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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Snowden helped RU invade the Ukraine. |
| 2014-03-30 |
| [Accuracy in Medial] A blockbuster story in the Monday Wall Street Journal reveals the terrible damage National Security Agency (NSA) leaker Edward Snowden has done, enabling Russian "war planners" to avoid detection as they evaded U.S. surveillance and staged the invasion of Ukraine. Ok, so the assumption was that at least some of NSA's sources and methods were compromised. No great leap required, so what were the damage assessment recommenations? What countermeasures were then employed? What alternate collection methodologies were initiated to cover potential intelligence gaps ? If the NSA is half-way smart we won't get to know the answers to those questions, assuming that NSA was full-way smart enough to come up with answers to those questions... At the same time, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), says Snowden's theft of documents has made it harder for U.S. troops to avoid being maimed or killed by terrorist bombs known as improvised explosive devices (IEDs). With all respect to LTG Flynn, linking Snowden to roadside bombs needs a bit more development and detail. I can assure you the Taliban were already on to our monitoring capabilities in Afghanistan. "Some U.S. military and intelligence officials say Russia's war planners might have used knowledge about the U.S.'s usual surveillance techniques to change communication methods about the looming invasion," the Journal said in its front page story. "U.S. officials haven't determined how Russia hid its military plans from U.S. eavesdropping equipment that picks up digital and electronic communications." And what about 'overhead.' Anyone paying attention to imagery overhead imagery? Measuring and Signals? HUMINT, geo-political trends, Open Source, indications and warnings from NATO partners ? ABC's "The Note" calls the Journal story a must-read, explaining that the Journal disclosed that "intelligence analysts were surprised because they hadn't intercepted any telltale communications where Russian leaders, military commanders or soldiers discussed plans to invade." An absence of communication is also an 'indication and warning.' Strangely, however, the story never mentions Edward Snowden, the former intelligence analyst now being controlled by the Russian security agency, the FSB, in Moscow. "Strangely" to some perhaps. Clearly, however, the "knowledge" about U.S. surveillance techniques came from Snowden. Snowden's collaborators in the media, who revealed his stolen documents about NSA surveillance of America's enemies and adversaries, are up for prestigious Pulitzer Prizes when these awards are announced at Columbia University on April 14. AIM has argued that such awards would constitute another black eye for the media and undermine whatever confidence the American people have left in the press. In a statement to POLITICO about the possibility of Pulitzers being given to Snowden's mouthpieces in the media, AIM asked, "Specifically, what did Snowden tell the Russian FSB about U.S. capabilities to detect and deter a Russian invasion of Ukraine, or the ability of the U.S. to determine the nature or intentions of the Putin regime?" The answer is now in. Thanks to Snowden, the U.S. was deceived. Well perhaps, or had we left our guard down due to community-wide trend toward domestic monitoring and failure to recognize Russia as still a threat ? On Sunday's "Meet the Press" program on NBC, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI) said, "We know today [of] no counterintelligence official in the United States [who] does not believe that Mr. Snowden, the NSA contractor, is not under the influence of Russian intelligence services." Not exactly a FLASH Chairman Rogers. Yes, he's an onerous little bastard who probably deserves to be Rosenberged, but let's move off the 'blame game' and on to correcting the problems and prevented a re-occurrence. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #6 I call B.S. on this whole story. I also believe that if you're lying, you've got something to hide. |
| Posted by: gorb 2014-03-30 22:47 |
| #5 So how did Putin assemble his Speztnaz groups for the Crimean invasion? Does any body remember the Sochi Olympics? They provided security, and it's only ~150 miles away. Some of these explanations are borderline whining. |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2014-03-30 20:34 |
| #4 Seems to have been still a shock. Where's all the money going? Who's getting sacked? |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2014-03-30 18:17 |
| #3 ....insulting rubbish. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-03-30 17:17 |
| #2 Tbe purpose of 'multi-source' intelligence is to prevent the reliance upon a single intelligence discipline which can be compromised, be incorrect, or for some reason go tits up. Multi-source products are used to cross-validate or confirm events, data, and information which can then become legitimate and or potentially actionable intelligence. Suggesting that one rogue NSA employee was responsible for a single-source intelligence gap that led to the invasion of a country is absolute rubbish. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-03-30 17:16 |
| #1 Maybe I am wrong but seems the protect Obama incompetence spin begins. Can't blame Bush now can we? The NSA is supposed to be an INTERNAL security agency (Not a CIA Web have a CIA) I thought or do we know what is going on anymore? Snowden was not affiliated with the CIA, right? By the way, if you want to call your neighbor without the the NSA evesdropping on your call from DC or Utah, use an old fashioned CB radio. |
| Posted by: Omavising Ebbemp9815 2014-03-30 16:54 |