Senator Feinstein Outraged by CIA Spying on Senate, But She Defends NSA Spying on Citizens

Sen. Dianne Feinstein is shocked -- SHOCKED!! -- that the government has been discovered to be illegally spying and subverting the U.S. Constitution !

This, from the same madame chairwoman, who so righteously defends N.S.A. spying powers :

Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California and the chairwoman of the Senate intelligence committee, said that the Central Intelligence Agency had violated federal law and undermined Congress’s constitutional right to oversee the actions of the executive branch. The dispute stems from the agency's illegal search of computers used by the Senate intelligence committee to investigate C.I.A. interrogation procedures at its secret Bush-era prison system. “I am not taking it lightly,” she said.

RELATED : C.I.A. Accused of Illegally Searching Computers Used by Senate Committee (The New York Times)

RELATED : Edward Snowden : Sen. Dianne Feinstein is a Hypocrite for Blasting C.I.A. Spying (NBC News)

And in a forceful editorial, the likes of which we have not read in ages coming from normally staid Editorial Board of The New York Times, the editors excoriated President Obama over the C.I.A. torture and detention programs. The Editorial Board demanded that the Obama administration release a Senate report and a C.I.A. internal review of the torture and detention practices, and the editors further demanded that President Obama reverse an earlier decision to forego an investigation into the C.I.A.'s interrogation procedures, calling for an end to the "lingering fog about the C.I.A. detentions."

Some of the comments to The New York Times's article and editorial plainly indicate that Sen. Feinstein has recourse to the rogue actions of the C.I.A :

"Congress has the power of the purse. Demand the ouster of anyone, and I mean anyone, involved in this illegal action and the appointment of an ombudsman accountable only to Congress and with full security clearance to monitor the agency's actions, or defund it and transfer its responsibilities to one of the other intelligence agencies, which also needs a Congressional ombudsman. Checks and balances must not be circumvented or short-circuited; they are our Constitution's key safeguard against tyranny," wrote Mark from Boston, MA, in response to the article.

"Senator Feinstein has been providing a professional courtesy to the CIA and the administration by withholding the committee's report since December 2012. If she wants to demonstrate that Congress really does have independent oversight authority, she could simply release the report as is. Of course, that would set off a firestorm and occupy the White House and parts of Congress for a few months, to the detriment of other pressing matters. Nonetheless, if she feels wronged by the CIA, she has a potent tool at her disposal," wrote Ken L from Atlanta, GA, in response to the editorial.

NSA Spy Programs : French President Got Paid Off, German Chancellor's Worries Continue

Just days after French President François Hollande declared that France had "restored" its trust with the Obama White House after the growing N.S.A. spying scandal, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a proposal to create a Europe-only Internet apparatus that would circumvent the N.S.A. backdoor taps, almost universal decryption, and data collection.

During his state visit to the United States, French President François Hollande declared that the U.S. and France had restored mutual respect between the countries, because both nations are committed to respecting the right to privacy. President Hollande's remarks appeared to contradict the N.S.A. relentless spying program on French citizens in apparent violation of Article 9 and 1382 of the French Civil Code and Articles 226-1 and following of the French Penal Code. It's unclear what side deals President Barack Obama might have made with France to induce the French president to announce a reconciliation with the U.S. government. When the data collection of the N.S.A. spy program was first reported to include the private information of millions of French, German, and Spanish citizens, amongst others, popular outrage erupted in Europe to the growing corruption of the Internet by the N.S.A.

• RELATED : Ecoutes de la NSA: la "confiance mutuelle a été restaurée", affirme Hollande (Le Parisien)
• RELATED : Data protection : Angela Merkel proposes Europe network (BBC)
• RELATED : La N.S.A. Espionnait Les Françaises (Daily Motion)
• RELATED : Quelle vie privée ? François Hollande, la N.S.A., et l'Article 13 (YouTube)

Meanwhile, German Chanchellor Angela Merkel made an announcement after the conclusion of President Hollande's state visit to the U.S. that she would propose to France the creation of a new Web network to ensure secure communications in Europe.

No word, yet, on how the Obama administration will respond to Chancellor Merkel's proposal.

Conspicuously absent from President Hollande's agenda during his state visit was any addressing of the latest General Motors TV commercial, which engages in French-bashing.

NSA Hacking Computer Networks To Spread Viruses, Malware

The NSA Probably Has Installed a Virus on Your Computer — and Everyone Else's

From : PolicyMic

The news: According to yet another National Security Agency (NSA) slide hidden among the treasure trove of documents leaked by Edward #Snowden, the NSA has infected upwards of 50,000 computer networks worldwide with malware in an attempt to riddle the internet with hidden access points accessibly by U.S. agents.

A presentation from 2012 examined by Dutch news outlet NRC explained the backdoor method in which the NSA collects information worldwide. It uses "Computer Network Exploitation" (CNE), or in other words, massive malware attacks, to secretly infiltrate tens of thousands of networks. According to the NRC, one such scheme was unmasked in Belgium in September. Foreign intelligence agents in the British intelligence service (GCHQ) were revealed to have gained access to telecom provider Belgacom by tricking its employees into visiting a fake Linkedin page.

Translated from Dutch by CNET :

"The American intelligence service -- NSA -- infected more than 50,000 computer networks worldwide with malicious software designed to steal sensitive information.

"Documents provided by former NSA employee Edward #Snowden and seen by this newspaper, prove this.

"(...) The NSA declined to comment and referred to the US Government. A government spokesperson states that any disclosure of classified material is harmful to our national security."

The background: The NSA's hacking missions are handled by a special division with over 1,000 hackers named the TAO (Tailored Access Operations). The Washington Post estimated based on secret budget reports that by 2008, the unit had successfully infiltrated over 20,000 networks. By mid-2012 that number had grown to 50,000 and presumably has continued to expand to this day.

According to the Post profile, the TAO is a "highly secret but incredibly important NSA program that collects intelligence about foreign targets by hacking into their computers, stealing data, and monitoring communications." It's also supposedly integral to the development of complex programs that could destroy or damage foreign computer systems following an order from the commander-in-chief.

These kind of cyber attacks don't just bring down computer systems — much like Jurassic Park, they can have catastrophic real-world effects by ordering hardware components and infrastructure controlled by the network to malfunction or operate against programming constraints. Stuxnet, a virus which infected Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, was designed to attack uranium enrichment centrifuges and cause serious damage to the equipment over time (even though it was capable of causing catastrophic damage at any one point).

The Post found that for all the supposed secrecy, some NSA employees were relatively cavalier on their Linkedin profiles:

"For instance, Brendan Conlon, whose page lists him as a former Deputy Chief of Integrated Cyber Operations for the NSA and former Chief of TAO in Hawaii, says that he led "a large group of joint service NSA civilians and contractors in executing Computer Network Exploitation (CNE) operations against target networks." Barbara Hunt, who is listed as a former Director of Capabilities at TAO in Fort Meade, similarly claims she was 'responsible for end-to-end development and capability delivery to build a versatile computer network exploitation effort.'

"Dean Schyvincht, who claims to currently be a TAO Senior Computer Network Operator in Texas, might reveal the most about the scope of TAO activities. He says the 14 personnel under his management have completed 'over 54,000 Global Network Exploitation (GNE) operations in support of national intelligence agency requirements.' Just imagine how productive the team in Fort Meade, rumored to have about 600 people, must be."

What does this all mean for you? Well, it means that NSA surveillance of the world-wide internet is even more sophisticated and widespread than the average observer might have concluded. For better or for worse, it looks like the NSA has infiltrated large numbers of telecom services, ISPs, financial institutions, and others worldwide that would allow it to gain access to large amounts of data for bulk collection.

The NSA isn't alone in hacking the world; in early 2013, security company Mandiant exposed a Chinese group called Advanced Persistent Threat 1 which they claimed had ben responsible for hundreds of attacks against Western targets and requiring a support staff of hundreds.

And some experts warn that mass NSA infiltration of other networks comes with a price. The Electronic Frontier Foundation writes that by secretly introducing vulnerabilities into the world's internet infrastructure, the NSA risks allowing anyone who discovers those vulnerabilities to obtain immense power to bypass the security restrictions which keep the internet safe and reliable."

Tom McKay
26 November 2013

Image:
NSA Slide :
Driver1 : Worldwide SIGINT/Defense Cryptologic Platform - jpg

Edward Snowden PFC Bradley Manning Videos

REVEALED : Edward Snowden, the 29-year-old whistleblower behind revelations of NSA surveillance

Candidate Barack Obama in 2007 on Warrantless Wiretapping

Excerpt from President Obama's speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center on August 1, 2007.

... This Administration also puts forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand. I will provide our intelligence and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to track and take out the terrorists without undermining our Constitution and our freedom.

That means no more illegal wire-tapping of American citizens. No more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime. No more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war. No more ignoring the law when it is inconvenient. That is not who we are. And it is not what is necessary to defeat the terrorists. The FISA court works. The separation of powers works. Our Constitution works.

We will again set an example for the world that the law is not subject to the whims of stubborn rulers, and that justice is not arbitrary.

This Administration acts like violating civil liberties is the way to enhance our security. It is not. There are no short-cuts to protecting America ... .

Read more : Illinois Senator Barack Obama, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, gave this August 2007 speech at the Woodrow Wilson International Center.

Obama Video Taping Your Colonoscopy

From Salon :

"Now we know for sure: The Obama administration has presided over the most thorough expansion of the domestic surveillance state of any U.S. presidency. Even as the nation was still absorbing the news, broken by Glenn Greenwald at the Guardian on Wednesday night, that the National Security Agency has been routinely collecting phone call records for millions of Americans, the Washington Post and the Guardian published articles revealing even broader government snooping powers: Since 2007, the NSA and the FBI have had the power to watch nearly every aspect of our online life as well."

CIA being sued over domestic spying collaboration with NYPD

CIA being sued over domestic spying collaboration with NYPDrt.com/usa/news/cia-s…

— Anonymous (@AnonyOps) January 5, 2013

Hilarious Parody of Petraeus Scandal

Buy #Cypherpunks By Julian Assange directly from : O/R Books

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AT&T Domestic Cellphone Surveillance

Cellphone carriers filed reports with the U.S. Congress indicating that the telecommunication companies "responded to a startling 1.3 million demands for subscriber information last year from law enforcement agencies seeking text messages, caller locations and other information in the course of investigations. ...AT&T alone now responds to an average of more than 700 requests a day, with about 230 of them regarded as emergencies that do not require the normal court orders and subpoena. That is roughly triple the number it fielded in 2007, the company said," according to The New York Times.

2012-05-29 ATT Response to Rep Ed Markey - Domestic Spying

Read more letters to mobile carriers reagrding use of cell phone tracking by law enforcement on Rep. Ed Markey's website.

U.S. Military Uses Sock Puppet Accounts To Spy On You Online

''Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media''

A sock puppet company called Ntrepid has been awarded a contract initially worth $2.76 million by the United States Central Command create fake online accounts -- what has been called a "virtual army" of profiles -- to "create the impression of consensus opinion in online comment threads, or manipulate social media to the point where valuable stories are suppressed."

The U.S. Military may be engaged in illegal activity, if it uses its sock puppet operations to target American citizens, according to The Guardian newspaper.

Persona management by the US military would face legal challenges if it were turned against citizens of the US, where a number of people engaged in sock puppetry have faced prosecution.

Last year a New York lawyer who impersonated a scholar was sentenced to jail after being convicted of "criminal impersonation" and identity theft.

According to The Guardian, "Once developed, the software could allow US service personnel, working around the clock in one location, to respond to emerging online conversations with any number of co-ordinated Facebook messages, blogposts, tweets, retweets, chatroom posts and other interventions. Details of the contract suggest this location would be MacDill air force base near Tampa, Florida, home of US Special Operations Command."

Nobody knows if Ntrepid will be awarded supplemental contracts that will jack-up the amount of money paid to Ntrepid after the fact from secret sock puppet accounts of the U.S. government.