Monthly Archives: October 2013

“Canadian Caper” by Richard Sale

Back in the 1980s, I had a newsletter, The Courier, Confidential Foreign Affairs. On December 8, 1981, the correspondent from Toronto, John Honderich filed what he thought was a routine story. A document stamped “Confidential” and sent from the Canadian … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Syria meets deadline… Reuters

"Syria has destroyed or rendered inoperable all of its declared chemical weapons production and mixing facilities, meeting a major deadline in an ambitious disarmament program, the international chemical weapons watchdog said Thursday. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons … Continue reading

Posted in Syria | 15 Comments

IC chiefs Pushes Back Against the White House

"America’s top intelligence official acknowledged Tuesday that President Obama and other senior White House officials were well aware of U.S. surveillance activities targeting leaders of friendly foreign nations — a stark contradiction of the administration’s insinuation in recent days that … Continue reading

Posted in government, Intelligence | 72 Comments

Does anyone believe BHO did not know?

"It is my understanding that President Obama was not aware Chancellor Merkel's communications were being collected since 2002," Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein said. "That is a big problem." But other officials said Obama — or at least his … Continue reading

Posted in government, Politics | 39 Comments

Echelon, Frenchelon, the Technische Aufklärung, etc.

  The UK SIGINT STATION at RAF Menwith A close inspection of the material in these Wikipedia articles will reveal that not only do "Gentlemen read others' mail" but they do it in international cooperative groups and often for decades … Continue reading

Posted in Intelligence | 78 Comments

Will health insurance cost less under the ACA?

I have read the Wiki article on the ACA several times and I confess that it remains a mystery to me.  By my own rules I should be silent about this law until I understand it, but I will not … Continue reading

Posted in government | 46 Comments

SIGINT is good, and necessary.

"It's not enough for the leaders of Germany and France. Both countries want a halt to eavesdropping on leaders, companies and law-abiding citizens after allegations the National Security Agency gathered tens of thousands of French phone records and hacked German … Continue reading

Posted in Intelligence | 47 Comments

“A Response to Eric Alterman” by Max Blumenthal

"I am eager to debate the issues raised in my new book, Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel (Nation Books), the result of over four years of on-the-ground research and reporting. Whatever one’s opinion of possible resolutions of the … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Palestine | 23 Comments

The Saudi/Israeli/US Relationship

  "Saudi Arabia is reportedly threatening to scale back its decades-old partnership with Washington over the Obama administration's perceived weakness in dealing with Syrian leader Bashar Assad, and its recent furtive overtures with the Saudis' arch-enemy, Iran. Articles citing anonymous … Continue reading

Posted in Israel, Middle East, Saudi Arabia | 76 Comments

“James Clapper: Reports US tapped French phones ‘false'” BBC

  "US intelligence chief James Clapper has denied reports that US spies recorded data from 70 million phone calls in France in a single 30-day period. The director of national intelligence said the report in Le Monde newspaper contained "misleading … Continue reading

Posted in Intelligence | 26 Comments