“Top Secret” Should Mean Just That [CFR op-ed on PRISM]

Council on Foreign Relations ^ | 6/6/2013 | Max Boot

[PieterCasparzen]

That's the heading on the first page of the court order obtained theGuardian. Top Secret is one of the highest levels of security classification in the U.S. government; the other initials indicate that this is "special intelligence," aka "signals intelligence," one of the most closely guarded capabilities of the U.S. intelligence community, and that it should not shown to any foreigners. Ironically and disturbingly, a British newspaper obtained this document.
...
I have no idea who this intelligence officer is, but he (or she) has committed a serious crime by the unauthorized disclosure of such sensitive information. He needs to be ferreted out and prosecuted. Perhaps if he had actual knowledge of the PRISM program being misused such a breach of confidentiality might be morally, if not legally, justifiable–although even then his first step should be to contact his superiors or others in the government, not to talk to the Washington Post. But there is no suggestion of such misuse here. Instead this appears to be another legal and authorized program that has been implemented by our elected leaders to protect us against terrorists. Government officials stress that only "non-U.S. persons" who are abroad are subject to PRISM monitoring and that the entire program was authorized by the 2007 Protect America Act.
...
Instead of expressing outrage at these actions to fight terrorism, as so many on both the left and right are now doing, it would be nice if someone got a little outraged at this breach of the secrecy needed for effective intelligence-gathering.
...

[PieterCasparzen]

Just thought I'd spin by CFR's website and see if they weighed in on PRISM. I wondered, just what would the financial oligarchy want CFR to relay to Washington politicians and bureaucrats regarding the mainstream disclosure of their secret toy ?

I admit that I did expect to find some globalist whining about the outing of their precious "opposition identification" system, seeing as how they had the US taxpayer probably spend billions on it, which could have been spent on some other globalist program - and I was not dissappointed.

CFR reprinted this op-ed that was originally published in Commentary Magazine by Max Boot.

Max is the stereotypical Harvard-indoctrinated, Russian-born operative planted within the ranks of globalism's conservative operation.

[dirtboy]

He needs to be ferreted out and prosecuted.

Yeah, let's ignore the gross Constitutional violations committed by the government and go after the whisteblower. The ol' Beltway two-step when they are caught red-handed.

[loveliberty2]

"If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature...."

[loveliberty2]

The quotation in previous post is, of course, Thomas Jefferson’s.

[Black Agnes]

Pretty amazing.

If this isn’t proof they all ride in the same limos I’m not sure what is.

[Black Agnes]

Over here.

[grania]

PRISM justs sounds like something straight out of the Matrix movies.

We are so through as a civilization and as a democracy.

[dagogo redux]

Ignore that man behind the curtain . . . .

[mbarker12474]

Talking to your superiors?

Sometimes that is not an option, as they are the problem.

Sometimes you can’t even go around them to even superior superiors, as they are disinterested or would send sh*t rolling back down hill through the CoC onto you.

Blowing the whistle on management folly ain’t easy.

[LibLieSlayer]

Good people under evil orders have had enough and are leaking the truth to try and save the Republic... I feel it in my bones.

LLS

[Timber Rattler]

I have no idea who this intelligence officer is, but he (or she) has committed a serious crime by the unauthorized disclosure of such sensitive information. He needs to be ferreted out and prosecuted.

Just like the Benghazi and IRS whistleblowers, Max?

[Black Agnes]

We can hope so. We surely can.

[Buckeye McFrog]

so the Verizon/PRISM scandal will result in more snooping around in phone records of journalists, and the cycle will repeat once again

[Irenic]

I was wondering if this is part Anonymous Project Mayhem and TYLER?

http://rt.com/news/anonymous-leaks-fight-club-057/

[Psycho_Bunny]

Ultimately, the whistle blower did talk to his or her superior: The People.

[PieterCasparzen]

lol, excellent.

[OneWingedShark]

We are so through as a civilization and as a democracy.

Screw Democracy, I want a Republic!

[unlearner]

“Instead this appears to be another legal and authorized program that has been implemented by our elected leaders to protect us against terrorists.”

If it was legal and authorized, we would not be hearing about it now, and Congress and Senate members would not be just learning about it. It would not even be a leak because we could read the law that specified what they are doing.

[Future Snake Eater]

My, how things have changed...

[LibLieSlayer]

Amen!

LLS