NSA’s Secret Role in the U.S. Assassination Program By Scahill /Greenwald
NSAs Secret Role in the U.S. Assassination Program
By Scahill /Greenwald
The National Security Agency is using complex analysis of electronic surveillance, rather than human intelligence, as the primary method to locate targets for lethal drone strikes an unreliable tactic that results in the deaths of innocent or unidentified people.
According to a former drone operator for the militarys Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) who also worked with the NSA, the agency often identifies targets based on controversial metadata analysis and cell-phone tracking technologies. Rather than confirming a targets identity with operatives or informants on the ground, the CIA or the U.S. military then orders a strike based on the activity and location of the mobile phone a person is believed to be using.
The drone operator, who agreed to discuss the top-secret programs on the condition of anonymity, was a member of JSOCs High Value Targeting task force, which is charged with identifying, capturing or killing terrorist suspects in Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
His account is bolstered by top-secret NSA documents previously provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden. It is also supported by a former drone sensor operator with the U.S. Air Force, Brandon Bryant, who has become an outspoken critic of the lethal operations in which he was directly involved in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen.
In one tactic, the NSA geolocates the SIM card or handset of a suspected terrorists mobile phone, enabling the CIA and U.S. military to conduct night raids and drone strikes to kill or capture the individual in possession of the device.
much more:
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/02/10/the-nsas-secret-role/
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)eom
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Downwinder
(12,869 posts)ReRe
(10,597 posts)Amy Goodman has them on today to talk about their article!
dreamnightwind
(4,775 posts)Kinda takes the wind out of that tired argument, doesn't it?
We've entered the Twilight Zone, we're killing people based on algorithmic analysis of who when and where they use their phone. That's insane.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)xiamiam
(4,906 posts)will try to defend this. Haven't seen it yet but I have no doubt that as soon as the talking points are dispersed, greenwald will be vilified and justification attempted
Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)that premiered today.
The site is taking a heavy load right now.
so be patient if it loads up with a 503.
I wouldn't be surprised with even a DOS attack
WillyT
(72,631 posts)AndyTiedye
(23,500 posts)just leave a cellphone behind and our drones will do their dirty work for them.
Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)Another huge piece of news from this article:
The [SHENANIGANS] operation previously undisclosed utilizes a pod on aircraft that vacuums up massive amounts of data from any wireless routers, computers, smart phones or other electronic devices that are within range.
The operator describes how, from almost four miles in the air, he searched for communications devices
VICTORYDANCE, he adds, mapped the Wi-Fi fingerprint of nearly every major town in Yemen.
This is something we didn't even know is possible: drones are cataloguing the MAC addresses, BSSIDs, ESSIDs (unique identifiers for things like your iPhone and the wireless adapter on your PC, laptop, or tablet) of people's personal electronics, at the scale of cities, from so high up in the air you can't even see the drone, and they're creating "fingerprints" from it. That means what devices "belong" in what city.
They don't suspect these people of any wrongdoing or criminal activity - how could they? They're monitoring entire cities. This is exactly what Snowden warned us about: the untargeted mass surveillance of entire populations.
The next time you hear about domestic drones for police and "homeland security," remember this article.
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)If you have an android or Iphone on your network, Google or Apple, and NSA has the access code
Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)anyway they stopped that program
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)rather than the NSA constantly feeding it shitty, unreliable target data...