Sen. Feinstein More Worried About Reaction To The Leak About Stuxnet, Rather Than Reaction To Stuxnet Itself

from the missing-the-point dept

Fri, Jun 8th 2012 9:59am — Mike Masnick

Last week, we wrote about the NYTimes investigative report that revealed that the US government was behind Stuxnet, and that President Obama was very, very involved in the process. It was widely assumed that the US was involved, but this revealed a bunch of details. We were surprised that the White House appeared not to pressure the NYTs to kill the story (as it has with other leaks of classified info), but wondered if the fact that this made the White House look "tough" and showed a "success story" for the administration, caused them to let it go forward. Since then, however, reports have come out that the FBI is investigating the leak, and Senator Feinstein is similarly calling for hearings on the leak (though, the cynical might argue that this just keeps the "success story" in the news).

But, the most bizarre response to this also comes from Senator Feinstein, who publicly worried that the leak would lead to copycat attacks against the US. The leak. Not the actual attack:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee, said the leak about the attack on Iran’s nuclear program could “to some extent” provide justification for copycat attacks against the United States.

“This is like an avalanche. It is very detrimental and, candidly, I found it very concerning,” Feinstein said. “There’s no question that this kind of thing hurts our country.”

This is, to put it mildly, crazy. The argument appears to be that it's okay to do technological attacks... just as long as it's all done in secret and no one ever talks about it. Without the leak, the attack still happened, and that information became public quite some time ago. If anything was going to inspire copycat attacks it would have been that. Though, even then, the claim is questionable. Those who wish to do this country harm haven't been sitting around saying "gee, we can't do anything technological" until they saw Stuxnet come along.

What's really ridiculous about Feinstein's statement is the basic chilling effects that it puts forth. It suggests that the US government can do whatever it wants in attacking other countries, just so long as no one ever talks about it. The talking about factual information isn't the issue here. And Feinstein should know that, rather than suggesting that basic investigative reporting is the problem.

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Filed Under: dianne feinstein, intelligence committee, leak, obama, stuxnet, white house

27 Comments

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Lowestofthekeys (profile), 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:05am

This is how you know politicians do not understand the internet when they're completely unaware that what they say is broadcast to a huge audience.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:13am

Yeah, it's a presidential election year. Everything from DC is always staged, but this is the big production.

Calling for hearings on perfectly legal activity though, that's signature US congress. They'll be sure to bring in a bunch of people they find offensive then give 'em the ol' Roger Clemens treatment.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:19am

so basically, it's ok when this type of thing is carried out by the USA as long as it's kept secret. so, in the event that information is released, it's ok to say openly what was done but wrong to suggest unofficially what it was done? duh!!
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:20am

Hey, according to Sen. Feinstein that means you can break whatever laws you want, just as long as you do the following.

-Never talk about it.
-Don't leave evidence lying around that show you did it.
-Don't get caught running away from the scene of the crime, or even being in a few hundred miles in the area when the crime occurred.
-Don't leave any witnesses to your crime.
-Don't report your illegal gains from the crime in your taxes.
-Don't leave any electronic records of the crime, or research you did before committing the crime, or cell phone records of your location during the crime.

Actually, I misspoke earlier, as long as you do all the above steps, you didn't commit a crime, because no one will ever know who did it!
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:24am

Feinstein
Hmmm...
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:25am

Incontingencies?
"It suggests that the US government can do whatever it wants in attacking other countries, just so long as no one ever talks about it."
Right up there with "It's only illegal if you get caught."
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:38am

WTF?! Not even 'rogue' states brag about pulling shit like this off...
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:43am

"It suggests that the US government can do whatever it wants in attacking other countries, just so long as no one ever talks about it."

Also explains how they reacted to Wikileaks/
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:44am

"It suggests that the US government can do whatever it wants in attacking other countries, just so long as no one ever talks about it."

It also explains why they reacted to Wikileaks the way they did.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:50am

Dinosaur Feinstein strikes again
When will she finally become extinct?
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harbingerofdoom (profile), 8 Jun 2012 @ 10:58am

thats not crazy, thats feinstein.
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The eejit (profile), 8 Jun 2012 @ 11:13am

Re: Dinosaur Feinstein strikes again
Around the third time the Elder Sign appears in the sky?
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weneedhelp (profile), 8 Jun 2012 @ 11:22am

Sometimes they hate us for good reasons
We keep wondering, "Why do they hate us?" Well, maybe some people are mad because we are doing things that we would regard as unjustified and heinous acts of war if anyone dared do them to us.

http://articles.philly.com/2012-06-06/news/32079900_1_supreme-leader-iran-cyber-war

"�Ther e�s no question that this kind of thing hurts our country.�" Indeed Mrs. Feinstein, but not the way YOU think.
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Digitari, 8 Jun 2012 @ 11:38am

Re:
I honestly think this is the first women in history that can confuse MENSES and MENSA
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 12:16pm

Re:
No, what it means it that you can break whatever laws you want, so long as you are the U.S. government.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 12:41pm

and who was it that voted this and other clueless idiots into the Senate as representatives of the people? us ordinary citizens! and will we do it again? of course. anyone that is worth having in the Senate never gets there because of the closing of ranks by 'the old guard'!
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Bruce, 8 Jun 2012 @ 12:42pm

To her credit she did also say that she is worried that no one will work with the US if they don't believe that we can keep our big fat traps shut. Just look at how Obama threw the poor Pakistani doctor under the bus just so he can run around practically claiming that he pulled the trigger and blew off OBL's head...
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 1:13pm

Re:
Speak for yourself - I never vote for Feinstein when she's up for re-election, and yes I do live in CA.
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gorehound (profile), 8 Jun 2012 @ 1:50pm

I have no faith in this Government one bit.Back in the 70's i wondered what it would be like to live in a World where the Gov & The Rich had crashed to the ground.I fought what we called "The Establishment" by Protesting Peacefully and in Non-Violent Ways.
Rate things are going I may just live long enough to see it as a Reality.I wonder what it will be like to live in a World that is similar to all those bad 1980's Made Mad Max Type Films.
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phildem, 8 Jun 2012 @ 2:19pm

she's a war profiteer
She and her significant other, both have all kinds of cozy holdings with big defense contractors, she's a war criminal, and should be in jail.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Jun 2012 @ 4:39pm

Re:
It's a fucking canard. Any information of actual importance will never be released. The idea that any classified information is a threat to this country is BS and only used to keep the population in fear and bickering amongst eachother.

There is no justification to keep anything secret what so ever. All secrecy does is give power to those with access to the knowledge being kept from others.
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Jay (profile), 8 Jun 2012 @ 7:34pm

Re: Re:
You should be happy about the new lines and seats for Congress.
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Greymatters, 8 Jun 2012 @ 7:48pm

She's right.
I believe ya'll are acting way too cynical... The Senator is perfectly correct. It is indeed the leak was damaging not the actual cyberattack. Think about it- if there is no direct line leading back to the United States, people arn't going to retaliate because they arn't certain who did it- there's so much propaganda and shadowgames going on as it is that it's practically impossible to believe anything. But, when America's most respected newspaper fingers its own government, and circumstancial evidence points to our governments complicitness in the leak itself, I believe that is going to spark far more serious repercussions than the virus iteself.
And no i don't think its OK for it to be happening at all, but the senator's point of view is very understandable if not condonable.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Jun 2012 @ 4:49am

Re:
The Internet does that WHAT?? We must block that!
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techflaws (profile), 10 Jun 2012 @ 12:28am

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee...

Something doesn't add up here.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Jun 2012 @ 9:50pm

Re: She's right.
I doubt that. I think enough of the US government in its various forms is compromised that the information is out there in the hands of those willing to sell it and available for those who would make a point of paying to acquire it, and you cannot reasonably think Iran cannot or would not pay to know who pulled this particular swifty on them.

For all we know Iran not only knew all the leaked information, but also contracted its leaking.
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geral, 2 Aug 2012 @ 11:06am

nazifeinstein
Feinstein is the most dangerous and corrupt Senator in the USA. She allows the fbi/cia to repeat criminal & inhumane elements (ie torture, murder, etc) of the Holocaust right here in usa, even against our own vets. For more criminal acts condoned or approved by Feinstein see:
The fbi & cia to torture, maim or kill some dissidents. See:

http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/non-consensual.html

http://napoli.indymedia.org/2012/06/28/the- moral-freefall-of-the-united-states-of-america/

http://italy.indymedia.org/n/6972/05-07-12/evidence-police-state
Then See:

The fbi/cia/dod global crime and mass murder spree spawns more carnage everywhere.

LAWS OF PHYSICS & DIVINE NATURE !

A nation and its people who deliberately engage in the systematic conquest, subjugation, torture, imprisonment and killing of others must by the laws of physics and divine nature have the same calamities delivered upon themselves.

Human beings have "no difficulty in exterminating one another to the last man."Sigmund Freud
(Civilization and Its Discontents, 1930)

RELATED:

http://antwerpen.indymedia.org/node/5389

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2012/07/254469.php

http://sosbeevfbi.ning.com/profiles/blogs/law-of-physics-divine-nature

http://sosbeevfbi.ning.com/m/discussion?id=2179778%3ATopic%3A91

http://wwwfbimafia.blogspot.com/2012/05/fbi-as-mafia.html

http://bxl.indymedia.org/articles/4995
http://sosbeevfbi.ning.com/profiles/blogs/law-of-physics-d ivine-nature

kill box:

http://www.sosbeevfbi.com/part4-worldinabo.html
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