"Microsoft Has Just Assumed the Right to Attack Your Computer" :.

I could have posted this as an update to the previous story below, but this Register article is animated enough to warrant its own entry:

This means MS will have administrator privileges on your personal computer. What they feed you may be infected with viruses; it may break your applications, corrupt data files, destroy weeks or months or even years of work, but you'll have no recourse if it does. By downloading this WMP critical security patch, which you must do to operate WMP safely, you'll agree to give Billg deed and title to your personal property and to leave Microsoft immune from legal retaliation if they damage your machine.

The pusillanimity of wrapping what amounts to a digital land-grant into a needed, critical security patch is matched only by the arrogance of assuming that Windows is now such a fundamental linchpin of a human life worth living that no retaliation in the courts or at the retail counters is conceivable. (And that's not to mention 'informal' retaliation by outraged IP warriors, which we fully expect to see.)
posted by Kevin at 1:25 PM

U.S. Opposes International Criminal Court :.

The U.S. sometimes behaves in such a blatant manner that its true nature becomes visible to just about everyone. Oh, someone better hand that fiend Kissinger a change of shorts:

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The world's first permanent war crimes court starts work on Monday but faces opposition from Russia, China and the United States, which wants immunity for its overseas peacekeeping troops and other U.S. officials.

More coverage.
posted by Kevin at 12:52 PM

Documentary: U.S. Forces Committing Atrocities in Afghanistan :.

Well, somehow, this managed to just go away...

A documentary film, Massacre in Mazar, by Irish director Jamie Doran, was shown to selected audiences in Europe last week, provoking demands for an international inquiry into US war crimes in Afghanistan.

The film alleges that American troops collaborated in the torture of POWs and the killing of thousands of captured Taliban soldiers near the town of Mazar-i-Sharif. It documents events following the November 21, 2001 fall of Konduz, the Taliban�s last stronghold in northern Afghanistan.

See also, Interview with Jamie Doran, director of Massacre at Mazar :.

Research Credit: TR.
posted by Kevin at 10:16 PM

Microsoft Sneaks in DRM Trojan Horse as Critical Update :.

Microsoft is ramping up its strategy of turning all Windows based computers into tamper proof vending machines. Microsoft is not kidding, they are going to turn the screws this time. They want control of your system. I'm not going to get into the National Security imperatives that may be behind this garbage, but let it suffice to say, this is the Empire Strikes Back:

" * Digital Rights Management (Security). You agree that in order to protect the integrity of content and software protected by digital rights management ("Secure Content"), Microsoft may provide security related updates to the OS Components that will be automatically downloaded onto your computer. These security related updates may disable your ability to copy and/or play Secure Content and use other software on your computer. If we provide such a security update, we will use reasonable efforts to post notices on a web site explaining the update."

Research credit: TR.
posted by Kevin at 9:45 PM

FBI Begins Visiting Libraries :.

WASHINGTON �� The FBI is visiting libraries nationwide and checking the reading records of people it suspects of having ties to terrorists or plotting an attack, library officials say.

The FBI effort, authorized by the antiterrorism law enacted after the Sept. 11 attacks, is the first broad government check of library records since the 1970s when prosecutors reined in the practice for fear of abuses.
posted by Kevin at 9:19 PM

Dershowitz Borrows Page from Third Reich Play Book :.

The stories are getting so out of hand that commentary isn't even necessary:

Dershowitz states that he is actually opposed to torture and wants to see it reduced to the extent possible. But then he goes on argue for a system of court authorized warrants to administer torture in extraordinary cases. Whether it was shock or acceptance, there wasn�t even a cry of "shame!" from the audience when Dershowitz went on to describe how it might best be done: the insertion of a sterilized needle under the fingernails to produce "excruciating pain."

Research credit: TR.
posted by Kevin at 8:55 PM

Map of the Spam Universe :.

This interesting and bewildering chart shows the interlocking relationships between bulk mailers (spammers) from all over the world.
posted by Kevin at 8:38 PM

The Rise of the White Collar Big Money Psychopath :.

Peggy Noonan has been one of predatory capital's greatest apologists for years. Indeed, one must be in possession of incredible gall to write a book called, "When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan." I usually make a point of avoiding her vacuous perspectives, but I was curious, in light of the latest revelations from WorldCom, what she could possibly have to say.

She is so shocked, so appalled. How could this happen? The humanity... Please, dear woman, give me a f*cking break. These, "Big Money Psychopaths" are an highly evolved species. The type of behavior that led to the demise of WorldCom, et al. is bred into students in the top business schools in North America, Europe and Japan. The operating ethic is, "Win by any means necessary." Anyone who has ever worked in a managerial capacity in any corporation is aware of this. I worked for a drunken psychopath who told me, "I'd rather ask for forgiveness than permission!" The most brutal, most corrupt ass kissers wind up running the show. What's a few billion dollars between friends?

So what is with this folly, this nonsense, of discussing the moral imperatives to capitalism? If men were moral, any system would work. The fact is that the theoretical constructs of socialism and capitalism both devolve into fascism. Of course, nobody wants to admit that. A novel solution, however, would be an hybrid system in which people are encouraged to fire up their own show, while the government is tasked with preventing gross, destabilizing accumulations of wealth and busting monopolies. I know, that last sentence amounts to the ramblings of a mad man when one considers just how far gone this system really is. I've already written more on this Noonan piece than I intended to; so, let it suffice to say that even one of the Status Quo's greatest handmaidens views the people at the top as psychotic. Biographical info on article: Capitalism Betrayed The rise of the White Collar Big Money Psychopath. Friday, June 28, 2002 12:01 a.m. EDT
posted by Kevin at 4:56 AM

USA PATRIOT Act Brings Back the Bad Old Days :.

Fascism is being implemented in the U.S. via the legal process. And our slide down the rabbit hole is accelerating. Someone better dust off J. Edgar and dry-clean his favorite black negligee!
posted by Kevin at 4:29 AM

British Government Ran Death Squads in Northern Ireland :.

This BBC Panorama documentary is the best piece of journalism I have ever seen. The most stunning aspect of this, in my opinion, is the fact that it got made at all. This show provides an excellent lesson in politics for anyone who still believes in the government/media/academic dogma that "Western Democracies" abide by the rule of law and respect human rights. They actually command and control death squads, and target innocent people for execution.

There is a huge difference between reading about this subject matter and actually watching the sons and daughters of the murdered people tell their stories. I dare you to watch this! And the next time you hear a politician talking about regrettable, but entirely necessary, security measures that must be implemented to protect us from "terrorists," you better think long and hard about the origins of the terror in question. WARNING: Graphic portrayals and eye witness accounts of executions being carried out. Research credit: DG.
posted by Kevin at 4:05 AM

Rumsfeld, Humble Public Servant, Sold $91 Million in Assets

Everything thing these guys do is a conflict of interest. What do expect, that these guys should have to work for a living? Hell no, man, interlocking boards of directors, winkin', blinkin' and noddin'. Get with the program! This is government work! I love it because he cries about having to spend $60 thousand on accountants' fees. The arrogance is palpable. :.
posted by Kevin at 2:42 AM

Australian Teleportation Project

IN a dramatic technological breakthrough, an Australian-based research team has teleported a message-encoded laser beam � bringing the science fiction fantasy of "beaming" humans from one place to another a step closer. :.
posted by Kevin at 2:27 AM

Intelligence Gathering on the Web

This article is interesting for a few reasons. First, intelligence agencies are all over the web, watching, taking notes, monitoring people who visit certain sites. Second, using encryption is a fast way to attract the attention of the spooks. Third, hiding the ball in plain view is an effective form of concealment. These are all fairly mundane observations, but it's interesting to see all of this in one short article.

Hiding (and Seeking) Messages on the Web
Al Qaeda uses the Web as a communications network

By Colin Soloway, Rod Nordland and Barbie Nadeau
NEWSWEEK

June 17 issue � One day last October, an intelligence-community analyst noticed something strange about a radical Islamist Web site she had been monitoring for several months. A previously open, innocuous part of the site was suddenly blocked. She checked her notes, found the old address for the link and typed it in�to find an otherwise empty page commanding in Arabic, MISSIONARIES ATTACK!

OTHER �HIDDEN� PAGES ON the site included seemingly nonsensical phrases and quotations from the Qur�an�coded instructions for Qaeda operatives and their supporters. U.S. intelligence discovered Al Qaeda uses the Web as a communications network. Analysts believe Al Qaeda uses prearranged phrases and symbols to direct its agents. An icon of an AK-47 can appear next to a photo of Osama bin Laden facing one direction one day, and another direction the next. Colors of icons can change as well. Messages can be hidden on pages inside sites with no links to them, or placed openly in chat rooms. The messages and patterns of symbols are given to analysts at the CIA and National Security Agency to decipher.

The operators of these sites, working from Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the gulf states and Britain, are sophisticated in their computer tradecraft. �These guys are no fools,� says an intelligence source.

Much of the intelligence from the sites comes from �traffic analysis.� Analysts say they have seen �surges� in traffic since 9-11, in many cases prior to attempted attacks. �There was a surge about the time [shoe-bomber] Richard Reid got on the plane,� says one analyst. �We would get surges, and then you would hear about people who were stopped.�

For more direct communication, Al Qaeda uses commercially available encryption software or hides messages inside graphics files by a process known as steganography. �They are giving strategic direction to their supporters by using the Web [and] using [cryptographic software] to transmit e-mail messages,� says a British intelligence source.

While encrypted communications keep the content of messages secret, they attract the attention of intelligence services, which track the messages to their source and recipient; meanwhile, much of the Web communications are hidden in the mass of unrelated �chatter� on radical Web sites. �The genius of this method is that they are hiding in plain sight,� says the analyst. �It�s three jigsaw puzzles mixed up in one box, when you�re only interested in one of them.�

Some of the most valuable intelligence gleaned from the sites has been the connection between Islamic charities and Qaeda fund-raising operations. Analysts found the same bank-account numbers listed in Islamic humanitarian appeals on sites raising funds for jihad against the enemies of Islam. Several U.S.-based Islamic �charities� have been shut down thanks to the analysts� discovery of this fund-raising scam.
posted by Kevin at 2:06 AM

One Way To Send A Message

After 9/11, several top figures in the world of microbiology were suicided/accidented/dissappeared. :. Check out what happened to an investigator who was working on one of the cases:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Medical examiner O.C. Smith, who has worked on some of the city's most puzzling deaths, is at the center of another perplexing case: He was attacked over the weekend, bound with barbed wire and left with a bomb tied to his body.

[I hope you've read the link above before you read this part]

Among his recent cases was the death of Harvard University biologist Don Wiley, whose fall from a Memphis bridge in December fueled fears of terrorist kidnappings. :.

posted by Kevin at 4:31 AM

Terrorist Software

Several months ago, a fellow freak calmly explained to me how Linux would be branded a Terrorist Operating System. The concept sounded humorous at first, but the longer I thought about it, the more logical it became. As far as I know, the following is the first indication that the spin is actually beginning to equate the Linux/GNU movement with terrorism. I'm planning an extended essay on Microsoft's DRM (Digital Rights Management) scheme, but for now, start thinking in terms of having your computer replaced by a, "Tamper Proof Vending Machine." Continuing research credit on this subject matter: TR.

Open source invites terrorism - study
By Thomas C Greene in Washington
Posted: 04/06/2002 at 12:25 GMT

A Washington think tank calling itself the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution is preparing to release a 'study' warning that the widespread use of open source software will allow international terrorists to have their way with us.

"Terrorists trying to hack or disrupt U.S. computer networks might find it easier if the federal government attempts to switch to 'open source' as some groups propose," the group warned in a press release. :.
posted by Kevin at 4:16 AM

Air Force colonel suspended after bad-mouthing Bush

By KIM CURTIS Associated Press Writer
Published 2:00 p.m. PDT Tuesday, June 4, 2002

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A U.S. Air Force colonel who called President Bush "a joke" and accused him of allowing the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to happen because "his presidency was going nowhere," has been suspended and could face a court-martial.

The letter from Lt. Col. Steve Butler, who was vice chancellor for student affairs at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, was published May 26 in The (Monterey County) Herald.

"He did nothing to warn the American people because he needed this war on terrorism," Butler wrote. "His daddy had Saddam and he needed Osama. His presidency was going nowhere. ... This guy is a joke." :.
posted by Kevin at 3:52 AM

Point and Click Wiretaps

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Security and Web address provider VeriSign Inc. on Monday unveiled a new service to help U.S. telecommunications carriers comply with wiretapping regulations that have gained more prominence since the attacks of Sept. 11.

Mountain View, California-based VeriSign is testing its new "NetDiscovery" wiretapping services, which is expected to be commercially available in early July for land-line, wireless and cable carriers, said Terry Kremian, executive vice president of VeriSign's telecommunications services.

Under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994, telecommunications companies must have systems that allow law enforcement officials acting with a court order or other legal authorization to intercept targeted telephone calls and access caller ID data quickly. :.

posted by Kevin at 3:38 AM

Report: CIA Knew Two Sept. 11 Hijackers Were in U.S.

Sun Jun 2,12:11 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Months before the Sept. 11 attacks, the CIA (news - web sites) knew two of the hijackers were in the United States and that they were connected to the al Qaeda organization, Newsweek reported on Sunday.

According to the report that will hit newsstands on Monday, the intelligence was never passed along to the FBI (news - web sites), which now asserts that if it had known, agents could have uncovered the terrorist plot.

Newsweek said the CIA became aware of one of the terrorists, Nawaf Alhazmi, a few days after he attended a secret planning meeting of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al Qaeda in Malaysia in January 2000.

Agents also discovered that another of the men, Khalid Almihdhar, had already obtained a multiple-entry visa that allowed him to enter and leave the United States at will.

The magazine said the CIA did nothing with the information, neither notifying the FBI, which could have tracked the two men, or the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which could have turned them away at the border.

Instead, Newsweek said that for a year and nine months after the CIA identified them as terrorists, Alhazmi and Almihdhar lived openly in the United States, using their real names, obtaining driver's licenses, opening bank accounts and enrolling in flight schools. On the morning of Sept. 11, they boarded one of the four hijacked airliners, American Airlines (news - web sites) Flight 77, and crashed it into the Pentagon (news - web sites).

Some 3,000 people died in the attacks outside Washington and in New York and rural Pennsylvania.

Appearing on the "Fox News Sunday" program, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites) said he had been given the Newsweek report but had not "had a chance to digest this story ... to read it thoroughly and get the details."

Nonetheless, Ashcroft added, "We are at war. We need to seize on every possibility for preventing additional attacks. That is our strategy. That is our responsibility, and we need to coordinate the activities between our agencies."

Newsweek said the information was held at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, the base camp for the agency's war on bin Laden. The magazine said that when Almihdhar's visa expired, the State Department, not knowing any better, issued him a new one in July 2001, even though the CIA had linked him to one of the suspected bombers of the USS Cole (news - web sites) in Yemen in October 2000.

The FBI now is asserting that the two terrorists' frequent meetings with the other Sept. 11 hijackers could have provided federal agents with a road map to the entire cast, the magazine said. But the FBI didn't know it was supposed to be looking for them until three weeks before the strikes, when CIA Director George Tenet, worried an attack was imminent, ordered a review.

An all-points bulletin was sent on Aug. 23, 2001, launching law enforcement agents on an urgent and futile search for the two men.

Newsweek said FBI officials have prepared a detailed chart showing how agents could have uncovered the terrorist plot if they had learned about Almihdhar and Alhazmi sooner, given their contacts with at least five of the other hijackers.
posted by Kevin at 3:29 AM

Was a CIA Cutout Operation Hiring on Monster.com?

I noticed some very high weirdness on monster.com a few weeks ago. I investigated a bit and then sent the following information to the CIA.

ATTN: Operations

Dear CIA,

It appears as though one of your domestic proprietaries/contractors is attempting hire employees using monster.com. Some friendly reminders:

Semi-aware folks might find it a bit odd that the ad describes Aromerica as, "one of America's fastest growing companies," yet there is no reference to a company called Aromerica in any of the usual places. Also, none of the top level Internet domains have been registered to Aromerica. Some wisenheimer might decide to register those domains and have them forward all traffic to cia.gov. That would be pretty funny. Or not, depending on your perspective.

Additionally, pcrepro.com, the domain where people interested in the positions are to send their resumes, is registered to a company called Pacific Coast Reprographics, Inc. The last time I checked, reprographics businesses didn't have much of a need for counter-intel/counter-terrorism experts with Top Secret DoD clearances... *wink* *blink* *nod*

Ok, that's all I have for you. Happy spooking!

-Kevin

Enclosures: Monster.com job ad and WHOIS output from pcrepro.com:

(Link broken up for line feed purposes)
http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=14865050&col=&cy=
US&brd=1&lid=350&fn=660&q=&AVSDM=2002%2D05%2D17+11%3
A35%3A00%2E000&CCD=my%2Emonster%2Ecom&JSD=jobsearch
%2Emonster%2Ecom&HD=company%2Emonster%2Ecom&AD=http
%3A%2F%2Fjobsearch%2Emonster%2Ecom%2Fjobsearch%2Easp
%3Fcy%3DUS%26brd%3D1%26lid%3D350%26fn%3D660%26q%3D
&Logo=1

US-CA-Orange County-Counterintelligence/Counter-Terrorism Analyst


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aromerica, Inc. is one of America's fastest growing companies. In less than three years of operation, we now boast annual sales in excess of $2 million. And we expect to double our sales volume during the next two years and see a steady growth rate of 10-25%.

Since our inception in 1998, our trademark has been to incorporate cutting-edge technology with good, old-fashioned customer service, train our associates/employees, and educate our clients. Our success is a direct result of our unique and progressive business model that provides our clients, and employee/associates with creative solutions, superior knowledge and attentive care.

Aromerica is currently undergoing an expansion into the government marketplace. We are in the process of ramping up our IT division to provide services to the federal sector. The following job openings exist:

Counterintelligence/Counter-Terrorism Analyst: Responsible for assisting in focused Counterintelligence and Anti-Terrorism analysis and contribute to cross-disciplined analysis to support offensive and defensive CI/CT operations.

LAN Network Specialist: Acts as the principal point of contact and the prime source of technical knowledge within a government organization in matters requiring Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) expertise.

Systems Engineer: Plans and executes complex engineering activities. Provides Systems Engineering support to the intelligence community.

All positions require an active (within the past two years) Top Secret DoD Clearance with the exception of the LAN Network Specialist (Secret Clearance). The applicant must have excellent written and oral presentation skills and full command of MS Office applications. Candidates should also have at least a BA/BS degree, but applicable experience may be substituted for this requirement. The positions will be located primarily in California and the Washington D.C. area.

Please apply for positions by e-mailing a cover letter and resume to zack@pcrepro.com.

Aromerica, Inc.
949-753-7877 Fax
zack@pcrepro.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Information
Salary: USD 60,000.00 to USD 90,000.00 per year
Position Type: Full Time, Temporary/Contract/Project

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact Information
zack@pcrepro.com
CA

WHOIS:

Registrant:
Pacific Coast Reprographics, Incorporated (PCREPRO-DOM)
18271 McDurmott West, Suite E
Irvine, CA 92614
US

Domain Name: PCREPRO.COM

Administrative Contact:
Dafaallah, Zack (ZD166) pcrepro@PACBELL.NET
Pacific Coast Reprographics, Incorporated
18271 McDurmott West, Suite E
Irvine , CA 92614
949-474-9793 (FAX) 949-474-9070
Technical Contact:
Duncan, Jordan (JD5095) jduncan@CCADS.COM
ccads, Inc.
2458 Dupont Drive
Irvine, CA 92612
(949) 863.9274 (FAX) (949) 863.9275

Record expires on 24-Aug-2003.
Record created on 24-Aug-1998.
Database last updated on 28-May-2002 00:09:44 EDT.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS1.CCADS.COM 216.231.12.251
NS1.COX-OC.NET 64.58.128.198
posted by Kevin at 3:03 AM

Creeping Fascism: Bush Administration Conscripts Citizens, Flings Constitution Into the Shredder

In an unusual legal twist, the Justice Department handed over the Brooklyn-born Padilla to the Pentagon for indefinite imprisonment as an "enemy combatant." Government lawyers cited a 1942 Supreme Court ruling permitting such a transfer. Padilla had been held quietly for weeks in New York City, then was flown Monday aboard a military C-130 plane to a Navy brig in Charleston, S.C.

"We have acted with legal authority both under the laws of war and clear Supreme Court precedent, which establish that the military may detain a United States citizen who has joined the enemy and has entered our country to carry out hostile acts," Ashcroft said. :.

We are now living under a system in which U.S. citizens can be stripped of their Constitutional rights (the writ of habeas corpus), placed in military custody indefinitely and denied access to legal council. "Here we have the executive branch declaring that a U.S. citizen can be declared a combatant, that he can be detained without charges, that he can be denied counsel, that he can be prevented from arguing in a courtroom that he is innocent. I think that means a very great deal," said Robert Levy, a constitutional scholar at the Cato Institute, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C. :.

I would ask readers to remember, as John Ashcroft invokes the letter of the law, that the U.S. Supreme Court also upheld the decision of the U.S. Government to intern thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II. :. Many states have destroyed themselves with similar laws, and as with the American brand of fascism, the U.S. Government often invokes draconian laws to justify its behavior. The point to keep in mind, however, is that de jure fascism will feel just like de facto fascism if you happen to be standing in a concentration camp. :.
posted by Kevin at 5:15 AM