The Reason Obama Capitulated on the (Phone) Dragnet
This will be a bit of a contrary take on what I believe to be the reasons for President Obama's capitulation on the dragnet, announcing support today for a plan to outsource the first query in the dragnetting process to the telecoms.
It goes…
FO Claims Captured Iranian Border Guards Not in Pakistan; Iran Threatens Use of Special Forces for Rescue
Since word emerged on Sunday that Jeish Al-Adl executed one of the five Iranian border guards that had been abducted last month, there has been a very interesting series of developments between Iran and Pakistan. Iran has summoned Pakistan's…
Initial Thoughts on Obama's Dragnet Fix
The White House has rolled out the bare sketch of its proposal to fix the dragnet. The sketch says,
the government will not collect these telephone records in bulk; rather, the records would remain at the telephone companies for the length…
DOJ's Multiple Authorities for Destroying Evidence
It seems like aeons ago, but just a week ago, EFF and DOJ had a court hearing over preserving evidence in the EFF lawsuits (Shubert, Jewel, and First Unitarian Church v. NSA). As I noted in two posts, a week ago Monday DOJ surprised EFF with…
The RuppRoge Fake Dragnet Fix, As Introduced: Does It Include Keith Alexander's Quid Pro Quo?
This post is going to be a general review on the contents of the actual records collection part of the RuppRoge Fake Dragnet Fix, which starts on page 15, though I confess I'm particularly interested in what other uses -- besides the phone dragnet…
After US Adventure in Death Squad Training for Syria, Brennan Now Complains About al Qaeda Training There
Trying to prove once again that no level of hypocrisy is ever high enough for the US security theater industrial complex, today's New York Times gives space for John Brennan to lament the use of Syria as a training ground for al Qaeda terrorists.…
RuppRoge Fake Dragnet Fix Requires Intel Community to Update 30 Year Old EO 12333 Procedures
One good aspect of the RuppRoge Fake Dragnet Fix is its measure requiring all elements of the Intelligence Community to comply with the EO that governs them.
At issue is this clause in EO 12333 requiring that any element of the Intelligence…
A Key Part of RuppRoge's Fake Dragnet Fix Reform: Pay the Telecoms
Here's an interesting "reform" in the RuppRoge's Fake Dragnet Fix. It pays the telecoms.
COMPENSATION AND ASSISTANCE.--The Government shall compensate, at the prevailing rate, an electronic communications service provider for providing records…
Jeish Al-Adl Executes One of Five Iranian Border Guards Abducted Last Month
There is a major new development in the ongoing saga of incidents along the Iran-Pakistan border. Recall that a group of Sunni extremists, Jeish Al-Adl, captured five Iranian border guards in early February (after killing 14 in an attack last…
RuppRogers Fake Dragnet Fix Would End (?) Bulk Firearm Record Collection, But Not Bulk Credit Card Record Collection
I'm just beginning to go through the House Intelligence Fake Dragnet Fix bill -- what I will henceforth call the RuppRogers Fake Dragnet Fix.
It does have some improvements -- the kind of bones you throw into a legislation to entice members…
The Other Problem with the Obama Proposal: Who Does the Pizza Joint Review?
I'm sure I'll spend all day discussing the various proposals to "fix" the dragnet.
I've already shown why the House Intelligence bill is not an improvement and should not be discussed by credible people as one.
And on Twitter and briefly…
NSA Bids to Expand Spying in Guise of "Fixing" Phone Dragnet
Dutch Ruppersberger has provided Siobhan Gorman with details of his plan to "fix" the dragnet -- including repeating the laughable claim that the "dragnet" (which she again doesn't distinguish as solely the Section 215 data that makes up a small…
The October 30, 2009 Statement of Authorities: The EFF Document Fight Could Get Very Interesting
If the Chief FISC Judge accuses the government of material misrepresentations but no one but a dirty fucking hippie blogger reports it, did it happen?
On Friday, I reported on Judge Reggie Walton's cranky opinion asking for an explanation…
Taking Kaplan's Defense of Empire on Its Face
Robert Kaplan wrote a predictably horrible defense of empire that a number of people are giving the appropriate disdainful treatment.
Against my better judgement, I'd like to take a different approach and treat it as a useful piece (though…
Bob Litt and Rachel Brand Redefine "Incidental"
Sometimes, especially with PCLOB, there's an exchange that I wildly imagine (emphasis on imagine--I'm not saying this is actually the case) is intended solely for my benefit.
Such is the case with an exchange at last week's PCLOB hearing.
PCLOB…
How the NSA Deals with a Threat to Its Backbone Hegemony
I have talked before about the importance of US' dominant role in global telecom infrastructure in our hegemonic position.
US hegemony rests on a lot of things: the dollar exchange, our superlative military, our ideological lip service to democracy…
Does FBI EVER Age Off Its Section 702 Data?
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board has released the transcript of the first panel from its hearing on Wednesday.
And while I was concerned by the following exchange -- between Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brad…
Judge Reggie Walton Is Pissed that Government Is Making Material Misstatements to FISC, Again
FISA Court Chief Judge Reggie Walton just issued a rather unhappy order requiring the government to explain why it materially misstated the facts about whether any plaintiffs had protection orders that governed the phone dragnet.
Generally,…
Former NSA General Counsel Robert Deitz, Who Rubber-Stamped Illegal Wiretap Program, Says All Felonies Should Be Prosecuted
I'm watching a CUNY conference on sources and secrets, which currently has a panel including Bob Woodward, Jane Mayer, and former NSA General Counsel Robert Deitz.
When asked whether he could think of a leak that had been damaging, Deitz…
With Over Half of Chemical Weapons-Related Stockpile Removed, Russia Says Syrian CW Potential Near Zero
Yesterday, in describing how Russia has played the US media regarding "threats" to the P5+1 negotiations on Iran's nuclear technology, I mentioned that continued progress on Syria's removal of its chemical weapons-related materials was further…