The New EU Chiefs: Rompuy-pumpy And Cathy Who? Nov 21, 2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said she was a good choice, and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, her Washington counterpart while she was trade commissioner, said Ashton was a woman of "formidable intelligence, vision, compassion, and charm.". But Euroskeptics said it was wrong to give an unelected bureaucrat so much power. (CBS News -- World)
1,000 firms to be checked for illegal hires Nov 21, 2009
The 1,000 businesses served this week with federal audit notices - the largest round of audits in the nation's history - were selected based on investigative leads and intelligence, Morton said. They also were chosen because of their connection to public safety and national security, such as power plants and companies involved in agriculture, transportation, telecommunications, chemicals and water treatment. (AZCentral -- Business)
Mumbai Still Vulnerable 1 Year After Attack Nov 21, 2009
Despite crucial steps the national government has taken to coordinate intelligence gathering, deterrence on the ground has not incr 00004000 eased, he said. Since last year's attacks, authorities have neutralized 13 Islamist terror cells in India, right in line with the average since 1998, he said. (CBS News -- World)
Questions swirl in Fort Hood Nov 21, 2009
Such a scrutiny of possible failures to understand and share intelligence is indispensable, and it must be undertaken by the legislative branch as well as the concerned agencies. The FBI originally concluded that the e-mails between Hasan and the radical imam, Anwar al-Awlaki, were consistent with a research project the army psychiatrist had been pursuing. (Boston Globe)
Dodd: Bernanke confirmation 'not necessarily' a foregone conclusion Nov 21, 2009
Dodd needs a complete lobotomy so he willnot be able to speak such lunacy as to insult the american peoples intelligence any further. Dodds wish to praise incompetence says much about his unethical character. (TheHill.com)
Wasilla to buy mall for future library Nov 21, 2009
EML wrote on Nov 18, 2009 10:06 AM:" Impulse behavior has a long history of being associated with immaturity, primitivism, foolishness, defects of the will, lower intelligence, and even social deviance, and criminality. (Bhm-Bawerk [1889] 1959; Freud, [1896] 1911; Mill [1848] 1909). ". Great Move for the Library wrote on Nov 18, 2009 9:22 AM:" I hoped for a VPA/Library complex but this idea is even better. 10 years of watching FOL & city I can hardly believe a decision was actually made.... (Wasilla Frontiersman, AK)
Pentagon, Senate Launch Dueling Fort Hood Investigations Nov 20, 2009
"But before I draw any conclusions about it," said Gates, "I want to find out all the facts." However, Gates said that the sharing of information between the Pentagon and the intelligence agencies is "dramatically different and dramatically better" than it was when he first left government in 1993. Said Gates, "The most important thing for us now is to find out what actually happened, put all the facts together, and figure out a way where we can do everything possible so that nothing like this... (ABC News)
37 comments Nov 20, 2009
The Big Intelligence Chill - HUMAN EVENTS. The Big Intelligence Chill by Rep ... The leading candidate for such culpability was, of course, Speaker Pelosi who, as the Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee and then as Minority Leader, had been briefed on the program. (Human Events Online)
Leahy: No need to interrogate bin Laden Nov 20, 2009
"The big problem I have is you're criminalizing the war, that if we caught bin Laden tomorrow, we have mixed theories and couldn't turn him over to the CIA, the FBI, military intelligence for an interrogation on the battlefield, because now you're saying he's subject to criminal court in the United States and you're confusing the people fighting this war," Graham said. A senior Republican aide criticized Leahy, saying "it's a good thing they kicked him off the intel committee in the late... (TheHill.com)
Click to read:Gates Unveils Pentagon Probe of Fort Hood Nov 20, 2009
President Obama already has ordered a review of all intelligence related to Hasan, including his contacts with a radical Islamic cleric overseas and concerns about the major voiced by some medical colleagues, and whether the information was properly shared and acted upon within government agencies ... The new policy, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press, would let agents open preliminary terrorism investigations after mining public records and intelligence to build a profile of... (CBS News)
Senators say Fort Hood shooting was terrorism Nov 20, 2009
(From l. to r.) Retired Army Gen. John Keane and Frances Townsend, former Assistant to President George W. Bush on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, listen as Mitchell Silber, NYPD's director of Intelligence Services, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing ... But with eight jihad-related plots exposed in the US just this year, analysts see a definite trend involving homegrown terrorists who are... (Christian Science Monitor -- USA)
* Canadians handed over Afghans for torture: diplomat Nov 20, 2009
A former senior Canadian diplomat in Afghanistan said on Wednesday that top-ranking Canadian officials ignored evidence that prisoners Canada handed over to Afghanistans intelligence service a few years ago were tortured. Intelligence officer Richard Colvin testified before a parliament committee that captives taken by Canadian troops and handed over to the Afghans were subjected to beatings and electric shocks in 2006 and early 2007 ... Colvin is now an intelligence officer at the Canadian... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Senate panel notes 'red flags galore' in Fort Hood incident Nov 20, 2009
"Their investigation looks backward and is punitive," Lieberman said of administration probes into intelligence about Hasan. "Ours looks backward and forward and is preventative.". (USA Today -- News)
Nuclear fallout rocks Pakistan Nov 20, 2009
I was told that the understandings on nuclear cooperation benefited from the increasingly close relationship between Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Kayani [Kiani], his counterpart, although the CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] and the Departments of Defense, State, and Energy have also been involved ... Although he has been credited with helping destroy the financial arteries of militants, he is regarded as too close to Western intelligence... (Asia Times Online)
Canada rules out possible Afghan torture probe Nov 20, 2009
MacKay added that much of the evidence advanced by Colvin, now an intelligence liaison officer at the Canadian embassy in Washington, was hearsay. "We're talking about basing much of his evidence on what the Taliban have been specifically instructed to lie about if captured," MacKay said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Honeymoon over for Yudhoyono Nov 20, 2009
The new president promised to get to the bottom of it, appointing a fact-finding commission that discovered obvious links to the military intelligence service, including detailed plans to assassinate Munir through a staged traffic accident (attempted and failed) and poisoning. More than five years later, none of the key alleged plotters have been convicted. (Asia Times Online)
President confident alleged September 11 linchpin will be executed Nov 20, 2009
Critics say civilian trials will give the accused more rights and could set a precedent that could hamper how the military gets intelligence from suspected terrorists captured overseas. I believe this decision is dangerous. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
NYT: U.S. radical inspired Major Hasan, others Nov 20, 2009
AFP - Getty ImagesThis SITE Intelligence Group handout photo obtained on Nov. 10 shows Anwar al-Awlaki, a former U.S. resident living in Yemen and accusedterror supporter, who commented on his website on Nov. 9 that the attack at Fort Hood perpetrated by the alleged gunman, Major Nidal Hasan,was a heroic act ... Fort Hood killer called a heroStarting late last year, Major Hasan sought religious advice from the cleric in e-mail messages intercepted by American intelligence. (MSNBC -- International)
Leak fuels fears over India's ID project Nov 20, 2009
India's UID will be a randomly generated number, without "intelligence" being added to it such as birth dates, as in the South Korea's citizen ID number. This is to reduce chances of fraud and identity theft, says the UIDAI working paper. (Asia Times Online)
Fort Hood Senate hearings risk politicizing Hasan investigation Nov 20, 2009
"The problem is that in the hyperpartisan atmosphere on Capitol Hill at present, any congressional inquiry is likely to degenerate into a round of finger-pointing, fueled by turf rivalries between law enforcement and intelligence agencies and efforts for party advantage," writes Shaun Waterman, a security analyst at ... Peter Hoekstra has already warned intelligence agencies from shredding evidence in the case. (Christian Science Monitor -- USA)
Gates Names West, Clark to Lead Fort Hood Review Nov 20, 2009
President Barack Obama already has ordered a review of all intelligence related to Hasan, including his contacts with a radical Islamic cleric overseas and concerns about the major voiced by some medical colleagues, and whether the information was properly shared and acted upon within government agencies. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder said he was disturbed to learn that the Hasan had communicated the radical Islamic cleric. (Newsmax)
Shooting spurs Pentagon review of personnel procedures Nov 20, 2009
Intelligence officials knew last year that Hasan had been corresponding with a radical Islamic cleric; earlier this year investigators learned of Internet postings, allegedly by Hasan, that indicated sympathy for suicide bombers; and colleagues of Hasan s at Walter Reed Army Medical Center said the intensity of his embrace of Islam raised concerns among doctors there. Gates said the Army s in-depth, detailed assessment would look at whether the Army programs, policies, and procedures reasonably... (Boston Globe)
U.S. to audit 1,000 companies to check for illegal hires Nov 20, 2009
The 1,000 businesses served this week with federal audit notices - the largest round of audits in the nation's history - were selected based on investigative leads and intelligence, Morton said. They also were chosen because of their connection to public safety and national security, such as power plants and companies involved in agriculture, transportation, telecommunications, chemicals and water treatment. (AZCentral -- News)
Obama Gets Delay of Fort Hood Probe Nov 19, 2009
The Obama administration on Tuesday had the president's National Security Council take control of congressional briefings on the Fort Hood killings and asked Democratic leaders to delay a probe, as top Republicans said intelligence shortcomings blamed for failing to prevent the 9/11 attacks are re-emerging ... Silvestre Reyes, chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said that the NSC had taken over the briefings "due to the high visibility of the issues surrounding the tragic... (Newsmax)
Hasan Epitomizes U.S. "Self-Radicalizing" Nov 19, 2009
Intelligence analysts, counterterrorism officials and Congress are already turning to whether Hasan may be part of a larger trend of "homegrown radicalization" and whether changes are needed in how law enforcement investigates individuals absent evidence of crime, what kind of information intelligence agencies can collect on U.S. citizens, or how such sensitive information can be used and shared with others. "These are questions we've been asking ourselves for years," a current U.S.... (CBS News -- US)
International news » Nov 19, 2009
More international news. Russia's Constitutional Court effectively outlawed the death penalty Thursday, saying that a moratorium on capital punishment should remain in force until the nation fully bans executions. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
First Rights: Who needs trials? Kill terror suspects! Nov 19, 2009
In October, during an interactive session with students in Pakistan, a female medical student praised Hillary Clinton for inspiring women; but then the same admirer asked the secretary of State how the United States justifies using those CIA remote-controlled Predator drone planes without sharing intelligence with the Pakistan military (The New York Times, Oct. 30). These airborne assassins kill civilians while targeting terror suspects in Pakistan and Afghanistan. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Officials: Pentagon Probed Finances Nov 19, 2009
Citizens' Records Culled in Expanded Intelligence Efforts ... The Defense Department has used a long-standing authority to acquire the personal financial records of American citizens in military-related criminal and other investigations as part of an expansion of the Pentagon's gathering of counterterrorism intelligence at home, officials said yesterday ... "There are certainly types of information and transactions that are valuable to the department when conducting counterintelligence and... (Yahoo News -- Privacy Issues)
Obama defends trial call Nov 19, 2009
Critics have warned that civilian trials will give the accused more rights and that Holder is setting a precedent that could hamper how the US military gets intelligence from suspected terrorists captured overseas. "I believe this decision is dangerous. I believe it's misguided. I believe it is unnecessary," said Senator Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the committee. (iAfrica.com)
Obama: Alleged 9/11 leader will be executed Nov 19, 2009
Holder said the public and the nation's intelligence secrets can be protected during a public trial in civilian court. "We need not cower in the face of this enemy," Holder says. (MSNBC -- Politics)
Canada hears of Afghan 'torture' Nov 19, 2009
He said that Afghan detainees transferred from the Canadian military base in Kandahar to the Afghan intelligence service had been tortured ... That led to a scornful response on the committee by MPs from the governing Conservatives, who said that that fact alone discredited the intelligence officer's testimony. (BBC News -- Americas)
New guidelines issued for risk management in IT system security, authorization Nov 19, 2009
A revised set of guidelines for authorizing government information technology systems for operation focuses on implementing a risk management process and caps a three-year effort to harmonize IT certification and accreditation (C&A) across the civilian, defense and intelligence communities ... The publication is the second in a series being developed by the Joint Task Force Transformation Initiative, a partnership among NIST, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Defense... (FCW.com)
Holder defends terror trial decision Nov 19, 2009
"We are at war, and we will use every instrument of national power -- civilian, military, law enforcement, intelligence, diplomatic and others -- to win," he told members of the committee. "We need not cower in the face of this enemy.". (CNN)
Holder: Court Will Convict KSM Nov 19, 2009
That if we caught Bin Laden tomorrow, there are mixed theories and we couldn t turn him over to the CIA, the FBI, or military intelligence for an interrogation on the battlefield because now we re saying that he is subject to criminal court in the United States and you re confusing the people fighting this war ... And what comes with being in federal court is that the rules in this country, unlike military law, you can have military operations, you can interrogate somebody for military... (Human Events Online)
No comments posted. Nov 19, 2009
Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, top Republican on the House intelligence committee, said the trial could expose the people of New York to years of propaganda from the defendants. We are now going to rip that wound wide open and it's going to stay open two, three, four years, he said. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Hasan Reckless and Lazy, Boss Wrote in '07 Nov 19, 2009
In Memo, Supervisor at Walter Reed Warned Army that Accused Fort Hood Gunman Was Unprofessional, Unreliable and Overweight. Nidal Malik Hasan (AP). (CBS News)
Wasilla to buy shopping center for expanded library Nov 19, 2009
EML wrote on Nov 18, 2009 10:06 AM:" Impulse behavior has a long history of being associated with immaturity, primitivism, foolishness, defects of the will, lower intelligence, and even social deviance, and criminality. (Bhm-Bawerk [1889] 1959; Freud, [1896] 1911; Mill [1848] 1909). ". Great Move for the Library wrote on Nov 18, 2009 9:22 AM:" I hoped for a VPA/Library complex but this idea is even better. 10 years of watching FOL & city I can hardly believe a decision was actually made.... (Wasilla Frontiersman, AK)
Is the NSA spying on U.S. Internet traffic? Nov 19, 2009
Intelligence experts say it bears the earmarks of a National Security Agency operation ... The details provided by the two former workers about the Bridgeton room bear the distinctive earmarks of an operation run by the National Security Agency, according to two intelligence experts with extensive knowledge of the NSA and its operations ... In addition to the room's high-tech security, those intelligence experts told Salon, the exhaustive vetting process ATers were put through before being... (Yahoo News -- Online Privacy)
Holder Defends U.S. Trials of 9/11 Suspects Nov 19, 2009
"We are at war and we will use every instrument of national power -- civilian, military, law enforcement, intelligence, diplomatic and others -- to win.". Misinformation about procedures for terror trials in federal courts has clouded understanding of his decision, he said. (ABC News)
Show Transcript: November 19 Nov 19, 2009
HOLDER: We are at war, and we will use every instrument of national power -- civilian, military, law enforcement, intelligence, diplomatic and others -- to win. HAYES: Holder also told the panel that he is not concerned that a federal court could find the suspected terrorists not guilty. (CNN -- US)
Lewis Millett; awarded Medal of Honor after bayonet charge Nov 19, 2009
After Korea, Colonel Millett became an intelligence officer and was sent to Vietnam. He commanded the training center of the Army Security Agency at Ft. Devens in the mid-1960s. (Boston Globe)
Afghan official took $20m copper deal bribe, report says Nov 19, 2009
In Washington, two US officials familiar with intelligence reports said Afghanistan s minister of mines, Muhammad Ibrahim Adel, allegedly accepted the money soon after the $3 billion contract was awarded in late 2007 to China Metallurgical Group Corp.. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity. (Boston Globe)
Holder Laughed Nov 19, 2009
Holder debunked claims that the earlier civilian terror trials resulted in a wealth of secret intelligence, notably a and information about Osama Bin Laden's use of cell phones, which are alleged to have. (Rush Limbaugh now contends the 1993 trial somehow. (Slate)
* MOEA to mull other ways to restructure DRAM firms Nov 18, 2009
65 percent lower than in the previous quarter, the Industry and Technology Intelligence Services (ITIS) said yesterday. The projected decline is mainly because of seasonal changes in demand, ITIS said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
The Big Intelligence Chill Nov 18, 2009
The leading candidate for such culpability was, of course, Speaker Pelosi who, as the Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee and then as Minority Leader, had been briefed on the program ... Before the investigations really got going, two Intelligence subcommittee chairs contended that they had found numerous other instances of the CIA lying ... Our security suffers because of this political war between the intelligence community and the Democrats. (Human Events Online)
Army to Probe Fort Hood Shooter's Career Nov 18, 2009
President Barack Obama already has ordered a review of all intelligence related to Hasan and whether the information was properly shared and acted upon within government agencies. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday will hold its first public hearing about the incident. (Newsmax)
Congressional inquiry into Ft. Hood eyed Nov 18, 2009
GOP representatives say they want to look at "intelligence and intelligence sharing failures" ... Pete Hoekstra cites "systemic breakdown" in intelligence community ... Spokeswoman for the director of National Intelligence defends agencies. (CNN)
Wimbledon confirm move to prize money equality Nov 18, 2009
Please activate cookies in order to turn autoplay off. Women to receive same rewards as men for first time. (Yahoo News -- Women's Issues)
Afghanistan sinks in new corruption index Nov 18, 2009
The ranking is based on data from country experts and business leaders at 10 independent institutions, including the World Bank, Economist Intelligence Unit and World Economic Forum. For the third year running, the conflict-ridden east African nation of Somalia came in last, this time with a score of 1. (AlertNet)
Real estate firm scores big Nov 18, 2009
- Central Intelligence Agency - National Clandestine Service Center. . (San Antonio Business Journal, TX)
Retired military officers cash in as well-paid consultants Nov 18, 2009
"It's the most valuable form of market intelligence for a lot of companies," Aboulafia says of senior mentors in war games. "The companies get an insight into what kind of technologies and products are needed to meet emerging strategic visions and requirements.". (USA Today -- News)
Senators have tough questions for Holder Nov 18, 2009
Holder's visit to Capitol Hill comes after President Obama last week ordered a government-wide inquiry into how intelligence about Hasan was handled in the months before the rampage. The Defense Department is launching its own review of how the services deal with troubled soldiers, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. (USA Today)
Paying Off The Warlords Nov 18, 2009
In 1992, three years after the Soviet army withdrew in defeat, Fahim was appointed head of intelligence in Afghanistan by the new president Burhanuddin Rabbani in the midst of a fierce and destructive civil war among the victors. When the Taliban took control of the country a few years later, Fahim became the intelligence chief for the Northern Alliance, also led by Massoud, which controlled less than a third of the country ... A number of popular accounts of that invasion, such as Bob... (CBS News)
Manufacturing grows 200 per cent in tax evasion Nov 17, 2009
However, in the case of direct taxes, the authorities have no option other than carrying out search and seizure operations based on generation of intelligence gathered through various sources. IT and financial services sector are generally dominated by multinationals and large Indian companies that have gone global and thus have high transparency standards. (India Times)
Blunt says health care bill costs too much, doesn't reform Nov 17, 2009
Blunt said as a member of the House Intelligence Committee he is looking carefully at President Obama's developing policy in Afghanistan. "Frankly, we need to either get in and get the job done or get out. Our troops need to have a clear understanding of what they are doing there. The president called this a war of necessity and I'll be supportive if it is made clear what the mission is," Blunt said. (Fulton Sun, MO)
Moynihan, in running for Bank of America’s top job, has experience winning tough fights Nov 17, 2009
The Wellesley resident has swiftly ascended through the ranks at by tackling jobs outside his training as a lawyer, succeeding by dint of sheer intelligence, indefatigable energy, and a willingness to bull ahead, despite stepping on some toes along the way. He has risen to become head of the bank s sprawling consumer banking division. (Boston Globe)
NILE filly raffle fulfills dreams, helps with youth programs (47) Nov 17, 2009
He was impressed with her intelligence. She sure had the smarts, he said. (Great Falls Prairie Star, MT)
Army Looks Inward in Hasan Probe Nov 17, 2009
"There hasn't been enough transparency for members of Congress, for the press, or for the American people. You know, I think that we need to move very, very aggressively and do a full-scale investigation as to who knew what and where," Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, told "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer Sunday ... If it was an "Intelligence Failure" then so be it. (CBS News)
Partisan divide over 9/11 trials Nov 17, 2009
Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, warned that bringing the suspects to New York raised the risk of further attacks on the United States. "Why move them into the United States while we are still under the threat from radical jihadists?" Hoekstra asked on the CBS program. (CNN)
UN: Once-secret Iran nuke plant to start in ... Nov 17, 2009
Nations suspicious of Iran believe it decided to tell the IAEA only after Tehran became convinced the plant's existence had been noted by foreign intelligence services and was about to be revealed by Western leaders. A senior Western official recently told the AP that Fordo appeared too small to house a civilian nuclear program but large enough for military activities. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
RedState Morning Briefing Nov 17, 2009
For instance, in the trial of the 1993 World Trade Center bombers, prosecutors were required to turn over to defense lawyers a large amount of intelligence information ... The intelligence that led to that capture has been the subject of a number of reports. (Human Events Online)
Officials: Pentagon Probed Finances Nov 17, 2009
Citizens' Records Culled in Expanded Intelligence Efforts ... The Defense Department has used a long-standing authority to acquire the personal financial records of American citizens in military-related criminal and other investigations as part of an expansion of the Pentagon's gathering of counterterrorism intelligence at home, officials said yesterday ... "There are certainly types of information and transactions that are valuable to the department when conducting counterintelligence and... (Yahoo News -- Privacy Issues)
Koda & Co under I-T lens since 2007 Nov 17, 2009
The surveillance by intelligence agencies on Koda began as early as 2007 when the independent MLA was still the chief minister of Jharkhand ... The building of such profiles involves monitoring of call records of a targe 00004000 t and his associates, linking their financial track with the data related to them obtained from Annual Information Reports (AIRs) from financial institutions such as banks, registrar of societies and other information from intelligence agencies ... The surveillance by... (India Times)
Vigilance is Necessary to Prevent Future American Tragedies Nov 17, 2009
In a 2008 hearing before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, former Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell stated, Over the next year, attacks by homegrown extremists inspired by militant Islamic ideology but without operational direction from al-Qa ida will remain a threat to the United States ... However, after pouring billions of taxpayer dollars into better information sharing between intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, I am still not aware of a... (Human Events Online)
Analysis: U.S. attorney takes a bow Nov 17, 2009
Pittsburgh Deputy Chief of Police Paul Donaldson praised the Project Safe Neighborhoods firearms program, which has provided increased training opportunities for the police, as well as enhanced the bureau's intelligence gathering. "It's given us an opportunity to form partnerships with other state and federal law enforcement agencies and state and federal prosecutors," he said. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
