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Quick turn around back to DC so enjoy these tidbits while I try to carve out some time for something more substantial: The War on Terror just got a lot harder, thanks to our “ally” Another data point on the generally bizarre clearance process. Still more details on why the SSCI report is at best…
I can now join the TSA queue and prepare for my probing with a smile knowing that my latest Standard piece is available for your reading pleasure. Thanks to Tom for the shout-out. Folks, if you think the SSCI report is anything but a political tool, you are deluding yourself. Should we expect more? Perhaps if…
A bipartisan group of senators is urging John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence, to see to it that an information-sharing implementation plan, as required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, is submitted to Congress without further delay. The plan was due in July I think, and they can’t seem to…
H/T: Michael Rubin at The Corner Two basic urges meet head-on in this area, and conflict is inherent in this collision of interests. These urges reveal themselves in daily news accounts of killings and terrorism, of pressure groups in opposition, and of raw nationalism and naked expansionism masquerading as diplomatic maneuvers. The urges tie together…
If you’ve been tracking the discussion about Iraqi documents you know that my position is that we are a long way from getting to the bottom of this situation. How long? You might consider the length of time it took to come to this conclusion about another situation related to Iraq. You might also note…
CIA counterterrorism officers have signed up in growing numbers for a government-reimbursed, private insurance plan that would pay their civil judgments and legal expenses if they are sued or charged with criminal wrongdoing, according to current and former intelligence officials and others with knowledge of the program. The new enrollments reflect heightened anxiety at the…
The imagery . . . . . . or the memories . . .
150+ pages is a lot to go over with a day job, so I’ll take a meta-view by focusing on the Conclusions . . . My problem with all of these reports is highlighted in the first paragraph of Section II, when they invoke “The Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor ….” My dictionary defines…
A former Pentagon analyst who passed highly classified intelligence to two Chinese military officers was sentenced to three months in prison yesterday — far shy of four to five years called for in sentencing guidelines. His excuses sound eerily similar to those given by Jonathan Pollard when he passed classified to the Israelis (he got…
FIVE YEARS AFTER the attacks of September 11, 2001, we face many threats at home and abroad, yet our response has been mostly superficial and expedient. One is left to wonder: Are we serious about winning this fight? So begins my latest piece at The Daily Standard. As one friend jokingly put it, “so this…
ABC’s upcoming five-hour docudrama “The Path to 9/11” is quickly becoming a political cause célèbre. […] After a screening of the first episode in Washington last week, some audience members attacked the film’s depiction of the Clinton administration’s pursuit of Osama bin Laden. Among those unhappy was Richard Ben-Veniste, an attorney and member of the…
A nice analysis of the airborne terror threat then and now by Shane Harris in National Journal. The broad point to take away is the value of defense-in-depth, or layers of security that (hopefully) are designed to catch those bits that fall through the cracks. For you INFOSEC folks this is nothing new, but all…
Listening to snippets of the AG and President about the new CT strategy throughout the day brought to mind three things: The first is that it is nice to see that someone has finally dusted off and started reading all those assessment my colleagues and I wrote about terrorism and the ‘Net not that we were the…
Regrettably, I’ll be a few days late in town for this event, but I’ve already weighed in to some extent. The bottom line is that you can be a competent, serviceable and respected (in some quarters at least) reporter on the national security / intelligence beat and never have to worry about fielding the “aid…
No, not the NSA: The first thing that came out of our mouths when we heard that Google is working on a system that listens to what’s on your TV playing in the background, and then serves you relevant adverts, was “that’s cool, but dangerous”. The idea appeared in Technology Review citing Peter Norvig, director…
In Haiti, a grassroots vigilante movement called “Bwa Kale” has emerged as citizens take matters into their own hands to combat gang violence. Suspected gang members have been chased, beaten, decapitated, and burned alive by the vigilantes, resulting in a decrease in kidnappings, killings, and other forms of violence. However, human rights groups emphasize that…
NATO is racing against time to avoid the embarrassment of Sweden missing its deadline for admission to the alliance. Turkey, a strategically important NATO member, is blocking Sweden’s accession due to concerns about Sweden’s perceived support for Kurdish terror groups and alleged complicity in anti-Turkish protests. Missing the deadline could send a dangerous message to…
North Korea’s attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite into space failed due to a malfunction in the rocket’s second stage, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The report cited low reliability and stability of the engine system and unstable fuel as the reasons for the mission’s failure. North Korea’s National Space…
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated that he would not surrender the country to a Serbian “fascist militia” following violent protests in the north over the installation of ethnically Albanian mayors. Clash occurred between NATO peacekeepers and Serbian demonstrators who tried to block the newly elected mayors from taking office in the municipality of Zvecan.…
Denmark, a NATO member, plans to invest 143 billion Danish crowns ($21 billion) in defense over the next decade. The increased spending aims to meet military and security goals and address shortcomings in defense capabilities, particularly in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The government also announced an additional 21.9 billion Danish crowns ($3.16 billion)…
Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack on Moscow, marking the first time the city has been targeted by multiple drones since the invasion of Ukraine. The Russian defense ministry claimed that at least eight drones caused minor damage in what they called a “terrorist attack.” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that…
PrinterLogic’s enterprise management solution allows organizations to manage multiple printers from a single console. Security researchers at Seek discovered numerous weaknesses in the software that could put organizations at risk. Analysis of the PrinterLogic Saas platform and the Virtual Appliance on PrinterLogic’s website revealed 18 distinct vulnerabilities. The platform is most susceptible to an authentication…
Two 13-year-old boys have turned themselves in to the police after a fire destroyed a seven-story heritage building in central Sydney. Around 100 firefighters were required to extinguish the flames, and an exclusion zone is expected to remain in place for a week, displacing at least 70 residents. While the two boys are assisting with…
A missile strike on a medical clinic in Dnipro, eastern Ukraine, has resulted in at least two deaths and 23 injuries. The injured individuals, including two young boys, were taken to hospitals, with three in serious condition. Ukrainian authorities reported shooting down 17 missiles and 31 drones launched from Russia, targeting various locations including Dnipro,…
A rare shooting and stabbing rampage occurred in Nakano, Japan, allegedly carried out by the son of a local government official. The suspect, Masanori Aoki, was arrested on suspicion of killing a police officer, a woman, and injuring several others. The incident has caused great anxiety in Japan, a country with strict gun control laws…
After reaching a deal to swap prisoners, a Belgian aid worker imprisoned in Iran for over a year is on his way back to Belgium, while an Iranian diplomat has been released from Belgium and is returning to Iran. The aid worker, Olivier Vandecasteele, was received by Belgian soldiers and diplomats in Oman before undergoing…