Just in case you want more Obama in your life…
AT&T is loading iPhones with emergency alerts from Barack Obama…
That you can’t switch off. … Read More
AT&T to Load iPhones With Emergency Alerts From Obama – That You Can’t Switch Off
Syria’s call for arms
http://www.youtube.com/v/iwNKInIWHRY?version=3&f=videos&app=youtube_gdata Continue reading: Syria’s call for arms
CIA paramilitary operation emerges in agent’s lawsuit
The agent, whose name has not been released due to the sensitive nature of the case, plans to formally sue the CIA on Friday. Meanwhile details of the suit were published by Foreign Policy on Thursday as the first details emerge about a secretive campaign carried out by Uncle Sam that may have violated international law. Sometime in 2010 or 2011, the plaintiff — identified only as John Doe in the legal filing — became entwined in a CIA inspector general probe that put him and others at the center of suspected war crimes. “Following a specific overseas assignment/activity, John Doe was wrongfully accused of participating in, committing and/or possessing information about war crimes,” the lawsuit states. “Other CIA employees were also accused.” Doe was engaged in “offensive operations against individuals designated or viewed as enemies of the United States,” the complaint contests, and although he admits he had concerns about that activity, he insists he did nothing wrong. Last year an attorney for the inspector’s general office made the same determination, but Doe is still under administrative suspension and says his life has been destroyed by the scandal. Mark Zaid, Doe’s attorney, doesn’t divulge what those operations actually consisted of, but the CIA’s clandestine operations have raised eyebrows internationally as of late, so much so that US President Barack Obama recently said he wants to shift control of the agency’s controversial targeting kill done program to the Department of Defense. But with little oversight and leaked accounts a rare occurrence, very few details exist about the CIA’s operations overseas. Earlier this year, New York Times journalist Mark Mazzetti authored an entire book focusing CIA paramilitary operations around the world. But while the activity Doe is alleged to have engaged in remains unknown, Foreign Policy’s John Hudson has more on what has happened since the IG investigation first got off the ground: “For instance, following the operation, Zaid says his client’s computer and cell phone were compromised by cyber hackers. At first, the client believed a foreign power was responsible and notified the FBI, which opened an investigation but could not determine the origin of the attack. After working with the FBI in its investigation, and finding it unusually cooperative, Zaid suspects the CIA was spying on his client.” “In connection with internal investigations of John Doe, CIA employees, either with or without authority, initiated physical and electronic surveillance of him, some of which were unlawful,” the complaint reads. “The surveillance included harassment tactics undertaken by local law enforcement who were cooperating with the CIA. Other tactics involved corruption of electronic devices such as computers and cellphones. The Federal Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation into CIA’s activities involving John Doe.” Zaid writes in the complaint that the Administrative Procedure Act empowers courts to “compel agency action unlawfully withheld or unreasonable delayed,” and that the length of delay in formally closing the IG’s investigation into his client “fails the rule of reason.” The IG, the complaint continues, “is aware that there is no evidentiary basis for the allegations against John Doe and is purposely refusing to administratively close its investigation in order to discredit or otherwise cause harm to his career.” Zaid is asking the US District Court for the District of Columbia to compel the CIA to close its investigation and expedite the process “in every way possible.” … Read More
22 Nauseating Quotes From Hypocritical Establishment Politicians About The NSA Spying Scandal
Establishment politicians are attempting to portray Edward Snowden as a “traitor” and the spooks over at the NSA that are snooping on all of us as “heroes”. … Read More
Miss me yet? Polls shows Americans like Bush again
A Gallup poll found that for the first time since April 2005, Bush’s favorability rating is higher than his unfavorability rating. And Americans across all party lines have a more positive opinion of the former president. Gallup notes that an increase in approval ratings is common after presidents leave the White House, but the numbers may still come as a surprise. Since March 2009, Bush’s favorability rating increased by 14 percentage points among Democrats, 17 percent among Independents and 12 percent among Republicans. The numbers starkly contrast to the ratings he had shortly after leaving the White House. In January 2009, only 40 percent of poll respondents viewed him favorably. And at his lowest point in April 2008, only 32 percent of Americans expressed a positive opinion of him. The 32 percent approval rating occurred at a time when the economy was suffering and gas prices were high. Dislike for the president had been higher than favorability for 38 months in a row, which ABC News said was “a record unmatched since Harry Truman.” “We have a president who is out of public support, out of ideas and out of gas,” Washington Post Associate Editor Robert G. Kaiser wrote when the 32 percent approval rating was released. “It is fascinating to me how difficult it is for politicians (and journalists too, to be far) to say publicly what so many of them readily say among themselves know: this is a failed presidency, one of the most unsuccessful in American history probably.” But it appears that the harsh feelings for Bush have become largely forgotten, as negative opinions shift to President Barack Obama and his administration. During last Thursday’s edition of CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight”, the liberal television host even went so far as to describe Obama’s actions as “worse than anything George W. Bush did,” referencing the IRS targeting of conservative groups and the administration’s pursuit of AP and FOX journalists. And while Obama is now taking the heat for the clandestine NSA surveillance program revealed by whistleblowers, Bush just recently launched the George W. Bush Presidential Center to commemorate his time in office and shed a new light on his policies. It is unclear if the launch of the former president’s library and museum, which opened their doors on April 25, contributed to the latest favorability ratings. But with harsh feelings aimed at the Obama administration, lingering resentment for Bush may have been pushed onto the back burner. … Read More
The Rest Of The World Is Absolutely Disgusted With Our Big Brother Spying Methods
We are recklessly destroying our global reputation and our leaders do not even seem to care. But someday America will need some friends, and when that day arrives we may find that we don’t have too many left. … Read More
Germany most-spied-on EU country by US – leaked NSA report
The color-coded map of secret surveillance activities by the NSA ranks countries according to how much surveillance they are currently undergoing – green for the least and red for the most watched. While all EU member states boast variant shades of green, Germany stands out color-coded orange. The source behind the revelation of the top-secret NSA surveillance program, already referred to as one of the most significant intelligence leaks in US history, was uncovered late last week. 29-year-old Snowden asked The Guardian to reveal his identity, having fled to Hong Kong to escape retaliation by the US authorities. “The NSA has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything. With this capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting,” he told The Guardian. “I, sitting at my desk, certainly had the authority to wire-tap anyone … even if you are not doing anything wrong, you are being watched and recorded,” he added. The Boundless Informant documents show NSA collecting up to 3 billion pieces of intelligence from US computer networks over a 30-day period ending in March 2013, according to The Guardian. The tool reportedly allows users to select a country on a map, view the metadata volume and select details about the collections against this or that state. Germany’s Interior Ministry had already been in contact with US officials to find out whether there had been any infringement of German citizens’ privacy lately. Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to raise the issue of the NSA’s eavesdropping on Germany with President Barack Obama, who said the monitoring program is a means of defense against terrorism. Iran is on top of the surveillance list, with more than 14 billion data reports in March, while Pakistan came in a close second at 13.5 billion reports. Jordan, a close US ally, as well as Egypt and India are also near the top, according to the data. Senior European Union officials are also expected to discuss the impact of NSA’s programs on the privacy of EU citizens during a trans-Atlantic ministerial meeting in Dublin on Thursday. “This case shows that a clear legal framework for the protection of personal data is not a luxury or constraint, but a fundamental right,” European Commissioner for Justice Viviane Reding said. The European Parliament said it is always firm on data protection within the EU, as well as when negotiating with third countries, including the US. “It would be unacceptable and would need swift action from the EU if indeed the US National Security Agency were processing European data without permission,” Guy Verhofstadt of the parliament’s liberal bloc said. NSA’s tradition to survey international communities reportedly goes back to the Cold War era, when the agency used monitoring sites in Germany, Britain and other countries to spy on communications within the Soviet Union and its East European allies. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has meanwhile cancelled his trip to Washington to speak about The Guardian’s latest NSA report. He assured parliament that accusations that the UK government allegedly used information provided by the Americans to circumvent laws were “baseless.” “Our agencies practice and uphold UK law at all times,” he stated, “even when dealing with information from outside the UK.” In an interview with the British newspaper, successful NSA consultant Snowden leaked top-secret documents that revealed the existence of the US National Security Agency’s extensive internet spying program PRISM, which records digital communications and allows for real-time online surveillance of US citizens. PRISM gives US intelligence agencies direct access to files stored on the servers of major internet companies, including Google and Facebook, to identify and target potential terror suspects. … Read More
