Stolen military data for sale in Afghanistan

[ProSense]

Stolen military data for sale in Afghanistan

Portable computer drives peddled at bazaar outside Bagram Air Base

By Lisa Myers & the NBC News Investigative Unit
Updated: 7:31 p.m. ET April 13, 2006

WASHINGTON - Just outside the main gate of the huge U.S. military base in Bagram, Afghanistan, shopkeepers at a bazaar peddle a range of goods, including computer drives with sensitive — even secret information — stolen from the base.

This week, an NBC News producer, using a hidden camera, visited the bazaar and bought a half dozen of the memory drives the size of a thumb known as flash drives. On them, NBC News found highly sensitive military information, some which NBC will not reveal.

“This isn't just a loss of sensitive information,” says Lt. Col. Rick Francona (ret.), an NBC News military analyst. “This is putting U.S. troops at risk. This is a violation of operational security.”

Some of the data would be valuable to the enemy, including:

Names and personal information for dozens of DOD interrogators;
Documents on an “interrogation support cell” and interrogation methods;
IDs and photos of U.S. troops.

more...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12305580/from/RSS/

[saltpoint]

1. It has the feel to me that things are not exactly under control

in Afghanistan.

Maybe the poppies proved too great a draw...

[ProSense]

2. U.S. trying to recover stolen information

Posted on Sat, Apr. 15, 2006
AFGHANISTAN

U.S. trying to recover stolen information

The U.S. military in Afghanistan was buying back stolen computer drives that contained, in some cases, classified military secrets. An investigation is under way.

BY DANIEL COONEY
Associated Press

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - American investigators armed with a ''box full'' of cash have paid thousands of dollars to buy back stolen computer drives -- many of which contain sensitive military data, shopkeepers outside the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan said Friday.

But dozens are still on sale, including memory sticks with information ranging from U.S. troop resumes to photographs of Air Force One during a visit by President Bush.

The surfacing of the stolen computer devices has sparked an urgent probe to discover how security could have been breached at the heavily guarded Bagram base, which coordinates the fight against Taliban and al Qaeda militants and includes one of the military's main detention facilities for suspected terrorists.

U.S. military spokesman Lt. Mike Cody said he could not comment because an investigation was ongoing.

more...

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/14347588.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_world