A spokesman for the NSA said: "As we have previously said, we do not use our foreign intelligence capabilities to steal the trade secrets of foreign companies on behalf of – or give intelligence we collect to – US companies to enhance their international competitiveness or increase their bottom line. The United States collects foreign intelligence just as many other governments do.
"The intelligence community’s efforts to understand economic systems and policies, and monitor anomalous economic activities, are critical to providing policy-makers with the information they need to make informed decisions that are in the best interest of our national security. As the administration also announced several months ago, the US government is undertaking a review of our activities around the world – looking at, among other issues, how we co-ordinate with our closest allies and partners.
Blah, blah blah blah…bs
Goddam system will not let me edit, body too similar, yada yada
Obviously, the spy agencies spy for all the same reasons they always did. But for the last twelve years, they’ve tried to frame every discussion of spying within the context of terrorism. And they continue to do this. The new list of recommendations for limiting spy activities says things like, “don’t spy on heads of state without presidential authorization.” But when Obama comments on that list of recommendations, he still tries wrap the whole thing into the so-called War on Terrorism.
When he authorized the tapping of Angela Merkel’s phone, it wasn’t because he thought she was Taliban.
In attempt to get people to see them more sympathetically the NSA has adopted Sting’s ‘Every breath you take’ as their unofficial official anthem. Useage of the song at wedding receptions and during dates has dropped by 90%.
There are simple explanations for the targets…
WHO: Werewolves Harvesting Organs - I’m glad that somebody is keeping an eye on the Illuminati’s “Immortality Bureau” – those f-ing dogs have been keeping the leadership of the Illuminati alive via organ replacements for thousands of years now; Unicef – Communists; Medecins Sans Frontiers - you know what else doesn’t have borders? Terrorism!!!; VP of the European Commission (whose file included EU competition policy) - GE filed a “Request for Information”; the UN’s special representative to Darfur - What’s in Darfur? Terrorists!!!; German diplomatic networks - Obama is trying to figure out the perfect Xmas gift for Merkel and thought that he might get some tips by listening in on "chit chat’; and other diplomatic targets - Terrorists!!! and Communist sympathizers.
Well spying on the governments and especially the defense departments of other nations is certainly one thing. They’re probably trying to do it to us, and there’s definitely an intelligence arms race that maybe no one can win, but that we certainly don’t want to lose.
The NGO thing is sadly true, we ourselves are not above it. However, my big concern with the NSA is the fact that we’ve decided refugee camps are hotbeds of terrorist activity. When you consider that refugees already face a strong stigma in host countries and some of these refugee camps are very permanent, it contributes to the pile-on that in a lot of ways is unwarranted. Look at the refugee camps in Jordan, for example:
There’s a UNRWA camp in Jabal Al-Hussein in Amman, Jordan, I’ve been there. It doesn’t look anything like a camp like you would imagine. It’s permanent concrete buildings. Palestinians in Jordan have traditionally been seen as a potential fifth column by the government there, and have faced related disadvantages in employment and state-sponsored oppression. The “War on Terror” in many countries just became a “War on Undesirables” and credulous US intelligence agencies who have traditionally sucked at HUMINT especially in the Middle East and Central Asia just take the “local experts” (AKA the corrupt local government) at their word and often serve to perpetuate this dynamic.
I simply don’t trust the NSA, in light of its staggering failure to observe any kind of nuance or care in spying on Americans, to tread lightly or competently here.
Much as I LOVE bashing on the intelligence community, this problem is only partially their fault.
This mess is caused by congress’s and the American people’s unwillingness to take responsibility for clearly defining the boundaries of intelligence.
What we should have from congress is a clear statement of scope. It should say something like:
These countries are enemies. You are allowed to act freely against them.
These countries are unaligned. Actions against them may be allowed, but are subject to review.
These countries are allies. You may not act against them. Actions against them are a violation of US and ally law. We will prosecute any action against an ally to the fullest extent of the law.
Any action against the citizens of the US is a violation of US law and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Instead, what we have is:
We are afraid. Make it stop. NOW!
Congress doesn't want to take any responsibility.
If anything goes wrong, it's the Intelligence Community's fault.
Intelligence must protect us from bad concepts.
Intelligence must protect us from ourselves.
Yes, the Intelligence community has done us wrong. They have taken full advantage of our fears. But, we have been a compliant victim. Both of these problems must be fixed.
We must demand limits to Intelligence. We must accept some responsibility when bad things happen. We must accept that the future is uncertain and face it with courage.
I’m asking a simple question, and you can’t give me a straight answer. Let’s try again. When the NSA is intercepting NGO communications, WHO is their target?
Given how Israel keeps threatening to attack Iranian nuclear facilities I am very, very happy to hear that NSA has been listening in on their defense ministry. The various UN groups and NGOs also make perfect as sources for what’s going on in the countries they operate in. CIA has recruited people like this as informants since forever. NSA instead just reads their email.
