Keith Alexander Supports Law To Gag Press So He Can Get His Preferred Online Surveillance Bill Passed
from the but-of-course dept
Oh, Keith Alexander, how we're going to miss your insane claims once you retire in a few weeks -- though, I'm sure that as you drift off into "retirement" only to be hired by some government contractor or lobbying organization at an insultingly high salary, that like your buddy Michael Hayden, you'll still be good for regular bullshit quotes to news organization. Still, while on the job, Alexander seems to want to go out with a bang, talking about how the UK was correct to detain Glenn Greenwald's partner David Miranda under an anti-terrorism law even though no one thinks he's a terrorist. However, even more troubling, is that Alexander, who has argued that the US government needs to figure out a way to silence reporters reporting on leaked documents, claims that there's an effort underway to create "media leaks legislation."The general, who is due to retire in the next several weeks, said that the furore over Snowden’s surveillance revelations – which he referred to only as “media leaks” – was complicating his ability to get congressional support for a bill that would permit the NSA and the military Cyber Command he also helms to secretly communicate with private entities like banks about online data intrusions and attacks.In case you haven't been paying attention, Alexander has been pushing for years for laws like CISPA, which would give the NSA much greater control over "cybersecurity" -- and specifically knock down barriers towards getting companies to share information with the NSA. Alexander and CISPA supporters have been spinning this entirely about "protecting" companies from online attackers, leaving out how it's really about giving the NSA more backdoors into private companies' networks.
“We’ve got to handle media leaks first,” Alexander said.
“I think we are going to make headway over the next few weeks on media leaks. I am an optimist. I think if we make the right steps on the media leaks legislation, then cyber legislation will be a lot easier,” Alexander said.
But think about what Alexander is saying above. He's flat out admitting -- as many have noted -- that his pet cybersecurity bills are dead right now because of all of the Snowden leaks, showing just how abusive the NSA has been. And his answer to that is not to fix the NSA, but to pass bills to stifle the free press from reporting on NSA efforts, which he then thinks will allow the government to pass legislation like CISPA.
As the report in the Guardian notes, no one seems to have any idea what this "media leaks legislation" is going to entail, as nothing has yet been proposed, and there haven't even been any real rumors of anything until now. However, with James Clapper recently referring to reporters as accomplices, and Rep. Mike Rogers making the out-of-left-field argument that reporters who are covering Snowden are thieves who traffic in stolen government property, you can connect a few dots and guess at what's coming down the pike.
Alexander's own comments seem to similarly suggest that reporters "have no standing" to report on these issues, because they're not insiders, using the Miranda detention as a launching pad:
“Recently, what came out with the justices in the United Kingdom … they looked at what happened on Miranda and other things, and they said it’s interesting: journalists have no standing when it comes to national security issues. They don’t know how to weigh the fact of what they’re giving out and saying, is it in the nation’s interest to divulge this,”Still, a bill to stifle investigative reporting is going to face stiff opposition, and even bringing up such a concept suggests that Alexander still has no clue what current public perception is like concerning the NSA's surveillance activities. Just the fact that he's suggesting a bill to silence a free press, and he specifically admits he wants to do so in order to get his troubling surveillance bill approved, shows the depths of Alexander's thinking on these issues. A free press? Not important. More power for the NSA to spy on everyone? That's the priority.
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Filed Under: cispa, cybersecurity, free press, keith alexander, nsa
Reader Comments
The First Word
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P.R.I.S.O.N.
Say it with me folks. PRISON.
That's where Alexander belongs. Him, along with Clapper, Feinstein, Rogers, King and anyone else who things the constitution is less than toilet paper.
I am absolutely sick and tired of this man's lies along with all of this cronies.
Enough is enough.
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I'm just throwing that out there, I don't really believe that's the case.
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Also, online security and bank transactions should not really be a national security mandate. They may try to spin it that way by claiming terrorists may hack banks and steal credit cards to fund their operations but lets be realistic. Claims that this is a real threat to national security is almost as ridiculous as claims by mainstream media outlets that Russia is terrified at the idea that the U.S. may try to build a nuclear defense shield. Online fraud is the job of regular law enforcement.
�We�ve got to handle media leaks first,� Alexander said.
Leaks are more truthful and informative than official statements and he is admitting that if the public knows the truth they will oppose his position even more.
""They don�t know how to weigh the fact of what they�re giving out and saying, is it in the nation�s interest to divulge this,�"
The government should represent the will of the people and the public has a say in the risks they are willing to take in terms of what information we may receive. I, as a member of the public, am willing to risk whatever risks more transparency brings because to sacrifice transparency would be to give up an important democratic principle that national security is supposed to defend.
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This thing called the US Constitution...
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Re:
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Re the UK.
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Reason for Freedom of Press
At least this part of the system appears to be functioning properly...
I got it! Alexander & Clapper want to completely break Democracy! That makes them the real Terrorists!
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you do have rights in the uk!
Ever wondered why police ask questions in the way they do and in the order that they do?
Wake up people, friends, family is what matters, these sociopathic assholes are not needed no more with the rise of the bitcoin protocol/etherium protocol.
Get with it or get left behind with these oligarchs! Sick mother f........
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"Keith Alexander wants draconian law passed to ensure passage of more draconian laws"
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The powers that be have a religion called "the free market" which cannot be questioned or properly evaluated because the act of contradicting them is considered an insult.
Most of the surveillance efforts are directed at us not because the terrorists are coming to get us but because of the revolving door and the number of representatives who rely on campaign donations from the military-surveillance-security-industrial complex.
They're not even all that interested in small fry like us, they just want to create the appearance of Doing Something About Terrorism. It's nothing personal, they just want to make money, and because the 1% are paying less tax these days, they're taking it out of our hides and if anyone complains, they must be a liberal socialist/terrorist.
The fact is, this is a bipartisan effort so there's no point in blaming it on either of the two main parties. They are equally to blame.
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It's a strange patriot who would trash the Constitution in the name of the nation built upon that Constitution.
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You have a point that laws affecting foreign sources should not affect domestic ones, but should we trust entities this grasping and this secretive to be satisfied with the laws given?
I think they've lost the benefits of doubt.
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Someone should check this Alexander guy for tentacles.
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Since when do journalists (or anybody) require "standing" to report on things? Saying they do is an obvious, overt and almost wholesale rejection of the First Amendment.
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Michael Hayden had issues with Gen. Alexander becoming head of the NSA because he tends to do things first without concern for legalities and later hunts for the validation he could do so. That sure sounds a lot like what we are seeing to day with the actions of the NSA.
His second in command, James Clapper is no bargain to succeed him. I am absolutely amazed beyond words that to date congress has not hauled him up on carpet for lying under oath to the Congressional Intelligence Commission. That sounds more of intimidation, cover up, and corruption, than any other speculation I could make. To those hunting a reason it is the first obvious conclusion to make.
Journalists have been failing to actually do their jobs. Were they doing them, investigative articles would long ago have pointed to how badly the citizen protections are being abused. They are nearly too late to now raise up a defense in the news to the public to save their own hides.
It just goes downhill from there.
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Root access to everything, handing out privilege as they see fit.
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"Keith Alexander wants draconian law passed to ensure passage of more draconian laws"
Then people would still believe it, Onion or not, just because anyone who's been paying attention knows there is no 'too low' for that scumbag, just 'how much can I get away with trashing the rights of the people in my quest for power?'
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Re: This thing called the US Constitution...
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He, and men like him pose the greatest natural threat to the long term security of the democratic republic that we want to see endure. He is not a patriot. He is part of a mindset that will destroy democracy in this country if we let it. To me, he is the man who took the military industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about, and brought it into the digital age. I hope that every person from every political leaning, preference, sexual orientation, religious ethos, educational background, and economic status wakes up to this reality and fights for the security of this government of the people, by the people, for the people before it is replaced by the dictatorship government that men like Alexander fight for.
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You have your facts mixed up. Alexander reports to Clapper, not the other way around. Alexander is head of NSA. Clapper is Director of National Intelligence, which coordinates between all the intelligence agencies, including the NSA. Also, Clapper is not succeeding Alexander. Instead, it's Admiral Mike Rogers from the Navy who will be succeeding Alexander (not to be confused with House Intelligence Committee boss Rep. Mike Rogers). Clapper is staying in his position.
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Re: Reason for Freedom of Press
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American drones would. When fighting terrorists like Miranda, a few casualties are to be expected. Fortunately, the Guardian's headquarter is likely to be populated mostly by journalists, so the collateral damage to innocent people would be minimal.
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so much treason going on
You have grossly underestimated the repercussions for your actions. Most have not been exposed to your numerous crimes. It would take a lil video all of ten minutes long to do so. You talk and talk and TALK about your treasons.
This I would like to actually thank you for.
Your audacity is only surpassed by your vile insidious traitorous actions which you will f.n pay dearly for.
That day shall come. Some of you may pass on before then but one day sooner then you'd ever care to imagine, YOU WILL BE TRIED FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Sincerely,
Tens of Millions of Americans
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Laser like focus
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Not only are they not trying to hide their hatred of the idea of self-governance, they are bragging about it.
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NSA
Disclaimer: Be advised it is possible, that this communication is being monitored by the National Security Agency, GCHQ or other third party organizations. I neither condone nor support any such policy, by any Government authority or organization that does not comply, as stipulated by the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
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Keith Alexander
The military is a dictatorship (unless you believe that before going into battle the soldiers vote on that). Further, for career military, dictatorship works very well, and the very idea of democratic rule is abhorrent.
Our problem is that we need CIVILIAN leaders of these agencies, it is ridiculous to expect career military to support democratic principles.
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