The document summarizes an article that discusses forged documents alleging that Iraq attempted to purchase uranium from Niger. Key points:
1) The CIA and other US intelligence officials cited the documents in briefings to Congress as evidence of Iraq's nuclear ambitions, which helped gain support for authorizing war.
2) The documents were later exposed as forgeries by the UN's nuclear watchdog agency, embarrassing the US.
3) Questions remain about how such obvious fakes could have been endorsed by US intelligence and the White House without proper vetting, and whether the administration deliberately misled the public.
This document discusses the debate around national security surveillance by intelligence agencies. It presents arguments on both sides of the issue.
The pro argument is that intelligence agencies like the CIA and NSA play a vital role in national security and have helped prevent terrorist attacks since 9/11 through surveillance techniques. However, the con argument is that this surveillance infringes on Americans' right to privacy and civil liberties. Many feel their privacy is violated, and there is public mistrust of intelligence agencies due to past mistakes and covert actions. Additionally, some of this surveillance may violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
This document discusses the history of government surveillance in the United States and debates the balance between safety and privacy. It outlines several covert surveillance programs implemented since the 1890s, most of which were found to violate the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unreasonable searches. While surveillance has helped catch some criminals and terrorists, it has also spied on innocent citizens. The document argues we must determine common ground between accountability for surveillance and protecting individual privacy.
The meteoric rise of ISIS has justifiably spurred an examination of which U.S. policies might have led to a less dire outcome in territories now controlled by the group. One common focus is the Obama administration's decision to forgo a troop presence in Iraq after 2011. However, while troops would have given Washington more leverage, the question of whether they could have prevented the rise of ISIS is hardly clear-cut.
In this new Policy Note, James F. Jeffrey, who served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq from 2010 to 2012, draws on his intimate experience with the troop-basing issue to explain what really happened three years ago. By discussing complex factors such as judicial immunity for American forces, political shifts in Baghdad, and rhetorical shifts within the Obama administration, he outlines lessons that Washington can draw from the Islamic State's ascendance.
Read Ambassador Jeffrey's accompanying Wall Street Journal article "Behind the U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq":
http://online.wsj.com/articles/james-franklin-jeffrey-behind-the-u-s-withdrawal-from-iraq-1414972705
The crash of a US drone in Iran has revealed the intense US spying efforts taking place in Iran, where the US has no official presence. While the drone is believed to have crashed due to a malfunction rather than being shot down, Iran displayed the largely intact drone on television. US surveillance of Iran through drones and other means has been ongoing for years to gain intelligence on activities inside Iran's borders. However, the recent drone crash has unmasked these secret intelligence operations.
Detainee is recommended for continued detention as he poses a threat. He is assessed as a member of an Algerian extremist group involved in a plot to attack the US Embassy in Bosnia. Detainee served as the Bosnia contact for a senior al-Qaeda facilitator and received advanced training in Afghanistan and Bosnia. He is linked to al-Qaeda's support network and coordinated travel for extremists to Afghanistan. Detainee denies his extremist activities and identities despite corroborating intelligence reporting.
The bombing of the World Trade Center (WTC) in February 1993 was a landmark act of terrorism. At least officially, it was the first major strike in the US by radical Islamic militants and as such pre-empted the attacks of 9/11. The perpetrators were a group of men based out of the Al-Kifah refugee center in the Al Farooq mosque in Brooklyn, New York. This was the local branch of the Maktab al-Khidamat or Mujahideen Services Office that funnelled money and people to Afghanistan during the war with the Soviets.
The bombing resulted in several trials ? US vs Salameh et al in 1994, US vs Rahman et al in 1995, and US vs Yousef et al in 1997. The first trial prosecuted several of those in New York who had assisted in building and delivering the bomb. The second trial prosecuted the Blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and some of his followers for a ?seditious conspiracy? that included the WTC bombing, the ?Day of Terror? plot and several solicitations to murder Hosni Mubarek. The third trial prosecuted Ramzi Yousef, the man primarily responsible for choosing the target and building the bomb.
Nonetheless, the case is still subject to a swirl of conspiracy theories, mostly revolving around the FBI informant Emad Salem, who infiltrated the group at the Al-Kifah both before and after the bombing. The idea that Salem built the bomb is misleading, as he was actually sacked by the FBI in the summer of 1992 and wasn?t involved with the Al-Kifah group from then until after the bombing.
The more substantive theories are based on the issue of the Bind Sheikh being some kind of CIA asset, the legends created around Ramzi Yousef and also the possible involvement of triple agent Ali Mohamed. The forensic science investigation of the bombing was also particularly bad. This document collection includes files that shed light on these questions and provide a basis for establishing a more subtle view of exactly who was responsible for the bombing and why they did what they did.
Detainee served as the Taliban Deputy Minister of Intelligence and had direct access to senior Taliban, al-Qaeda, and anti-coalition militia leadership. He coordinated intelligence activities between the Taliban and al-Qaeda and assisted their operatives in evading capture. Detainee is assessed to still pose a threat and have high intelligence value due to his role in the Taliban government and ties to other Islamic militant groups.
This document provides an introduction and summary of unsealed court documents related to the case of Mohammed Junaid Babar, who cooperated with authorities as an informant in terrorism cases in the UK and US. It outlines Babar's background and involvement with extremist groups after 9/11. It notes several inconsistencies and questions around Babar, including his ability to travel freely despite public statements about committing violence, as well as his sudden and complete cooperation with authorities. The document reviews court filings and timelines related to Babar's testimony against defendants in Operation Crevice and the July 7, 2005 London bombings case. It raises the possibility that Babar may have been a double agent working for intelligence services from the beginning
This document discusses the debate around national security surveillance by intelligence agencies. It presents arguments on both sides of the issue.
The pro argument is that intelligence agencies like the CIA and NSA play a vital role in national security and have helped prevent terrorist attacks since 9/11 through surveillance techniques. However, the con argument is that this surveillance infringes on Americans' right to privacy and civil liberties. Many feel their privacy is violated, and there is public mistrust of intelligence agencies due to past mistakes and covert actions. Additionally, some of this surveillance may violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
This document discusses the history of government surveillance in the United States and debates the balance between safety and privacy. It outlines several covert surveillance programs implemented since the 1890s, most of which were found to violate the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unreasonable searches. While surveillance has helped catch some criminals and terrorists, it has also spied on innocent citizens. The document argues we must determine common ground between accountability for surveillance and protecting individual privacy.
The meteoric rise of ISIS has justifiably spurred an examination of which U.S. policies might have led to a less dire outcome in territories now controlled by the group. One common focus is the Obama administration's decision to forgo a troop presence in Iraq after 2011. However, while troops would have given Washington more leverage, the question of whether they could have prevented the rise of ISIS is hardly clear-cut.
In this new Policy Note, James F. Jeffrey, who served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq from 2010 to 2012, draws on his intimate experience with the troop-basing issue to explain what really happened three years ago. By discussing complex factors such as judicial immunity for American forces, political shifts in Baghdad, and rhetorical shifts within the Obama administration, he outlines lessons that Washington can draw from the Islamic State's ascendance.
Read Ambassador Jeffrey's accompanying Wall Street Journal article "Behind the U.S. Withdrawal From Iraq":
http://online.wsj.com/articles/james-franklin-jeffrey-behind-the-u-s-withdrawal-from-iraq-1414972705
The crash of a US drone in Iran has revealed the intense US spying efforts taking place in Iran, where the US has no official presence. While the drone is believed to have crashed due to a malfunction rather than being shot down, Iran displayed the largely intact drone on television. US surveillance of Iran through drones and other means has been ongoing for years to gain intelligence on activities inside Iran's borders. However, the recent drone crash has unmasked these secret intelligence operations.
Detainee is recommended for continued detention as he poses a threat. He is assessed as a member of an Algerian extremist group involved in a plot to attack the US Embassy in Bosnia. Detainee served as the Bosnia contact for a senior al-Qaeda facilitator and received advanced training in Afghanistan and Bosnia. He is linked to al-Qaeda's support network and coordinated travel for extremists to Afghanistan. Detainee denies his extremist activities and identities despite corroborating intelligence reporting.
The bombing of the World Trade Center (WTC) in February 1993 was a landmark act of terrorism. At least officially, it was the first major strike in the US by radical Islamic militants and as such pre-empted the attacks of 9/11. The perpetrators were a group of men based out of the Al-Kifah refugee center in the Al Farooq mosque in Brooklyn, New York. This was the local branch of the Maktab al-Khidamat or Mujahideen Services Office that funnelled money and people to Afghanistan during the war with the Soviets.
The bombing resulted in several trials ? US vs Salameh et al in 1994, US vs Rahman et al in 1995, and US vs Yousef et al in 1997. The first trial prosecuted several of those in New York who had assisted in building and delivering the bomb. The second trial prosecuted the Blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and some of his followers for a ?seditious conspiracy? that included the WTC bombing, the ?Day of Terror? plot and several solicitations to murder Hosni Mubarek. The third trial prosecuted Ramzi Yousef, the man primarily responsible for choosing the target and building the bomb.
Nonetheless, the case is still subject to a swirl of conspiracy theories, mostly revolving around the FBI informant Emad Salem, who infiltrated the group at the Al-Kifah both before and after the bombing. The idea that Salem built the bomb is misleading, as he was actually sacked by the FBI in the summer of 1992 and wasn?t involved with the Al-Kifah group from then until after the bombing.
The more substantive theories are based on the issue of the Bind Sheikh being some kind of CIA asset, the legends created around Ramzi Yousef and also the possible involvement of triple agent Ali Mohamed. The forensic science investigation of the bombing was also particularly bad. This document collection includes files that shed light on these questions and provide a basis for establishing a more subtle view of exactly who was responsible for the bombing and why they did what they did.
Detainee served as the Taliban Deputy Minister of Intelligence and had direct access to senior Taliban, al-Qaeda, and anti-coalition militia leadership. He coordinated intelligence activities between the Taliban and al-Qaeda and assisted their operatives in evading capture. Detainee is assessed to still pose a threat and have high intelligence value due to his role in the Taliban government and ties to other Islamic militant groups.
This document provides an introduction and summary of unsealed court documents related to the case of Mohammed Junaid Babar, who cooperated with authorities as an informant in terrorism cases in the UK and US. It outlines Babar's background and involvement with extremist groups after 9/11. It notes several inconsistencies and questions around Babar, including his ability to travel freely despite public statements about committing violence, as well as his sudden and complete cooperation with authorities. The document reviews court filings and timelines related to Babar's testimony against defendants in Operation Crevice and the July 7, 2005 London bombings case. It raises the possibility that Babar may have been a double agent working for intelligence services from the beginning
Former US President George Bush Jr. and his former 'henchman' Tony Blair have been found guilty of war crimes by a court in Malaysia. It is the 'Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal', which came to the conclusion after a 4-day hearing and pronounced the verdict. According to the unanimous verdict of the panel of 5 judges, Bush and Blair are guilty of committing genocide and crimes against peace and humanity after they started the invasion of English and American troops in Iraq in 2003 on false grounds.
- The document discusses intelligence warnings prior to the September 11th attacks, including warnings from foreign governments about an imminent al Qaeda attack on the United States using aircraft as weapons. It also discusses the 1995 Bojinka Plot, where terrorists planned to hijack commercial airliners and fly them into buildings.
The document summarizes political events in the Middle East from March to April 2010. There was increased terrorist activity by groups like Al Qaeda in Iraq and rising tensions between Iraq and Iran over border disputes. Bombings in Baghdad were linked to Iran, Syria, and terrorist groups. As border conflicts escalated between Iran and Iraq, Iranian soldiers seized British personnel, heightening regional tensions. Iraq's internal political instability and spillover from foreign disputes threatened to destabilize the country further. Syria was also accused of smuggling weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon in violation of international agreements. The United States warned of actions against provocative moves in the region.
The document discusses the origins of the alleged secret government program investigating UFOs and extraterrestrials. It claims that between 1947-1952, at least 16 alien crafts and 65 bodies were recovered in the United States. This prompted the US government to form highly classified projects like Sign, Grudge and Blue Book to study the phenomenon. It also led to the creation of covert intelligence agencies like the CIA and NSA, exempted from laws, to communicate with aliens and decipher their technology while keeping their existence secret from the public.
This document summarizes a Wikileaks press conference regarding Edward Snowden's exit from Hong Kong on June 23rd, 2013. The speakers discuss the legal issues surrounding Snowden's application for asylum, including his protections as a whistleblower under international law. They condemn U.S. government attempts to interfere with Snowden's asylum application and calls to extradite him. The speakers argue the more important issue is the massive global surveillance programs revealed by Snowden, and see his and Bradley Manning's cases as part of a pattern of retaliation against whistleblowers by the Obama administration.
President Kennedy sought access to classified files about UFOs and extraterrestrial life held by project MJ-12, encountering resistance from the CIA. Kennedy took executive actions in 1961 to gain oversight of covert CIA operations. In 1963, he pursued cooperation with the USSR on space missions, bringing matters to a head with opponents over releasing UFO files. Kennedy may have seen evidence of crashed UFOs and bodies. Claims that he received messages from and met with extraterrestrials are controversial with little independent evidence.
- The document discusses warnings that the US intelligence community received prior to the September 11th attacks from various foreign governments about an imminent al Qaeda attack on US soil using airplanes as weapons. These warnings were not properly investigated or acted upon. The document argues that the attacks may have been preventable if intelligence officials had properly heeded and investigated these many warnings.
Detainee is assessed to be a high-level member of the Taliban Intelligence Directorate and weapons smuggler associated with senior Taliban officials. He was captured in 2003 with documents and materials indicating ties to the Taliban and extremist networks. Detainee worked closely with the Taliban Deputy Intelligence Minister and other senior figures. He denies the full extent of his Taliban activities and affiliations. JTF-GTMO recommends the detainee continue to be detained due to his high-level Taliban connections and potential threat.
The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya was attacked by armed extremists, resulting in the death of U.S. Ambassador John Christopher Stevens and three others. Protests against an anti-Muslim video also occurred outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. President Obama condemned the Benghazi attack and increased security at other embassies. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney faced criticism for a statement seen as politicizing the events, and protests continued in other Middle Eastern countries.
FindLaw | ex-Defense Dept. official charged with spyingLegalDocs
This document is an indictment charging James Wilbur Fondren Jr. with conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent, unlawful communication of classified information, and making false statements. It alleges that from 2001 to 2008, Fondren used his position at the Pentagon to provide classified US government information to Tai Shen Kuo and PRC Official A, in exchange for payments, to benefit the Chinese government despite not having authorization to share such information. The indictment contains evidence of emails between Fondren, Kuo and the Chinese official related to sharing US defense reports and strategy documents.
The document is a correspondence from the United States Department of State to Judicial Watch regarding a Freedom of Information Act request. It states that the Department has identified 41 additional documents responsive to the request, of which 25 can be released in full and 16 can be released with redactions. It also notes that 3 documents previously released in part can now have additional information released. The letter directs any further questions to the Department of Justice.
Detainee assessment brief for ISN US9AG-000310DP held at Guantanamo Bay. The detainee is assessed to be an al-Qaeda and Armed Islamic Group fighter from Algeria who traveled extensively through Europe and Canada using false documents. He received militant training in Afghanistan and resided in al-Qaeda guesthouses. He fled Tora Bora with a large group of al-Qaeda fighters led by a senior member. The detainee is assessed to be a high risk and of medium intelligence value based on his militant training and facilitation network connections.
This document provides a detainee assessment for an individual currently held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It recommends continued detention based on the detainee's history with militant groups and assessed likelihood to reengage in hostilities if released. Specifically:
- The detainee is assessed to be a high risk and likely to pose a threat due to his prior role as an intelligence officer for the Taliban and reported ties to other extremist groups.
- He is a member of an anti-coalition militia group with ties to the Haqqani Network and planned and executed rocket attacks against U.S. forces.
- Since his detention, his brother has engaged in insurgent activities, increasing the risk the deta
The IAEA is set to release a report providing evidence that Iran has researched nuclear weapons technology and may be able to produce a nuclear weapon in a short time period if it chooses. The report could strengthen calls for further sanctions against Iran. Israel has taken actions that suggest it may be preparing for a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities despite risks. The US position is that all options remain open but it is unlikely to take military action close to the upcoming presidential election.
(S//NF) Detainee is assessed to be an al-Qaida associated passport forger and key travel facilitator supporting senior al-Qaida facilitator Zayn al-Abidin Muhammed Husayn aka (Abu Zubaydah), ISN US9GZ-010016DP (GZ-10016), and the Global Jihad Support Network. Detainee has additional ties to the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG). Detainee is also a suspected bomb maker and former commander of a special al-Qaida training camp, and he was identified as a front line
This document summarizes a speech given by Michael Mukasey, former U.S. Attorney General, about executive power during wartime. Some key points:
1) Mukasey argues that the President has broad executive powers during wartime according to the Constitution, including powers over intelligence gathering and detention of enemy combatants.
2) However, President Obama has taken actions like closing Guantanamo and ending enhanced interrogation that Mukasey believes undermine these executive powers and reduce intelligence gathering.
3) Mukasey traces the roots of Islamist ideology back to Sayyid Qutb and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the 1920s-1960s, and their influence on Osama
092812 David Addington Article (ENGLISH)VogelDenise
David Addington is a powerful but little known government lawyer who has served as chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. He played a key role in many controversial Bush administration national security policies and legal positions after 9/11. Addington is a staunch advocate of expansive executive power and the unitary executive theory. He believes the president alone has authority over national security matters and that Congress cannot impede the president's constitutional powers. Addington helped draft hundreds of presidential signing statements that asserted expansive interpretations of executive authority.
1) The WikiLeaks document dump reflected positively on US diplomacy and policy, showing efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and negotiations with Saudi Arabia over oil.
2) While some documents were embarrassing, they did not reveal sensitive information like assassination attempts or illegal torture that could have been in past leaks.
3) The impact on US foreign policy is considered "fairly modest" according to the Defense Secretary, and unlike the Pentagon Papers, the WikiLeaks documents did not involve deliberate government lies that led to loss of life.
The Iraqi National Congress (INC), an Iraqi exile group, provided exaggerated and fabricated intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs and ties to al-Qaeda to U.S. officials and major news media in the lead up to the Iraq war. This false information helped foster the impression that there were multiple sources confirming the threat from Iraq. In reality, the allegations came from just a few Iraqi defectors and were disputed by intelligence professionals. Many of the claims made by the defectors have not been substantiated since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. The INC played a key role in spreading false information that contributed to the public and political support for the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
The document discusses the history and techniques of investigative journalism. It provides definitions for different types of investigative reporting such as original investigative reporting and reporting on investigations. It also discusses challenges that can arise in investigative reporting like relying too heavily on investigatory sources or becoming activists rather than independent observers. A key part of the document is a case study about the New York Times' coverage of Wen Ho Lee and the accusation that he stole nuclear secrets for China. It reflects on aspects of the coverage that could have been improved by considering alternative explanations and perspectives earlier.
This document discusses the history and ethics of whistleblowing and organizations like Wikileaks that publish leaked classified documents. It describes several prominent whistleblowers throughout history like Daniel Ellsberg who leaked the Pentagon Papers and Mark Felt aka "Deep Throat" who helped expose the Watergate scandal. More recently, it discusses Wikileaks' publication of documents exposing abuses in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars provided by Bradley Manning, as well as Edward Snowden's leaks of NSA surveillance programs. There is debate around whether such leaks serve the public interest or damage national security, and if individuals like Julian Assange and these whistleblowers can be prosecuted under the Espionage Act.
Former US President George Bush Jr. and his former 'henchman' Tony Blair have been found guilty of war crimes by a court in Malaysia. It is the 'Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal', which came to the conclusion after a 4-day hearing and pronounced the verdict. According to the unanimous verdict of the panel of 5 judges, Bush and Blair are guilty of committing genocide and crimes against peace and humanity after they started the invasion of English and American troops in Iraq in 2003 on false grounds.
- The document discusses intelligence warnings prior to the September 11th attacks, including warnings from foreign governments about an imminent al Qaeda attack on the United States using aircraft as weapons. It also discusses the 1995 Bojinka Plot, where terrorists planned to hijack commercial airliners and fly them into buildings.
The document summarizes political events in the Middle East from March to April 2010. There was increased terrorist activity by groups like Al Qaeda in Iraq and rising tensions between Iraq and Iran over border disputes. Bombings in Baghdad were linked to Iran, Syria, and terrorist groups. As border conflicts escalated between Iran and Iraq, Iranian soldiers seized British personnel, heightening regional tensions. Iraq's internal political instability and spillover from foreign disputes threatened to destabilize the country further. Syria was also accused of smuggling weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon in violation of international agreements. The United States warned of actions against provocative moves in the region.
The document discusses the origins of the alleged secret government program investigating UFOs and extraterrestrials. It claims that between 1947-1952, at least 16 alien crafts and 65 bodies were recovered in the United States. This prompted the US government to form highly classified projects like Sign, Grudge and Blue Book to study the phenomenon. It also led to the creation of covert intelligence agencies like the CIA and NSA, exempted from laws, to communicate with aliens and decipher their technology while keeping their existence secret from the public.
This document summarizes a Wikileaks press conference regarding Edward Snowden's exit from Hong Kong on June 23rd, 2013. The speakers discuss the legal issues surrounding Snowden's application for asylum, including his protections as a whistleblower under international law. They condemn U.S. government attempts to interfere with Snowden's asylum application and calls to extradite him. The speakers argue the more important issue is the massive global surveillance programs revealed by Snowden, and see his and Bradley Manning's cases as part of a pattern of retaliation against whistleblowers by the Obama administration.
President Kennedy sought access to classified files about UFOs and extraterrestrial life held by project MJ-12, encountering resistance from the CIA. Kennedy took executive actions in 1961 to gain oversight of covert CIA operations. In 1963, he pursued cooperation with the USSR on space missions, bringing matters to a head with opponents over releasing UFO files. Kennedy may have seen evidence of crashed UFOs and bodies. Claims that he received messages from and met with extraterrestrials are controversial with little independent evidence.
- The document discusses warnings that the US intelligence community received prior to the September 11th attacks from various foreign governments about an imminent al Qaeda attack on US soil using airplanes as weapons. These warnings were not properly investigated or acted upon. The document argues that the attacks may have been preventable if intelligence officials had properly heeded and investigated these many warnings.
Detainee is assessed to be a high-level member of the Taliban Intelligence Directorate and weapons smuggler associated with senior Taliban officials. He was captured in 2003 with documents and materials indicating ties to the Taliban and extremist networks. Detainee worked closely with the Taliban Deputy Intelligence Minister and other senior figures. He denies the full extent of his Taliban activities and affiliations. JTF-GTMO recommends the detainee continue to be detained due to his high-level Taliban connections and potential threat.
The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya was attacked by armed extremists, resulting in the death of U.S. Ambassador John Christopher Stevens and three others. Protests against an anti-Muslim video also occurred outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. President Obama condemned the Benghazi attack and increased security at other embassies. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney faced criticism for a statement seen as politicizing the events, and protests continued in other Middle Eastern countries.
FindLaw | ex-Defense Dept. official charged with spyingLegalDocs
This document is an indictment charging James Wilbur Fondren Jr. with conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent, unlawful communication of classified information, and making false statements. It alleges that from 2001 to 2008, Fondren used his position at the Pentagon to provide classified US government information to Tai Shen Kuo and PRC Official A, in exchange for payments, to benefit the Chinese government despite not having authorization to share such information. The indictment contains evidence of emails between Fondren, Kuo and the Chinese official related to sharing US defense reports and strategy documents.
The document is a correspondence from the United States Department of State to Judicial Watch regarding a Freedom of Information Act request. It states that the Department has identified 41 additional documents responsive to the request, of which 25 can be released in full and 16 can be released with redactions. It also notes that 3 documents previously released in part can now have additional information released. The letter directs any further questions to the Department of Justice.
Detainee assessment brief for ISN US9AG-000310DP held at Guantanamo Bay. The detainee is assessed to be an al-Qaeda and Armed Islamic Group fighter from Algeria who traveled extensively through Europe and Canada using false documents. He received militant training in Afghanistan and resided in al-Qaeda guesthouses. He fled Tora Bora with a large group of al-Qaeda fighters led by a senior member. The detainee is assessed to be a high risk and of medium intelligence value based on his militant training and facilitation network connections.
This document provides a detainee assessment for an individual currently held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It recommends continued detention based on the detainee's history with militant groups and assessed likelihood to reengage in hostilities if released. Specifically:
- The detainee is assessed to be a high risk and likely to pose a threat due to his prior role as an intelligence officer for the Taliban and reported ties to other extremist groups.
- He is a member of an anti-coalition militia group with ties to the Haqqani Network and planned and executed rocket attacks against U.S. forces.
- Since his detention, his brother has engaged in insurgent activities, increasing the risk the deta
The IAEA is set to release a report providing evidence that Iran has researched nuclear weapons technology and may be able to produce a nuclear weapon in a short time period if it chooses. The report could strengthen calls for further sanctions against Iran. Israel has taken actions that suggest it may be preparing for a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities despite risks. The US position is that all options remain open but it is unlikely to take military action close to the upcoming presidential election.
(S//NF) Detainee is assessed to be an al-Qaida associated passport forger and key travel facilitator supporting senior al-Qaida facilitator Zayn al-Abidin Muhammed Husayn aka (Abu Zubaydah), ISN US9GZ-010016DP (GZ-10016), and the Global Jihad Support Network. Detainee has additional ties to the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LT) and the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG). Detainee is also a suspected bomb maker and former commander of a special al-Qaida training camp, and he was identified as a front line
This document summarizes a speech given by Michael Mukasey, former U.S. Attorney General, about executive power during wartime. Some key points:
1) Mukasey argues that the President has broad executive powers during wartime according to the Constitution, including powers over intelligence gathering and detention of enemy combatants.
2) However, President Obama has taken actions like closing Guantanamo and ending enhanced interrogation that Mukasey believes undermine these executive powers and reduce intelligence gathering.
3) Mukasey traces the roots of Islamist ideology back to Sayyid Qutb and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the 1920s-1960s, and their influence on Osama
092812 David Addington Article (ENGLISH)VogelDenise
David Addington is a powerful but little known government lawyer who has served as chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. He played a key role in many controversial Bush administration national security policies and legal positions after 9/11. Addington is a staunch advocate of expansive executive power and the unitary executive theory. He believes the president alone has authority over national security matters and that Congress cannot impede the president's constitutional powers. Addington helped draft hundreds of presidential signing statements that asserted expansive interpretations of executive authority.
1) The WikiLeaks document dump reflected positively on US diplomacy and policy, showing efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and negotiations with Saudi Arabia over oil.
2) While some documents were embarrassing, they did not reveal sensitive information like assassination attempts or illegal torture that could have been in past leaks.
3) The impact on US foreign policy is considered "fairly modest" according to the Defense Secretary, and unlike the Pentagon Papers, the WikiLeaks documents did not involve deliberate government lies that led to loss of life.
The Iraqi National Congress (INC), an Iraqi exile group, provided exaggerated and fabricated intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs and ties to al-Qaeda to U.S. officials and major news media in the lead up to the Iraq war. This false information helped foster the impression that there were multiple sources confirming the threat from Iraq. In reality, the allegations came from just a few Iraqi defectors and were disputed by intelligence professionals. Many of the claims made by the defectors have not been substantiated since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. The INC played a key role in spreading false information that contributed to the public and political support for the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
The document discusses the history and techniques of investigative journalism. It provides definitions for different types of investigative reporting such as original investigative reporting and reporting on investigations. It also discusses challenges that can arise in investigative reporting like relying too heavily on investigatory sources or becoming activists rather than independent observers. A key part of the document is a case study about the New York Times' coverage of Wen Ho Lee and the accusation that he stole nuclear secrets for China. It reflects on aspects of the coverage that could have been improved by considering alternative explanations and perspectives earlier.
This document discusses the history and ethics of whistleblowing and organizations like Wikileaks that publish leaked classified documents. It describes several prominent whistleblowers throughout history like Daniel Ellsberg who leaked the Pentagon Papers and Mark Felt aka "Deep Throat" who helped expose the Watergate scandal. More recently, it discusses Wikileaks' publication of documents exposing abuses in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars provided by Bradley Manning, as well as Edward Snowden's leaks of NSA surveillance programs. There is debate around whether such leaks serve the public interest or damage national security, and if individuals like Julian Assange and these whistleblowers can be prosecuted under the Espionage Act.
Whistleblowers are people who expose wrongdoing in government and business. They may operate from inside as employees or externally. WikiLeaks is an organization that publishes leaked classified documents and information from anonymous sources. It has released videos and documents related to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, including evidence of civilian casualties and abuse of detainees. The source of the leaks was Bradley Manning. WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange face legal issues and criticism over whether they ethically handled and released classified government information.
After World War 2 United States become powerful nation and dominate the world. Despite of being world most super powerful, nation suffer a number of scandal which ashamed united states.
The feud between Alastair Campbell and the BBC over the September 2002 dossier that claimed Iraq could deploy WMDs within 45 minutes led indirectly to the suicide of Dr. David Kelly. Kelly was revealed as the source that accused Campbell of exaggerating claims in the dossier, facing intense scrutiny he took his own life. The Hutton Inquiry later exonerated the government and blamed the BBC, but critics argue it had too narrow a scope and was biased towards the government. While the inquiry found no evidence the dossier was intentionally misleading, it left open whether British intelligence was manipulated to justify the invasion of Iraq.
Hunting Government Back Doors by Joseph MennShakacon
Although the post-Snowden White House advisory commission recommended that the U.S. forswear tampering with widely used encryption, the administration and intelligence agencies have declined to do so. It has therefore been left to companies and outsiders to protect the integrity of the code base and to determine where back doors have been inserted and, more rarely, how, why and by whom. I will discuss how the RSA contract came to be and how I brought it to light. I will also discuss how at least two of Juniper’s three back doors came into being. I will provide context about how many more government and private back doors are likely in service and how researchers, journalists and companies are trying to uncover them, and about the challenges facing all of those efforts.
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Watergate Paper
Watergate Scandal
The Watergate Scandal involved a 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington D.C. by burglars associated with President Richard Nixon's re-election committee. Investigative reporting by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein revealed the Nixon administration sought to cover-up its involvement. Further investigations uncovered additional illegal activities and a Nixon administration plot to sabotage the Democrats. Faced with impeachment and the release of damning audio tapes, Nixon resigned in 1974, becoming the first U.S. president to do so. The scandal had major political impacts, including curtailment of presidential power and increased public distrust in government.
Criteria Ratings PointsThreadContent18 to 16 ptsCruzIbarra161
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Total Points: 50
Discussion Grading Rubric | PPOG540_D01_202140
CHAPTER 5
Society
Dateline: NSA Electronic Surveillance
Observers are divided over the role that the public should play in making foreign policy. James Bollington argues for an active and involved public: “International affairs cannot be a spectator sport. . . . Many must be involved; many more persuaded.”1 Walter Lippmann presents the opposite position: “The people have imposed a veto upon the judgment of the informed and responsible officials. . . . They have compelled the governments . . . to be too late with too little, or too long with too much.”2 This disagreement is very much in evidence in the controversy surrounding Edward Snowden’s June 2013 leak of documents reporting the existence of a secret National Secu ...
9-11 HIJACKERS BROUGHT TO USA BY CIA...VogelDenise
17 USC § 107 Limitations on Exclusive Rights – FAIR USE
12/28/18 VIDEO: END OF THE YEAR Utica International Embassy Interim Prime Minister Vogel Denise Newsome’s TELEPHONE CONFERENCE WITH Moorish Science Temple of America:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/69Vdtzme0eA
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/309670714
Provides an UPDATE of the Agenda of the Utica International Embassy and the EFFECTIVENESS of work done by Interim Prime Minister Vogel Denise Newsome regarding:
(1) The COLLAPSE Of The United States of America’s – a/k/a Confederate States of America’s DESPOTISM Government
(2) The COLLAPSE Of The USA’s WHITE Jews/Zionists’ WALL STREET
(3) The WHITE Jews/Zionists/Supremacists CONTINUED efforts to TAKE CREDIT for WORK of Newsome in:
(a) EXPOSURE of USA’s Legal Counsel Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PLANNING, ORCHESTRATING and CARRYING OUT The 9/11 World Trade Center Terrorist Attacks/Bombings
(b) EXPOSURE of USA’s Legal Counsel Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz ROLE in PONZI SCHEMES/SCAMS and FRAUDULENT Wall Street Scams STEALING/EMBEZZLING Monies From INVESTORS….
UTICA INTERNTIONAL EMBASSY WEBSITE: https://uticainternationalembassy.website
SLIDESHARE.NET: www.Slideshare.net/VogelDenise
Obama suspicious death lists... body countsRepentSinner
This document discusses several suspicious deaths that have occurred involving individuals connected to President Obama or controversial topics. It mentions:
1) The killing of three U.S. citizens, including Warren Weinstein, in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan along with suspicions around their knowledge of sensitive topics.
2) Speculation by Hugo Chavez that the CIA gave him and other Latin American leaders cancer as a political weapon.
3) The unsolved murders of the children and nanny of a CNBC producer shortly after CNBC reported on a $43 trillion money laundering lawsuit against major banks and government officials.
4) Other deaths of individuals such as a Secret Service agent and US diplomats that are
Obama suspicious death lists ... body countsRepentSinner
This document discusses several suspicious deaths of individuals connected to controversial political issues or investigations. It mentions:
1) The deaths of three U.S. citizens in a drone strike, including Warren Weinstein, who may have had information about 9/11 and Bin Laden's death.
2) Speculation by Hugo Chavez that the CIA gave him and other Latin American leaders cancer as a political weapon.
3) The unsolved murders of the children and nanny of a CNBC producer shortly after CNBC reported on a $43 trillion money laundering lawsuit against major banks.
4) Other suspicious deaths including a Secret Service agent and a Obama campaign worker.
Obama suspicious death lists ... body countsRepentSinner
The document discusses several suspicious deaths of individuals connected to controversial political issues or having sensitive information. It mentions the deaths of Warren Weinstein, Adam Gadahn, and Ahmed Farouq who were killed in a US drone strike; Hugo Chavez's speculation that the CIA gave him cancer; the murdered children of a CNBC producer who reported on a $43 trillion money laundering lawsuit; and others. It raises questions about whether some of the deaths could have been assassinations rather than accidents or suicides.
Obama suspicious death lists... body countsRepentSinner
This document discusses several suspicious deaths of individuals connected to controversial political issues or who possessed sensitive information. It mentions the deaths of Warren Weinstein, Adam Gadahn, and Ahmed Farouq who were killed in a US drone strike; Hugo Chavez's speculation that the CIA gave him cancer; the murdered children of a CNBC producer who reported on a $43 trillion money laundering lawsuit; and others. It raises questions about whether their deaths may have been targeted assassinations intended to silence them.
This document provides a summary of Frank Barnaby's background and qualifications. It notes that he is a nuclear physicist by training who has worked at various nuclear research institutions in the UK. He was also the director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute from 1971-1981. Currently he works for the Oxford Research Group researching military technology, nuclear issues, and weapons of mass destruction used by terrorists. The document goes on to introduce Barnaby's book "How to Build a Nuclear Bomb and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction."
1. WHO LIED TO WHOM?
by SEYMOUR M. HERSH
Why did the Administration endorse a forgery about Iraq’s nuclear program?
Last September 24th, as Congress prepared to vote on the resolution authorizing President George W.
Bush to wage war in Iraq, a group of senior intelligence officials, including George Tenet, the Director of
Central Intelligence, briefed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Iraq’s weapons capability. It was
an important presentation for the Bush Administration. Some Democrats were publicly questioning the
President’s claim that Iraq still possessed weapons of mass destruction which posed an immediate threat
to the United States. Just the day before, former Vice-President Al Gore had sharply criticized the
Administration’s advocacy of preëmptive war, calling it a doctrine that would replace “a world in which
states consider themselves subject to law” with “the notion that there is no law but the discretion of the
President of the United States.” A few Democrats were also considering putting an alternative resolution
before Congress.
According to two of those present at the briefing, which was highly classified and took place in the
committee’s secure hearing room, Tenet declared, as he had done before, that a shipment of high-strength
aluminum tubes that was intercepted on its way to Iraq had been meant for the construction of centrifuges
that could be used to produce enriched uranium. The suitability of the tubes for that purpose had been
disputed, but this time the argument that Iraq had a nuclear program under way was buttressed by a new
and striking fact: the C.I.A. had recently received intelligence showing that, between 1999 and 2001, Iraq
had attempted to buy five hundred tons of uranium oxide from Niger, one of the world’s largest
producers. The uranium, known as “yellow cake,” can be used to make fuel for nuclear reactors; if
processed differently, it can also be enriched to make weapons. Five tons can produce enough weapon-
grade uranium for a bomb. (When the C.I.A. spokesman William Harlow was asked for comment, he
denied that Tenet had briefed the senators on Niger.)
On the same day, in London, Tony Blair’s government made public a dossier containing much of the
information that the Senate committee was being given in secret—that Iraq had sought to buy “significant
quantities of uranium” from an unnamed African country, “despite having no active civil nuclear power
programme that could require it.” The allegation attracted immediate attention; a headline in the London
Guardian declared, “african gangs offer route to uranium.”
Two days later, Secretary of State Colin Powell, appearing before a closed hearing of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, also cited Iraq’s attempt to obtain uranium from Niger as evidence of its persistent
nuclear ambitions. The testimony from Tenet and Powell helped to mollify the Democrats, and two weeks
later the resolution passed overwhelmingly, giving the President a congressional mandate for a military
assault on Iraq.
On December 19th, Washington, for the first time, publicly identified Niger as the alleged seller of the
nuclear materials, in a State Department position paper that rhetorically asked, “Why is the Iraqi regime
hiding their uranium procurement?” (The charge was denied by both Iraq and Niger.) A former high-level
intelligence official told me that the information on Niger was judged serious enough to include in the
President’s Daily Brief, known as the P.D.B., one of the most sensitive intelligence documents in the
American system. Its information is supposed to be carefully analyzed, or “scrubbed.” Distribution of the
two- or three-page early-morning report, which is prepared by the C.I.A., is limited to the President and a
few other senior officials. The P.D.B. is not made available, for example, to any members of the Senate or
House Intelligence Committees. “I don’t think anybody here sees that thing,” a State Department analyst
told me. “You only know what’s in the P.D.B. because it echoes—people talk about it.”
President Bush cited the uranium deal, along with the aluminum tubes, in his State of the Union Message,
on January 28th, while crediting Britain as the source of the information: “The British government has
2. learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.” He
commented, “Saddam Hussein has not credibly explained these activities. He clearly has much to hide.”
Then the story fell apart. On March 7th, Mohamed ElBaradei, the director-general of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, in Vienna, told the U.N. Security Council that the documents involving the
Niger-Iraq uranium sale were fakes. “The I.A.E.A. has concluded, with the concurrence of outside
experts, that these documents . . . are in fact not authentic,” ElBaradei said.
One senior I.A.E.A. official went further. He told me, “These documents are so bad that I cannot imagine
that they came from a serious intelligence agency. It depresses me, given the low quality of the
documents, that it was not stopped. At the level it reached, I would have expected more checking.”
The I.A.E.A. had first sought the documents last fall, shortly after the British government released its
dossier. After months of pleading by the I.A.E.A., the United States turned them over to Jacques Baute,
who is the director of the agency’s Iraq Nuclear Verification Office.
It took Baute’s team only a few hours to determine that the documents were fake. The agency had been
given about a half-dozen letters and other communications between officials in Niger and Iraq, many of
them written on letterheads of the Niger government. The problems were glaring. One letter, dated
October 10, 2000, was signed with the name of Allele Habibou, a Niger Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Coöperation, who had been out of office since 1989. Another letter, allegedly from Tandja Mamadou, the
President of Niger, had a signature that had obviously been faked and a text with inaccuracies so
egregious, the senior I.A.E.A. official said, that “they could be spotted by someone using Google on the
Internet.”
The large quantity of uranium involved should have been another warning sign. Niger’s “yellow cake”
comes from two uranium mines controlled by a French company, with its entire output presold to nuclear
power companies in France, Japan, and Spain. “Five hundred tons can’t be siphoned off without anyone
noticing,” another I.A.E.A. official told me.
This official told me that the I.A.E.A. has not been able to determine who actually prepared the
documents. “It could be someone who intercepted faxes in Israel, or someone at the headquarters of the
Niger Foreign Ministry, in Niamey. We just don’t know,” the official said. “Somebody got old letterheads
and signatures, and cut and pasted.” Some I.A.E.A. investigators suspected that the inspiration for the
documents was a trip that the Iraqi Ambassador to Italy took to several African countries, including
Niger, in February, 1999. They also speculated that MI6—the branch of British intelligence responsible
for foreign operations—had become involved, perhaps through contacts in Italy, after the Ambassador’s
return to Rome.
Baute, according to the I.A.E.A. official, “confronted the United States with the forgery: ‘What do you
have to say?’ They had nothing to say.”
ElBaradei’s disclosure has not been disputed by any government or intelligence official in Washington or
London. Colin Powell, asked about the forgery during a television interview two days after ElBaradei’s
report, dismissed the subject by saying, “If that issue is resolved, that issue is resolved.” A few days later,
at a House hearing, he denied that anyone in the United States government had anything to do with the
forgery. “It came from other sources,” Powell testified. “It was provided in good faith to the inspectors.”
The forgery became the object of widespread, and bitter, questions in Europe about the credibility of the
United States. But it initially provoked only a few news stories in America, and little sustained
questioning about how the White House could endorse such an obvious fake. On March 8th, an American
official who had reviewed the documents was quoted in the Washington Post as explaining, simply, “We
fell for it.”
3. The Bush Administration’s reliance on the Niger documents may, however, have stemmed from more
than bureaucratic carelessness or political overreaching. Forged documents and false accusations have
been an element in U.S. and British policy toward Iraq at least since the fall of 1997, after an impasse
over U.N. inspections. Then as now, the Security Council was divided, with the French, the Russians, and
the Chinese telling the United States and the United Kingdom that they were being too tough on the
Iraqis. President Bill Clinton, weakened by the impeachment proceedings, hinted of renewed bombing,
but, then as now, the British and the Americans were losing the battle for international public opinion. A
former Clinton Administration official told me that London had resorted to, among other things,
spreading false information about Iraq. The British propaganda program—part of its Information
Operations, or I/Ops—was known to a few senior officials in Washington. “I knew that was going on,”
the former Clinton Administration official said of the British efforts. “We were getting ready for action in
Iraq, and we wanted the Brits to prepare.”
Over the next year, a former American intelligence officer told me, at least one member of the U.N.
inspection team who supported the American and British position arranged for dozens of unverified and
unverifiable intelligence reports and tips—data known as inactionable intelligence—to be funnelled to
MI6 operatives and quietly passed along to newspapers in London and elsewhere. “It was intelligence that
was crap, and that we couldn’t move on, but the Brits wanted to plant stories in England and around the
world,” the former officer said. There was a series of clandestine meetings with MI6, at which documents
were provided, as well as quiet meetings, usually at safe houses in the Washington area. The British
propaganda scheme eventually became known to some members of the U.N. inspection team. “I knew a
bit,” one official still on duty at U.N. headquarters acknowledged last week, “but I was never officially
told about it.”
None of the past and present officials I spoke with were able to categorically state that the fake Niger
documents were created or instigated by the same propaganda office in MI6 that had been part of the anti-
Iraq propaganda wars in the late nineteen-nineties. (An MI6 intelligence source declined to comment.)
Press reports in the United States and elsewhere have suggested other possible sources: the Iraqi exile
community, the Italians, the French. What is generally agreed upon, a congressional intelligence-
committee staff member told me, is that the Niger documents were initially circulated by the British—
President Bush said as much in his State of the Union speech—and that “the Brits placed more stock in
them than we did.” It is also clear, as the former high-level intelligence official told me, that “something
as bizarre as Niger raises suspicions everywhere.”
What went wrong? Did a poorly conceived propaganda effort by British intelligence, whose practices had
been known for years to senior American officials, manage to move, without significant challenge,
through the top layers of the American intelligence community and into the most sacrosanct of
Presidential briefings? Who permitted it to go into the President’s State of the Union speech? Was the
message—the threat posed by Iraq—more important than the integrity of the intelligence-vetting process?
Was the Administration lying to itself? Or did it deliberately give Congress and the public what it knew to
be bad information?
Asked to respond, Harlow, the C.I.A. spokesman, said that the agency had not obtained the actual
documents until early this year, after the President’s State of the Union speech and after the congressional
briefings, and therefore had been unable to evaluate them in a timely manner. Harlow refused to respond
to questions about the role of Britain’s MI6. Harlow’s statement does not, of course, explain why the
agency left the job of exposing the embarrassing forgery to the I.A.E.A. It puts the C.I.A. in an
unfortunate position: it is, essentially, copping a plea of incompetence.
The chance for American intelligence to challenge the documents came as the Administration debated
whether to pass them on to ElBaradei. The former high-level intelligence official told me that some senior
C.I.A. officials were aware that the documents weren’t trustworthy. “It’s not a question as to whether they
were marginal. They can’t be ‘sort of’ bad, or ‘sort of’ ambiguous. They knew it was a fraud—it was
useless. Everybody bit their tongue and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if the Secretary of State said this?’ The
4. Secretary of State never saw the documents.” He added, “He’s absolutely apoplectic about it.” (A State
Department spokesman was unable to comment.) A former intelligence officer told me that some
questions about the authenticity of the Niger documents were raised inside the government by analysts at
the Department of Energy and the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research. However,
these warnings were not heeded.
“Somebody deliberately let something false get in there,” the former high-level intelligence official
added. “It could not have gotten into the system without the agency being involved. Therefore it was an
internal intention. Someone set someone up.” (The White House declined to comment.)
Washington’s case that the Iraqi regime had failed to meet its obligation to give up weapons of mass
destruction was, of course, based on much more than a few documents of questionable provenance from a
small African nation. But George W. Bush’s war against Iraq has created enormous anxiety throughout
the world—in part because one side is a superpower and the other is not. It can’t help the President’s case,
or his international standing, when his advisers brief him with falsehoods, whether by design or by
mistake.
On March 14th, Senator Jay Rockefeller, of West Virginia, the senior Democrat on the Senate
Intelligence Committee, formally asked Robert Mueller, the F.B.I. director, to investigate the forged
documents. Rockefeller had voted for the resolution authorizing force last fall. Now he wrote to Mueller,
“There is a possibility that the fabrication of these documents may be part of a larger deception campaign
aimed at manipulating public opinion and foreign policy regarding Iraq.” He urged the F.B.I. to ascertain
the source of the documents, the skill-level of the forgery, the motives of those responsible, and “why the
intelligence community did not recognize the documents were fabricated.” A Rockefeller aide told me
that the F.B.I. had promised to look into it.