  Jose Fernandez, State’s undersecretary for economic growth, energy and the environment, said the framework underscores the importance and value of joint international efforts to avoid conflict.  He acknowledged the tendency to work independently in space but argued “the way that we are going to succeed in this enterprise is by cooperating with others.”  Addressing the challenges the U.S. faces, the strategy document acknowledges that “U.S. competitors are organizing, training, and equipping their forces to undermine U.S. and allied security in space.”  In particular, the framework draws attention to China’s global efforts to neutralize U.S. influence, which includes attempts to entice emerging space players with “economic cooperation carrots.”  Reinforcing the point, the document quotes directly from the 2023 national intelligence annual threat assessment: “China’s space activities are designed to advance its global standing and strengthen its attempts to erode U.S. influence across military, technological, economic, and diplomatic spheres.”  The need for ties to the commercial space industry also is addressed in the framework with the recognition that the State Department’s role embraces both “protecting national security and promoting the U.S. space industry.”  It endorses, in particular, joint government-private sector efforts to enhance the cybersecurity of space systems.  The wide-ranging strategy builds on the Artemis Accords, a Trump-era initiative to establish legal standards for space behavior signed by 24 countries so far.  The accords include a commitment to create “safety zones” on the lunar surface where nations can work undisturbed.  Washington Post   BreakingDefense

EU Official Forecasts Release of Draft Voluntary ‘AI Code’ at EU-U.S. Tech Meeting.  Margrethe Vestager, European Commission vice president for digital affairs and European competition commissioner, told a news conference following a meeting of the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council (TTA), that a draft voluntary code for generative AI could be prepared “within the next weeks.”  That draft would lead to a final proposal for industry agreement in the near future.  Describing the technology as a “game-changer,” Vestager said that generative AI’s widely recognized power is driving the creation of an AI code of conduct.  She added that while new laws are being developed, the U.S. and EU should promote a voluntary code of conduct to provide safeguards in the meantime.  Not just general statements, Vestager emphasized, but agreement on specifics needs to be accomplished, with the EU and U.S. in the lead.  She said “I think we can push something that will make us all much more comfortable” with the accelerating pace of AI development.  At the TTA meeting in Lulea, Sweden, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo underscored the desire of the U.S. and European partners to advance a shared approach to AI even as plans for legislative action take place on both sides of the Atlantic.  The goal of the AI code in the meantime is to agree on standards for “transparency, risk audits, and other technical details” for industry to voluntarily adopt that would then be presented to the G7 nations at their fall meeting.  Reuters Politico

Russian ‘Silicon Valley’ Foundation Breached by Apparent Ukrainian Hacktivists.  A research foundation located in an area on the outskirts of Moscow known as Russia’s “Silicon Valley” has been breached by a group claiming to be Ukrainian hacktivists.  A statement released by the Skolkovo Foundation, which was founded by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, reported that hackers gained “limited access” to the organization’s IT systems.  The hackers shared screenshots on Telegram of the breached systems and left a message stating, “your infrastructure has been destroyed.  We have all the documents and the project source codes.  Stay tuned.”  A Russian Telegram group that analyzes system intrusions claimed that no critical user data were compromised.  Skolkovo restored its systems after a day-long outage and the company reported that Russian law enforcement is investigating the breach.  The Record

U.S. Cyber Chief Warns NATO CyCon Group of Adversary Skill in Reconstructing Data.  Kemba Walden, the White House’s acting national cyber director, told a gathering of NATO cybersecurity officials that broad dissemination of “sensitive but unclassified” information is a serious security problem for the alliance. Speaking at the annual International Conference on Cyber Conflict (CYCON) in Tallinn, Estonia, Walden reported that nation-state adversaries have the ability to derive classified information from “seemingly disparate unclassified data elements.”  The ability to reconstruct openly available information, Walden noted, is driven by cyberespionage techniques that employ advanced data analysis.  The resulting security threat to targeted countries, which in the past would have involved analyzing massive amounts of paper, can now be accomplished “in a matter of a few clicks.”  Walden said that one U.S. approach to the problem has been to mandate that government contractors handling sensitive data “meet appropriate and necessary information security requirements.”  The Record

Xi Jinping, Chinese Communist Party Assess AI Risks, Call for Improved National Security Measures.  A statement issued at the conclusion of a meeting of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) warned of the risks posed by artificial intelligence and emphasized the need for greater vigilance around national security.  The meeting chaired by Chinese leader Xi Jinping addressed ways to improve “the security governance of Internet data and artificial intelligence,” according to the Xinhua news agency.  In an environment in which the complexity of national security issues have “increased dramatically,” Xinhua reported, “strategic self-confidence” and awareness of strengths and advantages must be promoted.  Xinhua quoted Xi Jinping as stating that China needs a “new pattern of development with a new security architecture.”  Associated Press

U.S., Canada to Adopt Joint Certification Framework for Defense Contractors.  Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand has announced that her department will collaborate with the U.S. on a cyber security certification framework for defense contractors.  The joint effort to develop an identical approach for cyber certifications arises, in part, out of the growth in malicious hacking attacks.  Anand said Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has served as a reminder that “the cyber domain is crucial to our national security.”  Citing the cyberattacks that have targeted Canadian defense contractors and subcontractors, Anand said that without certification standards Canadian suppliers could be excluded from international defense procurements.  The new joint framework, which should be in place this year, would require that defense contractors in Canada and the U.S. only be certified once.  Reuters

China Suspends Plans for Floating Nuclear Reactors in South China Sea.  Amid Chinese government concerns about security, a program to build floating nuclear reactors in the South China Sea has been suspended.  Final approval of construction of China’s first floating nuclear power plant has been withheld due to “safety and feasibility” concerns of regulators, according to a leader of the program team.  The team from the National Energy Offshore Technology research center noted that floating power plants are generally more acceptable to governments and the public since their offshore location has less impact than land-based facilities.  While natural disasters such as earthquakes are not a major concern, authorities are likely worried about a floating reactor’s vulnerability to attack or sabotage.  In response, the research center team has proposed an alternative dock-based floating nuclear power plant located closer to the mainland.  The proposed facility would be constructed on a barge or platform that could be towed and anchored at a dock or port at a desired location.  Another idea is to place the floating plant in Bohai, an inner sea that China controls, but it is not known if regulators are considering alternative plans.  South China Morning Post

Netherlands Law Requiring Sensitive Technology Screening Begins This Week.  Dutch Economic Affairs Minister Micky Adriaansens has announced that a new law empowering the government to review foreign technology investments, including the possibility of blocking takeovers, will go into effect this week. Adriaansens’ statement also noted that the ministry has launched a portal that will enable Dutch companies to identify which foreign companies are cleared for business as well as the destinations to which they are allowed to export sensitive technologies.  The portal will be jointly operated by the Economic Affairs Ministry and the Dutch intelligence service.  The new law requires that foreign bids to purchase vital Dutch infrastructure, real estate or technology must be reported and remain on hold for 8 weeks to six months while the Investment Review Office prepares advice on security implications for government review.  The ministry clarifies that this will allow government ministers to "attach conditions to the investment” or in certain circumstances reject it.  The scope of the new law was expanded to include real estate after the 2021 sale to the Singapore sovereign wealth fund of the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, where many technology firms have offices.  Reuters

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