Surveillance

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The frenzy over the Nunes memo, likely to be released later today by the Trump administration, contains a profound hypocrisy at its core, one that points to the rot at the core of the American government. The Republican conspiracy theory promoted by Nunes is that the […]

Government surveillance

US to Renew Internet Surveillance Program Exposed by Snowden

contributors

TeleSur | – – The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly voted to renew a warrantless internet surveillance program, disregarding civil liberties advocates. In a 65-34 vote the United States Senate approved Thursday a bill that renews a warrantless internet surveillance program for six years. The bill will allow the National Security Agency, NSA, to resume evesdropping on […]

FBI

Congressional Efforts to Expand NSA Spying on Americans are still a Danger

contributors

By David Ruiz | (Electronic Frontier Foundation) | – – The debate over how to reauthorize certain NSA surveillance authorities has seen a whirlwind of activity, culminating in the major news that the House Rules Committee postponed a vote today to potentially expand NSA spying powers. As we wrote yesterday: “According to reports published Tuesday […]

Corporate Surveillance

Rice Vindicated: She did Unmask Trump, Bannon– but they were meeting UAE

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The United Arab Emirates crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan slipped into the United States on December 15 for a secret meeting with Trump, Michael Flynn, Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon. It is unusual for high government officials to visit without letting the White House […]

Bill of Rights

Shadowy US Covert Ops & Surveillance Abroad always Come Home

contributors

By Alfred W. McCoy | (Tomdispatch.com) | – – [This piece has been adapted and expanded from the introduction to Alfred W. McCoy’s new book, In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of U.S. Global Power.] In the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, Washington pursued its elusive enemies across the […]

Bill of Rights

Leaking in the Age of Trump: Daniel Ellsberg of Pentagon Papers (VICE Video)

contributors

VICE News | (Video News Report) | – – “VICE News examines the Trump administration’s war on leakers, with Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. “We’re really seeing leaks that are dangerous to the president, embarrassing to the president, by agencies that feel themselves endangered by the president.” VICE News: “Daniel Ellsberg On Leaking In The […]

Corruption

Did UAE plant Fake News about Qatar to Fool Trump?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The intrepid Karen DeYoung and Ellen Nakashima report at WaPo that anonymous US intelligence officials have decided to go public with what they know about the attempt of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to frame Qatar. The hacking attack on May 23 that planted fake news, […]

Government surveillance

If Trump can Hunt the Undocumented by Cell Phone, what can he do to You?

contributors

By Adam Schwartz | (Electronic Frontier Foundation) | – – In the latest sign of mission creep in domestic deployment of battlefield-strength surveillance technology, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this year used a cell site simulator (CSS) to locate and arrest an undocumented immigrant, according to a report yesterday by The Detroit News. […]

Censors

Wikileaks’ Assange claims Victory after Sweden drops Charges, Vows to Publish More

contributors

TeleSur | – – Swedish prosecutors dropped the rape investigation into WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Friday, saying the investigation had not been able to proceed because of legal obstacles. “Today is an important victory for me and for the U.N. human rights system,” Assange said in an address on the balcony of the Ecuadorean […]