Politics

Obama’s Abuse Of The Espionage Act Is Modern-Day McCarthyism

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Shame on this president for persecuting whistleblowers with a legal relic, while administration officials leak with impunity


Senator Joseph McCarthy, chief ideologue of the cold war witch-hunts, takes the pledge as a witness in 1954 hearings about alleged communist infiltration of the US army. Photograph: Associated Press

– Obama’s abuse of the Espionage Act is modern-day McCarthyism (Guardian, Aug 5, 2013):

The conviction of Bradley Manning under the 1917 Espionage Act, and the US Justice Department’s decision to file espionage charges against NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden under the same act, are yet further examples of the Obama administration‘s policy of using an iron fist against human rights and civil liberties activists.

President Obama has been unprecedented in his use of the Espionage Act to prosecute those whose whistleblowing he wants to curtail. The purpose of an Espionage Act prosecution, however, is not to punish a person for spying for the enemy, selling secrets for personal gain, or trying to undermine our way of life. It is to ruin the whistleblower personally, professionally and financially. It is meant to send a message to anybody else considering speaking truth to power: challenge us and we will destroy you.

Only ten people in American history have been charged with espionage for leaking classified information, seven of them under Barack Obama. The effect of the charge on a person’s life – being viewed as a traitor, being shunned by family and friends, incurring massive legal bills – is all a part of the plan to force the whistleblower into personal ruin, to weaken him to the point where he will plead guilty to just about anything to make the case go away. I know. The three espionage charges against me made me one of “the Obama Seven”.

Read moreObama’s Abuse Of The Espionage Act Is Modern-Day McCarthyism

Veterans Today’s Jim Fetzer: US Betrays Its Own Soldiers (Video)

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For some reason the embed code is not working.

Watch the video here:

– US ‘betrays’ its own soldiers (PressTV, Aug 4, 2013):

The US government’s treatment of wounded and ill American soldiers who return to their country is “a betrayal”, says James Henry Fetzer, an editor at Veterans Today.

The Colorado Springs Gazette published a comprehensive account in May which showed a growing number of wounded and mentally ill American soldiers are being kicked out of the service for misconduct related to their wartime injuries, often with no benefits.

“It’s a betrayal by the government of our young men and women,” said Fetzer in a phone interview with Press TV on Sunday.

“As a former Marine Corps officer, I’ve been profoundly disturbed by this report of the Army improperly discharging wounded and ill soldiers from its conduct which is or appears to be a strategy or policy for depriving them of lifelong medical treatment,” he added.

Read moreVeterans Today’s Jim Fetzer: US Betrays Its Own Soldiers (Video)

Big Oil’s Central Asian Mafia

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– Big Oil’s Central Asian Mafia (Veterans Today, Aug 6, 2013)

(Excerpted from Big Oil & Their Bankers: Chapter 17: Caspian Sea Oil Grab)

According to Kurt Wulff of the oil investment firm McDep Associates, the Four Horsemen, romping in their new Far East pastures, saw asset increases from 1988-1994 as follows: Exxon Mobil- 54%, Chevron Texaco- 74%, Royal Dutch/Shell- 52% and BP Amoco- 54%.  Big Oil had more than doubled its collective assets in six short years.

This quantum leap in global power had everything to do withthe takeover of the old Soviet oil patch and the subsequent impoverishment of its birthright owners.

While the Four Horsemen gorged on Russian and Central Asian oil, Wall Street investment bankers were facilitating the oil grab and ripping off the Russian Treasury.

Salomon Smith Barney’s Phibro Energy oil trading subsidiary set up shop in Moscow.  Goldman Sachs was hired by Yeltsin to lure foreign capital to Russia.  Heading the Russian Goldman Sachs team was Robert Rubin, later Clinton Secretary of Treasury & Citigroup CEO.  CS First Boston took a 20% stake in Lukoil, in partnership with BP Amoco.

Read moreBig Oil’s Central Asian Mafia

Japan Finally Admits The Truth: ‘Right Now, We Have An Emergency At Fukushima’

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– Japan Finally Admits The Truth: “Right Now, We Have An Emergency At Fukushima” (ZeroHedge, Aug 5, 2013):

Tepco is struggling to contain the highly radioactive water that is seeping into the ocean near Fukushima. The head of Japan’s NRA, Shinji Kinjo exclaimed, “right now, we have an emergency,” as he noted the contaminated groundwater has breached an underground barrier and is rising toward the surface – exceeding the limits of radioactive discharge. In a rather outspoken comment for the typically stoic Japanese, Kinjo said Tepco’s “sense of crisis was weak,” adding that “this is why you can’t just leave it up to Tepco alone” to grapple with the ongoing disaster. As Reuters notes, Tepco has been accused of covering up shortcomings and has been lambasted for its ineptness in the response and while the company says it is taking actions to contain the leaks, Kinjo fears if the water reaches the surface “it would flow extremely fast,” with some suggesting as little as three weeks until this critical point.

Via Reuters,

Highly radioactive water seeping into the ocean from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is creating an “emergency” that the operator is struggling to contain, an official from the country’s nuclear watchdog said on Monday.

This contaminated groundwater has breached an underground barrier, is rising toward the surface and is exceeding legal limits of radioactive discharge, Shinji Kinjo, head of a Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) task force, told Reuters.

Read moreJapan Finally Admits The Truth: ‘Right Now, We Have An Emergency At Fukushima’

Greece: Uncollected Taxes Rise To Record €60 BILLION, One Third Of Greek GDP

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– Uncollected Greek Taxes Rise To Record €60 Billion, One Third Of Greek GDP (ZeroHedge, Aug 5, 2013):

While Europe, and especially Germany has been understandably “displeased” with having to provide billions in bailout upon bailout funding to Greece every year starting in 2010, all the more so following recent news that Greece has already spent some 75% of its bank bailout cash with no discernible improvement in its economy to show for it, Europes’ taxpayers will unlikely be any more pleased to learn that as of the end of June, a whopping €60 billion in past due taxes (an all time record) was owed by Greek businesses and individuals to the state. This is an amount that is 20% greater than the entire external cash handed over by the Troika to keep Greek banks afloat, and represents nearly 30% of imploding Greek GDP.

Perhaps instead of spending money on trips by its premier and/or think-tanks on how to mutually assure itself another few billion in Troika cash to plug this budget hole or that, Greece should invest a few grand to buy the ink it needs to print tax forms, streamlining its tax collection department (on those days it is isn’t on strike of course) and generate some real IRR.

Kathimerini has the full story:

Taxpayers’ and businesses’ outstanding debts to the state increased by 3.7 billion euros this year to reach a record 59.77 billion euros at the end of June.

There was an increase of 613 million euros between May and June alone, the general secretariat for public revenues said.

Read moreGreece: Uncollected Taxes Rise To Record €60 BILLION, One Third Of Greek GDP

AND NOW: The Obama Regime’s ‘Behavioral Insights Team’ (Video & Document)

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Because we can!

– Gov’t Knows Best? White House creates ‘nudge squad’ to shape behavior (FOX News, July 30, 2013):

The federal government is hiring what it calls a “Behavioral Insights Team” that will look for ways to subtly influence people’s behavior, according to a document describing the program obtained by FoxNews.com. Critics warn there could be unintended consequences to such policies, while supporters say the team could make government and society more efficient.

…

– White House creates ‘nudge squad’ to shape behavior (FOX News, July 31, 2013):

The federal government is hiring what it calls a “Behavioral Insights Team” that will look for ways to subtly influence people’s behavior, a…

Government document on the creation of a so-called ‘Behavioral Insights Team’:

Drones Inside The United States To Be Armed With ‘Non-Lethal’ Weapons (Video)

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YouTube Added: 03.08.2013

Description:

“In a recent letter to Paul, published on the senator’s website Thursday, the FBI acknowledges that it has used drones domestically in 10 cases in response to a ‘specific, operational need.’ The bureau says that, since late 2006, it has used unmanned planes for surveillance to support missions related to kidnappings, search and rescue operations, drug interdictions, and fugitive investigations. On eight occasions the drones were used as part of criminal cases, and two in national security-related operations.

In none of these cases, the bureau says, did it apply for a warrant to conduct the drone surveillance.”*

Cenk Uygur breaks it down

*Read more: http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_ten…

Per New EPA Rules You Can Now ‘Safely’ Eat 30 Times More Roundup!!!

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In other words, they want you dead!

More important information on Monsanto’s Roundup (containing Glyphosate):

– Illinois Illegally Seizes Bees Resistant To Monsanto’s Roundup; Kills Remaining Queens

– Study: Roundup And Glyphosate Toxicity Underestimated

– GMO And Monsanto Roundup: Glyphosate Weedkiller In Our Food and Water?

– Glyphosate In Monsanto’s Roundup Inhibits Natural Detoxification In Human Cells: Study

– Study: New Review Of Hundreds Of Scientific Studies Surrounding Glyphosate Links Monsanto’s Roundup To Autism, Parkinson’s And Alzheimer’s

– USDA Received Dire Pathogen Warning BEFORE Deregulating GM Alfalfa

– Monsanto’s Roundup Herbicide Linked To Overgrowth of Deadly Bacteria

– Study: GMO Toxins Found In Nearly All Pregnant Women, Unborn Babies

– GMO Technology, Glyphosate Toxicity Leaving Men Sterile

– Jeffrey Smith’s Full Presentation On Deadly GMO’s (Video)

– FIRST LONG-TERM GMO STUDY: Monsanto GMO Corn & Roundup Cause Massive Tumors In Lab Animals (Video)

– Shocking GMO Study: Rats Fed Lifetime Of GM Corn Grow Horrifying Tumors, 70% Of Females Die Early

– Study: Roundup Herbicide 450-Fold Diluted Is Still Genotoxic

– Illinois Government Secretly Destroys Beekeeper’s Bees And 15 Years Of Research Proving Monsanto’s Roundup Kills Bees

– Farmers Sue Monsanto And US Tobacco Giants Knowingly Poisoned Argentinean Tobacco Farmers With Pesticides, Causing ‘Devastating Birth Defects’ In Their Children

– Monsanto Secretly Poisoning Population With Roundup – Scientist And Friends Attacked For Exposing Roundup Link To Birth Defects

– ROUNDUP: Birth Defects Caused By World’s Top-Selling Weedkiller, Scientists Say

– Roundup Birth Defects: Regulators Knew World’s Best-Selling Herbicide Causes Problems, New Report Finds

– Scientists Warn Of Dangerous New Pathogen From Roundup Ready Treated Monsanto GM Crops Causing Infertility And Spontaneous Abortions

– Roundup, GMOs linked to emergence of deadly new pathogen causing spontaneous abortions among animals

– Monsanto’s Roundup Triggers Over 40 Plant Diseases and Endangers Human and Animal Health

– Study: Monsanto’s Roundup Kills Human Cells (Flashback)

– Scientist: Monsanto’s herbicide could cause brain, intestinal and heart defects in foetuses

Battle Royale On Piers Morgan: Glenn Greenwald, James Risen And Jeffrey Toobin (Video)

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– Battle Royale on Piers Morgan: Glenn Greenwald, James Risen and Jeffrey Toobin (Liberty Blitzkrieg, Aug 3, 2013):

“That’s the thing I don’t understand about the climate in Washington these days. People want to have debates on television and elsewhere, but then you want to throw the people that start the debates in jail.”
– James Risen, New York Times Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist (he now faces jail time)

The above quote occurred during an excellent discussion between Glenn Greenwald, James Risen and Jeffrey Toobin on Piers Morgan’s show. While pretty much everyone on planet earth knows who Glenn Greenwald is at this point, most people do not know who James Risen is. This is a situation that must change. Mr. Risen is at the center of another very important case that threatens the future of freedom of the press in these United States.

In his book State of War, James Risen published information leaked to him by former CIA agent Jeffrey Sterling, who is currently being charged under the Espionage Act by President Transparency, Barrack Obama. While a lower court had previously ruled Mr. Risen should be afforded reporter privilege to not testify against Mr. Sterling, a federal appeals court last month saw it differently in a 2-1 decision.

Read moreBattle Royale On Piers Morgan: Glenn Greenwald, James Risen And Jeffrey Toobin (Video)

America: Where Hard Working, Productive Members Of Society Pay For The Health Care Of Everyone Else

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– America: Where Hard Working, Productive Members Of Society Pay For The Health Care Of Everyone Else (Economic Collapse, Aug 4, 2013):

Everybody in America wants health care – but most Americans seem to want someone else to pay for it.  In the United States today, the way that our system works is that the hard working, productive members of society pay for the health care of everyone else.  At least under socialism everyone gets the same benefits.  Our system of health care is a very twisted version of socialism where millions upon millions of very hard working people are forced to pay for the health care of others, but often can’t afford to purchase decent health insurance for themselves.  Personally, I don’t have a big employer paying for my health care so I have to buy it myself, and I just got a letter from my health insurance company telling me that I have another massive rate increase coming up.  Have you gotten a similar letter?  Health insurance premiums are going up all over America, and this is just the beginning.  In fact, the CEO of Aetna says that health insurance rates for many Americans will double when the major provisions of Obamacare kick in next year.

It would be bad enough if hard working Americans just had to pay for their own health insurance.  But no, they are also expected to pay for the health care of members of Congress, employees of the IRS and other federal agencies, state and local government employees, their adult kids (because they can’t afford health insurance), the elderly, the poor, and now under Obamacare they will also be expected to subsidize the health plans of tens of millions of other Americans that are not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid.

Read moreAmerica: Where Hard Working, Productive Members Of Society Pay For The Health Care Of Everyone Else

FBI Agents Gave Their Informants Permission To Break The Law Thousands Of Times

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– Exclusive: FBI allowed informants to commit 5,600 crimes (USA Today, Aug 4, 2013):

USA TODAY exclusive: New documents show FBI agents gave their informants permission to break the law thousands of times in 2011.

WASHINGTON — The FBI gave its informants permission to break the law at least 5,658 times in a single year, according to newly disclosed documents that show just how often the nation’s top law enforcement agency enlists criminals to help it battle crime.

Read moreFBI Agents Gave Their Informants Permission To Break The Law Thousands Of Times

US Senators Call For Tougher Sanctions Against Iran, Insist That Window For Diplomacy ‘Is Coming To An End’

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Flashback:

At the Commonwealth Club of California:

– U.S. 4 Star General Wesley Clark, Oct 3, 2007: ‘We’re Gonna Attack And Destroy The Governments In 7 Countries In 5 Years’ … ‘Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan And Iran’ (Video)

… or here in this interview with Democracy Now:

– Interview With US General Wesley Clark (Ret.): US Government Planned To ‘Take Out 7 Countries In 5 Years’: ‘Starting With Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan And Finishing Off Iran’ (Video)

– US senators call for tougher sanctions against Iran (PressTV, Aug 3, 2013):

An overwhelming majority of US senators have signed a letter to President Barack Obama, warning against a new round of diplomacy with Iran as Hassan Rohani, the Islamic Republic’s new president, takes office.

The letter, signed by 76 senators, calls for stiffer sanctions against Iran and insists that the window for diplomacy “is coming to an end.”

Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham, a hawkish Republican from South Carolina, spearheaded the letter.

“Iran has used negotiations in the past to stall for time,” the letter reads.

The senators also assert that the US must reinforce the credibility of Washington’s option to use military force against Iran.

Read moreUS Senators Call For Tougher Sanctions Against Iran, Insist That Window For Diplomacy ‘Is Coming To An End’

French Court Overturns Ban On Monsanto Corn

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– French court overturns ban on Monsanto corn (RT, Aug 2/4, 2013):

One of France’s top courts has thrown out a ban on genetically modified corn, which had been in place since March 2012, leaving the door open for Monsanto’s GMO seed to be introduced into the country’s farmland.

The decision by the top administrative court on Thursday argued that the moratorium on the GMO MON810 corn, one of two types of genetically altered crops approved by the European Union, lacked legal basis, reports AFP.

According to the Council of State court, a ban “can only be taken by a member state in case of an emergency or if a situation poses a major risk” to the health of people or animals, or to the environment.

Read moreFrench Court Overturns Ban On Monsanto Corn

Members Of Congress Denied Access To Basic Information About NSA

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See also:

– Glenn Greenwald: NSA Congressional Hearing Canceled Due To Obama


Members of Congress are increasingly frustrated at their inability to obtain even basic information about the NSA and FISA court. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

– Members of Congress denied access to basic information about NSA (Guardian, Aug 4, 2013):

Documents provided by two House members demonstrate how they are blocked from exercising any oversight over domestic surveillance

• Morgan Griffith’s requests for NSA information
• Alan Grayson’s requests for NSA information

Members of Congress have been repeatedly thwarted when attempting to learn basic information about the National Security Agency (NSA) and the secret FISA court which authorizes its activities, documents provided by two House members demonstrate.

From the beginning of the NSA controversy, the agency’s defenders have insisted that Congress is aware of the disclosed programs and exercises robust supervision over them. “These programs are subject to congressional oversight and congressional reauthorization and congressional debate,” President Obama said the day after the first story on NSA bulk collection of phone records was published in this space. “And if there are members of Congress who feel differently, then they should speak up.”

But members of Congress, including those in Obama’s party, have flatly denied knowing about them. On MSNBC on Wednesday night, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Ct) was asked by host Chris Hayes: “How much are you learning about what the government that you are charged with overseeing and holding accountable is doing from the newspaper and how much of this do you know?” The Senator’s reply:

Read moreMembers Of Congress Denied Access To Basic Information About NSA

NSA Collects ‘Word For Word’ Every Domestic Communication (PBS News, Video & Transcript)

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Watch NSA Collects ‘Word for Word’ Every Domestic Communication on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

– NSA Collects ‘Word for Word’ Every Domestic Communication, Says Former Analyst (PBS News, Aug 1, 2013):

Transcript

JUDY WOODRUFF: And we pick up on the continuing fallout from the revelations of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Last night, we debated the role of the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence court, which approves the government’s requests to gather intelligence information on Americans.

Tonight, we have a conversation with three former NSA officials, a former inspector general and two NSA veterans who blew the whistle on what they say were abuses and mismanagement at the secret government intelligence agency.

Read moreNSA Collects ‘Word For Word’ Every Domestic Communication (PBS News, Video & Transcript)

Britain: Telecoms Companies Give Spy Agency GCHQ Secret Unlimited Access To Their Undersea Cables

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Flashback:

– UK’s Electronic Eavesdropping And Security Agency GCHQ Also Accesses NSA’s Secret PRISM Programme

Fears of customer backlash over breach of privacy as firms give GCHQ unlimited access to their undersea cables


Verizon, BT and Vodafone Cable have given GCHQ secret unlimited access to their network of undersea cable

– BT and Vodafone among telecoms companies passing details to GCHQ (Guardian, Aug 2, 2013):

Some of the world’s leading telecoms firms, including BT and Vodafone, are secretly collaborating with Britain’s spy agency GCHQ, and are passing on details of their customers’ phone calls, email messages and Facebook entries, documents leaked by the whistleblower Edward Snowden show.

BT, Vodafone Cable, and the American firm Verizon Business – together with four other smaller providers – have given GCHQ secret unlimited access to their network of undersea cables. The cables carry much of the world’s phone calls and internet traffic.

Read moreBritain: Telecoms Companies Give Spy Agency GCHQ Secret Unlimited Access To Their Undersea Cables

AND NOW: Australia Unveils Levy On Bank Deposits … But Don’t Worry Because This Is ‘Not A Crisis, But An Economic Transition’

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– Australia unveils levy on bank deposits (BBC News, Aug 2, 2013):

Australia has unveiled a levy on some bank deposits to raise money towards a fund aimed at safeguarding against a banking collapse.

Deposits up to A$250,000 will have to pay a levy of 0.05% from January 2016.

It will be imposed on banks and not account holders. But banks have warned costs may be passed on to customers.

The move comes as the government warned of slower economic growth and a much bigger budget deficit than it had previously forecast.

In its updated economic statement, released by Treasurer Chris Bowen, the government said it expected a deficit of A$30bn ($26.7bn; £17.8bn) in the current financial year, compared with its previous projection of A$18bn.

‘Not a crisis’

Read moreAND NOW: Australia Unveils Levy On Bank Deposits … But Don’t Worry Because This Is ‘Not A Crisis, But An Economic Transition’

Is Egypt On The Verge Of Engineered Civil War?

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– Is Egypt On The Verge Of Engineered Civil War? (ALT-MARKET, Aug 2, 2013):

For thousands of years, Egypt has been one of the primary pillars of the Eastern world. When Egypt falls into turmoil, a shockwave is felt by all other nations that heralds great change and perhaps even great catastrophe. The West’s longtime interest in maintaining a solid foothold in Egypt is based on this reality; even in our modern age, when Egypt is in your corner riches can be accumulated, and power can be gathered.

Our government along with European governments have gone to incredible lengths in the region in order to ensure Egyptian compliance. In the 1940’s and 1950’s, Britain sought to dominate the country through force of arms. The U.S. set out to buy Egypt with massive foreign aid as well as military subsidies for leaders that held pro-western views. However, it appears that in the quest for “globalization”, western interests now see a destabilized and violent Egypt as more useful to the grand plan. The Egyptian revolution in 2011 which highlighted what many call the “Arab Spring” was heavily manipulated by U.S. and European governments, but such sociopolitical engineering is still limited to the whims of the target population.

No one can create a revolution or civil war out of thin air. Years or even decades of popular angst and anger has to be fostered. The citizenry must already be near the tipping point of mass dissent. Globalists do not make revolutions occur, they simply find a revolution already brewing, and then attempt to direct the preexisting energy of the populace towards an end result that benefits the establishment the most.

Egypt is now ripe for internal conflict far beyond civil disobedience into the realm of Syrian-style civil war, and I believe our government is well aware that such a calamity is brewing…

Read moreIs Egypt On The Verge Of Engineered Civil War?

The NSA IS Reading Your E-mails

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– The NSA IS Reading Your E-mails (The New American, July 31, 2013):

The London Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald revealed in a July 31 exposé that the NSA has indeed been collecting the full text of every American’s e-mails without a warrant under the “XKeyscore” program, flatly contradicting the claims of congressional opponents of the Amash amendment last week.

The Amash amendment would have denied the NSA the ability to snoop on Americans without a warrant or National Security letter under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. The amendment by Michigan congressman Justin Amash failed by a mere seven-vote margin in the House of Representatives. In the wake of the vote, Amash has promised to sponsor legislation to ban the NSA from collecting telephone and Internet data on American citizens.

Using NSA PowerPoint presentations provided by whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, Greenwald explained: “One presentation claims the [XKeyscore] program covers ‘nearly everything a typical user does on the internet,’ including the content of emails, websites visited and searches, as well as their metadata.” Greenwald added: “Analysts can also use XKeyscore and other NSA systems to obtain ongoing ‘real-time’ interception of an individual’s internet activity.”

Read moreThe NSA IS Reading Your E-mails

NSA Director Keith Alexander Defends Surveillance Tactics In Speech To Hackers

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General tells Black Hat convention surveillance programmes respect privacy and are vital for national security




– NSA director Keith Alexander defends surveillance tactics in speech to hackers (Guardian, July 31, 2013):

The director of the National Security Agency has tried to dampen the current outcry over US government surveillance programmes by insisting such programmes respect Americans’ privacy. He also said that he is unable to intercept his own daughters’ emails.

General Keith Alexander told a conference of hackers on Wednesday that extensive surveillance had disrupted dozens of terrorist attacks but that technical and policy restrictions protected the privacy of ordinary Americans.

“The assumption is our people are just out there wheeling and dealing. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have tremendous oversight over these programmes. We can audit the actions of our people 100%, and we do that,” he said.

Read moreNSA Director Keith Alexander Defends Surveillance Tactics In Speech To Hackers

Meet General Keith Alexander The Man In Charge Of America’s Secret Cyber Army (In Which ‘Bonesaw’ Makes A Mockery Of PRISM)

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Flashback.

– Meet The Man In Charge Of America’s Secret Cyber Army (In Which ‘Bonesaw’ Makes A Mockery Of PRISM):

…

Inside Fort Meade, Maryland, a top-secret city bustles. Tens of thousands of people move through more than 50 buildings—the city has its own post office, fire department, and police force. But as if designed by Kafka, it sits among a forest of trees, surrounded by electrified fences and heavily armed guards, protected by antitank barriers, monitored by sensitive motion detectors, and watched by rotating cameras. To block any telltale electromagnetic signals from escaping, the inner walls of the buildings are wrapped in protective copper shielding and the one-way windows are embedded with a fine copper mesh.

This is the undisputed domain of General Keith Alexander, a man few even in Washington would likely recognize. Never before has anyone in America’s intelligence sphere come close to his degree of power, the number of people under his command, the expanse of his rule, the length of his reign, or the depth of his secrecy. A four-star Army general, his authority extends across three domains: He is director of the world’s largest intelligence service, the National Security Agency; chief of the Central Security Service; and commander of the US Cyber Command. As such, he has his own secret military, presiding over the Navy’s 10th Fleet, the 24th Air Force, and the Second Army.

Schematically, Alexander’s empire consists of the following: virtually every piece in America’s information intelligence arsenal.

…

 

Serco: The Company That Is Running Britain

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– Serco: the company that is running Britain (Guardian, July 29, 2013):

From prisons to rail franchises and even London’s Boris bikes, Serco is a giant global corporation that has hoovered up outsourced government contracts. Now the NHS is firmly in its sights. But it stands accused of mismanagement, lying and even charging for non-existent work

In May this year, a huge company listed on the London Stock Exchange found itself in the midst of controversy about a prison it runs for the government – Thameside, a newly built jail next to Belmarsh, in south-east London. A report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate found that 60% of its inmates were locked up all day, and there were only “vague plans to restore the prison to normality”. The prison campaign group the Howard League for Penal Reform talked about conditions that were “truly alarming”.

Two months later, the same company was the subject of a high- profile report published by the House Of Commons public accounts committee, prompted by the work of Guardian journalist Felicity Lawrence. This time, attention was focused on how it was managing out-of-hours GP services in Cornwall, and massive failings that had first surfaced two years before. Again, the verdict was damning: data had been falsified, national standards had not been met, there was a culture of “lying and cheating”, and the service offered to the public was simply “not good enough”.

Three weeks ago, there came grimmer news. Thanks to its contracts for tagging offenders, the company was now the focus of panic at the Ministry of Justice, where it had been discovered that it was one of two contractors that had somehow overcharged the government for its services, possibly by as much as £50m; there were suggestions that one in six of the tags that the state had paid for did not actually exist. How this happened is still unclear, but justice secretary Chris Grayling has said the allegations represent something “wholly indefensible and unacceptable”.

The firm that links these three stories together is Serco. Its range of activities, here and abroad, is truly mind-boggling, taking in no end of things that were once done by the state, but are now outsourced to private companies. Amazingly, its contracts with government are subject to what’s known as “commercial confidentiality” and as a private firm it’s not open to Freedom of Information requests, so looking into the details of what it does is fraught with difficulty.

Read moreSerco: The Company That Is Running Britain