Citizen's Intelligence Briefing

[NEWS] Stories of Interest

2007-12-12T20:35:21Z

Consider yourself warned!

Many Still Without Power After Storm
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/us/12cnd-storm.html?ref=us

More than 1,600 seek federal aid following Washington storms
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_wash_storms_aid.html

Central banks join forces to ease credit crisis
http://www.reuters.com/article/gc06/idUSN1262150920071212

NEWS: National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive

2007-05-29T18:40:47Z

I didn't hear anything about this in the news, but it seems a new PDD was signed earlier this month in which the President of the United States creates a policy in which he has broad powers in the event of a loosely defined catastrophic emergency:

This directive establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies. This policy establishes "National Essential Functions," prescribes continuity requirements for all executive departments and agencies, and provides guidance for State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector organizations in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency.

[COMMENTARY] This scares the daylights outta me. More commentary here.

[NEWS] Veterans' Administration Approves Pentacles for Grave Markers

2007-04-23T16:14:30Z

After a long, drawn out battle, the US Veterans' Administration has capitulated.

http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=9077&JServSessionIdr007=2tvm1x6wc4.app5b
http://www.startribune.com/484/story/1138325.html

For at least 10 years, Pagan vets have tried to get the symbol of their religious beliefs approved by the VA for use on their gravestones. The VA has dragged their feet on the issue and last November, a lawsuit was brought in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin against the VA citing obvious bias against a minority religion. Adherents to the pagan religions have filed the proper paperwork and been stymied for 10 years while other minority religions have had their symbols of faith approved in mere weeks.

Adherents.com lists "Wiccan/Pagan/Druid" as one of the most common religions in the United States as of 2001 and Neo-Paganism as the 19th largest religion worldwide.

The VA today settled the argument by approving the Pentacle for use on VA grave markers. A complete list of the available symbols of faith approved by the VA can be found at: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmemb.asp

[NEWS] NYPD Spy Operations

2007-03-26T02:25:19Z

For at least a year before the 2004 Republican National Convention, teams of undercover New York City police officers traveled to cities across the country, Canada and Europe to conduct covert observations of people who planned to protest at the convention, according to police records and interviews.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/25/nyregion/25infiltrate.html/partner/rssnyt?_r=1&oref=slogin

[COMMENTARY/OPINION] Boston Authorities a Little TOO Paranoid

2007-02-01T16:22:02Z

For those who have not heard, a guerrilla marketing campaign caused parts of Boston to be closed off yesterday for a "bomb scare". Two people have been detained in the matter.

What were the Boston authorities thinking here? Ok, so you get someone reporting a suspicious device. You go check it out and all, taking every precaution. Then you see it's a circuit board about a foot square with a cartoon character marked out in LEDs and a battery pack at the bottom. Three D cells it looks like from the pictures. Is this a bomb? If so where the hell are they hiding the explosives? You look to see if it's wired to anything. Nothing. Is it a bomb? If it is, that's an awful lot of electronics for a cherry bomb.

The campaign had been going for two weeks. Two weeks. Think about this now. There is a Flikr album of one of the devices which was uploaded January 15th. So let me get this straight. These things have been flashing and blinking for two weeks. Suddenly, in the middle of rush hour yesterday, someone calls the bomb squad on one of them and then proceeds to have a repeat performance for at least 8 more?

"It had a very sinister appearance," [MA Attorney General Martha] Coakley told reporters. "It had a battery behind it, and wires."

Right. Thank you for your expert opinion on what bombs look like. They look sinister and have wires and batteries. Remind me to call the bomb squad for every toy section in a department store.

What really gets me is that these devices were pretty obviously not bombs, were hanging there for two weeks before anyone noticed, and similar devices were also displayed in 9 other cities. No problems in those other cities.

Should the authorities have reacted with the bomb squad? Perhaps. Depends on the call they got. Should Turner's marketing guys have informed the city of the devices? Duh. Absolutely. Did they? No. But Boston's powers that be are making a HUGE mountain out of a mole hill here. They're talking about 5 years of jail time for the two ad guys who put them up. WTH? There were no problems in the 9 other cities. There were no problems in the first two weeks. These were obviously NOT bomb hoaxes. The intent was pretty clear. The ad people are innocent. I blame the retard who thought these were "suspicious" enough to be potential explosive devices. And the AG and mayor for continuing to blow this way out of proportion.

[NEWS] China Tests Anti-Satellite System

2007-01-18T21:45:02Z

http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2007/01/days-most-important-headline.html [analysis]
http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/channel_space_story.jsp?id=news/CHI01177.xml [original article]
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1188 [summary]

It looks all legal and at least partly announced... but the US seems to be frantically cataloging the debris...

My one word [COMMENT]?

"Woah."

[NEWS] Nukes in the news.

2006-12-22T12:22:53Z

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238197,00.html
Truck Hauling 6,000 Pounds of Uranium Overturns on North Carolina Highway
BENSON, N.C. — A tractor-trailer hauling about 6,000 pounds (2,700 kilograms) of low-grade uranium overturned as it exited a major U.S. interstate highway, but the crash did not pose a threat to the public, authorities said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16318548/
Agency notes fear among nuclear plant workers
N.Y. workers afraid to raise safety issues, industry watchdog says
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Some workers at a nuclear power plant complex just north of New York City are reluctant to raise safety concerns because they fear retribution, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday.
During an inspection of the Indian Point complex in September, “We found out that there were workers who perceived that they would be treated negatively by management for raising issues and consequently some of the workers expressed reluctance to raise issues under certain circumstances,” said NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan.
“We refer to it as a chilling effect, a situation when workers do not feel comfortable raising safety concerns,” Sheehan said.

[NEWS] Study Projects Flu Pandemic Could Kill 81 Million Worldwide

2006-12-22T12:17:22Z

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238198,00.html

LONDON — A flu virus as deadly as the one that caused the 1918 Spanish flu could kill as many as 81 million worldwide if it struck today, a new study estimates.

By applying historical death rates to modern population data, the researchers calculated a death toll of 51 million to 81 million, with a median estimate of 62 million.

That's surprisingly high, said lead researcher Chris Murray of Harvard University. He did the analysis, in part, because he thought prior claims of 50 million deaths were wildly inflated.

"We expected to end up with a number between 15 and 20 million," Murray said. "It turns out we were wrong."

[NEWS, COMMENTARY - It's coming.]

2006-12-22T12:15:03Z

COMMENTARY - Expect a draft within the next decade. Just because the current administration claims they don't want to institute one, doesn't mean the next administration will follow suit.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,238199,00.html

U.S. Selective Service Prepares Test of Military Draft

WASHINGTON — The Selective Service System, which has remained in existence despite the abandonment of conscription three decades ago, is making preparations to tests its draft machinery in case Congress and President ~~George W. Bush~~ Hitllary Clinton need it, even though the White House says it does not want to bring back the draft.

Spacer [NEWS] NPR: American Detainee Speaks Out

2006-12-20T04:38:38Z

http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2006/12/20061219_a_main.asp

Donald Vance was a 29-year-old US Navy veteran working in Baghdad when the prison door slammed on him. Blindfolded, shackled, thrown on a concrete slab, and cut off from legal representation by an American system and American guards in an American-run detention center in Iraq. For 97 days.

[NEWS] Picks of the morning

2006-12-18T12:57:25Z

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,237058,00.html
More Than 600,000 Without Power After Windstorm in Pacific Northwest
SEATTLE — Residents of the Pacific Northwest struggled to stay warm Saturday after the worst windstorm in more than a decade knocked out power to more than 1.5 million homes and businesses and killed at least six people.
More than 600,000 customers in Washington and Oregon still had no power Saturday, and utilities said some might have to wait into next week for their lights to go back on.
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency, and with temperatures expected to drop over the weekend, officials warned people not to use outdoor grills, propane heaters or other carbon monoxide-producing equipment indoors.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,237059,00.html
High School Military Recruiters Busted in FBI Cocaine Sting
UCSON, Ariz. — A dozen Army and Marine recruiters who visited high schools were among the personnel caught in a major FBI cocaine investigation, and some were allowed to keep working while under suspicion, a newspaper reported Sunday.
None of the recruiters was accused of providing drugs to students.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061218/NEWS02/612180304/1007
Woman, 69, faces second trial over protest
BENNINGTON -- Meet the anti-war movement's newest folk hero: She's a 69-year-old grandmother whose disorderly persons arrest has made her a cause celebre.
Arrested in a 2003 war protest, Rosemarie Jackowski was found guilty -- only to have the state's highest court throw out the conviction last month.
Now, a prosecutor's plan to try her again is turning the feisty 4-foot-10-inch former schoolteacher into a darling of the dove crowd, with bloggers rallying behind her, peaceniks deluging her with messages of support and advocates establishing a defense fund.

[ADMIN] Please JUST Add this community to your Friends List - DO NOT JOIN

2006-12-16T18:15:38Z

Just a quick not that you do NOT need to be a member here to post comments and read this community. In fact, I'd like to keep the membership kind of low so the signal to noise ratio remains high. All you need to do is add the community to your LJ Friends list.

citizenintel is a manual news agregation community with discussion. I'd like to keep a distinction between members (authors) and readers (friends). If you request to be added but have never posted comments, please expect that your membership will be rejected.

Please visit our UserInfo page for details about how posting works. Just Friend Us to read this blog in your LJ Friends or add the RSS feed to your RSS reader.

In order to post entries, you'll need to be a member AND have posting rights. Contact a maintainer if you think you should be able to post here. Again, comments are open to all LJ members.

[NEWS] UCLA Police use Taser on student. Video sparks outcry.

2006-12-02T18:05:10Z

Article from LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-taser21nov21,0,1459046.story?coll=la-home-headlines

The actual video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JGlvEcPmug

[Commentary/Opinion]
What's so hard about appropriate use of force? I've done lots of security work. It seems they asked a stuident for his school ID to make sure he was authorized to be in the library. The student didn't have it on him, but provided his student ID number. The police decided to remove the student rather than running the number. While being removed, the student used a time honored non-violent protest method of going limp. One student. What would be so difficult in calling a medical team to provide a backboard and restraints to remove him that way? The kid was not violent. A violent reaction using an electronic method of pain compliance that renders the recipient's nervous system temperarily uncontrolable is simply an inapropriate escalation. Patiernce on the part of the officers could have saved a LOT of negative publicity for their officers and their department. They did not seem to tried talking to him, running his ID number, nor calling sufficient backup before the incident gort out of hand. The result is nor an international news item that paints the UCLA police in a very bad light. And I'm not even getting into the officer's checkered past in regards to inappropriate use of force.

[News] VP Cheny visits Saudi King

2006-11-26T04:32:10Z

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/25/cheney.saudi/index.html

VP meets with the Knig briefly.

[Analysis]

Something is up. Keep your eyes out for what Bush is up to. He's got something in mind. I don't know what yet, but... something.

[NEWS] Death Squads in Iraq (video)

2006-11-22T05:52:08Z

From BBC4

[NEWS] Rangel Calls for Reinstating Military Draft

2006-11-20T11:32:43Z

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,230598,00.html

WASHINGTON — A senior House Democrat said Sunday he will introduce legislation to reinstate the military draft, asserting that current troop levels are insufficient to sustain possible challenges against Iran, North Korea and Iraq.

"There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way," said Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.

Rangel, a veteran of the Korean War who has unsuccessfully sponsored legislation on conscription in the past, said he will propose the measure early next year.

At a time when some lawmakers are urging the military to send more troops to Iraq, "I don't see how anyone can support the war and not support the draft," he said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Standby Reserve, said he agreed that the U.S. does not have enough people in the military.

[NEWS] CIA acknowledges Bush signed secret directive on interrogating terror suspect

2006-11-18T00:22:12Z

International Herald Tribune article Here

The CIA has acknowledged for the first time the existence of two classified documents, including a directive signed by President George W. Bush, that have guided the agency's interrogation and detention of terror suspects.

The CIA referred to the documents in a letter sent last Friday from the agency's associate general counsel, John McPherson, to lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union.

The contents of the documents were not revealed, but one of them is "a directive signed by President Bush granting the CIA the authority to set up detention facilities outside the United States and outlining interrogation methods that may be used against detainees," the civil liberties union said, based on its review of published accounts.

The second document, according to the group, is a Justice Department legal analysis "specifying interrogation methods that the CIA may use against top Al Qaeda members."

[COMMENT] If this is true, then the Dems have no good reason not to call for impeachment immediately.

[INFORMATION] Another Blog to watch...

2006-11-17T04:43:29Z

In surfing around the 'net I came across "In From the Cold", a blog from a
supposed former spook who posts a lot of excellent analysis on current foreign affairs. Though I can't prove or disprove his former involvement in the Intelligence community, I think the quality of his writing speaks for itself.

The blog itself:
http://formerspook.blogspot.com/

The LiveJoiurnal RSS Feed of the same:
http://syndicated.livejournal.com/in_from_the_col/

[NEWS] Domestic Spying or Appropriate Oversight?

2006-11-15T15:03:49Z

From the Veterans Against the IRaq War website:

During my son's deployment to Iraq, February 2004-February 2005: I created a small group website on MSN, for families and friends of our soldiers deployed unit. It was a membership only site, and we were a tight group of mostly "Moms", from all over the United States, just trying to make it through each day. The support and help we gave one another is a singular experience of grace, I will never forget.

During the first few months of our site, the Army decided to call every single family on the site, informing them, that the site was not to be used by any of the families. The Department of Defense, called families in the middle of the night to notify them to not use the web site. Most of the families were near tears, thinking they were getting "THE" call telling them their child or loved one had been killed or injured.

Some brief commentary/analysis:

This was a closed, members-only group, not a public list. Thus either a member told the military of its existence, or some government department is routinely checking on email lists and online chat groups.
The Department of Defense apparently handled the warning calls very badly -- calling people outside business hours usually signifies bad news. This could however have been intentional. The intent being to frighten the families.
The DoD was able to match up real life identities to online names. This might or might not have been a fairly straightforward task. However it does raise questions as to how anonymous one can be online these days -- even LJ tracks ISPs for that matter.

One of the things I find most disturbing about the whole incident is the way that the DoD seems to think that it has some sort of jurisdiction over the families of members of the military. Now it's one thing for serving members of the military to have their freedom of speech and political action curtailed by the UCMJ and DoD policies, it's something else for that to be extended to family members.

[NEWS] Al Jazeera Launches English-Language Version

2006-11-15T14:17:20Z

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,229557,00.html

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Ten years after starting Arabic-language broadcasts that angered leaders in the region and Washington, Al-Jazeera on Wednesday launched an English-language news channel available in more than 80 million homes but lacking major U.S. distribution.

Al-Jazeera English went on the air at 3 p.m. (8 a.m. EST), broadcasting from the station's headquarters in Doha, capital of the tiny Persian Gulf state of Qatar.

A screen graphic with a clock ticking down the minutes gave way to a photo montage of the biggest news stories of the past decade and an announcer saying the new channel would be "setting the news agenda."

"It's Nov. 15th, a new era in television news," its anchor said.

The channel quickly jumped to live feeds from correspondents in various regions — starting with the Gaza Strip in a spot that reflected the channel's promise to Arab concerns in the Middle East.

The station reported on a rocket attack by Palestinian militants that killed an Israeli woman — then cut to its Gaza correspondent reporting on the aftermath of Israel's shelling of the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun that killed 18 Palestinians earlier this week.

[NEWS] USS Kitty Hawk Shadowed by Chinese Sub

2006-11-15T05:53:50Z

It seems reports are emerging that the USS Kitty Hawk was recently shadowed within 5 miles seemingly undetected by a Chinese Song class submarine. This shows a potential deficiency in US Navy anti-submarine capabilities as well as a predictable expansion of Chinese sub patrolling areas.

More info:
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20061114-123345-3750r.htm
http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2353581.php
http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2006/11/shadowland.html

[ADMIN] Reminder - Add not Join

2006-11-14T21:02:21Z

Once again, just to be clear: CitizenIntel *Members* are the authors of articles and it is a closed community. If you want to read this community, pretty much all the posts are public, so just add it to your friends list. If you want to become a member, you NEED TO COMMENT A FEW TIMES FIRST. Unless I know you really well, I need to see that you can write and be responsible for what you write. Anyone asking to join this community with no introduction will be immediately rejected.

Got it?

[NEWS] Diebold Voting Machines - Hacked in just minutes

2006-09-14T23:28:57Z

For anyone who is in a position to decide on electronic voting machines, or who's locality may use them, this may come as a shock. To those in the Tech fields, it's a no-brainer. A study released today from Princeton not only proves these machines are insecure, but shows what it would take to reconfigure them to mis-represent the vote tally. AND how to make that virus like so you only need to crack the security on one machine and watch your changes spread to a lot more.

The article is at http://itpolicy.princeton.edu/voting/

[COMMENTARY]
Why can't we just make something open and public that will run on regular PC hardware and a receipt printer?

[NEWS] Nonlethal weapons touted for use on citizens

2006-09-14T15:49:18Z

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14806772/?GT1=8506

WASHINGTON - Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before they are used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.

Domestic use would make it easier to avoid questions in the international community over any possible safety concerns, said Secretary Michael Wynne.

“If we’re not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should not be willing to use it in a wartime situation,” said Wynne. “(Because) if I hit somebody with a nonlethal weapon and they claim that it injured them in a way that was not intended, I think that I would be vilified in the world press.”

The Air Force has funded research into nonlethal weapons, but he said the service isn’t likely to spend more money on development until injury issues are reviewed by medical experts and resolved.

Nonlethal weapons generally can weaken people if they are hit with the beam. Some of the weapons can emit short, intense energy pulses that also can be effective in disabling some electronic devices.

[NEWS] Flight from UK to DC Diverted to Boston for in-flight passenger disturbance

2006-08-16T15:26:13Z

United Flight 923, originally planned to go from Heathrow in London, UK to Washingtom, DC, US. It was diverted to Boston after a disturbance in flight. More info is still coming in.

The AP reports:

Fighter jets escorted a diverted London-to-Washington, D.C., flight to Boston's Logan airport Wednesday after a distraught passenger pulled out a screw driver, matches, Vaseline and a note referencing al-Qaida, an airport spokesman said.

NPR is reporting that "A female passenger apparently was found tied up in the back of the plane. "

[COMMENT]
Vasoline?!? That's just dirty...

[UPDATE]

11:32 EST: The AP now says: A federal security official said there was no indication of terrorism.
11:34 EST: AP now adds: A Transportation Safety Administration official denied reports that the woman had a screwdriver, matches, Vaseline and a letter referencing al-Qaida.

TSA/FBI/.News/Officials are now saying it was just a claustrophobic woman who started it all. Interesting...