Faster and Furiouser Domestic Spying: Why Would the NSA Review Group Talk to the ATF?
Because I’m working on a post on John Bates’ response to the NSA Review Group recommendations, I happened to re-review the list of people the Review Group spoke with today (see page 277; Bates was the only one from the FISA Court they spoke with),
See if you find anything odd with this list of entities the Review Group spoke with from the Executive Branch (here’s a handy list of intelligence agencies to compare it to):
Assistant to the President for Homeland Security & Counterterrorism
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Central Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Justice
Department of State
Drug Enforcement Agency
Federal Bureau of Investigations
National Archives and Records Administration
National Counterterrorism Center
National Institute for Standards and Technology
National Reconnaissance Office
National Security Advisor
National Security Agency
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
President’s Intelligence Advisory Board
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE)
Special Assistant to the President for Cyber Security
Treasury Department
Much of the list makes sense. You’ve got the people largely in charge of terrorism (NCTC, Lisa Monaco, FBI, Treasury), you’ve got some of the people in charge of cyber and/or corrupting encryption standards (DHS, Michael Daniel, NIST), you’ve got the people who have to deal with angry foreign leaders (State), you’ve got people in charge of data sharing and storage (PM-ISE and NARA), and you’ve got Commerce (which serves to boost, but also coerce, the tech companies on these issues).
There are some absences. I’m surprised Department of Energy, which plays a key role in counterproliferation, isn’t on here. It’s light on counterintelligence functions, both at DNI and things like AFOSI (which I believe has some nifty cybertools). I’m also a little surprised DOD was represented as a whole, but not some of the branch intelligence organizations. Similarly, DHS was represented as a whole, but not some of its relevant branches (TSA, CBP, and Secret Service).
And then there’s the Drug Enforcement Agency, which is on the list.
And even more alarmingly, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Don’t get me wrong, neither is all that surprising. We know some of the tools covered by the Review Group — notably National Security Letters — have actually been (mis)used in drug investigations as well as in terrorism ones. Given the logic of the certifications we know exist — not to mention the Administration’s fear-mongering and increasing focus on Transnational Crime Organizations not run by Jamie Dimon — I wouldn’t be surprised if Section 702 were used to fight the war on drugs, if it hasn’t already been. And the drug war certainly is a foreign intelligence priority for EO 12333 collection. Given NSA’s increasing inclusion of drug cartels in the boilerplate comments it releases about Snowden stories, I expect we’ll hear some nifty things about the war on drugs before this is out.
Similarly, one of the first things we learned the government was using Section 215 and/or NSLs to collect was purchase records for beauty supplies, otherwise known as explosives precursors. Since then, Members of Congress have talked about tracking fertilizer purchases. And I’d be shocked if there weren’t at least a half-hearted attempt to track pressure cooker purchases. I guess, from ATF’s inclusion among the Review Group’s interlocutors, we know a little bit about where this data resides: in probably the most fucked up law enforcement agency in government (though maybe that’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which thankfully was not considered central enough to talk to the Review Group).
Still, given the increasing number of signals that these authorities have been used to track gun purchases, and ATF’s notorious failures at tracking gun purchases in the past, I wonder whether they’re involved not just to talk about explosives purchases, but also gun records?
The Review Group warned that,
Like other agencies, there are situations in which NSA does and should provide support to the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and other law enforcement entities. But it should not assume the lead for programs that are primarily domestic in nature.
For a variety of reasons (both reasonable and unreasonable), it is much harder to claim that tracking gun purchases pertains to counterterrorism or another foreign intelligence purpose than tracking acetone purchases.
Is this one of the domestic security functions the Review Group worried about?
quote:”I wouldn’t be surprised if Section 702 were used to fight the war on drugs, if it hasn’t already been. And the drug war certainly is a foreign intelligence priority for EO 12333 collection. Given NSA’s increasing inclusion of drug cartels in the boilerplate comments it releases about Snowden stories, I expect we’ll hear some nifty things about the war on drugs before this is out.”unquote
DING DING DING! Marci, you’re treading on dangerous ground here. If ANYTHING..I believe the NSA TRACKS drugs FOR the CIA/FBI. Fast and Furious indeed. In FACT, just yesterday, the El Universe(mexican newspaper) ran an article about their investigation into DEA funneling guns to the Sineola Cartel while providing legal immunity to them in trade for information on OTHER Cartels. Now just where do you think those guns came from, hmmmmmm? You got it. ATF’s Fast&Furious. This whole story is about to make Holder’s head explode, if not B.Toad’s. Issa must be rolling on the floor in gut splitting laughter too. This is PRECISELY what he’s been waiting for. Proof.
quote:”There have long been allegations that Guzman, considered to be “the world’s most powerful drug trafficker,” coordinates with American authorities.
But the El Universal investigation is the first to publish court documents that include corroborating testimony from a DEA agent and a Justice Department official.
The written statements were made to the U.S. District Court in Chicago in relation to the arrest of Jesus Vicente Zambada-Niebla, the son of Sinaloa leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and allegedly the Sinaloa cartel’s “logistics coordinator.”unquote
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-us-government-and-the-sinaloa-cartel-2014-1
I can just see Holders/B.Toads face about now.
ok, let’s go on…
quote:”Still, given the increasing number of signals that these authorities have been used to track gun purchases, and ATF’s notorious failures at tracking gun purchases in the past, I wonder whether they’re involved not just to talk about explosives purchases, but also gun records?”unquote
ABSOLUTELY! This is one THE most important issue in the GunRights sphere of interests. Even Obamacare is becoming a certified assault on 2nd Amendment rights, as even I was asked just yesterday, by a nurse taking info on my medical history, if “I” owned a gun. I told her to fuck off. What they are doing, is creating an illegal nationwide data base of gun owners by virtue of NSA denial tactics. If you only knew. In reality, these scumbags are prepping for down the road gun confiscation. PERIOD. And just to show you how insidious even current databases are and what they can lead to..take a gander at this……….
http://tbo.com/list/columns-tjackson/jackson-gun-owner-unarmed-unwelcome-in-maryland-20140112/
You wait. This is only the beginning. In the meantime, keep focused on the NSA’s delivering domestic data to ATF/FBI/DEA/DHS. I truly believe Greenwald has been waiting with a doc in the wings that will blow this whole thing wide open. And the USG KNOWS IT.
national geospatial-intelligence agency (nga) isn’t there either.
exactly which room were the president and his girl friend in when nsa tapped them?
nga:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Mapping_Agency#Defense_Mapping_Agency_.28DMA.29
http://blogs.reuters.com/gregg-easterbrook/2011/01/20/undisciplined-spending-in-the-name-of-defense/
Marci, I don’t know if you are cognizant of Katherine Austin Fitts or not. But a few years back, she wrote a book called ..Dillon Reed: The Aristocracy of Stocks. In it, by virtue of her computer talents and position at HUD, she documents her discovery of a relationalship database/program called Promis that tracked CIA delivered drugs into HUD housing. She was almost murdered, notwithstaning her career ruined through a vicious investigation of HER, instead of the program. In fact, to this day, the story of Promis is so astounding it’s almost out of a fiction book. Some people STILL suggest, that current NSA programs are actually offshoots of Promis. If you dig deep enough, you will find the DRUG connection to the USG is beyond comprehension. I mean..Afghanistan’s poppy harvest jumped 6 fold the year Hayden took over in 2006. whudda thunk
youbetcha..it’s a BIG CLUB..and we ain’t in it. Ollie North was an amateur.
@orionATL:
like nsa, nga has both a combat function and an intelligence community information collection and dissemination function:
http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=5809
@orionATL: Yeah, and look who was running it…
quote” “In 1996, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) was chartered to bring together a variety of imagery and geospatial analysis disciplines into a totally new discipline — geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT,” said the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Director retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper Jr. “Geospatial intelligence is what we do, and our agency’s name now properly reflects that reality.”unquote
Clapper. whudda thunk. Of course, with that head who else was better suited for “geospatial” (insert rolling eyes here)
The revenoors are a comin’! “Don’t burn no green or rotten wood, they’ll get you by the smoke” updates to “Don’t email, txt or take your phone, they’ll get you by the meta”.
“[ATF] is the most fucked up law enforcement agency in government”
According to this complete compilation of Milwaukee ATF stories, you could be erring here on the side of generosity:
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/backfire-190528221.html
Let’s see … credit card transactions at gun dealers. I wonder how hard DITU finds it to pull these out of banking database records and flip an excel file to ATF. Not hard at all: list of gun dealer accounts, list of account credits, database totals by card, sort by big totals, bingo potential trafficker.
Let’s see … cash transactions at gun dealers. This couldn’t identify targets, just questionable dealers. Difference between guns purchased for inventory – guns sold by credit card transactions – guns still in inventory at year end. The gun dealer could wash cash from cash sales to purchase inventory at swap meets and gun shows. Here DITU and ATF would want to huddle with IRS.
@justSaying just:
quote“[ATF] is the most fucked up law enforcement agency in government”
According to this complete compilation of Milwaukee ATF stories, you could be erring here on the side of generosity:”unquote
Generosity indeed. And here’s someone who doesn’t pull no punches with the ATF, Mike Vanderbough. He’s the one who broke the Fast&Furious story to begin with…
http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2013/10/reality-sinks-in-open-letter-to-whiner.html
quote:”Let’s see … credit card transactions at gun dealers. I wonder how hard DITU finds it to pull these out of banking database records and flip an excel file to ATF. Not hard at all: list of gun dealer accounts, list of account credits, database totals by card, sort by big totals, bingo potential trafficker.”unquote
Potential trafficker?? I take it you’re one of the anti-gun collectivists, no? Well, you don’t need to look any further than the ATF itself. sheesh. In fact, these fucks have screwed up more peoples lives with their bullshit than Carter has pills…like this poor family..who’s case still goes on today. Thanks to those scumbag US Attorney Generals who demonstrably lied through their teeth..
http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-largely-unreported-ordeal-of-reese.html
And then, you have the family of agent Brian Terry, who was murdered with one of the 2k+ F&F weapons the ATF ran to Mexico. Holder NEVER apologized, nor have they received any closure whatsoever. I only hope Issa nails this prick to the wall sooner or later. However, now the El Universe newspaper in Mexico just published documented proof the DEA was providing F&F weapons to the Simenola Cartel in trade for info on other cartels, well, ole fuckface himself might just be facing a long long prison term. Hope springs eternal.
BTW, those halfwit ATF agents in Milwaukee actually left a 50cal machine gun in their car, whereby it was immediately stolen..and STILL hasn’t been found. Youbetcha..they redefine halfwit.
@bloodypitchfork: Fitts’ revelations about Dyncorps are excellent reading. I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that the gov’t. spigot can’t be turned off on a company that corrupt.
@bloodypitchfork:
Remember that BATF was allowing guns to go south when Bush was president, too. This stuff has been going on a lot longer than five years.
For what it’s worth, Commerce has a law enforcement/national security function via its Bureau of Industry and Security, which manages and enforces export controls on non-military (e.g., dual use) items. I would suspect that’s the Commerce agency involved in the review group.
@Strangely Enough: Dynacorp. If people only knew. Along with General Atomics and a dozen other craven pits of MIC capitalism gone mad. Yes, Fitt’s lays it all out. Like her title says. The ruling class in one easy lesson.