General Discussion

nashville_brook

(20,958 posts) Thu Aug 22, 2013, 02:35 PM Aug 2013

Obama’s ‘outside experts’ for NSA review are former intel and White House staffers

Here's a little more on the re-staffing of the NSA "review" panel -- from WaPo. Missing from the group: not one technologist. No women or persons of color.

Obama’s ‘outside experts’ for NSA review are former intel and White House staffers

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/08/22/obamas-outside-experts-for-nsa-review-are-former-intel-and-white-house-staffers/

(snip)

The review panel was first announced in a White House press conference on Aug. 9, when Obama said the administration would form “a high-level group of outside experts to review our entire intelligence and communications technologies.”

(snip)

Amie Stepanovich, director of the domestic surveillance project at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) found the choices reported by ABC troubling:

An independent evaluation of the NSA’s surveillance programs is needed. But a worthwhile review requires an independent team of evaluators. We continue to learn how each of the oversight mechanisms that the Administration has pointed to have continuously failed. The background of this panel indicates that it, too, is unlikely to be meaningful or effective.

Michael Morell was a career intelligence officer, serving in the CIA for 33 years. He retired from his position as deputy director of the CIA earlier this year after serving two stints as the agency’s acting head during President Obama’s tenure...Sunstein and and Swire are both former Obama administration White House staffers. Cass Sunstein left his position as the administrator of the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in 2012, while Swire served on the Obama-Biden Transition team and as special assistant to president Obama for economic policy. Swire currently teaches at the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech. He previously worked in the Clinton White House where he chaired a working group on how to update wiretap laws for the Internet and has a high profile in privacy policy circles.

Richard Clarke is a former national coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism for the United States. He worked for the State Department during the Reagan administration and served on the National Security Council during the presidencies of George H.W. Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush. Clarke also endorsed then-Sen. Obama’s presidential campaign in 2007.

It’s not known if the ABC list represents the full panel, or if additional names will be added in the future. The White House declined to comment on the makeup of the panel.

12 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Obama’s ‘outside experts’ for NSA review are former intel and White House staffers (Original Post) nashville_brook Aug 2013 OP

So "outside" carries about the same weight, or meaning, as "hope" and "change" do, eh? villager Aug 2013 #1

He should be done with the pretense and add Michelle Obama and Valerie Jarrett. dkf Aug 2013 #2

Good God, what has happened to this president? polichick Aug 2013 #3

Giving with One Hand and Taking Back with the Other.... KoKo Aug 2013 #4

I've liked Richard Clarke in the past. longship Aug 2013 #5

Richard Clark DID Blow the Whistle (sort of) on the failings ... bvar22 Aug 2013 #6

He wrote an editorial very recently about this very subject. He also warned about cyber-terrorism KittyWampus Aug 2013 #8

It’s not known if the ABC list represents the full panel KittyWampus Aug 2013 #7

We know that Sunstein is on the panel. That is extremely disturbing given his sabrina 1 Aug 2013 #11

For One Thing... G_j Aug 2013 #9

The makeup of the full panel is not yet known. n/t Cali_Democrat Aug 2013 #10

Obama Meets Panel Reviewing U.S. Surveillance Programs Purveyor Aug 2013 #12

villager

(26,001 posts)

1. So "outside" carries about the same weight, or meaning, as "hope" and "change" do, eh?

Reply to nashville_brook (Original post)

Thu Aug 22, 2013, 02:45 PM

Aug 2013

Sigh.

dkf

(37,305 posts)

2. He should be done with the pretense and add Michelle Obama and Valerie Jarrett.

Reply to nashville_brook (Original post)

Thu Aug 22, 2013, 02:50 PM

Aug 2013

polichick

(37,152 posts)

3. Good God, what has happened to this president?

Reply to nashville_brook (Original post)

Thu Aug 22, 2013, 02:54 PM

Aug 2013

On edit: Never mind, nothing has happened. Campaign Obama is simply not the same person as Pres. Obama.

KoKo

(84,711 posts)

4. Giving with One Hand and Taking Back with the Other....

Reply to nashville_brook (Original post)

Thu Aug 22, 2013, 02:55 PM

Aug 2013

It's such a pattern. And we have years to go of this...

longship

(40,416 posts)

5. I've liked Richard Clarke in the past.

Reply to nashville_brook (Original post)

Thu Aug 22, 2013, 02:57 PM

Aug 2013

He seems not to be afraid to speak out, and speak truth to power. He also is damned smart. I cannot speak for the others, but having Clarke on this panel may be a good thing.

I will be listening to what he says publicly.

R&K

bvar22

(39,909 posts)

6. Richard Clark DID Blow the Whistle (sort of) on the failings ...

Reply to longship (Reply #5)

Thu Aug 22, 2013, 04:28 PM

Aug 2013

... of the Bush White House in heeding the warnings from the Intelligence Community pre 9-11. He seemed like a man of integrity on that issue,
but I don't know anything about where he stands on whether we need an immense Surveillance/Security/Military State to "oversee" the American People, and "keep us safe".

Even giving him the benefit of the doubt,
he is STILL an insider of the Intelligence Community,
and as such WILL have a biased opinion about the "worth" of his chosen career.

I too will be listening carefully.

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)

8. He wrote an editorial very recently about this very subject. He also warned about cyber-terrorism

Reply to bvar22 (Reply #6)

Thu Aug 22, 2013, 05:03 PM

Aug 2013

right before he left under Bush/Cheney years. And before you decide that makes him an Authoritarian apologist… he was one of the people running around with his hair on fire around the time before Sept. 11th when Bush/Cheney were ignoring a memo "Bin Laden Determined To Attack".

He also had something to say about the Oklahoma City bombings-

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5253838&mesg_id=5253880

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)

7. It’s not known if the ABC list represents the full panel

Reply to nashville_brook (Original post)

Thu Aug 22, 2013, 05:02 PM

Aug 2013

or if additional names will be added in the future. The White House declined to comment on the makeup of the panel.

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)

11. We know that Sunstein is on the panel. That is extremely disturbing given his

Reply to KittyWampus (Reply #7)

Thu Aug 22, 2013, 05:20 PM

Aug 2013

well known opinion about Government Agents prowling the internet, posing as 'normal people' to 'influence the discussion in favor of the Government'.

It was a chilling proposal back then so I don't understand someone who scared the daylights out of the American people with his deceptive, government oversight proposal to manipulate the discussions people have online by infiltrating their forums with undercover spies from the Government, being considered an Independent panelist. That is just ridiculous. He is the ultimate insider and a very questionable one at that.

As far as I am concerned, that is the end of anything remotely resembling an 'outside panel'..

The Foxes guarding the Henhouse once again, just like the Deficit Commission.

I remember Obama promising not to have these Commissions, he admonished Hillary for stating she would 'set up committees' to 'look into things'. He called them at the time 'an end run around the Constitution', taking the decisions OUT of the hands of Congress and placing them into the hands of non-elected officials.

That was one of the reasons why I supported him.

Boy, was I fooled.