Network Archives

James Bamford: The Secret War

"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." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJames Bamford: The Secret War

NSA gets early access to zero-day exploit data from Microsoft, others

"The NSA isn’t alone in the business of swapping secrets with the corporate world. The FBI, CIA, and DOD also have programs enabling them to exchange sensitive government information with corporate 'partners' in exchange for information that relate to network security. The NSA’s dual role as the security arbiter for many government networks and as point organization for the US government’s offensive cyberwarfare capabilities means that the information it gains from these special relationships could be used to craft exploits to gain access to the computer systems and networks of foreign governments, businesses, and individuals." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA gets early access to zero-day exploit data from Microsoft, others

Perjury as a State Privilege

"Every year, hundreds of U.S. citizens are threatened with prosecution for lying to federal agents. Former Major League baseball star Roger Clemens was threatened with a prison term over supposedly lying to Congress over his alleged steroid use. Lying to federal investigators or during Congressional testimony is thus treated as a grave criminal offense – unless, apparently, it is done by the Director of National Intelligence. Clapper’s reply was: 'No, sir' – a statement that is now known to be a direct, conscious lie, as he subsequently admitted. If this were a society of laws, Clapper would be prosecuted for perjury. Then again, in such a society the NSA wouldn’t exist." Continue reading →

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U.S. to leave ‘training’ military forces in Jordan

"The United States will keep F-16 fighter jets and Patriot anti-missile weapons in Jordan after a joint military exercise ends this month, a US defense official said Thursday. The US administration also planned to keep a unit of US Marines on amphibious ships off the coast after consultations with Jordanian leaders, the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. 'It was decided the assets would remain in place,' said the official. The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit taking part in the drill consists of about 2,400 troops, which arrived in a group of three amphibious ships, including the USS Kearsarge. Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. to leave ‘training’ military forces in Jordan

U.S. to provide ‘direct military support’ to Syrian rebels

"President Barack Obama has authorized sending U.S. weapons to Syrian rebels for the first time, a U.S. official said on Thursday after the White House said it has proof the Syrian government had used chemical weapons against opposition forces fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. The White House said Washington would provide 'direct military support' to the opposition but did not specify whether it would include lethal aid. But the U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the package would include weapons. Syrian rebel and political opposition leaders immediately called for anti-aircraft and other sophisticated weaponry." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. to provide ‘direct military support’ to Syrian rebels

With Scandals Raging At Home, Obama Discovers Chemical Weapons Use in Syria

"In a time of choking scandal, a light at the end of the tunnel has appeared for the Obama regime: his old friend war! The entirety of the US corporate media is breathlessly -- and, predictably, in lockstep -- amplifying the Obama administration's sudden amazingly convenient discovery that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons after all! Just a few weeks ago the US Intelligence Community did not believe claims that the Syrian government used chemicals. Now, with no formal investigation at all and no word on the chain of evidence or its source, we are told with absolute certainty that the Assad government has used the weapons." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWith Scandals Raging At Home, Obama Discovers Chemical Weapons Use in Syria

Vladimir Putin defends the U.S. on spying programs, drones and Occupy Wall Street

"Russian President Vladimir Putin called the massive U.S. surveillance programs, revealed last week by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, 'generally practicable' and 'the way a civilized society should go about fighting terrorism.' His comments seemed to defend programs that have been deeply controversial in the United States and much of Europe, offering an endorsement that the Obama administration is probably not thrilled to receive. He said of the New York city police response to Occupy Wall Street, in a comment sympathetic toward controversial U.S. programs, 'That’s the way it’s done in the U.S., and that’s the way it’s done in Russia.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVladimir Putin defends the U.S. on spying programs, drones and Occupy Wall Street

Utah Woman Killed Allegedly “Assassination Style” By Now Disbanding Special Narcotics Unit

"Melissa Kennedy and Frederick Willard, parents of the late Danielle Willard, are suing local police in an extraordinary case in which they say that their daughter was shot to death 'assassination style' by a now disbanded special narcotics unit that has been accused of corruption and abuse. They are using West Valley City, its police Officers Shaun Cowley and Kevin Salmon, Lt. John Coyle, Police Chief Thayle 'Buzz' Nielsen, and 10 Doe officers, in Federal Court. The unit was disbanded after the disappearance of money and drugs as well as the tossing out of roughly 100 drug cases. What is odd is that there are no criminal charges given this record of the unit." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUtah Woman Killed Allegedly “Assassination Style” By Now Disbanding Special Narcotics Unit