military industrial complex

Guardian publishes third secret NSA document, on US cyberwar plans

"The document orders various government agencies to prepare for offensive cyberwarfare operations and says the government will 'identify targets of national importance.' The article quotes an intelligence source with knowledge of NSA programs as saying the directive makes US complaints about China's state-sponsored hacking 'hypocritical,' because the US has 'participated in offensive cyber operations and widespread hacking.' Some of the talking points in the directive were declassified in January, but the emphasis on offensive hacking wasn't made public, nor was the order to create a specific target list." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGuardian publishes third secret NSA document, on US cyberwar plans

Pentagon may be wasting billions a year in erroneous payments to contractors

"Although the Defense Department reported making over $1.1 billion in overpayments in fiscal year 2011 to military personnel and retirees, civilian defense workers, contractors, and others, investigators from the Government Accountability Office said that figure is not credible due to missing invoices and other flawed paperwork, as well as errors in arithmetic. GAO found defense finance officials didn't have procedures in place to collect and maintain the data they need to come up with a credible estimate. Even when the department could find and document mistaken payments, it frequently did not take cost-effective steps to recover the money, the GAO said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPentagon may be wasting billions a year in erroneous payments to contractors

Edward Snowden: The Whistleblower Behind The NSA Surveillance Revelations

"The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. From the moment he decided to disclose numerous top-secret documents to the public, he was determined not to opt for the protection of anonymity. 'I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong,' he said. Snowden will go down in history as one of America’s most consequential whistleblowers, alongside Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEdward Snowden: The Whistleblower Behind The NSA Surveillance Revelations

Former Drone Operator Says He’s Haunted By His Part In More Than 1,600 Deaths

"A former Air Force drone operator who says he participated in missions that killed more than 1,600 people remembers watching one of the first victims bleed to death. Brandon Bryant says he was sitting in a chair at a Nevada Air Force base operating the camera when his team fired two missiles from their drone at three men walking down a road halfway around the world in Afghanistan. The missiles hit all three targets, and Bryant says he could see the aftermath on his computer screen – including thermal images of a growing puddle of hot blood." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Drone Operator Says He’s Haunted By His Part In More Than 1,600 Deaths

CIA didn’t always know who it was killing in drone strikes, classified documents show

"About one of every four of those killed by drones in Pakistan between Sept. 3, 2010, and Oct. 30, 2011, were classified as 'other militants,' the documents detail. The 'other militants' label was used when the CIA could not determine the affiliation of those killed, prompting questions about how the agency could conclude they were a threat to U.S. national security. The uncertainty appears to arise from the use of so-called 'signature' strikes to eliminate suspected terrorists -- picking targets based in part on their behavior and associates. A former White House official said the U.S. sometimes executes people based on 'circumstantial evidence.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCIA didn’t always know who it was killing in drone strikes, classified documents show

Obama picks former Bush official James Comey as new FBI director

"Barack Obama is preparing to name a former Bush administration who was heavily involved in some of the most controversial issues of that era, including illegal wiretapping and torture, as the new director of the FBI. Since leaving the Justice Department, Comey has been working as a hedge fund manager and lecturer. Comey, 52, is set to replace Robert Mueller, who has headed the agency since the week before the 9/11 attack and is due to step down in September. The expected nomination comes at a time when the agency is under siege on a series of issues." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama picks former Bush official James Comey as new FBI director

Why Did KKR Hire a Four Star General for a High Profile Private Equity Position?

"More and more of business needs a nod from Washington D.C. for its operations. If you don't have a D.C. insider, you are not protected. KKR, in the hiring of David Petraeus, just bought itself major protection. Big business is building a moat around itself, using government regulators to keep out competition. It will get tougher and tougher for new businesses to launch with just grit and a great idea, when big business is hiring DC insiders who have the power to snuff out new operators. This is one of the reasons there are fewer exciting jobs for new college graduates. They are often hired by upstarts, the type big business is doing a pretty good job of snuffing out." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhy Did KKR Hire a Four Star General for a High Profile Private Equity Position?

Schools scanned students’ irises without permission as part of public-private program

"Students at three facilities — an elementary school, a grade school and a high school — had their eyeballs scanned earlier this month as part of a ‘student safety’ pilot program being carried out by Stanley Convergent Security Solutions. 'With this program, we will be able to identify when and where a student gets on the bus, when they arrive at their school location, when and what bus the student boards and disembarks in the afternoon. This is an effort to further enhance the safety of our students.The EyeSwipe-Nano is an ideal replacement for the card based system since your child will not have to be responsible for carrying an identification card.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSchools scanned students’ irises without permission as part of public-private program

Chinese hackers jeopardize secrecy of U.S. weapons programs

"Chinese hackers have gained access to secret designs for a slew of sophisticated US weapons programs, officials said Tuesday, possibly jeopardizing the American military’s technological edge. The breaches were part of a broad Chinese campaign of espionage against top US defense contractors and government agencies, officials said, confirming a Washington Post account of a Pentagon report. The Defense Science Board, a senior advisory group with government and civilian experts, concluded that digital hackers had gained access to designs for two dozen major weapons systems critical to missile defenses, combat aircraft and naval ships." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChinese hackers jeopardize secrecy of U.S. weapons programs

Ron Paul: The Real Meaning of President Obama’s National Security Speeches

"This past Thursday and Friday, President Obama delivered two speeches designed to outline his new thinking on national security and counter-terrorism. While much was made in the media of the president’s statements at the National Defense University and the US Naval Academy suggesting that the most active phase of US military action overseas was coming to an end, this 'new' approach is but the same old policy wrapped in new packaging. In these addresses, the president panders to the progressives, while continually expanding and solidifying the 'enabling act' principle." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRon Paul: The Real Meaning of President Obama’s National Security Speeches