Words That Will Get You DHS Scrutiny
BY Herschel Smith
12 years, 5 months ago
Here is the scoop on keywords.
The Department of Homeland Security has been forced to release a list of keywords and phrases it uses to monitor social networking sites and online media for signs of terrorist or other threats against the U.S.
The intriguing the list includes obvious choices such as ‘attack’, ‘Al Qaeda’, ‘terrorism’ and ‘dirty bomb’ alongside dozens of seemingly innocent words like ‘pork’, ‘cloud’, ‘team’ and ‘Mexico’.
Released under a freedom of information request, the information sheds new light on how government analysts are instructed to patrol the internet searching for domestic and external threats.
The words are included in the department’s 2011 ‘Analyst’s Desktop Binder‘ used by workers at their National Operations Center which instructs workers to identify ‘media reports that reflect adversely on DHS and response activities’.
Department chiefs were forced to release the manual following a House hearing over documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit which revealed how analysts monitor social networks and media organisations for comments that ‘reflect adversely’ on the government.
However they insisted the practice was aimed not at policing the internet for disparaging remarks about the government and signs of general dissent, but to provide awareness of any potential threats.
Hmmm. Reflects adversely on DHS and response activities, huh? The words in the long list include terror, response, al Qaeda, organized crime, Mexico, Hazmat, North Korea, Sinaloa, gangs, trafficking, and so on. All of these are words I use regularly, and I know I get regular visits from the DHS.
But this issue of reflecting adversely on the DHS is really bothersome and scary. So let’s cover our positions again. As long as we:
Continue to seek negotiations with the Taliban, the very enemy who harbored al Qaeda, and as long as we allow the porous border with Mexico to potentially allow Hezbollah fighters to ensconce themselves in America after crossing …
And as long as we:
Send in fat ass agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Gibson Guitar (led by a noted Obama critic) wearing Tru-Spec tactical pants and drop holsters, and send in DHS agents to raid flea markets, release Taliban fighters, raid the Department of Defense budget as a piggy bank for social programs, let our Secretary of Defense worry over anthropogenic global warming …
And as long as we:
Ask our TSA agents to feel up little boys and girls, and investigate old women’s sanitary things, and as long as we want the TSA to be a federal jobs program for goobers, hicks, rednecks and other incompetents, well then …
We aren’t prepared for Taliban / al Qaeda / Hezbollah / Iranian Mullahs versus America. There are even some very basic homeland threats for which are are ill prepared. But the list goes on, and we’ve discussed all of this before, haven’t we? Is the DHS listening closely enough? Was I clear enough?
On August 15, 2012 at 8:43 am, Rich Buckley said:
Indeed DHS is on your case. Here are the noted trends in DHS as of this morning:
— DHS has promoted it’s new image maker within its ranks as of last week. The old is out, the new is in. Let us pray for him, that his image makeover of DHS means Average Joe’s liberation, not subjugation.
Things that still bother me about DHS image:
(a) They could be replaced by a crew of 5 smart IT-techies in a secure warehouse associated with mail room notice delivery and email routing, internally.
(b) They just ordered “another” 750-million rounds of 40-cal. hollow point ammo, the apparent 2nd order of this size. 40,000 rounds apparently are urgently needed by the weather forecasters at NOAA. What DHS does not yet realize is NOAA appears to be the seat of the breakaway government entity actually committed to truth and openness. They probably plan to defend themselves against DHS, NSA, and CIA. And you think I’m kidding.
(c) They never cover what’s really important because they do not actually do anything or investigate anything, they just engage in the effort of appearances.
—- not one DHS report that all the shooters (Gabrielle Gifford, Aurora, Sikh’s Temple) all had deep military connections. H-mmmmm is that actually relevant!
—- not one DHS report of radio active releases registered on multiple monitoring stations in southern Michigan, after reported large explosion, followed by multiple reports of military grade choppers flying towards the epicenter of the event heard for miles. H-mmmmm is that actually relevant!
—- ignore mentioning the helpful phone-app that files in proper format an automatic complaint form with photographic or video evidence of grouping or other seeming TSA violations. H-mmmmm is that actually relevant!
On August 24, 2012 at 10:18 am, Rich Buckley said:
Marine Sgt. Raub was “hauled in for questioning” for his expressed Facebook revolutionary sympathies, treated as a Terrorist by DHS as seen on a viral YouTube video where even this tax paying, open and transparent, US Marine Corps volunteer appeared to not be treated as a citizen or “read his rights”. But the judge scolded DHS’s tactics, and ordered Sgt. Raub’s release.
No doubt, all this unneeded and unwanted DHS has achieved, is to unify public opinion still deeper. In my case I am more convinced than ever this agency is so corrupt it’s acting more and more as the obvious face of Nazi dark agenda evil. Not one mention, not one (!) of the arrest of Sgt Raub in DHS ‘s “purported” daily updates. Shame on DHS for such obvious suppression. … and this is their “all new image” ?
On August 24, 2012 at 10:42 am, Rich Buckley said:
Well it’s official. DHS image has stopped allowing public comment on it’s so called “social media” media blog because social media is a two way communication: “Them” and “Us”
The problem was, those supporting DHS ‘s style, mission, and functions where the usual list suspects of sycophant vendors, employees assigned to comment, and a closed loop of house cheerleaders. Those posting negative bogs on DHS was apparently the other 360-million US residents, tiring of the overreach.
DHS solution: Suppress all dissent. Stop public responses.
On August 24, 2012 at 10:54 am, Herschel Smith said:
I understand your views Rich. I agree that the DHS should be never have been created and should be abolished right away, just like the ATF.
But these comments are rather beside the point. No more comments please.