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Will State Department probe death of American engineer?

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    Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer on mysterious death of Todd Shane

  • Duration 5:45
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There was a typewritten note that they said they got off of his computer.

And the notes started by thinking Miami for giving him every opportunity to succeed -- that he was sorry he did not meet their expectations.

That was my first sense of joy as a mother to note my son did not write this note and I knew in my heart at that point he was murdered he did not take his own life.

Those are the parents of Shane Todd on America live just one week ago today.

-- was young American engineer whose mysterious death in Singapore has sparked calls for an international.

Investigation.

He was found dead inside his overseas apartment.

After claiming that Chinese spies had tricked him into revealing sensitive US technology information.

And now senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester from Montana.

Are urging the FBI to get involved in this case and America's top diplomat secretary of state John Kerry is taking notice.

-- colonel Tony Shaffer is a US army veteran and a senior fellow for the center for advanced defense studies township thanks for being here thanks selling well you heard -- parents there they do not believe that he committed suicide they believe in essence that he was a whistle blower.

And that he was trying to alert authorities to what -- is the company I -- was doing in terms of possibly revealing some high tech military secrets.

What do you make of this case.

I think it's absolutely possible based on three factors first.

The Chinese are clearly and I don't wanna -- war what this but.

They're very they're voracious consumers of new technology especially those things which -- give them.

A -- up votes in the commercial sector regarding technology as well as the military.

This is like yet gallium nitrate he was working on it currently is new technology which could be quite significant second place.

The Chinese have had a record for going after people for quote unquote economic gain one of the high.

Leaders of China his wife actually was indicted for murdering a businessman in Kong Kong last year -- business interest so.

That there's a record here there's a pattern developing and third and probably most importantly.

Is that -- you know we've got to look at the fact this family has said.

This is not indicative of the way my son would have done something and it's completely out of -- so when you put all those things together.

I think it's both a proper -- at the FBI's coming at this point in time because again there's a pattern here.

This is -- significant technology and and frankly you know the family is -- an answer it as a much I think Singapore's cooperating.

That's even better than our guys are coming and.

And what you're referring to of course for the family has raised red flag where they didn't think that this was telling of their so the song that they knew what particular suicide note.

Which they were talking that they say it was tight rather than hand written that seem strange for them if the fact that it started by heaping praise.

On his Singapore employer they didn't think that that rang true and and the fact that he included this list of a so called family memories that they said were fictitious that never happens all those things.

Odyssey -- suspicion with them what do -- know about that the firm that he was working for the institute of microelectronics.

In Singapore.

Well it is clearly a high tech firm doing cutting edge things which most tech firms should be doing.

What that said is also very clear link to the Chinese and again this this is where I think both his individual suspicions that he expressed.

Before his death.

As well as what is on the record regarding this relationship between -- since two.

And the Chinese let me be very clear here and I don't -- -- say this in the demeaning way the Chinese.

Current culture is not big on bright ideas new ideas they they look for other things to adapt that's why you see them being.

Essentially pirates of technology.

They copy things they buy like -- real time so this -- the pattern of what they would go after cutting -- thing.

And so -- -- working with his other company this Chinese company and -- breaking up the contract tells me that there's something going on there.

And that's where I again I think most important and the FR FBI need to work together get to the crux of what was actually going on.

And again it is the the technology maybe significant maybe not.

But the big the big deal here is that the Chinese may be up to no good and that's what needs to be investigated.

So now we know -- secretary of state John Kerry has asked for information about this investigation and is getting involved what ten a US diplomat due -- something.

Dubious like this happens on foreign soil.

Hold the line hold people accountable again -- Singapore is I think part of the solution which is gratifying for change -- -- country actually having us come in and help.

That's a good deal with that said we've got to be very cautious as we deal with China China holds over a trillion dollars of our debt.

But at same time -- -- economic competitors.

The Chinese have their own problems internal problems with I don't think we fully recognized as vulnerabilities yet I think the Chinese have themselves are -- alarmist.

With that said I think our State Department needs to be very clear what it expects in the in the way of behavior on the international front from the Chinese.

And try their best to hold onto it -- should become an issue that secretary Kerry does push forward and demand some level of accountability specially for FBI can there was present.

Evidence of Chinese wrongdoing.

I mean after what happened in Ben Ghazi.

Not to connect these two cases but you know we haven't gotten a lot of answers when all one of our US citizens are diplomat -- was killed.

There in Ben -- so it is sometimes there's not a lot of confidence unless something happens in a foreign country that we will be able to get to the bottom of it but it sounds like you're optimistic.

I am and I -- fact -- -- the Singapore having FBI commend the FBI is adapting to this this is new issue for them this whole technology that they're great and investigations -- -- This technologies -- they're learning I'm very hopeful that the FBI will -- do some good things here -- the Singapore government and the -- -- -- thanks so much.

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