Australia - Digital Privacy Ends 13 Oct

Data retention and the end of Australians' digital privacy August 29, 2015 Quentin Dempster Contributing editor The digital privacy of Australians ends from Tuesday, October 13. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/data-retention-and-the-end-of-australians-digital-privacy-20150827-gj96kq.html Authorised agencies to view metadata > ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) > Australian Federal Police > All state and territory police forces > The Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity > Australian Crime Commission > Australian Customs and Border Protection Service > Australian Securities and Investments Commission > Australian Competition and Consumer Commission > NSW Crime Commission > NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption > NSW Police Integrity Commission > Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission > West Australian Corruption and Crime Commission > South Australian Independent Commission Against Corruption > Any other agency the Attorney General publicly declares ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- ꕤ

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

Intelligence Trivia - USA

Intelligence Trivia World War II close cooperation b/w USA & British intelligence began / Allen Dulles selected by Dwight Eisenhower to run CIA Allen Dulles, CIA later managed ops in Switzerland, a neutral operating ground for agents of the Allies & Nazis USA 1967 amid civil rights & anti-Vietnam War protests US Army Gen. William P. Yarborough, initiated Army intel + CIA + NSA domestic surveillance 1970s USA Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho curtailed extensive USA domestic surveillance program http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865635176/Arthur-Cyr-Intelligence-involves-art-along-with-science.html?pg=all Arthur I. Cyr Professor Carthage College author of four books on international relations and British politics prior:  vice president of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations & other 1966 UCLA Ph.D. with distinction in political science from Harvard University in 1971. ꕤ

USA Intelligence Contractor - Mantech International Corp

USA Intelligence Contractor Mantech International Corp | Profile ManTech International Corporation is a provider of technologies and solutions for national security programs for the intelligence community; the departments of Defense State Homeland Security Energy and Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation ... It supports national security programs for around 50 federal agencies through over 1,100 contracts. Its solutions and services include cyber; software and systems development; enterprise information technology; multi-discipline intelligence; program protection and mission assurance; systems engineering; test and evaluation; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; training; global logistics and supply chain management and management consulting. http://www.octafinance.com/professional-analysts-at-thestreet-cut-mantech-international-corp-nasdaqmant-from-buy-to-hold-rating/ ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- ManTech International Corporation co-founded by George J. Pedersen 1968 purpose:  IT & technical services to US federal govt customers one of USG'S leading providers Intelligence DOD State Dept Homeland Sec DOJ Space + other ManTech has supported telecommunications use in Operation Iraqi Freedom HQ:  Fairfax, Virginia over 10,000 employees operations in 40 countries Revenue $2.582 billion (2012) Net income $95.019 million (2012) 2012 announced purchase of HBGary, Inc support the US Army in southwest Asia, Iraq and Afghanistan, as lead subcontractor to the VSE corporation specialization in communications and technology equipment is helpful to the ground and air soldiers ManTech’s personnel often placed inside the units of troops which they support contract -  mine-clearing and other systems for US Army in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ManTech_International VSE Corporation technical services company formed in 1959 2008 and 2009 annual revenues surpassed $1 billion 2013, VSE operations   structure = 2 groups  (3 wholly owned subsidiaries/LLCs) Federal Group International Group Energetics Incorporated (Energy) G&B/Akimeka (Information Technologies) Wheeler Bros., Inc. (Supply Chain Management) provides engineering, logistics support, supply chain management, sustainment, foreign military sales, management sciences, information technology, energy and environment support, and facilities management. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VSE_Corporation ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- COMMENT It's amazing how big these companies are.  I find huge companies like this sort of intimidating. Can't get a handle on how enormous they are and how powerful these organisations must be. ꕤ

NSA Illegal Surveillance - Salt Lake City - 2002 Olympics - Lawsuit

Kristin Murphy/Deseret News, File Photo Rocky Anderson to file suit against NSA for 'criminal' surveillance during Olympics By Angie H. Treasure   |  Posted Aug 12th, 2015 @ 8:12pm SALT LAKE CITY — Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson is asking for the public's help in filing claims against the National Security Agency for what he called the "illegal" and "criminal" gathering of information during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. In an interview with KSL NewsRadio, Anderson said he first became aware of the alleged surveillance when he read an article detailing the NSA's activity in the Wall Street Journal in 2013. The publication disclosed that every phone call and text message in Salt Lake City was subject to surveillance by the NSA and FBI before and during the 2002 Olympic Games held in Utah. The Olympic games took place less than six months after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. "Every bit of it was illegal. It was a criminal act," Anderson said. "Every instance was a criminal act and a massive violation of our constitution and other domestic laws." Anderson said he had since spoken with a source who worked within the NSA at the time of the Olympics, and said the truth is even worse than the Wall Street Journal alleges. According to the source, not only was the greater Salt Lake City area under NSA surveillance, but the areas surrounding all the Olympic venues were being watched, meaning that the NSA was collecting information on all the calls made, how long they lasted and what numbers were involved. Anderson said his source also claimed that the NSA targeted specific people and recorded their conversations. "Here's how this man put it to me: They saw this as a golden opportunity to put a security cone over an entire geographic area and grab everything. And he said they did it all outside the Fourth Amendment, outside the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act," said Anderson. "Now think of this," Anderson said. "All of it without a warrant, all of it without probable cause. It is absolutely unprecedented in our nation's history." It's what Anderson's website calls "The most massive, indiscriminate, illegal spying on the contents of communications in United States history." "It used to be that we'd looked at what the Stasi did in East Germany, or what the KGB did in the Soviet Union and we would be appalled," Anderson said. "We would never stand for that from our government. We, the people, would stand up against that. And the fact is, we the people are not standing up. And that's why, in large part, I'm pursuing this now." "It used to be that we'd looked at what the Stasi did in East Germany, or what the KGB did in the Soviet Union and we would be appalled. We would never stand for that from our government. We, the people, would stand up against that. And the fact is, we the people are not standing up. And that's why, in large part, I'm pursuing this now." –Rocky Anderson Anderson said that his pursuit of a lawsuit is a way to prevent further surveillance of this kind from happening in the future. "We can't let complacency set in to the point where we're clearing the path toward greater totalitarianism," said Anderson. The lawsuit is about reversing the behavior before it becomes an irreversible trend, according to Anderson. "A lot of people say, oh, you're doing it for the fees. Believe me," Anderson said, "I would've been happy just being a plaintiff. I tried to get other organizations to handle this case." Although the statute of limitations for this kind of lawsuit is usually two years, the timeline has been delayed in light of the 2013 Wall Street Journal article. Anderson is asking that the public step forward and file claims. From Anderson's website: "If, during the period of approximately Oct. 1, 2001, to February 28, 2002, you sent or received emails or text messages or engaged in telephone calls while you or the other person to the communication was in Salt Lake City or an area near another Olympic venue, your communications were likely illegally and unconstitutionally surveilled, intercepted, and analyzed by the FBI and/or NSA. If that is the case, then you are likely entitled to the recovery of money damages."     Stand up for accountability for illegal spying and for rule of law. Description and claim forms: http://t.co/60KcuQqDjc Urgent. File now! RT     — Rocky Anderson (@RockyAnderson) August 12, 2015 Those damages, according to one statute cited by Anderson, could pay up to a minimum of $10,000 in damages to each person who has received this kind of violation of the law. Anderson is asking that people go to his website, fill out five documents and bring them to the Winder & Counsel offices at 460 S. 400 East in Salt Lake City by Monday, Aug. 17, to be filed. Anderson added that he tried to speak to the head of public affairs at the NSA last week and when he asked her about the allegations in the Wall Street Journal article, he was told she was aware of them but that she did not admit, deny, nor would she discuss them. The former mayor hopes that people will join him in the lawsuit, saying, "The government should fear the people, not the people fearing the government." Contributing: Mary Richards http://www.ksl.com/?sid=35936923&nid=148&fm=most_popular&s_cid=popular-8 ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- COMMENT Not sure if I've posted this earlier.  If I have, here it is again.  lol The Google search box widget isn't doing its thing for me and I'm finding it hard to keep track of what I've posted so far. Thought NSA getting sued and resistance to surveillance and totalitarianism was post worthy. The links are there for anyone in that region who wants to join the suit for damages and effort to curb future civil liberties incursions. Law needs to be amended regarding that statute of limitations.  An extension to something like 30 years sounds good.  lol ꕤ

USA - LAPD & Chicago PD - Militarised Police - Dirtbox (Fake Cell Phone Tower) Decade-long Dragnet Surveillance - Challenged by Civil Liberties Groups

LAPD Has Had “Stingray on Steroids” Surveillance Equipment for a Decade Back to News submit to reddit Wednesday, August 12, 2015 An older version of seldom-seen "dirtbox" Secret Stingray cellphone surveillance technology, deployed by police departments without warrants across the country, gets all the publicity. But the real deal is “Stingray on steroids” technology called “dirtbox” and The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) says cops in Los Angeles and Chicago have had it for a decade. Like Stingray, the device mimics cellphone towers to connect and monitor mobile devices. But dirtbox can monitor multiple signals at a time, breaking encryption as it goes, sweeping up data in a dragnet whose scale is unknown beyond its users. Devices like dirtbox were first developed for the military and intelligence agencies. Digital Research Technology, Inc. (DRT), purchased by giant defense contractor Boeing in 2008, started as Utica Systems in 1980, manufacturing devices for the “communications surveillance community.” Dirtboxes are popular among the U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. And documents obtained by Edward Snowden indicate they are used extensively by U.S. spy agencies. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) purchased the equipment in 2005 with a $260,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to CIR. Chicago purchased theirs with money gleaned from asset forfeiture cases. Both cities also deploy Stingrays. The accelerated militarization of local police since 9/11 has contributed to the widespread use of cell-site stimulator technology by local cops. An estimated 40 or 50 agencies use Stingrays, but there is no way to get an accurate count. Law enforcement agencies sign nondisclosure agreements with the manufacturer, Harris Corporation, which they are loathe to talk about, making court oversight problematic. It also doesn't help that the Obama administration has been advising local authorities to obscure use of the surveillance, which they have done. Prosecutors have dropped cases before releasing Stingray information. Dirtboxes have flown even more under the radar than Stingrays. CIR said its report on Chicago and Los Angeles was the first to reveal use of the technology by domestic law enforcement. LAPD refused to produce documents requested in February through the California Public Records Act. The Wall Street Journal wrote last December about the U.S. Marshals Service regularly flying dirtboxes around in Cessnas in at least five metropolitan areas. That kind of mass surveillance, with little discussion of warrants, raises Constitutional questions the courts are just beginning to address. The small boxes seem ideal for drone deployment. The Journal could only guess at what the Marshals are looking for—they do track fugitives—but said they also take target requests from the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ). Civil libertarians have been making noise in court over cell-site simulators. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed lawsuits seeking Stingray information in Anaheim and Sacramento, and the First Amendment Coalition filed a lawsuit in San Diego. SOURCE http://www.allgov.com/usa/ca/news/top-stories/lapd-has-had-stingray-on-steroids-surveillance-equipment-for-a-decade-150812?news=857184 ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT I've come across this before. Chicago Police sound really full-on from what little I've read. How deceitful, hypocritical and totalitarian is this? US claims to be the land of the 'free' and 'democratic', and look what's going on there.  Never mind 'Stingray on Steroids'; this is state surveillance / state control on steroids.  Totalitarian USA. No end to violations of civil liberties. I don't know if 'dirtboxes' are the same as fake phone towers. Looks like it's the same deal: A dirtbox (or DRT box) is a cell site simulator; a phone device mimicking a cell phone tower. The device is designed to create a signal strong enough within a short range so as to force dormant mobile phones to automatically switch over to it. [wikipedia] I've not read the rest of the Wikipedia entry; I've just captured that off the search summary. At least the civil liberties people are trying to challenge the practices (which have gone on for a decade). What's really shocking is the absence of disclosure and lack of court oversight, even though the US constitution is supposed to guarantee various civil liberties. ꕤ

First NSA Mass Surveillance Legal Challenge - Portland, USA

Mohamed Mohamud appeal is first to challenge NSA surveillance in terrorism conviction 1 / 42 Mohamed Mohamud, after being sentenced to 30 years in prison on Oct. 1, 2014. Courtroom sketch by Abigail Marble. Mike Zacchino | The Oregonian/OregonLive Print Email Bryan Denson | The Oregonian/OregonLive By Bryan Denson | The Oregonian/OregonLive Email the author | Follow on Twitter on August 12, 2015 at 5:00 AM, updated August 12, 2015 at 5:01 AM The U.S. spy operations that once put Portland terrorist Mohamed Mohamud under FBI surveillance violated his constitutional right against unlawful search and seizure, two civil liberties groups contend in a federal appeals court filing. Lawyers for the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation recently filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of Mohamud, who has appealed his 30-year-sentence for trying to detonate a bomb in downtown Portland four years ago. They have joined Mohamud's legal team in denouncing a law that has allowed the National Security Agency to collect troves of overseas communications by Americans through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The FISA Amendments Act of 2008 provided the legal justification for the massive NSA surveillance programs exposed two years ago by Edward Snowden. To identify foreign terrorists, the U.S. has secretly collected records of communications between untold numbers of Americans and tens of thousands of people overseas. While the targets of those queries are foreign agents, the civil liberties groups wrote that the government has sometimes performed "backdoor searches," poring through electronic repositories of phone calls, emails and texts for information about U.S. citizens such as Mohamud. That violated Mohamud's Fourth Amendment rights, they argue. His lawyers filed an opening brief with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this spring, opening the door for what is expected to be the nation's first appellate review of a criminal conviction resulting from the law. Their brief totaled 256 pages, and the court's commissioner ordered them to produce a slimmer version – no more than 180 pages – by this Friday. Government lawyers have until Dec. 7 to file their reply. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan D. Knight, lead prosecutor in Mohamud's criminal case, declined to comment on the appeal because it is pending. Lawyers have been arguing about Mohamud's case since the last Monday in November 2010, three days after he tried to detonate what he thought was a massive fertilizer bomb supplied by al-Qaida terrorists. The explosive was packed in a van near Pioneer Courthouse Square, where thousands of people gathered for Portland's holiday tree-lighting ceremony. The latest brief filed by Mohamud's lawyers describes his actions that night: "He pushed the buttons of a cellphone, twice, believing they would cause the explosion of a massive, nail-filled bomb capable of eliminating at least two city blocks. ... The bomb was a fake, created by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as the culmination of a sting operation they had started over a year earlier. "The defense at trial was entrapment: that the government had induced this teenager to attempt a crime he was not predisposed to commit." Mohamud was 19 at the time. On Jan. 31, 2013, a jury before Senior U.S. District Judge Garr M. King found Mohamud guilty of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, a charge that carried a potential life sentence. King sentenced him last October to 30 years in prison, and his lawyers filed a notice of appeal eight days later. Ten months later, the Department of Justice filed a court notice saying that the government had obtained permission – under the FISA Amendments Act – to eavesdrop and collect evidence on Mohamud. The 7-year-old law has allowed the NSA to vacuum up millions of ordinary Americans' telephone records. But it also has played a significant role in identifying and disrupting foreign spies and terrorists, national security experts say. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which signed orders that allowed the U.S. to eavesdrop on Mohamud, is the most secretive court in the land. Its written orders, unlike standard wiretap warrants, are classified and not disclosed to the defense. So Mohamud's lawyers never fully understood how the FBI came to investigate their client as a potential terrorist. As Mohamud sits in a federal prison in Victorville, California, his lawyers hope to persuade the appeals court to reverse his conviction and send the case back to Portland for dismissal or a new trial. As an alternative, they are asking the appeals court to vacate their client's sentence and send it back to U.S. District Court for evidentiary hearings or resentencing. Mohamud's lawyers raise 11 key issues in their appeal, pointing out that King had repeatedly turned down their requests for classified evidence. For instance, they wrote that the judge allowed the FBI's two key witnesses – undercover agents – to use their pseudonyms and wear light disguises as they testified before the jury. But their main point, the one that will keep national security scholars buzzing until the 9th Circuit rules in the Mohamud case, is the assertion that the FISA Amendments Act is illegal. One of those watching most closely is Tung Yin, a Lewis & Clark Law School professor who specializes in national security matters. "We shouldn't be putting someone in prison for 30 years if that conviction resulted in significant part from evidence that the government should not have had, which is what this case would determine," said Yin. Retired Federal Public Defender Steven T. Wax, who served on Mohamud's defense team and now works on his appellate team, said the government's use of the FISA Amendments Act should lead to reversal of his client's conviction. He remains troubled that the government might still possess classified evidence that could have helped Mohamud's case. "The way our system should work, the government is obligated by law to provide notice," he said. "They did not. That's a fundamental failing that should lead to throwing out the conviction." -- Bryan Denson bdenson@oregonian.com SOURCE http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/08/mohamed_mohamud_appeal_is_firs.html ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT What I got out of this (if I understand correctly): The following enabled the NSA to bulk collect data, in what amounts to the violation of the US  constitution: FISA Amendments Act of 2008 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court NSA conducted an illegal program that bulk collected the records of Americans, in violation of the Fourth Amendment rights enshrined in the US constitution. NSA conducted an illegal program that bulk collected the records of "tens of thousands" of non US citizens abroad (more like entire countries). FBI secures convictions on the basis of entrapment:  inducing targets to commit crime. Following civil liberties groups are mounting a legal challenge in respect of this conviction: ACLU Electronic Frontier Foundation  Law professor, Tung Yin:  "... if that conviction resulted in significant part from evidence that the government should not have had" - 30 year conviction a no go. The brief in defence was knocked back, with instructions to compile something scant (WTF?  A defence is a defence.  It's as long as it takes.) The secrecy surrounding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court is troublesome, because it prevents the defendant mounting a proper defence:   vital information is withheld, on basis of "classified" information justification, interfering with ability to defend. secret, disguised, key FBI witnesses testify. Under these circumstances, anybody could probably be convicted of anything.  No transparency and no accountability.  The accused is induced to commit crime and then denied information on 'classified' grounds and therefore denied the opportunity to properly defend. I don't understand the principles associated with evidence one is not supposed to have.  But I guess it has something to do with fair trials. As for FBI informants, they're not necessarily reliable.  Usually, these types are being blackmailed by the authorities into informing on others, so they're motivated by the opportunity to save their skin. ꕤ

Secret Hearing Into Allegations Canada Illegally Spied on Environmental Activists

https://news.vice.com/article/theres-a-secret-hearing-into-allegations-canada-illegally-spied-on-environmental-activists There's a Secret Hearing Into Allegations Canada Illegally Spied on Environmental Activists By Rachel Browne August 12, 2015 | 8:35 pm A federal watchdog committee is set to begin a round of secret hearings to probe complaints that Canada's spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, has been illegally snooping on environmental activists working against oil pipeline projects. In 2014 the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) filed two complaints against CSIS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) accusing both agencies of spying on environmental and First Nations groups who were organizing against the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, which would carry crude west from Alberta to BC. The groups allegedly subjected to surveillance include the Sierra Club of BC, the Dogwood Initiative, and ForestEthics Advocacy. "This kind of activity, what's being alleged, has no place in democracy. The government and its spy agencies should not be busy surveilling and gathering intelligences on citizenships who are simply living their lives and participating in their communities," Josh Paterson, BCCLA's executive director, told VICE News. "There are plenty of undemocratic countries where governments spy on people they don't agree with. And Canada should not be one of them." The BCCLA's complaints, based on government documents obtained under access to information requests, further allege the spy agency also shared their intelligence about "radicalized environmentalist" groups with the National Energy Board. CSIS has long denied the BCCLA's allegations. "CSIS investigates — and advises government on — threats to national security, and that does not include peaceful protest and dissent," a CSIS spokesperson told the CBC last year. New federal anti-terror legislation, known as Bill C-51, that recently came into force gives CSIS more powers to probe and disrupt extremist activities and has raised further worries that environmental and aboriginal groups in Canada could be subjected to more surveillance than ever before. This week, the Guardian reported on the great lengths the Conservative government has undertaken to protect two major pipeline projects — Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan — from environmental and First Nations groups. According to documents obtained under access to information by Greenpeace, the government is spending $30 million over two years on domestic and international "outreach activities" to promote the oil sands industry in Alberta. That's on top of the $22 million the government spent in 2014 on a similar ad campaign in the US. The three-day hearings held by the committee that oversees CSIS start today in Vancouver and are shrouded in secrecy — media and members of the public are barred from attending. This afternoon, Paterson will testify for the complainants. And tomorrow, witnesses from groups allegedly spied on will testify about their experiences. But it's unclear when CSIS will argue its side. As part of its disclosure ahead of the hearings, Paterson says CSIS has provided only printouts from its website and has said that a senior spy service manager, known only as "Robert," will testify at some point. CSIS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from VICE News. "It's so secretive that we likely won't know until after it has taken place and it makes this whole hearing super bizarre as an accountability mechanism. We have no ability to know what CSIS' argument is, what their evidence is, we can't respond to their arguments, our lawyers are not able to interact with what CSIS is saying," said Paterson. He added that the BCCLA is not suggesting that a hearing about spying should never be held in secret, especially if there are legitimate concerns about national security or if it would put people in danger. "But here, the government's documents have made clear that there was no threat, that there was no question that these groups were engaged in anything other than peaceful activities. And so we really question why more information can't be disclosed by CSIS about what they were doing." Last week, Alexandra Swann, a volunteer with the Dogwood Initiative, opened up about how the purported spying revelations have impacted her activism. "Finding out had a chilling effect for me. Suddenly, I was very concerned how far it had extended," she wrote on the BCCLA's website. "Was I personally named somewhere? Had they investigated my online activities? Read my emails? I realized the right to privacy was a myth in this country, and that being a decent person was no barrier to illegal scrutiny by people far more powerful than me." Paterson said that witnesses will testify that the allegations about widespread CSIS surveillance has turned many people off from community activism. "We're going to be hearing evidence from witnesses who say people are refusing to sign petitions because they don't want their names out there because they're worried about what security agencies might do," he said. "We're also going to hear evidence from a new Canadian hoping to have Canadian citizenship who also didn't want to sign a petition because she was afraid of upsetting the government. And others who were fearful of volunteering with community organizations because it might draw unwanted attention from community organizations. The BCCLA says it will consider asking the oversight committee to issue summonses to the CSIS employees listed on the documents. The committee's probe is expected to take more than a year. Follow Rachel Browne on Twitter: @rp_browne https://news.vice.com/article/theres-a-secret-hearing-into-allegations-canadas-spy-agency-snooped-on-environmental-activists ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------- ---------------------- COMMENT This is huge. Look at all the public funds that are being spent on *corporations*. Capitalists are anti communism and anti welfare, but they're happy with 'corporate socialism' - ie receiving public funds, bail-outs etc & 'austerity' is never a problem for corporations:  they get rewarded for being crooks. The Canadian government sounds like a corporate 'fascist' / totalitarian nightmare that's developing all over. It's just more and more of the same that's going on everywhere. Governments in bed with corporate interests, at the expense of the public, and governments / government agencies abusing their power. ꕤ

Canada - CSIS Illegal Spying on Enrironmental Activists - Lawsuit | Bill C-51 Gives CSIS Power to Break Law & Violate Constitution

CSIS spy exposé triggers federal hearings By Linda Solomon Wood & Jenny Uechi in News | August 12th 2015 A Vancouver Observer investigation has prompted hearings about whether the RCMP and CSIS broke the law by spying on environmental groups. The Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC) began hearing arguments today in Vancouver by the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) regarding the Harper government's extensive spying on groups critical of the tar sands. The spying was revealed in documents obtained by National Observer's sister publication, Vancouver Observer, in 2013. "We wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for the Vancouver Observer," said BCCLA executive director Josh Paterson. The Observer investigation showed the National Energy Board (NEB) coordinating with RCMP and CSIS to monitor groups opposing the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline: The federal government has been vigorously spying on anti-oil sands activists and organizations in BC and across Canada since last December, documents obtained under the Access to Information Act show. Not only is the federal government subsidizing the energy industry in underwriting their costs, but deploying public-safety resources as a de facto "insurance policy" to ensure that federal strategies on proposed pipeline projects are achieved, these documents indicate. The federal government spying and monitoring of pipeline critics was illegal and had a "chilling" effect on Canadians' freedom of expression and freedom of association, BCCLA will argue, Paterson said. The hearings opened in a cloak of secrecy. The government barred reporters from photographing people going in or out of the court to prevent them from capturing the image of a secret agent. No media were allowed to observe or report on the hearings and the public is not allowed to attend. But Paterson spoke this morning about what he expected to happen behind closed doors. "Clearly, if there were issues of national security at stake — if there were information that would compromise the safety of agents in the field — you could see why a hearing might take place in secret," he said. "What we know from government documents makes clear that there was no threat to national security, that these groups were operating peacefully. So we don’t understand why at the very least CSIS can’t make more documents public about its activities," he added. "We’re arguing that CSIS broke the law by gathering intelligence about the democratic activities of Canadians in relation to the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline. We'll see through these hearings that spies and police though surveillance intimidate people until they feel like they don’t want to participate in the democratic process." CSIS spying exposed through FOIs In November 2013, Matt Millar, then a reporter for Vancouver Observer, obtained Freedom of Information (FOI) documents that showed the NEB coordinating with RCMP and CSIS to monitor several groups, including Idle No More, ForestEthics, Sierra Club, Leadnow, Dogwood Initiative and the Council of Canadians. The FOI material revealed that the NEB was arranging police protection for Enbridge and TransCanada staff, while keeping a close eye on their critics. Vancouver Observer subsequently reported that Canada's chief spy watchdog, Chuck Strahl, then head of SIRC, had registered as a lobbyist for Enbridge. Further investigations revealed that Strahl, a former Conservative cabinet minister, had been contracted by Enbridge since 2011. The stories prompted the BCCLA to file a complaint against RCMP and CSIS for 'illegal' monitoring of peaceful activists, Paterson said. They also led to Strahl's resignation due to perceived conflict of interest. "This stems from documents that were released to the Vancouver Observer that suggested that the RCMP and CSIS had gathered intelligence and shared intelligence on citizens group," said Paterson. "These were groups that were either assisting people to participate in the process, or organizing people to protest against the proposed pipeline. That is part of the life of a democracy and that should be welcomed." "Instead, we see that the government spied on these people and shared information about the activities of environmental groups with petroleum companies. This is highly problematic, and potentially a violation of people’s charter rights," Paterson said. national energy board, CSIS, spying on environmentalists, government spying, RCMP Screenshot of email in which Rick Garber, NEB's "Group Leader of Security," discussing monitoring of First Nations pipeline critics in Prince Rupert. Hearings taking place in atmosphere of secrecy CSIS has disclosed very little information heading into the three-day hearings, BCCLA lawyer Paul Champ told the Canadian Press. Paterson said he hopes for a fair ruling by SIRC, but is disturbed by aspects of secrecy that might thwart a just process. "There’s a whole extra-secret part of the hearings that we’re not allowed to attend. Just CSIS and their lawyers will be there, and they’ll make their case in secret. They won’t even tell us when it’s going to happen. We’ll receive a redacted transcript." Yves Fortier, a member of the Security Intelligence Review Committee who was revealed to be a former TransCanada board member who still held shares in the company, will be part of the committee reviewing this case, he said. "[Fortier] himself is by all accounts an upstanding individual of impeccable reputation," Paterson said. "However, he did used to be on a board of a pipeline company whose name is mentioned in these documents. We had asked for him to step aside based on the appearance of bias." In November of 2013, Vancouver Observer broke the news that Harper government officials and spies met with industry officials in Ottawa. In the shadow of Bill C-51 In February 2014 the BCCLA filed a complaint with the review committee after media reports suggested that CSIS and other government agencies considered opposition to the petroleum industry a threat to national security. The complaint cited reports the spy service had shared information with the National Energy Board about "radicalized environmentalist" groups seeking to participate in the board’s hearings on Enbridge’s Northern Gateway project, which would see Alberta crude flow westward to the B.C. coast. The passage of government security legislation that gives CSIS new powers to disrupt extremist activity has only heightened concerns about government monitoring of environmental and aboriginal protesters who oppose oil pipelines. Paterson is adamant that Bill C-51 has given CSIS far greater powers to break the law and even to violate the constitution. "They have to get a warrant from a judge but that gives us no comfort at all. It’s not the job of judges to break the law but to protect the constitution," he said. "This motivates CSIS to go to judges and say, 'Here’s what we’re planning,' but CSIS has a long history of breaching its duty of candor." "The only thing they’re not allowed to do is violate someone’s sexual integrity, to kill someone or to subvert justice," Paterson adderd. "Short of that, they’re being given the power to break the law and violate the constitution." CSIS did not immediately respond to questions about the process. SIRC has been reached for comment, but did not respond before publication time. — with files from the Canadian Press http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/08/12/news/csis-spy-expos%C3%A9-triggers-federal-hearings CSIS = Canadian Security Intelligence Service Main national security agency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Security_Intelligence_Service SIRC = Security Intelligence Review Committee supposedly independent agency to oversee CSIS inefficient https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Intelligence_Review_Committee MORE ELSEWHERE There's a Secret Hearing Into Allegations Canada Illegally Spied on Environmental Activists ACTIVIST'S PERSPECTIVE Hey CSIS. If you're listening, we're going to hold your spying to account. By Kai Nagata     August 13, 2015 http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/dogwood-initiative/2015/08/hey-csis-if-youre-listening-were-going-to-hold-your-spying ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- --------------------- COMMENT Wealth of reasons not to give intelligence agencies greater powers. Canada's is shocking & the 'watchdog' (from other articles I've read), is completely toothless. More spying on those engaged in democratic activities  - ie those protesting environmental issues, in this case. Tons of information here.  And what applies in Canada, applies elsewhere.  As in, this is what happens when you give intelligence agencies unchecked power.  It's not used for the benefit of the community; it's used against the community, to further corporate interests (by look of this). Canada sounds bent. ꕤ

ANDREA VANCE - 'NZ spies want greater powers'

NZ spies want greater powers ANDREA VANCE Last updated 12:18, August 13 2015 Grapes grow in a vineyard around the GSCB monitoring station in the Waihopai Valley near Blenheim. STEPHEN RUSSELL/FAIRFAX MEDIA Grapes grow in a vineyard around the GSCB monitoring station in the Waihopai Valley near Blenheim. The release of a "hit list" by Islamic State with a Kiwi's name on it comes as New Zealand's spy agencies demand greater surveillance powers. Emergency anti-terror laws passed last year were promoted as measures to stop foreign fighters leaving for conflicts in Syria and Iraq. However, they also allowed the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) to monitor any terrorist suspects for 24 hours without a warrant. Additionally the reforms permitted the spy agency to conduct video surveillance on private property in cases of suspected terrorism. The new laws came on the back of expanded powers handed to the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) in 2013. Caught out illegally spying on Kiwis, the foreign agency was now sanctioned to use its technology and agents to carry out surveillance on behalf of the police, SIS and Defence Force. Terrorism suppression legislation, passed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, designated terrorist groups and created offences around financing and allowed for the freezing of assets. It also incorporated international obligations, establishing offences relating to recruiting, bombing and handling explosives. It also meant planning a terrorist act, or making a "credible" threat, was illegal even if it was not carried out. Five years later, the law was amended and now allowed for the Prime Minister to designate which groups were considered terrorists, where previously it was the role of the high court. A review of that legislation was abandoned by the Government in 2012. Interception warrants - for monitoring communications - could be done under a range of laws such as the SIS and GCSB Acts and the International Terrorism (Emergency Powers) Act 1987. But security services were pushing for more, arguing current laws were outdated and did not keep pace with technology. Canada, Australia and the UK are in the process of pushing through tough anti-terror laws which they said were needed to counter jihadis. British Prime Minister David Cameron last month outlined a five-year plan to counter extremism, focused on how ideology was communicated - but critics fear it would curb freedom of speech. The GCSB legislation established a review of the security services, which was currently being carried out by former deputy prime minister Sir Michael Cullen and lawyer Dame Patsy Reddy. On Tuesday, SIS director Rebecca Kitteridge said the legislation governing her agency needed to change. SIS and GCSB minister Chris Finlayson refused to rule out expanded surveillance powers when questioned in Parliament this week. SOURCE http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71090362/nz-spies-want-greater-powers ---------------------- ꕤ ----------------------    Foreign intel - GCSB - here Internal intel - NZSIS - here Hon Christopher Finlayson, Attorney-General- here ---------------------- COMMENT Wow, that was some interesting NZ information in the look ups. Both agencies have a record of spectacularly overstepping their bounds and unlawfully violating civil liberties, yet more power is sought. Some confusion on my part as to who is responsible.  If I understand correctly, it's John 'Teflon' Key, according to convention (Wikipedia). But it looks like responsibility for intel has maybe been hand-balled. Assume from the article that the minister responsible for both agencies is the attorney-general, Christopher Finlayson.  Did Key handball it to the attorney-general, or is Key ultimately responsible and overseeing the attorney-general? Alternatively, is this really attorney-general territory in practice? It looks like Finlayson's minister in charge of SIS (Security Intelligence Services), going by his profile.  Don't see anything re the foreign intel agency, GCSB. Freedom of speech Civil liberties are definitely on the line, if this lot's going to have a crack at controlling how ideology is communicated' expanding their already considerable powers. Everybody's freedom of speech is civil liberties are at risk - not just a select group, because anybody can become be designated a 'threat' - eg.  NZSIS designated 20 apartheid protesters of the 1980s as 'subversives' and put them on what is presumably a secret surveillance list. Edit:  GCSB - also caught spying illegally / see Kitteridge Report. For government agencies known to spy on activists, animal activists and, by implication, NZ political parties (see Gillchrist 10 years paid NZ govt spy & the NZSIS), these organisations (and the govt that controls them) ought to be kept in check, rather than awarded further powers.   They've already have proven they don't abide by existing laws.  'More' power isn't what they need. NZSIS spying on students and university staff, under the pretext of protecting New Zealanders from 'weapons of mass destruction' is hilarious.  Don't know whether the humour's in the Wikipedia entry, or if they really did use that insane excuse.  Didn't look further than the Wikipedia entry. If it's left to John Key and his government to designate 'terrorist' targets for surveillance by these agencies, the danger is that Teflon will chose on the basis of political considerations - like preservation of power.  lol Note also:  anyone who is deemed a political or like threat (as in threat to maintenance of power, cover-ups etc), is likely labelled 'terrorist'. For example, Julian Assange (WikiLeaks) was labelled 'terrorist' by the Americans ... for exposing US war crimes!   People, this is comedy gold. Instead of writing that propaganda show for the BBC, mocking the serious danger Assange is in, had those entertainment writers given even a cursory look at intelligence agencies, they'd have found themselves comedy gold.    Never going to happen.  Just as mainstream journalism seldom challenges those in power in any meaningful way, entertainment writers apparently also dare not challenge the powerful.  Like hyenas, they despicably attack the target of the powerful. --- Hey, New Zealand This Is What Happens When Intel Agencies Have Unchecked Power spying and monitoring of pipeline critics was illegal and had a "chilling" effect on Canadians' freedom of expression and freedom of association complaint against RCMP and CSIS for 'illegal' monitoring of peaceful activists government spied on these people and shared information about the activities of environmental groups with petroleum companies. MORE - here + MORE ELSEWHERE There's a Secret Hearing Into Allegations Canada Illegally Spied on Environmental Activists PS This post is a mess, but I'll let it stand as testimony to my stupidity.  lol Don't know what I was thinking.  Must have got confused by the mention of the UK implementations.   Same deal, whether it's speech or privacy issue, so it all stands. PPS If they're using the argument that "current laws were outdated and did not keep pace with technology," they're probably wanting to amp up digital surveillance in NZ, I'm guessing. ꕤ