NSA and Nagging Pieces

It may possibly go away sometime, but one has to wonder. As I wrote in June about NSA and the UK, James Bamford gave a tremendous history of our connection with the UK since and in spite of our gaining independence. They have remained our steadfast ally on the globe. The 2oth century clandestine connections are detailed in particular. Then the “Cold War” connections in late 40s and 1950s were written about. Here is where it is surprising that the modern press did not explain more after the latest Snowden affair.  A little more knowledge in their stories might have been better served. The deeper questions of Snowden’s employer and contract status with NSA would have shed light on the treason versus hero buzz about Snowden himself.

One such comment, repeated by several news pieces verbatim, was “how does a twenty-seven year old have that sort of classified knowledge.”  It was remarkable ignorance by those sources, to me, considering that eighteen year old communications enlisted men in various military departments have classified clearances, as do other young military personnel, from all branches, who work at NSA directly.

I came across, by accident, an edition of WIRED magazine of April 2012. In it is a detailed article Inside the Matrix by contributor James Bamford - [washwriter@gmail.com] - about the massive Utah desert NSA complex, that was recently reported on since the Snowden news broke. Why didn’t that create more of a stir? The data collection was detailed in that article. This is totally amazing, as it was out there.

Too, in English speaking German news, carried by DW network, Deutsche Well, carried on the Catholic channel in our area [7:00 PM Pacific Time], questioned the NSA damage and linking Germany to the NSA and questioning German involvement. That was on one broadcast, maybe two, since then it has been dropped as a subject. Our other allies, like Germany, the USA does share intelligence data. With Germany, it was the Cold War and post WW II use of a German Army - Wehrmacht – intelligence organization. I am holding in my hand a hardbound edition of The Service, the memoirs of General Rheinhardt Gehlen. This is a World Publishing imprint of Times Mirror, New York, 1972. It is a fascinating read on every level, about the use of human assets in Europe and Germany and the eastern block nations. Gehlen was the West’s and CIA’s German counterpart. Gelan’s expertise was the German eastern front against the Russian/Soviets during the war. Gehlen used what remaining assets he had after the war as well as building a new network.

What is also brought to light is the differing views between electronic intelligence gathering compared to using human sources in the field.  Our US Air Force controlled, does control, our satellite surveillance system. The budget and costs for all of that is completely blocked from publication. But, that is another subject.

Don’t our journalists know anything? No wonder the networks are losing audience share.

Timothy J. Desmond
Blog at: http://timdesmondblog.wordpress.com
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