Intel & Surveillance News

US vows to help #Philippines in intel gathering / oldest US ally in Asia no specifics re support see Territorial dispute South China Sea #China claim Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei + Taiwan have overlapping claims http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/08/26/1492532/us-vows-help-philippines-intel-gathering MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates Lttd /MDA CA$3.9 million contract with National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency http://softwaredev.itbusinessnet.com/article/MDA-to-provide-operational-enhancements-for-information-solution-to-support-flight-operations-at-airports-4038599 other MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates Lttd /MDA  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacDonald,_Dettwiler_and_Associates National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency combat support agency, under USA DOD & intelligence agency US intel comm GEOINT NGA credited by WH military officials for providing info re Op Neptune's Spear 2011 / bin Laden #Serbia National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency cause of #NATO Bombing of Chinese embassy in Belgrade / CIA argues otherwise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Geospatial-Intelligence_Agency USA military - DRONES Spent last decade amassing over 7,000 surveillance drones / some size of birds / others as big as as jetliners Drone technology = USA spy planes will be phased out starting in 2018 Without US ground troops in Iraq and Syria, #USA commanders rely on airborne #surveillance more than ever before Iraq war - USA had plenty fighter pilots - low on aerial surveillance re what happening ground / long distance pilots on amphetamine paste Over decades, U-2 spy plane claimed lives of 30 pilots / many have nearly crashed after suffering decompression sickness Russia U-2 spy plane shot down over Soviet Union in 1960 / capture of pilot Francis Gary Powers / traded for Soviet spy 1962 It is after satellites could be relied upon for remote control that drones could be used for surveillance. US Airforce trained: x18 U-2 pilots trained 2014 x57 ground-based pilots for Global Hawk (drone) [ looks like drones are the go ] DRONES = cost about half what the U-2 spy planes cost per flying hour to operate Global Hawk = drone http://www.latimes.com/nation/great-reads/la-na-c1-spy-plane-pilot-20150826-story.html Potomac Advocates (PRASAM) PRASAM, intel community's 'official' lobbyist grabbed lion’s share of USG lobbying 4 intel community /subsription http://www.intelligenceonline.com/government-intelligence/due-diligence/2015/08/26/prasam-intelligence-community-s--official--lobbyist,108088706-ART More Potomac Advocates http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/firmsum.php?id=D000036775 Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc provides war fighter solutions and security related services engineering, Information Technology services and war fighter solutions primarily for US National Security priorities services include command, control, communications, computing, combat systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (c5ISR), weapon systems lifecycle support, military weapon range and technical services, network engineering services, advanced information technology services, security and surveillance systems, and critical infrastructure design and integration services. http://www.americantradejournal.com/kratos-defense-security-solutions-inc-short-interest-update-2/657949/ #Canada Surveillance Police surveillance camera goes up in East Vancouver neighbourhood / gang violence issue http://www.news1130.com/2015/08/25/police-surveillance-camera-goes-up-in-vancouver-neighbourhood/ #Surveillance Windows 10 heralds a future in which the cloud rules and computers snitch on us by default default / automatic sharing of data the new normal — from your voice & typing patterns to unique machine ID s/ track & target #surveillance By default, users of Mac OSX & Ubuntu Linux transmit local search terms to respective companies + third parties http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/8/when-surveillance-is-a-feature-not-a-bug.html #AmericanAggression masked as deterrence to 'Russian aggression' USA send F-22 Raptors to Europe European Reassurance Initiative $985 million in overseas contingency operations USA funding - 2015 current fiscal year. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2015-08-25/us-will-send-f-22s-europe-bolster-allies-deter-russia Understanding Indications & Warning Efforts Of US Ballistic Missile Defence – Analysis http://www.eurasiareview.com/26082015-understanding-indications-and-warning-efforts-of-us-ballistic-missile-defense-analysis/ Surveillance / Militarised Police #Baltimore police Coming Storm 'Stingray' Surveillance by Police http://www.citylab.com/crime/2015/08/youre-going-to-hear-a-lot-more-about-police-use-of-stingray/402283/ USA Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act | CISA concerns re proposed Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act ie - nature and volume of private data about users being funneled to the government (and intelligence agencies) by companies who opt to participate in the information sharing scheme contemplated by the law https://www.justsecurity.org/25475/cisa-surveillance-law-xss-attack/ USA - Surveillance Act (FISA) electronic surveillance under Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) fed appeals court upheld sentence http://www.startribune.com/federal-appeals-court-upholds-women-s-prison-sentences-in-terror-case/322843851/ Military Drones Market to Reach $11 Billion by 2021 From $3 Billion in 2014 http://www.aviationpros.com/news/12106991/military-drones-market-to-reach-11-billion-by-2021-from-3-billion-in-2014 Ghostery privacy extension / Ghostrank Ghostery privacy extension http://www.extremetech.com/internet/212476-is-it-safe-to-use-the-ghostery-privacy-extension ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- COMMENT Random surveillance articles.  Bit of a mixed bag that's thrown up some military stuff.  Mostly just skimmed. The ballistic missiles article could be interesting, as it's a bit hard to apply lessons of history to present day strategy, without knowing anything about today's military capabilities.  That might be a reading list article.  Not sure I'll get there.  Swamped with all the earmarked stuff I think might be a good read.  Not enough time in the day for all this stuff.  lol The US proposal for companies to share info with government and spy agencies is about as totalitarian as it gets. ꕤ

VIDEO - Noam Chomsky - On Film 'American Sniper'

VIDEO - Noam Chomsky - On Film 'American Sniper' Source - YouTube Drawn to this by the Janet Allon, Greenleft article [HERE]: " ... most extreme terrorist campaign of modern history, if not ever ― Obama’s global assassination campaign, the drone campaign, which officially is aimed at murdering people who are suspected of maybe someday planning to harm us.” Chomsky recommends reading some of the transcripts with drone operators, calling them “harrowing” in their dehumanising treatment of people who are targeted." [Greenleft] At the end of the video, Chomsky says: "Obama may recall, when he won the Nobel Prize, he said "Make no mistake, evil does exist in the world," and he's right; he knows exactly where to find it." [Noam Chomsky] Some strong words from Noam Chomsky. It's mind-blowing that people around the world are being killed by the US government, without trial and merely on suspicion that they may represent a future 'threat'.   Yet the US drone program -- employing unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), which are remotely controlled by the CIA's Special Activities Division -- barely gets mentioned. Human Rights Watch reported: US has carried out at least 400 drone strikes since Obama took office, reportedly killing upwards of 2,600 people, according to independent research groups. Source - HRW - Mar 2014 - here. That's over 2,600 in the space of about 5 years. Seems like 'targeted killings' aren't really precise. But it's a preferred way of conducting war, precisely because of its remote and 'invisible' nature ... the public at home aren't going to complain, as it doesn't affect them in ways that traditional war does (ie burying the war dead).

IRAQ - CHALDEAN CATHOLICS - LOBBY OBAMA FOR US ASYLUM & DRONE STRIKES

San Diego Chaldean business leader cancels Washington trip Posted: Aug 07, 2014 1:20 PM Updated: Aug 07, 2014 1:20 PM SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A San Diego business leader who sounded the alarm over the persecution of Christians in northern Iraq decided Wednesday to cancel a trip to Washington, D.C., where he was set to meet with top administration officials. Mark Arabo, CEO of the Neighborhood Market Association, leads a coalition of people who represent Chaldean Catholics in the Middle East. The coalition is still scheduled to meet with National Security Advisor Susan Rice on Thursday, but Arabo decided to stay home and participate by phone, a spokesman said. He said Arabo had traveled a lot recently and was pleased with a United Nations resolution this week to condemn the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, known as ISIS. Coalition members plan to tell Rice that they hope President Barack Obama will recognize the situation in Iraq as a refugee crisis, to immediately increase visas and to raise the annual asylum ceiling for Middle Easterners from 10,000 to 40,000. They will also ask for targeted drone strikes against ISIS. Thousands of Christians fled the Iraqi city of Mosul, where they traditionally live side-by-side with Muslims, after being threatened with death by the fundamentalist Islamic fighters. ISIS swept through northern Iraq in late May and early June and were advancing on Baghdad before their offensive stalled. Witnesses said ISIS has instead imposed strict Islamic law in the regions they control. ... http://www.kusi.com/story/26218551/san-diego-chaldean-business-leader-cancels-washington-trip

Chaldean (Iraq Catholic) lobby urging US drone strikes.
Wonder if Obama will go for it.

US to sell 'militarised drones' to allies?

RT America News Article below:

Published on 16 Jul 2014

 

The [US] State Department's Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Global Strategic Affairs, Kenneth Handelman, hinted this week that the U.S. might soon loosen its restrictions on exporting militarized drones to allies. Speaking at an international airshow, Handelman told the audience to stay tuned. 

A 1987 agreement known as the Missile Technology Control Regime, which was signed by 34 nations, prevents the spread of unmanned systems that have the capability of carrying weapons of mass destruction. 

But, with dozens of countries pursuing this type of technology, it's only a matter of time before one of them succeeds. 

Proponents say the relaxed restrictions will boost competition and stimulate the economy. 

Opponents are worried about civilian casualties or the scenario of these weapons ending up in the wrong hands. 

RT Correspondent Meghan Lopez reports from the State Department about these developments. 

SOURCE - RT America News - Video - here.

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COMMENT

US corporate interests want money so the bet is the agreement falls by the wayside.

Also, the NATO crew are all increasing the military spending (as per US directive) and have agreed to escalated US military presence in Europe, so I predict drones sold to allies in the very near future.  

LOL.