NSA's Dragnet Failed to "Correlate" David Headley's Identity, One of Its Core Functions
In a piece on the GCHQ and NSA failure to identify David Headley's role in the Mumbai terrorist attack, ProPublica quotes former CIA officer Charles Faddis on the value of bulk surveillance.
“I’m not saying that the capacity to intercept…
US Shocked That Islamic State Capable of Military Training
The US has been mired in its failed training of "troops" in Iraq and Afghanistan for so long that analysts have now been watching one of the latest Islamic State videos in awe. It turns out that IS has actually managed to institute a few…
Saudis Continue to Lead US by the Nose into Ill-Considered Approach in Yemen
Last Thursday, LAT had an article voicing the concerns of national security types who think our support for the Saudi assault on Yemen is ill-considered. In part that's because the Saudi assault is helping AQAP.
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,…
FBI Counterterrorism Agent Discovers How FBI National Security Investigations Work
CNN has a story based on the deposition of Frederick Humphries, the friend of Jill Kelley who first initiated the investigation into Kelley's stalker, who turned out to be David Petraeus' lover, Paula Broadwell. The deposition is in Kelley's…
"Security is a most seductive thing" and the Single Bus Line that Shut Down Boston
The WSJ has a fascinating story this morning about 3 pages cut from an early draft of the kids book, A Wrinkle in Time. It includes a discussion between the heroine and her father, in which the latter describes the dangers of valuing security…
The Shame of Formula One in Bahrain
This weekend is the Grand Prix of Bahrain at the International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. Three years ago I wrote about the local protests in Bahrain seeking some modicum of civil liberties and fair treatment. Instead there was a violent crackdown…
The Collective Yawn at America's "Weaponization of Information"
You know you're in trouble when Dana Rohrabacher is the voice of reason.
That's what happened in Wednesday's House Foreign Relations Committee hearing on "Russia's Weaponization of Information," which was basically an attempt to claim RT…
Citing Confidential Information Carmen Ortiz Appears to Recommit to Seeking Dzhokhar's Execution
Bill and Denise Richard, parents of one child killed and one maimed in the Boston Marathon attack, have a BoGlo op-ed calling for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to receive life without parole. They specifically cite the importance of letting survivors…
The Danger of Someone Criticizing Political Pork Landing on the Capitol Lawn
The WaPo has a good review of how postal service worker Doug Hughes managed to fly his gyrocopter onto the Capitol lawn without being spotted by the Secret Service or other security forces.
But the best part of the story cites corporate sucklings…
The Government Changed Its Mind about How Many Databases It Searched in the Hassanshahi Case after It Shut Down the DEA Dragnet
As I noted in this post, the government insists that it did not engage in parallel construction in the case of Shantia Hassanshahi, the Iranian-American busted for sanctions violations using evidence derivative of a search of what the government…
Mike Rogers Wanted to Drone Kill an American Citizen for Training with al Qaeda?
There has been some good commentary on NYT's story on Administration debates over killing Mohanad Mahmoud al-Farekh, the American citizen who was captured and charged in federal court on April 2, after the Administration considered but then…
Bob Graham's Credibility
On Monday, the NYT had a story on former Senator Bob Graham's continuing efforts to shed light on the Saudi role in 9/11. The article cast Graham's obstinance on the Saudi role in 9/11 against FBI efforts to get him to shut up, noting for…
New York Times Comes Tantalizingly Close to Admitting "Training" in Iraq Doesn't Work
In today's New York Times, Rod Nordland speaks to a number of US troops currently deployed to Iraq yet again to train Iraqi troops. Shockingly, Nordland comes very close to explaining that the current deployment is likely to be meaningless since…
Hassanshahi Bids to Undermine the DEA Dragnet ... and All Dragnets
Often forgotten in the new reporting on the DEA dragnet is the story of Shantia Hassanshahi, the Iranian-American accused of sanctions violations who was first IDed using the DEA dragnet. That's a shame, because his case may present real problems…
Michael Horowitz' Monthly Complaint about FBI and DEA Stonewalling
The House Oversight Committee is having a hearing on the problems law enforcement agencies have with sexual harassment and misconduct, as reported by DOJ's Inspector General. DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart will be offering amusing testimony…
Iran's Description of Incident at Saudi Airport Changes
I've been following the recent PR battle between Saudi Arabia and Iran as they square off over Yemen and their other proxy battles across the greater Middle East. Of particular interest has been the accusation by Iran that two Iranian teenage…
Congress Continues to Act Like a Rump Appendage on War
Back when President Obama introduced his version of the AUMF (which didn't sunset the 2001 AUMF and didn't include meaningful limits on the ISIL war), I suggested he was leveraging the competing interests of Congress to retain maximal Executive…
Hollywood Illiberal: The Entertainment Industry’s Misogyny and Society’s Broken Mirror
In a recent heated discussion I was told, “Hollywood is liberal.” That’s bullshit, I said.
“But the themes they use in their stories—they’re liberal,” they rebutted. Again, bullshit.
The proof is in the numbers. Hollywood…
DEA's Dragnet and David Headley
In a piece on the DEA dragnet the other day, Julian Sanchez made an important point. The existence of the DEA dragnet -- and FBI's use of it in previous terrorist attacks -- destroys what little validity was left of the claim that NSA needed…
The Other Possible Whys behind the Boston Marathon Attack
As the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev trial pauses for the Marathon and the attack anniversary (and, ostensibly, to give the defense time to line up their witnesses), some competing sides have aired their views about the story not being told at the trial.
An…