countermeasures1’s Comments

• Dec 19th, 2013 @ 5:35am

  Intelligence Task Force, etc.

  on Surprise: White House's Intelligence Review Task Force Suggestions Much More Than Just Cosmetic
  From Putin's press conference re Snowden: "The former KGB agent said people should remember that espionage was necessary for security reasons: "However much our American friends are criticised, I think their work was mainly directed at fighting terrorism. Of course, this has its negative aspects and on a political level the appetites of the special services need to be controlled. But overall, you have to understand that it is necessary."
• Jul 11th, 2013 @ 4:51am

  Re: Re: I think Mr Snowden found a new home

  on Brazilian Politicians Want To Offer Snowden Asylum After Learning Of US Spying On Brazilians
  Unless you have someone "special" meets you - then you are whisked through with no more than a wave of the hand.
• Jul 9th, 2013 @ 7:54am

  The NSA and Brazil

  on Brazilian Politicians Want To Offer Snowden Asylum After Learning Of US Spying On Brazilians
  We got over the U-2 (Gary Powers) shoot-down when things were "hot" between the US and Soviet Union. Brazilian politicians are squat compared to when, at the The Paris Summit between President Eisenhower and Nikita Krushchev, negotiations collapsed in large part because Krushchev demanded an apology that Eisenhower was unwilling to give. Looks like Brazilian politicos are trying to use the Snowden "revelations" to divert constituent concern over the down-turning economy - sooo typical!
• Jul 2nd, 2013 @ 12:33pm

  Re: Re: duh

  on Why Yes, We Have Learned A Lot About The NSA's Surveillance Programs
  If the polls are correct, %50 don't care one way or another - is that an indicator of "trust" ? The other 50% ? Where is the kernel of understanding the depth of the issue or is "gut" prevailing over pragmatic reason? The outcome will be interesting - particularly after the politicians get finished with it.
• Jul 2nd, 2013 @ 8:42am

  (untitled comment)

  on Why Yes, We Have Learned A Lot About The NSA's Surveillance Programs
  Yo - Listen Up Y'All -"Enemy of the State" is a 1998 American action-thriller about a group of rogue NSA agents who kill a US Congressman and try to cover up the murder. It was written by David Marconi, directed by Tony Scott, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Not much of a "stretch" was it?
  - Hondo1, 02July2013
• Jun 20th, 2013 @ 7:39am

  (untitled comment)

  on Germany's Spies Have NSA Envy: Currently Working To Build Their Own Comprehensive Snooping System
  Big Deal! This is old hat stuff for the Germans - they did a great job with Communications Intel during WWII until the Brits and the US figured out their Enigma machine. One has to assume that any country is into the snooping biz - some do it better than others.
• Apr 16th, 2013 @ 10:34am

  nasch Re: FOIA - Dates

  on US Gov't Tops Itself In Waiting Years Before Responding To FOIA Requests With Nothing
  My first letter to Department of the Treasury (US Customs Service) was acknowledged on 10 March 1997. FOIA was filed on 01 March 2000. Customs responded on 14 and 20 June 2000 indicating 14 pages of information (heavily redacted). On 06 July 2000 I requested "to expunge or amend" which was denied on 14 August 2000. I appealed on 08 September 2000 - denied.
  Other:
  09 March 2001 to FOI Unit at DEA - their response was "no information, etc. on record."
  10 October 2001 to Bob Graham, Chairman Select Committee on Intelligence with CC to Porter J. Gross, Chair House Committee on Intelligence - no response from either (and I live in Florida).
  09 October to Robert C. Bonner, Commissioner, Dept. of Treas., Us Customs - no response
  Plus a few others which I don't have at hand.
• Apr 16th, 2013 @ 4:32am

  FOIA

  on US Gov't Tops Itself In Waiting Years Before Responding To FOIA Requests With Nothing
  During my 30 year sales career, I did lots of international travel. Many of these countries were "controversial" because of known narcotics, money laundering and other. After at about year 20, I started to be stopped for "interrogation" upon re-entry to the US with high frequency. During a chance chat with an off duty US Customs agent, he suggested I (a) write a letter of complaint and (b)file an FOIA letter. I did all these things and what followed was INCREDIBLE. The heavily redacted reply that I received allowed enough of a analysis to conclude that US Customs had me down [suspected], with really crazy "evidence", as "having smuggled large quantities of Narcotics into the US secreted in shipments of wood [to Charlotte]from a country in South America PLUS having made large deposits of money into banks in Colombia, SA.
  I filed to have the record expunged (denied) - I also requested - in three different letters - a meeting with the Customs, either locally, regionally or in Washington - do discuss. I asked them why they didn't "prosecute" if they had so much valid information, etc. Well, I am retired now and wouldn't get on an airplane to travel internationally for anything - particularly with the current group of clowns "in charge". Irony is, (A) was Top Secret Cat 3 Crypto in the military, (B) have passed many fingerprint and background checks (Concealed weapons permit plus the FBI's InfraGard organization) and not a peep! Oh, one funny things, I made separate FOIA's to both the FBI and DEA - both came back "clean". Question, if I had been such a bad-ass, don't you think that there would have been some information sharing between agencies - particularly between DEA - Customs? Not a chance. I even wrote letters to McCain, Graham and others - no response. This was/is more comic [tragic] than the Keystone Kops!