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An interagency Insider Threat Task Force has established “minimum standards” for responding to threats, according to a memo signed by President Barack Obama. The “standards” include policies to prevent “unauthorized disclosures” of information.
The released memo instructed departments and agencies to set up policies or procedures for gathering, integrating, and centrally analyzing and responding to “key threat-related information,” monitoring employee use of classified networks and providing the workforce with “insider threat awareness training” while at the same time protecting “the civil liberties and privacy of all personnel.” Threats to be monitored included “potential espionage, violent acts against the Government or the Nation, and unauthorized disclosure of classified information, including the vast amounts of classified data available on interconnected United States Government computer networks and systems.”
I appeared on RT America to address the memo and its implications. Mostly, it seems to indicate the gears of bureaucracy continue to slowly turn in service of a culture of secrecy in Washington. This task force was setup in response to Pfc. Bradley Manning’s alleged release of classified information to WikiLeaks.
Agencies like the Pentagon setup working groups as early as April 2011 to develop strategies and plans of action and “milestones aimed at improving” their ability to “prevent accidental” leaks. They also aimed to “deter intentional public disclosure of classified national security information.” The Insider Threat Task Force began to meet in October of last year. An incident reporting system at the Pentagon was fully operational in December 2011. So, around this time, other agencies and departments began to bring systems online to prevent future leaks.
During the clip, I point out the policy is extraneous as it is already official policy for national security agency employees to not release classified information without proper authorization. This adds another layer of procedures meant to chill speech and whistleblowing. It fits in with the anti-leaks proposals that are in the current Senate intelligence authorization bill, which Sen. Ron Wyden has placed a public hold on to protect freedom of the press and due process.
It is not a new development, as this process began months ago, however, it is an indication that the Obama administration, which prosecuted more whistleblowers or leakers in the past four years under the Espionage Act than any other previous administration, has a disposition against the free flow of information. And only a few senators or representatives stand up to stop national security policy that endangers civil liberties or violates the rule of law because they do not want to risk their careers by taking on the heads of national security agencies or, worse, decorated and esteemed military brass.
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I’ll be at Fort Meade covering Bradley Manning’s latest court martial all week. The hearing is incredibly critical to the defense and will center on how Manning was treated when he was imprisoned at the Quantico Marine Brig.
The defense will be arguing an “unlawful pretrial punishment motion.” Quantico commanders and mental health professionals are expected to testify on Tuesday and Wednesday. Manning is expected to take the stand on Thursday and/or Friday to testify on what he experienced while imprisoned. On Saturday and Sunday, prosecution witnesses will take the stand.
As I have done since I began to cover Manning hearings back in December of last year, there will be a live blog. I’ll also have reports in the afternoon on the proceedings. Also, look for updates on Twitter while I am at Meade during the day – @kgosztola
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“There is one difference,” I pointed out. “In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives and in the United States only Congress can declare wars.”
“Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.” from Gustave Gilbert’s (Intelligence officer, and psychologist) interview with Hermann Goering at Nuremberg
So much for the Most Open Administration Evah!!!(TM). Still, better to have the lesser evil (Saruman) as opposed to the more evillererer (Sauron).
Thank you, Kevin, for your in-depth coverage of these very serious “signals” of the “expanding executive”. Your expertise and insight are very important to furthering our understanding of what is actually occurring.
As well, your coverage of the Bradley Manning case is second to none. And again, your insights and considerations are very much appreciated … by all of us.
DW
Thanks DW
This is called Fascism. Imagine if the German’s knew Gleiwitz was a false flag operation, instead of being played by fascists? Yes, Hitler the ultimate in use abuse of executive power. Funny how history seldom squares up with the “facade of the moment,” here in America or the world?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleiwitz_incident
The reason Manning is a political prisoner is because he spoke truth to America. Leaks my fucking ass???
America you are being fucked by corporate fascists who will lie cheat steal and kill to protect rancid profit at life’s expense, while using your military to protect business interests which rape this republic like a pedophile priest rapes a child, then is protected by enablers/church!
Deja “fucking” vu?
Kevin, thank you for keeping us all up to date on the subtleties and subterfuge on these important stories. Absolutely top notch.
Concerning Manning; I was under the impression that anything to do with his pre-trial “treatment” was off limits or wouldn’t be released within public earshot. Do you think it will have any effect on his case?
Thanks again.
Good article. “Setup” is a noun, though, not a verb.
Yes, they’ve certainly done a great job of protecting Bradley Manning’s “civil liberties” and “privacy.”
Indeed.
And thanks, Kevin.
Why are geostrategy and geopolitics bad words to the folks in charge? Those two things are not the same thing as “national security”.
Leaked plans to invade Iran: geostrategy/geopolitics
Leaked maps of nuclear facilities: national security
The public needs enhanced clarity of thought here, IMO.
I think Obama ought to just let Americans know what kind of a festering pit of vile corruption his administration is. Thanks to the efforts of the corporate media, Americans are generally so amoral, deluded and braindead these days that by and large they won’t even care about the criminality of their leaders. Actually, they’d probably even admire and approve of it. So the effort here is wasted.
Ok, made an edit.
That is a good point. I may start using your words instead of “so-called national security.”
Kevin, thank you for all your good work reporting on Brad Manning.
I’m not sure I think this memo is about him though, or about a culture of secrecy, though both these issues are real concerns. What concerns me is the language in the memo:
“These threats encompass potential espionage, violent acts against the Government or the Nation”
I don’t know what is going on, but this political machine is complex, multi-layered, and gnarly with post-election angst.
Thank you for that quote.
Among Obama’s 2008 campaign promises:
1. the most transparent administration ever.
2. negotiation of health care “reform” on C-Span.
Obama’s performance of those promises:
1. The most secretive administration ever.
2. Fighting the ACLU’s FOIA request for white house visitor logs (which would have shown visits by representatives of health insurers, pharmaceutical companies and big health care). Reasons cited? First, the Secret Service. Next, protecting the privacy of his children and their playmates (as if anyone would have objected to deletions with that notation). The WH’s next move? Changing the location of the balance of these meetings outside the White House so that they would not show up on White House visitor logs anymore.
And that’s only to hide the bare existence of the meetings. We never found out what the substance of those meetings was and probably never will, let alone view them on C-Span.
We can, however, guess at the substance of the meetings by reading the “Baucus” Obamacare bill, the bailout of health insurers, aka individual mandate with no meaningful public option. Oh, and then there was Obama’s swift and totally effective opposition to Dorgan’s drug reimportation bill.
Obama takes us Through the Looking Glass, which is very different from transparency.
Another New Democrat progressive Trojan Horse, like Bill Clinton (Obama’s choice of cheerleader), Hillary Clinton (Obama’s choice of Secretary of State), Lieberman (Obama’s choice of mentor), et al.