Following a classified briefing on Wednesday, the chairman and the vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said the "majority" of the classified information taken by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden had "nothing to do with the NSA," or its collection of bulk data.
"Instead [his leaks] specifically [work] to compromise the military capability and defense of the country," Rep. Mac Thornberry, a Texas Republican and the vice chairman of the committee, said during a press briefing.
Thornberry added the leaks will "certainly cost billions to repair."
"His actions were espionage plain and simple," Thornberry said.
Rep. Howard McKeon, a Republican from California and the committee chairman, piled on.
"Edward Snowden isn't a whistle-blower; he isn't a hero. He's a traitor and a criminal," McKeon said. Americans, he added, would be "shocked and outraged" to learn how much of the information he took had to do with defense issues. Not so much shocked and outraged, surprised is what I'll be if we ever learn what was really compromised, besides governmental overreach combined with thorough going high level incompetence at securing classified information.
#1
Snowden has not released any military information. Just information regarding unconstitutional stalking by the Narcissistic Stalking Administration of the Obama Regime. Mac Thornberry was responsible for developing a cyber security strategy for the country. Didn't work did it?
#2
A gentleman on Facebook who was once an Air Force JAG explained gently to me that Mr. Snowden couldn't possibly do any real harm because what he downloaded was encrypted, and therefore not truly accessible. But that doesn't make sense, given that there have been actual revelations. Also, The Guardian released a video of themselves destroying their Snowden hard drives, which struck me as odd.
#3
As you suspected TW, your Facebook JAG is woefully incorrect. There are both short and long-term costs associated with leaks or unauthorized releases of classified material. Some are calculable, some or incalculable. When the releases are at the level of what is being discussed here, the long-term or greater costs are potentially incalculable.
Based on what we know he took, he destroy most, if not all, of our entire human source network. Death of 10,000 cuts. The IC is VERY worried about what he took.
Posted by: Bangkok Billy ||
02/07/2014 5:49 Comments ||
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#5
Agreed. The loss of day-to-day intelligence production is damaging, but far more damaging 'long-term' is the disclosure of sources and methods. If your adversary has knowledge of your sources, he knows where your efforts are focused and where your intelligence gaps lie. He now knows precisely what you do NOT know, and can either take steps to strengthen the operational security of his programs, implement deception tactics, target your sources for recruitment, do nothing and monitor, or terminate his programs altogether.
Nothing good will come from any of this Snowden business.
#7
Re #1: according to most of the more recent sources, and my low-level contacts within certain gov agencies, the vast majority of information and data collected by snowden consisted of classified military information; the way we operate, communicate, execute, etc. Very little of it had to do with the NSA's surveillance operations. In other words, he has handed over our playbook to our adversaries; not unlike the Seahawks cracking Peyton's play calling signs. And we all know how that turned out. (Apologies to any Broncos fans here.) We will have to come up with a whole new playbook now and that's not going to be cheap.
Despite whatever wrongdoings the NSA and the 0bama administration engaged in, the fact remains that Snowden is a traitor to this country, a Benedict Arnold, the antithesis of a hero, who has jeopardized the security of this nation in a way few others ever have before.
#8
Snowy: Unless provided with solid, irrefutable evidence to the contrary, one must assume and plan for the worst.
Prior to the advent of today's digital age, document inventories and security was much, much easier. Paper documents were labeled as original and/or (copy #1 of 10 copies) etc. Viewers or document holders were required to actually sign for documents from an authorized release authority. While not perfect, unless someone photo-copied a document, transcribed it by hand, or stuffed it into their shorts, an acceptable level of document access and security was achieved. The digital age has changed much of that.
#10
So basically the asshole has rendered us naked before our enemies?
Given how government branches and agencies have been corrupted to be political agents of one party, one could say he apply demonstrated those enemies include anything and anyone domestically considered not of the Inner Party. You think a man who claims to 'personally' approve the drone killing of individuals has any qualms about directing these means to be applied against those who he truly considers his real enemies at home? You think this man would control himself to employ a byzantine world of blackmail and leaks provided by this system to destroy political opposition?
Pox on both houses. The tools should never had been made.
#11
You think a man who claims to 'personally' approve the drone killing of individuals has any qualms about directing these means to be applied against those who he truly considers his real enemies at home?
Short answer: NO
Longer answer: He is employing the Oprah [they must all be slain] solution with his ACA. The sick, elderly, and newly uninsured will soon by dropping like flies.... as planned. The young and healthy will continue to pay into the various Ponzi schemes with the forlorn hope of one day receiving a few benefits.
Interestingly however, I learned this morning that the regime is mulling a 3 year delay in the full [not further defined] implementation of ACA, and may soon encourage insurance companies to reinstate terminated policies.
If true, this delay would unload the 2014 election gun-to-their-heads, and provide ample time for the Hildebeast to uncloak her 'new and improved' HildeCare scheme just prior to the 2016 presidential.
#13
Since the only things I know about are the NSA spying leaks I have a whole lot of ambivalent reactions.
I'm way too old and cynical to believe in the Tom Clancy rose colored glasses view of intelligence operations and operators from CinC on down. But, I'm also aware of what nasty things are wished on us by our enemies (friends?).
The leak of the NSA atrocity is, to me, a good thing. Since we'll never know what else went missing ????????????????? Should I trust in the judgement of those who are crying the sky is falling?
The only rational response I can find is "I don't know and I can't do anything any way."
[FOXNEWS] A conservative activist targeted by the IRS and other agencies claimed Thursday that Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings ...Representative-for-life from Maryland, representing half of Baltimore City, which makes his district ultra-safe, and most of Howard County, which is out-populated by the city. Cummings' politix are so liberal they're tedious... also tried to intimidate her, filing a formal complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics alleging an "abuse of power."
Catherine Engelbrecht, founder of True the Vote and the King Street Patriots, aired the allegations during a hearing hosted by the committee on which Cummings sits. An attorney working with her also questioned whether Cummings might have encouraged the IRS and other agencies to target her groups.
Cummings, though, adamantly denied wrongdoing and said he can "assure" Engelbrecht that he did not direct anyone at the IRS to scrutinize her.
At issue are letters Cummings sent out voicing concerns about True the Vote, which advocates for strict voter ID requirements and other measures which Democratic politicians, including Cummings, oppose.
"Congressman Cummings on three separate occasions sent letters on letterhead from this committee, stating that he had concerns and felt it necessary to open an investigation on True the Vote," Engelbrecht said during the hearing, where she and other witnesses were otherwise testifying on IRS targeting.
She also said that after she applied for tax-exempt status, "an assortment of federal entities including law enforcement agencies, and Congressman Cummings came knocking at my door."
Her complaint to the Office of Congressional Ethics claimed Cummings "misrepresented his authority as a Member of Congress to intimidate me and others associated with me, and which may be responsible for a series of incursions into my personal, organizational and business affairs by various federal agencies, agents and bureaucracies over the past four years."
It continued: "We believe that Rep Cummings' actions have violated the House rules, represent an abuse of power on his part and are unethical and arrogant."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/07/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Wow - another round of mindless juvie-leftist drivel deleted by intertube static.
Must be all them Canadians trying to watch the curling in Sochi.
[NY Times] The Senate voted 96 to 0 on Thursday to confirm Senator Max Baucus as the new ambassador to China.
Mr. Baucus, a Democrat, has represented Montana in the Senate since 1978, and as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, he has been a major voice during many of the major policy debates of the past decade. He also was an architect of President B.O.'s signature legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act.
His departure from the Senate will have a domino effect among the Senate's Democratic leaders. Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, who is now chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, will become leader of the powerful Finance Committee; Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana, is expected to replace Mr. Wyden on the energy panel. Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana, a Democrat, is expected to name a replacement for Mr. Baucus.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/07/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
He also was an architect of President B.O.'s signature legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act.
#1
Passing am "omnibus" bill [a law] which is in excess of a thousand pages is meaningless. We've seen the Champ in action with the disastrous ACA. He [Champ] will pick and choose which parts he wishes enforced and which he does not. Boehner did the right thing. Champ doesn't need the congress. Let it sit.
#2
It'll be back. One of Boehner's leash holders told him they paid for this, and they mean to get it.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
02/07/2014 7:30 Comments ||
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#3
Would any of this pi**ing be going on if the Beltway had actually listened to the people and had secured the border ten years ago on a previous round of this subject? I doubt it. They lied then about securing the border, they lie now about securing the border today or tomorrow. It's all within their authority and means to secure. Their inaction says that the Beltway oligarchs are unwavering in their intent to finally kill the last vestiges of the old republic.
#4
The point is, even if you made securing the border a specific requirement before any of the amnesty process could begin, this lawless and unconstitutional regime would just ignore it. Don't play their game and keep pointing out how lawless Obama is
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/07/2014 10:27 Comments ||
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#5
They'll wait until after the primaries, then pass it with lame duck votes.
#7
Imagine a world in which in the days after Sept 11, instead of Homeland Security we got a real plan: (1) Seal the borders, reform work permits and immigration so we know who is coming in (2) Build a bunch of nuclear power plants to get us off of oil as fast as possible.
Those two changes would have changed the world for the better.
[THEHILL] A feud between President B.O. and black politicians over racial diversity among judges escalated Wednesday.
Valerie Jarrett ...Chicago political hack, now senior advisor to President B.O.... , the president's closest adviser, met with Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members and refused to back down over controversial nominees despite a growing storm of criticism.
Many CBC members say Obama hasn't fought hard enough to fill the federal bench with the Democrats' preferred picks, leaving some states with nominees who lack the ethnic diversity of the population they would oversee.
In a closed-door meeting with a handful of CBC leaders, Jarrett brushed back the criticism, saying Obama had a "commitment to diversity" and an "outstanding" record in placing minority judges, she said afterward.
Asked if the White House would consider replacing any of its choices, Jarrett's answer was a terse, "No."
The message was not well received. CBC members have criticized the nominees who they say champion policies that discriminate against minorities.
Georgia Rep. David Scott (D), said he approached Jarrett about two nominees in particular: one who once supported a state bill to keep the Confederate battle emblem a part of Georgia's flag, and another who led the defense of the state's photo ID law, which Scott claims is a statute designed "to keep black folks, as much as possible, from voting."
"I asked her specifically that they should be [withdrawn]. She just didn't say anything," said Scott, who did not attend the briefing on nominees but was present at a later meeting with Jarrett and the full CBC.
"Do you think George Bush would have been able to do this, or any white president would have been able to do this? No," Scott said. "The president should have said, 'There's absolutely no way I want to go down in history as putting these kinds of people into federal court nominations against my own African-American [people]' ... It's a tragedy."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/07/2014 00:00 ||
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This shows that the primary and overwhelming consideration for the CBC isn't the judge's integrity or honesty or how they will apply the law - it's the color of their skin. Nothing else matters.
#9
it's the color of their skin. Nothing else matters.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." -- MLK
#13
Val-Jar is by far the best hidden power center in this government despite being at the center of every aspect of decision making and being deemed worthy of her own SS detail, an unheard-of privilege. Yet she is virtually invisible to the media, and her meetings with the crony capitalists never mentioned, travel never noted, opinions never mentioned. That silence is deafening, and speaks of both power and fear. Her departure from the levers of an increasingly "weaponized" government and its ability to punish those in opposition should make for some interesting reading some day.
[CAPITALNEWYORK] ssociates of the civil rights hustler Al Sharpton ...Tawana Brawley's spiritual advisor... are among the donors who have contributed to the Rev. Michael Walrond, the first time congressional candidate who officially declared a challenge to Rep. Charlie Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Rangel Congressman-for-Life from Harlem, who became what 20 terms in Congress turns you into ... last month.
Walrond, a pastor in Harlem, began raising money late last year.
He raised nearly $83,000 in the final quarter of 2013, after registering a committee in November, according to his campaign financial disclosure report. Walrond has just over $78,000 left on hand.
Walrond, a pastor at the First Corinthian Baptist Church, is the director of the Ministers Division of the National Action Network, the non-profit advocacy group Sharpton founded in 1991.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/07/2014 00:00 ||
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Chas is way old, and his dues are dreadfully delinquent. His challenger is all paid up and all fired up. We be back'n Pastor Mike !
#2
Walronds entrance scrambles an expected re-match between Rangel and State Senator Adriano Espaillat, who nearly beat Rangel in 2012 and has also been quietly raising for a run. Walrond's candidacy could potentially peel away black votes from Rangels base, or perhaps cut into anti-Rangel voters who supported Espaillat last time.
Aside from the blatant equivocating, the idea that it's a dilute-the-vote-to-help-Chollie candidacy has merit.
[WASHINGTONEXAMINER] Presidents often award diplomatic posts to campaign donors and fundraisers, but Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., suspects that Obama's choice of ambassador to Argentina -- a man who bundled more than $500,000 for President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, but who has never been to the country -- is in over his head.
"Have you been to Argentina?" Rubio asked Noah Mamet during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Thursday.
"I haven't had the opportunity yet to be there," Mamet replied. "I've traveled pretty extensively around the world, but I haven't yet had chance [to visit Argentina]."
Posted by: Fred ||
02/07/2014 00:00 ||
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Someone should tell before he goes to get Obama's personal cell phone number, in case of things going south.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
02/07/2014 10:10 Comments ||
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#5
This administration has an ongoing history of placing people into positions where they have no clue about the job or capabilities to accomplish it (including our CIC).
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
02/07/2014 10:36 Comments ||
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[Haaretz] Hat tip to the regime. Senator Menendez is back on the reservation. As predicted by the Iranians, work on their nuclear weapons arsenal to continue.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Must be some discreet, civilized solution to this unfortunate row. 
Charlie 
