NSA abuses include Stalking ex-Girlfriends

[Ichingcarpenter]

NSA abuses include Stalking ex-Girlfriends




We have HUMINT, or human intelligence gathered from agents. We have SIGINT or signals intelligence. And now we have LOVEINT or NSA analysts occasionally reading the emails of ex-lovers. It doesn’t happen a lot, the NSA told the WSJ, but often enough that there is a word for it.

The NSA only admitted this abuse to the Senate Intelligence committee a few days ago.

The NSA has dealt with the spying scandal with the classic techniques of government manipulation of the public: Deny for as long as possible, then make few gradual small admissions, so when the big abuses come out the press views the story as stale and is unconcerned about the new scale of abuse coming out.

1. First, deny everything. Say it is impossible to access individual Americans’ email as they are typing.

2. Use the difference between statute (laws passed by Congress) and Ronald Reagan’s 1981 Executive Order (which responded to earlier intel abuses and forbids spying on Americans) to deny that any “laws” have been broken. (An Executive Order has the force of law but isn’t exactly a law.). Notorious authoritarians like Mike Rogers (R-MI), head of the House Intelligence Committee, have used this ploy. Rogers wouldn’t know a civil liberty if he tripped over it.

3. admit the capability but insist there are strict controls absolutely preventing abuse.


http://www.juancole.com/2013/08/include-stalking-girlfriends.html

[DiverDave]

1. Jail em

Criminal behavior should not go unpunished.

[treestar]

2. there are abuses in every single government program

It is human nature. That does not mean throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Punish/fire the wrongdoers.

[CrispyQ]

3. Did anyone seriously think this wouldn't happen?

And it's not just ex-lovers. It could be a pissed off neighbor, a pissed of cousin. Anyone with that kind of access, to that kind of info, on someone they are angry at, is a mighty temptation.

[agent46]

8. It could also be

Last edited Sat Aug 24, 2013, 11:32 AM - Edit history (1)

It could also be:

Religious fanatics doing "god's work" for their organizations and activist groups.

Self-styled patriots doing their paranoid best against the Illuminati controlled machinery of the slave planet on behalf of their personal beliefs and affiliations.

Entrepreneurs in the free capitalist tradition using their access to provide paid information services to a trusted network of business clients.

Political operatives with access giving recommendations to party strategists and politicians without disclosing any classified information.

Unscrupulous employees with stock brokers.

And so on...

There are as many misuses for these programs as there are people who will make excuses for them.

...breaking for coffee.

[Catherina]

4. and then were "punished either with an administrative action or termination," NOT prosecuted

and weren't even caught by the NSA but self-reported for the most part

The LOVEINT violations involved overseas communications, officials said, such as spying on a partner or spouse. In each instance, the employee was punished either with an administrative action or termination.

Most of the incidents, officials said, were self-reported. Such admissions can arise, for example, when an employee takes a polygraph tests as part of a renewal of a security clearance.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/08/23/nsa-officers-sometimes-spy-on-love-interests/

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Spying on Government officials

then blackmailing them to make sure they voice the opinion of the NSA.

The X girlfriend part is just a snowflake on the tip of the iceberg.

[Catherina]

7. I agree. I'm sure the NSA was involved in bringing down people like Spitzer. Tip of the iceberg

[whistler162]

14. Jeez.. what a maroon!

Spitzer brought down Spitzer! The prostitute problem was the last in a serious of problems. Ignore history it is bothersome ain't it!

[Octafish]

11. Opinion of NSA = Voice of MIC

Money trumps peace. And there's plenty of loot to go around for those who keep their wugs shut.

[hunter]

15. "Polygraph Tests???" WTF???

I guess they don't want anyone on board who might grow a conscience.

Requiring polygraph tests selects for people who can pass polygraph tests, and many of these people are going to be the sort who can tell lies easily, without shame or guilt.

[Octafish]

6. Oh, it's just a few bad apples...

...and their friends and cronies who you don't know about because it's Top Secret.

[City Lights]

9. I feel *so* much safer now!

[steve2470]

10. of course, blackmail would never happen either, oh no

Our beloved public officials would never ever stoop to blackmail.



People seem to have forgotten Dick Cheney went personally to the CIA. Yes, it wasn't blackmail, but still highly inappropriate imho.

[randome]

12. Every LE agency, including local police departments, experience the same kind of abuses.

It's human nature. What matters is how the various organizations handle them. This article makes it sound as if the NSA has more protections in place than others. The regular polygraph tests no doubt help.

In fact, maybe the best point of this is that local LE agencies should be administered the same sort of ongoing tests.

Anyone, basically, who is in a position to abuse his or her authority.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Don't ever underestimate the long-term effects of a good night's sleep.[/center][/font][hr]

[myrna minx]

13. K&R. n/t

[Supersedeas]

16. that puts the Dept of Homeland Security employees agenda in perspective

War on the Horizon