Western Intel

Ex-CIA agent convicted of Italian kidnapping and held in Panama being returned to US

"A former CIA base chief convicted in the 2003 abduction of a terror suspect from an Italian street is headed back to the U.S. after being arrested in Panama. Lady was detained in Panama after Italy requested his arrest for kidnapping Egyptian Muslim cleric Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr-- in one of the most notorious episodes of the U.S. program known as extraordinary rendition, according to Italian and Panamanian officials. The government of Panama, which maintains one of the region's closest relationships with the U.S., was officially silent on the case. Italy conducted an aggressive investigation and charged 26 CIA and other U.S. government employees." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEx-CIA agent convicted of Italian kidnapping and held in Panama being returned to US

Afghani accused of murdering and torturing civilian blames U.S. commanders

"He blamed the murders on three Americans, whom he named as Dave, Hagen and Chris, and whom he said were fluent in Afghanistan’s two main languages Dari and Pashto. 'I was simply a low-rank translator and did not have authorisation to roam around inside the base, or (go) to interrogation sections,' the report quoted Kandahari as saying. He did admit to 'slapping' and 'kicking' the detainee allegedly shown in the video reportedly obtained by Afghan intelligence agents, according to the report. US investigations have found 'no credible evidence' to substantiate any allegations of abuse by either NATO or US forces, a military spokesman told AFP on Tuesday." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAfghani accused of murdering and torturing civilian blames U.S. commanders

NSA, the secret AT&T spy room, and 2 Israeli companies

"In James Bamford’s 2008 interview, he mentions two Israeli companies, Narus and Verint, that almost nobody knew about. They played a key role in developing and selling the technology that allowed NSA to deploy its PRISM spying program. It’s obvious that these two Israeli companies, Narus and Verint, working for NSA, have been able to divert duplicate mega-tons of data to Israeli intelligence. The government-corporate juggernaut moves ahead. Their rationale—catching terrorists—is, in great part, a cover story to obscure the fact that the State wants control over the lives of all citizens, as it ratchets up the very conditions that provoke rebellion." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA, the secret AT&T spy room, and 2 Israeli companies

A ‘disposition matrix’ system is now generating Obama’s secret kill list

"Since the Obama administration largely shut down the CIA’s rendition programme, choosing instead to dispose of its enemies in drone attacks, those individuals who are being nominated for killing have been discussed at a weekly counter-terrorism meeting at the White House situation room that has become known as Terror Tuesday. Barack Obama, in the chair and wishing to be seen as a restraining influence, agrees the final schedule of names. Once details of these meetings began to emerge it was not long before the media began talking of 'kill lists'. Before long the term disposition matrix was born." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA ‘disposition matrix’ system is now generating Obama’s secret kill list

CIA Allowed To Sustain Cover-Up of Bay Of Pigs History; Reclassification Denied

"More than year after the National Security Archive sued the CIA to declassify the full 'Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation,' a U.S. District Court judge today sided with the Agency's efforts to keep the last volume of the report secret in perpetuity. In her ruling, Judge Gladys Kessler accepted the CIA's legal arguments that, because Volume V was a 'draft' and never officially approved for inclusion in the Agency's official history, it was exempt from declassification under the 'deliberative process privilege' despite having been written over 30 years ago. The National Security Archive called the decision 'a regrettable blow to the right-to-know'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCIA Allowed To Sustain Cover-Up of Bay Of Pigs History; Reclassification Denied

Judge Napolitano: President Obama Puts Politics Above the Rule of Law

"What's going on? What we have is a runaway government, dismissive of the Constitution it has sworn to uphold, contemptuous of the law it is required to enforce and driven by its own values of maximum control and minimum personal freedom. And we have a Congress supine enough to let this happen, as well as a judiciary so tangled in its own arcane procedures that immeasurable human freedom will be destroyed and Obama out of office before any meaningful judicial review can be had. Is this the rule of law? What shall we do about it?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJudge Napolitano: President Obama Puts Politics Above the Rule of Law

Edward Snowden’s journey from high school drop-out to focus of international intrigue

"Snowden joined the US army in 2003, saying he wanted to fight in Iraq. But he never made it there after breaking both legs in a training accident, leading to him being discharged from the military. He then got a job as a security guard for the National Security Agency (NSA), one of the largest and most secretive of the US intelligence agencies. But in 2006, the young computer geek somehow managed to win an information technology job with the CIA despite lacking formal credentials. From there he was sent to Geneva with a fat paycheck and a diplomatic cover." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEdward Snowden’s journey from high school drop-out to focus of international intrigue

Edward Snowden’s journey from high school drop-out to focus of international intrigue

"Snowden joined the US army in 2003, saying he wanted to fight in Iraq. But he never made it there after breaking both legs in a training accident, leading to him being discharged from the military. He then got a job as a security guard for the National Security Agency (NSA), one of the largest and most secretive of the US intelligence agencies. But in 2006, the young computer geek somehow managed to win an information technology job with the CIA despite lacking formal credentials. From there he was sent to Geneva with a fat paycheck and a diplomatic cover." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEdward Snowden’s journey from high school drop-out to focus of international intrigue

Woolwich murder: Younger brother of Michael Adebolajo ‘was paid thousands to spy in Middle East’

"The younger brother of one of the men accused of murdering Drummer Lee Rigby was paid thousands of pounds by MI6 as part of spying operations in the Middle East, The Mail on Sunday has discovered. Jeremiah Adebolajo, who uses the name Abul Jaleel, was also asked to help ‘turn’ his brother, Michael, to work for MI5, who were already aware of Michael’s close links to extremist groups. Police and security services are under huge pressure to explain what they know about Adebolajo and his alleged accomplice, Michael Adebowale. Despite warnings stretching back ten years, Michael Adebolajo is said to have been considered ‘low risk’ by MI5." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWoolwich murder: Younger brother of Michael Adebolajo ‘was paid thousands to spy in Middle East’

Revealed: How Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages

"Microsoft helped the NSA to circumvent its encryption to address concerns that the agency would be unable to intercept web chats on the new Outlook.com portal; [...]; The company worked with the FBI this year to allow the NSA easier access via Prism to its cloud storage service SkyDrive, which now has more than 250 million users worldwide; [...] Skype, which was bought by Microsoft in October 2011, worked with intelligence agencies last year to allow Prism to collect video of conversations as well as audio; Material collected through Prism is routinely shared with the FBI and CIA, with one NSA document describing the program as a 'team sport'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRevealed: How Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages