Wikileaks Issues A Beatdown To The CIA
BY Herschel Smith
7 years, 8 months ago
It’s called Vault 7, concerning the CIA hacking tools. If you haven’t taken the time to read through it, you should. I’m going to link, paste some of the content, and comment on an article at NRO today concerning this release, but before I do, you really need this reddit discussion thread as an antidote to the jingoistic silliness in the article. There are other articles out there, but they pale in comparison to the stupidity of this one at NRO.
According to press reports, WikiLeaks today released thousands of highly classified CIA documents on methods the CIA allegedly is using to conduct cyber warfare. If these documents are legitimate, this illegal release will ruin cyber programs worth billions of dollars that the CIA was using to do battle with America’s enemies, especially terrorist groups.
The CIA officer who took the law into his or her hands to release this material justified this release by claiming this data “urgently need to be debated in public, including whether the CIA’s hacking capabilities exceed its mandated powers and the problem of public oversight of the agency.” The source also said he or she “wishes to initiate a public debate about the security, creation, use, proliferation and democratic control of cyberweapons.”
What nonsense. If the traitor truly believed this program violated U.S. law or endangered the privacy rights of America, there are numerous legal avenues he or she could have used, including the CIA inspector general and the House and Senate intelligence committees. CIA officers take an oath to protect classified national-security information. Such a massive illegal disclosure in violation of the CIA secrecy oath is not an act of courage or whistleblowing, it was “a Snowden” — an act of cowardice by a disgruntled individual who never should have been hired by the CIA.
The only nonsense is in this article. I’ve copied and pasted enough now. If you read any more, you’re head is liable to explode due to the overpressure from flow of stupidity.
So let’s rehearse what we do know, not what we can posture and preen about. First of all, Edward Snowden told us about illegal surveillance being conducted on Americans. Let’s note that again. What the NSA was doing when Snowden made his revelations was illegal, and they’re still doing it. There is absolutely no statutory basis for what they’re doing.
Next, Edward Snowden would be charged with crimes if he were to return to the U.S. If he had taken this information to the Senate or House, it would have been pushed off to a committee, hidden, and nothing done about it, right after Snowden was arrested. We know that for a fact because to this date, nothing whatsoever has been done about Snowden’s revelations. The Senate and House are all compromised in “Brownstone operations” (and we’ll rehearse that in a moment).
What Wikileaks revealed today was that not only is the NSA doing it, but the CIA is doing it as well, and not only that, they’re possibly doing it better. And no, this isn’t restricted to overseas targets or terrorists, it’s being used on literally anyone and everyone they want to target. We also know that there is absolutely no statutory basis or justification for what the CIA is doing. None.
Next, consider what the CIA is doing. They are quite literally buying the vulnerabilities in U.S.-made software. They are paying money to keep the vulnerabilities in software and hardware in order to exploit those weaknesses. One more time so you get the point. They are creating and buying zero-day exploits for systems and of course refraining from telling the manufacturers of those devices. This is irresponsible and dangerous to the point of being criminal. It isn’t negligent, it’s intentionally criminal.
This lends itself to fraud, abuse, extortion, potential convictions in a courtroom with the use of illegally obtained material, material that violates the Fourth Amendment to the constitution. Here is something else. Since some of the malware is stolen from Russia, no one can ever, ever again trust the CIA when they say something like “this malware or hacking attack has a known Russian [or any other country for that matter] signature.” Never. Not that I ever trusted the CIA anyway.
We would all love to live in a country in which we know with certainty that the men and women in responsible charge of the nation’s international security target only the known enemies of state, i.e., foreign enemies. But that’s not reality, and only a fool or simpleton believes things like that. We know that this lust for knowledge, this consuming drive for power, is emblematic of the fall in Genesis, where they wanted to be like God. Statism is a wicked religion, and jingoism is its bread and butter.
So why would this writer, who wrote the same thing at Center For Security Policy, weigh in with such an article as this? Why would he beclown himself in this way? I can think of only two reasons. The first is that he really doesn’t understand the nature of the deep state.
No, I’m not talking about the deep state in the way Bill Kristol talks about the deep state, with utter ignorance of the subject. I mean the true nature of the deep state. CIA, DynCorp (former SpecOps who handles the military operations of the CIA), the State Department, The Clinton Foundation, The Clinton Global Initiative, some FBI (e.g., Andrew McCabe and others), some generals (e.g., Petraeus), and other actors in the corporate world, have participated in nation-toppling in North Africa and the Middle East for the last ten or more years, going after oil, money, precious metals, weapons, human organs and human trafficking (read here child trafficking).
Their bread and butter for extortion is “Brownstone operations,” and their military bread and butter in North Africa has been coupling with the Muslim Brotherhood to overthrow countries and destabilize entire regions. Of course, money from George Soros came in quite handy. If this writer doesn’t know about George Webb on YouTube (who is being assisted by FBI by his own admission), the Reddit discussion threads, the Voat discussion threads, and if this writer doesn’t know about “FBIAnon” and “DHS Insider” who is assisting some of these citizen investigations, then the writer is incompetent and should be fired.
If he worked for the CIA all these years and yet doesn’t know about the current war within the IC, then he is a buffoon. On the other hand, if he does know about all of this, and if he does understand that both the NSA and CIA are engaging in illegal surveillance against American citizens, and yet he supports these programs anyway, then he is a traitor. The second possibility is darker than the first.
Either way, the MSM is chock full of articles and commentaries today on this subject, and amusingly none of the articles display any significant degree of indignation. When Nixon’s men broke into Watergate, the whole nation was outraged (except for Lynyrd Skynyrd). Today, everyone is being recorded, every text message is being sent to storage from one of a few main internet nodes, every phone call is being recorded, and every penny made is being cataloged by the U.S. government. And no one is batting an eyelid.
It’s a sad commentary on the state of affairs, a state that would have sickened our founders and caused rebellion at one tenth of what we’ve witnessed. Our founding fathers would have already burned Washington, D.C. to the ground. The war of independence was started over taxes and gun control. The saddest part is that nothing is likely to happen as a result of the revelations today. This too will pass, I predict, just like Snowden’s revelations.
John Jay has related thoughts. WRSA also links a good video.
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On March 8, 2017 at 12:27 am, Frank_in_Spokane said:
“We know that this lust for knowledge, this consuming drive for power, it emblematic of the fall in Genesis, where they wanted to be like God.”
Tyranny occurs when mortal men arrogate unto themselves the attributes or prerogatives of God. Count on it.
“Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.” ~ William Penn
On March 8, 2017 at 12:31 am, Herschel Smith said:
Right on. All of my points wrapped up into a few lines. Good.
On March 8, 2017 at 9:36 am, suzanna said:
Speaking of God, the power of good, may we say, “thank God these out of bounds
criminal actions are being revealed.”
On March 8, 2017 at 3:19 pm, gflsr said:
Sad part is as stated above, nothing of any consequence will happen unless scapegoat(s) can be manufactured.
On March 8, 2017 at 3:39 pm, Herschel Smith said:
It’s already off the front page of Drudge, and very few MSM articles are visible about this today. The lid was lifted off the beast’s cave, people squirmed and said to put the lid back on.
They’re too busy putting on idiotic costumes on Sunday and going to sports bars to watch their favorite criminals bash each other. Hey, every numbed society has to have its bread and circuses.
On March 8, 2017 at 5:36 pm, Frank_in_Spokane said:
“idiotic costumes on Sunday”
And of course, those “idiotic costumes” are all about federal (covenantal, not governmental) representation. That’s why pro-team fans like to say, “WE sure kicked their buts,” or, “Man they sure whupped US.”
For your files. (You may already have it, but just in case … )
“THE LITURGY OF SPORTS,” by Gary North
http://www.reformed-theology.org/ice/newslet/reconstruction/cr96.07.htm
On March 8, 2017 at 6:23 pm, MattBracken said:
(My comment at the NRO piece)
“What nonsense. If the traitor truly believed this program violated U.S. law or endangered the privacy rights of America, there are numerous legal avenues he or she could have used, including the CIA inspector general and the House and Senate intelligence committees. CIA officers take an oath to protect classified national-security information.”
Hahaha! ROTFLMAO! You had me going there for a minute! Good one!
On March 9, 2017 at 2:57 am, Zorost said:
Too bad 1 of the other reveals was that the CIA could kill people without risk by taking control of their cars.
See: Michael Hastings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Hastings_(journalist)#Alleged_foul_play_controversy
On March 9, 2017 at 4:39 am, Lee Hall said:
I disagree with the author’s opinion about this be an act of cowardice. The oath to the CIA does not supersede the oath to the constitution. Also, suggesting that some over site committee within the CIA would handle the matter lawfully is laughable.
On March 9, 2017 at 1:48 pm, Frank_in_Spokane said:
“I disagree with the author’s opinion about this be an act of cowardice.”
Just to be clear, it was THE NRO ARTICLE (that Herschel quoted) that called intelligence leakers “cowards.” I’m pretty sure Herschel disagrees with their assessment, too! :-)
On March 9, 2017 at 6:18 am, DAN III said:
Mr. Smith,
The bulk of your essays and observations often overwhelm me with amazement. Amazement at your intelligent presentation of facts and arguments. This latest essay of yours being quite the revelation.
Regarding Mr. Snowden. I have long considered him a Patriot and a hero. What he provided was information on the illegal activities of the Deep State. Accordingly, Mr. Snowden has been demonized by TPTB.
Thanks for your essay. I don’t know how you do it. But, you do.
On March 9, 2017 at 6:37 am, smittyOhio said:
At least equal to guns and taxes as instigation towards the 1st American Revolution…was the corrupt legal system.
That was thrown off and a new government was created, that over time has become far more corrupt than the British government it replaced.
The guilty parties reside…not so much in government…but, in our mirrors.
Not that complicated…really.
Just stay informed, and rather than move heaven and earth to avoid it…accept the summons to trial or grand jury service and refuse to give the prosecutor what he wants…indictments for bullshit ‘crimes’, and refuse the government’s craving and lust for more convictions to feed ever more raw materials-human beings-to the Prison Industrial Complex.
Rule of Law is THE foundation of good, without it we have…evil.
Just look around…
Grand and trial jury duty remains the true peaceful remedy to government corruption.
I cannot grasp the theory that a people too indifferent/lazy to use the grand and trial jury to control the government, will, at some point, have had enough, and actually step up to do physical battle with same…
This might have all been avoided had we followed one piece of advice:
“It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties. . . . The freemen of America did not wait till usurped power had strengthened itself by exercise, and entangled the question in precedents. They saw all the consequences in the principle, and they avoided the consequences by denying the principle. We revere this lesson too much, soon to forget it. . . .”
-James Madison
Alarm bells have been ringing for well over a century, but only rarely addressed, and so we find ourselves eyeballs deep in swamp muck.
On March 9, 2017 at 8:15 am, DAN III said:
Smitty,
“The guilty parties reside….in our mirrors.”
I said the same thing time and time and time again. As many bluster about voting and often time rightfully so, one cannot dismiss the idiocy of the electorate voting to retain incumbents. Witness the electorate keeping in office, for decades, scoundrels like McCain, Toomey, Graham, Pelosi, Feinstein and others too numerous to mention. The longer these scoundrels stay in office the more they secure their power and thus tyranny of those they allege to represent.
“Public servant” has become a misnomer. As the public itself has become the servant. Not only to the elected elites but to the fourth branch of government, the appointed and hired bureaucrats at every fedgov and stategov bureaucracy.
Regarding jury duty….it is meaningless when set in a federal jury civil trial. For if the jury decides in a decision opposite of what the scoundrel judge believes, he can throw out the jury decision. Why have juries ?
Rule of Law ? Laws are just ways for the ruling elites to control the citizenry. Take any law. The judiciary INTERPRETS the meaning of that law to suit their desires. Take ten different people and ask them their interpretation of a given law. You’ll get ten different answers. The judiciary and the district attorneys are the same. Only their interpretations are based on their political beliefs. Is it any wonder why the Rule of Law has become known as the “justus” system ?
On March 9, 2017 at 1:46 pm, Frank_in_Spokane said:
“Witness the electorate keeping in office, for decades, scoundrels like McCain, Toomey, Graham, Pelosi, Feinstein and others too numerous to mention.”
… not to mention a certain AZ sheriff … ;-)
On March 11, 2017 at 11:53 am, joefour said:
Here’s an excellent article on the history of grand juries…they’re not what they used to be…
http://www.constitution.org/lrev/roots/runaway.htm
On March 9, 2017 at 8:13 am, Mark Matis said:
NRO is Rove Republican swill, and that crowd is quite happy with the CIA and NSA and FBI and the rest. What else would you expect from them?
And do note that not only were the “Intelligence” agencies and Federal “Law Enforcement” tapping the Trump campaign communications during the runup to the election and providing info from same to the Clinton campaign and the DNC, but they continue to do so even under the new Administration and are providing that info to Obama’s shadow government, the Democrats – who incidentally pass it along to their Rove Republican buddies like McCain and Graham and McConnell and Ryan and the rest, and the Media.
Treason most foul. And there are people in those organizations who are not directly involved but know about this treason, yet will NOT expose their acts. I pray to God every day to burn them in hell for what they have done.
On March 9, 2017 at 8:59 am, Seamrog said:
This is totally indicative of a morally bankrupt population, and it will eventually be the total downfall of ‘intelligence agencies.’
Western culture has been carefully groomed to produce men and women who believe to the core that there are no moral absolutes – right and wrong are totally fungible, and dependent solely on personal, relative perspective.
We see this in students who can cheat on tests and have not one ounce of regret or guilt. We see this in men and women who can rut like pigs and divorce on a whim with no thought of consequence for the children they damage. We see this in Presidents who can put their hands on a Bible, swear an oath, and then proceed to act with 100% opposition to that oath.
The alphabet agencies are learning this too.
An oath of secrecy, an oath of loyalty, a sense of duty to God and country mean NOTHING anymore, other than what Bill the guy in cube 4a wants it to mean.
He can develop a method to turn on a microphone hidden inside a TV, or use the diodes that emit light to now collect light, and relay that information to outside sources and not lose one ounce of sleep.
-or-
He can carefully assemble a damning folder of the totality of this corruption and deception and simply turn it over for widespread dissemination.
Either way; both ways, we ALL lose. We are in a heap of trouble.
On March 9, 2017 at 10:11 am, Herschel Smith said:
In order to create a population amenable to control in all things, you first must topple the moral framework and rip asunder the cultural fabric. This is the inglorious progressive project laid bare and in as simple terms as it can be put.
On March 9, 2017 at 12:58 pm, Fred said:
Toss 60 million dead babies, non-stop unjust war for decades, government registered and run ‘churches, and state licensed homosex marriage onto the pile and you got yourself a party. An Old Testament type correction is coming at the hand of the LORD. Should be fun, unless of course you like it here on earth.
On March 9, 2017 at 7:40 pm, Taken for said:
Subversion is afoot by the un-elected State. The illusion of patriotism, the mirage of privacy, with the myth of liberty – is all engineered under the facade of an election…….Omniscience lurks behind the curtain cloaking this Representative Republics groomed obsolescence we were warned about so long ago.
As Twain and a few others have so eloquently stated, “If voting made any difference they wouldn’t let us do it.” Which begs the question as if the results were “allowed or steered” then the master plan is still not influenced by the will of the people.
On March 10, 2017 at 10:29 am, Ned Weatherby said:
OT -Lynyrd Skynyrd was also askeet of “Saturday Night Special(s).” Wankers.