CLibertyC

FBI director claims NSA spying could have prevented 9/11

"The FBI has shrugged off growing congressional anxiety over its surveillance of US citizens, claiming such programs could have foiled the 9-11 terrorist attacks and would prevent 'another Boston'. In a frequently heated debate over balancing privacy and security, Mueller went further than other government officials in claiming that the collection of data on all American phone calls had become an essential part of counter-terrorism efforts and would make the US 'exceptionally vulnerable' if watered down. He also rejected calls from technology companies such as Google to disclose the scale of the programs, saying even this information could help terrorists." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFBI director claims NSA spying could have prevented 9/11

U.S. warns of cyber attacks on medical devices

"US authorities on Thursday warned makers of medical devices and hospital networks to step up efforts to guard against potential cyber attacks. The US Food and Drug Administration said implanted devices, which could include pacemakers or defibrillators, could be connected to networks that are vulnerable to hackers. An FDA warning notice was sent to medical device manufacturers, hospitals, medical device user facilities, health care technical staff and biomedical engineers. It said the agency has recently 'become aware of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents that could directly impact medical devices or hospital network operations.'" Continue reading →

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Paul Craig Roberts: What Is The Government’s Agenda?

"How can something as rare as terrorism justify the destruction of the US Constitution and US civil liberty? How safe is any American when their government regards every citizen as a potential suspect who has no rights? What is the government’s real agenda? Clearly, 'the war on terror' is a front for an undeclared agenda. In 'freedom and democracy' America, citizens have no idea what their government’s motives are in fomenting endless wars and a gestapo police state. The only information Americans have comes from whistleblowers, who Obama ruthlessly prosecutes. The presstitutes quickly discredit the information and demonize the whistleblowers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPaul Craig Roberts: What Is The Government’s Agenda?

Bill Bonner: What the Papers Aren’t Reporting About the NSA Scandal

"Booz Allen earned $1.3 billion pretending to protect approximately nobody from a mostly non-existent threat. What it was actually doing was helping the feds snoop on the law-abiding people who pay the bills. The company shareholders get rich. Its executives get rich. Ex-public servants walk through the revolving door into the company's plush offices... and they get rich too. What's not to like? And who's going to oppose more anti-terrorism spending? But wait, there's more!" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBill Bonner: What the Papers Aren’t Reporting About the NSA Scandal

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 →

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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 →

Continue ReadingPerjury as a State Privilege

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