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State Department "Secret Cable" Lays Out U.S. Intelligence-Gathering Agenda in Paraguay

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Joanne98 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-10 01:03 PM
Original message
State Department "Secret Cable" Lays Out U.S. Intelligence-Gathering Agenda in Paraguay
Document Calls for Obtaining “Fingerprints, Facial Images, Iris Scans and DNA” on Nation’s Political Leaders

A State Department cable dated March 24, 2008, that is part of the most recent Wikileaks government-document data dump offers an interesting insight into the intelligence collection priorities of the U.S. government under the final year of the Bush administration.

The priorities outlined in this particular secret cable — with the subject line “REPORTING AND COLLECTION NEEDS: PARAGUAY”— could easily apply to most nations in Latin America at the time. The Secretary of State's Office sent the cable to the American Embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay — as well as to the CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Washington, D.C.

The leaked cable turns the looking glass on the U.S. intelligence mission in Paraguay under the administration of President Oscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos and exposes the State Department’s role as an overt data-collection arm of the U.S. intelligence community.
U.S. intelligence interests represented in the cable are diverse, but there is a particular focus on the usual suspects of terrorism and narco-trafficking (and the corruption of government it forments) as well as on the politics, political leaders and foreign entanglements of the nation. It is that latter intelligence objective (which goes down to the level of obtaining credit card numbers, fingerprints and DNA) that is likely to be particularly irritating to Latin American nations, given the U.S.’ long history of attempting extend its domain into the region.

The entire cable can be found at this link.

Below are excerpts of interest from the State Department cable

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/bill-conroy/2010/11/state-department-secret-cable-lays-out-us-intelligence-gathering-agenda
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samplegirl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-10 01:07 PM
Response to Original message
1. Don't Bush's own property in Paraguay?
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flyarm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-10 01:24 PM
Response to Original message
2. GWBush bought a 100000 acre ranch in Paraguay I believe in 2006
It was near a huge supply of water I believe.

I believe it was next to Reverend Moon's ranch, if memory serves me.
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Judi Lynn Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-10 01:55 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. The body of water is the Guarani Aquifer, largest underground supply of fresh water
in the Western Hemisphere!

Sun Myung Moon moved there himself earlier. He's also a good friend of George H. W. Bush.

So creepy, isn't it?

They just happen to have the vast airport, the Mariscal Estigarribia air base, built by the U.S., right out in the middle of the jungle, with no town anywhere near.

http://axisoflogic.com.nyud.net:8090/artman/uploads/1/Mariscal_Estigarribia_base.jpg

As you can see, it's designed to handle the largest transport airplanes the US has. For what reason, who knows?
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Michigan-Arizona Donating Member (516 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-10 01:58 PM
Response to Reply #2
5. I think your memory is fine
It is supposed to be on the largest Aquifer in South America with a military base very close by.
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Judi Lynn Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-10 01:57 PM
Response to Original message
4. Stunning information. Wherever did Paraguay get the idea its internal affairs were its own?
This simply takes one's breath away, Joanne98. Simply unbelievable.

Thank you so much for posting this. Rec.
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Citizen Worker Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-10 04:29 PM
Response to Original message
6. For what obviously nefarious reasons would the US want the fingerprints and DNA of foreign heads of
state? Could it be for possible use in a future frame up? What else could it be?
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jberryhill Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-10 07:41 PM
Response to Reply #6
8. Use a little creativity

To determine whether a document was handled by that person - i.e. to be able to detect a forgery.

If a letter is delivered to the US embassy "signed" by that leader, then DNA and fingerprints can verify that the person in question actually signed the letter - or not.

Second - to identify impostors. That would have come in real handy with the fake Taliban guy recently.

Third - to assess health or mental condition. There are genetic markers for things like Parkinson's disease. Is that guy shaking because he is nervous, or is it something else?
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robinlynne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-29-10 07:39 PM
Response to Original message
7. interesting. Paraguay is the smallest, poorest nation in South America.
The capital of Paraguay is about 4 blocks long. There were barely any men left 20 years ago after wars where the two huge surrounding countries, Brasil and Argentina wiped out the population.
In Assuncion, the only products you see being bought and sold are passports and fake things......The intel must be for Bush's purchase. the American Embassy is the largest building (a house) I saw there.
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