Saturday, January 02, 2010

CIA and US Security on Obama's Watch

In a Nov. 20 letter obtained by the Post, Erroll Southers told key senators that he had accepted full responsibility long ago for having made a "grave error in judgment" in accessing confidential criminal records about his estranged wife's new boyfriend.

The security of the United States of America for the past year has been under Barack Hussein Obama. Three current stories question the competence and control of that security:
  1. Obama has selected one Erroll Southers to head the TSA. What do we know about Erroll? This is a man who misused his authority, when in a position of authority and violated federal privacy acts. Of all the people in US law enforcement, brother Errol is Obama's choice.
  2. It turns out the biggest single loss of CIA personnel, at the hands of a suicide bomber, was invited into the CIA compound in Afghanistan and was not searched! Wednesday's attack on a U.S. compound in Afghanistan devastated what has been a hub of counterterrorism and intelligence operations for the spy agency. Seven Central Intelligence Agency officers and contractors were killed and six others wounded in the suicide bomb attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman. CIA Director Leon Panetta said Thursday was the second-largest single-day loss for the spy agency in its history.
  3. The "underwear bomber" made a call to his father that he found so alarming, the father approached Nigerian officials who took him directly to the CIA's station chief in the Nigerian capital. The CIA did not quite find the time to get that information to the TSA or the TSA did not think it important.
Now I ask you, would the US press and the American public have put up with this under George W. Bush?

__________________________

TSA nominee gave conflicting accounts of privacy incident

Erroll Southers says he inappropriately accessed federal records in the late 1980s. Inconsistencies in his descriptions of what happened were inadvertent, he says. LA Times

Washington - The White House nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration gave Congress misleading information about incidents in which he inappropriately accessed a federal database, possibly in violation of privacy laws, documents obtained by the Washington Post show.

The disclosure comes as pressure builds from Democrats on Capitol Hill for a quick January confirmation of Erroll Southers, whose nomination has been held up by GOP opponents. In the aftermath of an attempted airline bombing on Christmas Day, calls have intensified for lawmakers to install permanent leadership at the TSA, a crucial agency in enforcing airline security.

Southers, a former FBI agent, is now the Los Angeles World Airports Police Department assistant chief for homeland security and intelligence. He has described inconsistencies in his accounts to Congress as "inadvertent" and the result of poor memory of an incident that dates back 20 years.

In a Nov. 20 letter obtained by the Post, he told key senators that he had accepted full responsibility long ago for having made a "grave error in judgment" in accessing confidential criminal records about his estranged wife's new boyfriend.

His letter to Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and ranking Republican Susan Collins of Maine, which has not been publicly disclosed, attempts to correct statements about the episode that he made in a sworn affidavit on Oct. 22.

Southers did not respond to a request for an interview.

He first described the episode in his October affidavit, telling the Senate panel that two decades ago he asked a San Diego Police Department employee to access confidential criminal records about the boyfriend. Southers said he had been censured by superiors at the FBI. He described the incident as isolated and expressed regrets about it.

The committee approved his nomination on Nov. 19. One day later, Southers wrote to Lieberman and Collins saying his first account was incorrect. After reviewing documents, he recalled that he had twice conducted the database searches himself, downloaded confidential law enforcement records about his wife's boyfriend and passed information on to the police department employee, the letter said.

It is a violation of the federal Privacy Act to access such confidential information without proper cause. The law says that "any person who knowingly and willfully requests or obtains any record concerning an individual from an agency under false pretenses shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than $5,000."

In his letter, Southers said he simply forgot the circumstances of the searches, which occurred in 1987 and 1988 when he was worried about his wife and their son. The letter said, "During a period of great personal turmoil, I made a serious error in judgment by using my official position with the FBI to resolve a personal problem."

Southers' nomination has already been delayed by partisan bickering. Though two Senate committees have endorsed him, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) held up his approval because of concern that Southers would support the unionization of TSA workers.

White House spokesman Nick Shapiro defended Southers and said the changes in his account should not affect his nomination. Lieberman and Collins also voiced support.





'Underwear Bomber's' Alarming Last Phone Call
Abdulmutallab Called His Father to Say It Would Be Their Last Contact
By DANA HUGHES and KIRIT RADIA
ABUJA, Nigeria, Dec. 31, 2009 ABC

The accused "underwear bomber" made a dramatic final call to his father that he found so alarming, the father approached Nigerian officials who took him directly to the CIA's station chief in the Nigerian capital, sources told ABC News.

What did he say that prompted the bomber's father to alert the CIA?

Current and former officials of the Nigerian government, including a source close to the suspect's family, say Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, called his father from Yemen with the warning that it would be his last contact.

It has previously been reported that the man's father, prominent Nigerian banker Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, went to Nigerian and American officials Nov. 19 to warn them that his son had been radicalized by Islamic militants in Yemen.

Details have emerged about Abdulmutallab's final phone call that highlight President Obama's statement that there were "systemic failures" of the country's security system.

ABC News' sources said that during Abdulmutallab's final call, he told his father the call would be his last contact with the family. He said that the people he was with in Yemen were about to destroy his SIM card, rendering his phone unusable.



71 comments:

  1. Well, the Slam Dunk boys at Langley have not improved their performance over the past year. Why would anyone be surprised, by that.

    To expect that the Federals could operate efficiently or effectively is an expectation that will be dashed upon the rocks of reality.

    Anyone that looks to the Federals, for their safety or security, is bound to be disappointed.
    But to think, for a moment, that there would be a difference in performance with "Maverick" McCain behind the Resolute desk is purely fantasy.

    Whether domestically or overseas to expect more from the Federal Socialist is foolish.

    ReplyDelete
  2. And yes, the US public accepted much more incompetency from GW Bush.

    9-11-01, the stove piping of information under Bush's watch, not only forgiven, but found to be acceptable. For the entirety of Team 43's tenure.

    The Obama operation using the infrastructure developed by the Bush administration. Just as, and for about the same time period, that Mr Bush utilized Team Clinton's game plan, prior to the New York and DC cross border raids of 2001.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I linked this at BC, so PLEASE keep it clean, Rufus, OK?

    ReplyDelete
  4. On the Iranian Revolution Thread,

    Anonymous said...
    "You mean revolution like this?:"

    Demonstration 1

    Demonstration 2

    The Iranian regime urged its supporters out onto the streets of major cities on Wednesday in a show of force against the opposition which it accuses of being "pawns of the enemies." Duration: 00:30

    ReplyDelete
  5. Not being as smart as Coulter, I can't figure out what she is describing below, could someone help semi-abled Doug, please?

    (To be fair, the father's warning might have been taken more seriously if he had not simultaneously asked for the U.S. Embassy's Social Security number and bank routing number in order to convey a $28 million inheritance that was trapped in a Nigerian bank account.)

    Another triumph in Janet Napolitano's "Let's stay one step behind the terrorists" policy!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I Forgot!

    "He first described the episode in his October affidavit, telling the Senate panel that two decades ago he asked a San Diego Police Department employee to access confidential criminal records about the boyfriend. Southers said he had been censured by superiors at the FBI. He described the incident as isolated and expressed regrets about it.

    The committee approved his nomination on Nov. 19. One day later, Southers wrote to Lieberman and Collins saying his first account was incorrect. After reviewing documents, he recalled that he had twice conducted the database searches himself, downloaded confidential law enforcement records about his wife's boyfriend and passed information on to the police department employee, the letter said.

    It is a violation of the federal Privacy Act to access such confidential information without proper cause.
    "

    ReplyDelete
  7. "He said that the people he was with in Yemen were about to destroy his SIM card, rendering his phone unusable."
    ---
    Digital Death.
    Only a human pulse remained.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Surely, you jest.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Our songs can be remastered, digitally, burned balls,
    gone forever.

    ReplyDelete
  10. From the WSJ
    But as president, Mr. Obama has neglected the court. He has played only seven known games of basketball since taking office, compared with 25 rounds of golf, a sport he picked up about a decade ago when he was an Illinois state senator. That's more golf than former President George W. Bush played in two terms, according to CBS White House correspondent Mark Knoller, who tracks presidential trivia. (In 2003, Mr. Bush quit golf, saying he did so out of respect for the troops serving in Iraq. Since leaving office, he has returned to the sport, an aide says.)

    ReplyDelete
  11. We don't need no stinking respect for the Troops!
    My Belle Michelle only lately became proud of this country for the first time.
    How great a country can we be?

    ReplyDelete
  12. "Whether domestically or overseas to expect more from the Federal Socialist is foolish."
    ---
    Yup,
    John would have spent as much.
    Been as trasparently opaque.
    Cared as little about the troops...
    Samo, Samo.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Marxists = Reaganites
    Don't you forget it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Erroll Southers = Porter Goss

    ReplyDelete
  15. DR, what you say is that the president is irrelevant. That certainly does not apply to the people he appoints to run specific agencies.

    We appreciate your defense of your guy Obama, but it would be a stretch to assume that had it been McCain, you would have been equally protective of my guy Jack.

    Your disdain for the federals is welcome and shared.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Napolitano, a screw up? Whoa, don't forget about Brownie.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Fuck you, Whit!

    Fuckin FEMA ain't the Justice Dept or CIA!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Rodent pontificates: But to think, for a moment, that there would be a difference in performance with "Maverick" McCain behind the Resolute desk is purely fantasy.



    Ah but dear rat, McCain DID not WIN.. The Queens DOES not have Balls and Obama is the man(?) where the buck stops...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Today's Forecast: Saturday, 2 Jan 2010
    53°F
    26°F

    Sky Conditions: Sunny
    Sunrise: 7:34 AM Sunset: 5:49 PM
    Wind: NNW (337°) @ 12Mph (19Km, 10Kts)
    Precipitation Probability: 0%

    View your complete Local Weather »

    ReplyDelete
  20. "Ah but dear rat, McCain DID not WIN.. The Queens DOES not have Balls and Obama is the man(?) where the buck stops..."
    ---
    Please do not blind us with the truth, WIO.

    ReplyDelete
  21. @7:39, Doug said:
    I linked this at BC, so PLEASE keep it clean, Rufus, OK?

    What happened?

    ReplyDelete
  22. So why are you selling the homestead, Whit?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Rufus wimped out, so I took his place!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Denmark: Man attacking artist shot
    Jan. 2, 2010
    Associated Press , THE JERUSALEM POST
    A Somali man wielding an ax and a knife was shot by police as he attempted to kill an artist who drew a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad that sparked outrage in the Muslim world, the head of Denmark's intelligence agency said Saturday.

    Jakob Scharf said in a statement that a 28-year-old man with ties to al-Qaida attempted to enter Kurt Westergaard's home in Aarhus shortly after 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Friday. But Westergaard pressed an alarm and police arrived minutes later, foiling the attempt on his life.

    The attack on the artist, whose rendering was among 12 that led to the torching of Danish diplomatic offices in predominantly Muslim countries in 2006, was "terror related," Scharf said.

    Westergaard, whose 5-year-old granddaughter was in the home on a sleepover, sought shelter in a specially made safe room when the suspect broke a window of the home, said Preben Nielsen of the Aarhus police.

    Officers arrived two minutes later and tried to arrest the assailant, who wielded an ax at a police officer. The officer then shot the man in a knee and a hand, authorities said. Nielsen said despite his injuries the suspect's life was not in danger.

    The suspect's name was not released in line with Danish privacy rules.

    "The arrested man has according to PET's information close relations to the Somali terrorist group, al-Shabaab, and al-Qaida leaders in eastern Africa," Scharf said. The PET is Denmark's intelligence agency.

    Scharf said without elaborating that the man is suspected of having been involved in terror related activities in east Africa. He had been under PET's surveillance but not in connection with Westergaard, he said

    The man, who had a staying permit in Denmark, was to be charged Saturday with attempted murder for trying to kill Westergaard and a police officer, Scharf said.

    It was unclear whether the suspect managed to actually get inside the home of the 75-year-old cartoonist in Denmark's second largest city, 124 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of Copenhagen.

    Westergaard could not be reached for comment. However, he told his employer, the Jyllands-Posten daily, that the assailant shouted "revenge" and "blood" as he tried to enter the bathroom where Westergaard and the child had sought shelter.

    "My grandchild did fine," Westergaard said, according to the newspaper's Web edition. "It was scary. It was close. Really close. But we did it."

    ReplyDelete
  25. Westergaard was "quite shocked" but was not injured, Nielsen said.

    Westergaard remains a potential target for extremists nearly five years after he drew a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban. The drawing was printed along with 11 others in Jyllands-Posten in 2005.

    The drawings triggered an uproar a few months later when Danish and other Western embassies in several Muslim countries were torched by angry protesters who felt the cartoons had profoundly insulted Islam.

    Islamic law generally opposes any depiction of the prophet, even favorable, for fear it could lead to idolatry.

    Westergaard, whose provocative cartoon thrust Denmark into the midst of an international crisis, has been exposed to death threats and an alleged assassination plot.

    The case "again confirms the terror threat that is directed at Denmark and against the cartoonist Kurt Westergaard in particular," Scharf said.

    In October, terror charges were brought against two Chicago men whose initial plan called for attacks on Jyllands-Posten's offices. The plan was later changed to just killing the paper's former cultural editor and Westergaard.

    In 2008, Danish police arrested two Tunisian men suspected of plotting to murder Westergaard. Neither suspect was prosecuted. One of them was deported and the other was released Monday after an immigration board rejected PET's efforts to expel him from Denmark.

    Throughout the crisis, then-Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen distanced himself from the cartoons but resisted calls to apologize for them, citing freedom of speech and saying his government could not be held responsible for the actions of Denmark's press.

    ReplyDelete
  26. T and I are about to demonstrate the Symbian in all it's glory.
    PBUSymbian

    ReplyDelete
  27. "A Somali man wielding an ax and a knife was shot by police as he attempted to kill an artist who drew a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad that sparked outrage in the Muslim world, the head of Denmark's intelligence agency said Saturday."
    ---
    Gee, that's too bad.

    ReplyDelete
  28. The taxes are outrageous and there's not much point in waiting. There's no annual appreciation as in the past.

    The market is not going to get better anytime soon, in fact, it could get much worse. There is a huge backlog of homes that could come on the market which will only drive prices lower.

    The best thing to do is shed debt and material possessions. Be nimble, ready to roll at a moments notice. Travel light.

    ReplyDelete
  29. The Tax man is coming.

    I've learned the hard way that it's best not to show anything. Have nothing that the Taxers will want to go after.

    Even with a residence, do whatever you want to do on the inside, but do not improve anything that the drive-bys can see.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Currently living in a high profile urban enclave of relatively expensive homes on small lots.

    No room for subsistence garden.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Ready to retire from phase one and move on to new and greener pastures of phase two. Don't know yet where phase two will be.

    If it were up to me, I would buy a good CJ and move to mountain west.

    ReplyDelete
  32. It's best to take whatever gains that are left and walk away from the table.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Doug is a foot soldier in the Sybianese Liberation Army.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Doug: Obama has selected one Erroll Southers to head the TSA. What do we know about Erroll? This is a man who misused his authority, when in a position of authority and violated federal privacy acts. Of all the people in US law enforcement, brother Errol is Obama’s choice.

    And why? Because he will unionize the TSA. Not that the TSA would do any better on strike than it’s doing right now on the job, but still…

    ReplyDelete
  35. Obama gave his radio address this morning, the topic on what he has discovered about the Nigerian, talked about Yemen and the grinding poverty.
    Not to be picky, but the Nigerian comes from a wealthy family as did most of the 911 Saudis.

    What is the grinding poverty pitch?
    _______________

    While I'm add it. We have a list of 500,000 suspicious actors that have some connection to groups that may want to damage the US. The list is maintained by Homey-land Security (I may have jumped the gun there on the name change as Erroll has not been approved at the time of this writing).

    Of the 500,000, 3400 are on the no fly list. Hundreds of millions of air travelers are now inconvenienced because of the Nigerian who made the 500,000 but not recognized in the 3400.

    Here is a suggestion for the homeys: Put the 500,000 on the no fly list and inconvenience those fuckers for a change.

    ReplyDelete
  36. "The new law makes blasphemy a crime punishable by a fine of up to 25,000 euros (L22,000; $35,000)."

    "The government says it is needed because the republic's 1937 constitution only gives Christians legal protection of their beliefs."


    Translation: Islam Supremacists had to be placated, least they murder thousands of Irish with suicide bombings.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Christianity = Islam

    ReplyDelete
  38. Here's the Rub:

    Islam 2010 = Christianity 1478 (Ferdinand of Aragón)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Make it nice and cuddly, sort of muzzie fuzzie,

    ReplyDelete
  40. Today is "Palin"-dromic: 01/02/2010. This
    doesn't happen very often, so savor the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Deuce wrote:

    "Here is a suggestion for the homeys: Put the 500,000 on the no fly list and inconvenience those fuckers for a change."

    hehehe, that's funny for two reasons:

    1.) Your name is on that list of 500k names

    2.) Those 500k names have been gathered with such veracity that all known possible threats are contained therein.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Ash,

    I would welcome a common sense approach to take all your necessary documents to the closest federal building, establish who you are and where you travel, and get the equivalent of a flight line pass. It has worked in the air force for at least fifty years.

    By the way, are you still suffering the indignity of having TSA take a closer look at Nigerians coming to the US, even the clean cut wealthy variety?

    ReplyDelete
  43. bookmark this page Theodore Dalrymple at City Journal

    His analysis and observation of the decay of western Europe and Islam is outstanding.

    See
    "The Terrorists Among Us"
    "When Islam Breaks Down"
    "Lo, the Poor Terrorist"

    ReplyDelete
  44. That would require one MONSTROUS NEW bureaucracy to do as you suggest Deuce - requiring all those who fly to submit to such scrutiny. They do already have such a method for those who travel between Canada and the US regularly. CANPASS it is called you and you expedite the Customs and Immigration procedures.

    This profiling of which you are so fond - just Nigerians? How about the Saudis, Jordanians, Yemenis, ect.?

    How about the Irish, the Spainish, Sri Lankans? Would US citizenship spare you or must you be white? Would the olkahoman bomber put all Americans on such a profiled list? I fail to see how you could reasonably structure a 'list' of folks that require more intense scrutiny that would actually serve the purpose of streamlining airport security while protecting the traveler from potential threats. Basically the TSA folk are confronted with a whole load of people streaming through their gates wanting to get to the plane - singling out the threats is the priority and what constitutes the threat is the ability to harm a flight. I suggest it is more efficient to target that which creates the 'ability' as opposed to trying to ferret out the motives of each individual passenger.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Teresita said...

    "Doug is a foot soldier in the Sybianese Liberation Army."
    -
    LOL
    Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dorhn Masterbate in separate bedrooms to my Sybian Vids.

    ReplyDelete
  46. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Deuce said...
    "Obama gave his radio address this morning, the topic on what he has discovered about the Nigerian, talked about Yemen and the grinding poverty.
    Not to be picky, but the Nigerian comes from a wealthy family as did most of the 911 Saudis.

    What is (with) the grinding poverty pitch?
    "
    ---
    Unbelieveable.
    Pea brain cannot break with the script even when the guys dad is one of the richest men in Africa!

    Grinding Stupidity and ignorance!

    ...turbocharged by psychological issues.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Whit said,

    "Even with a residence, do whatever you want to do on the inside, but do not improve anything that the drive-bys can see."
    ---
    T,
    We produce our Syb Vids in home, the artificial light pot farm provides a stunning background.

    Pot grow-bulbs are powered by photovoltaics (approved by Rufus) to avoid detection by HECO (Hawaiian Electric) or the Feds.

    Life is sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  49. "How about the Saudis, Jordanians, Yemenis, ect.?"

    How about fuckin MUZZIE MALES between the age of 13 and 40 with names like
    Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

    Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, Dumbass!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Ash,

    "How about the Irish, " Good question, I was very unhappy with US supporters on the IRA, who provided almost all the weapons and money to those murdering bastards.

    You may not understand this, not being white yourself, but there is no natural fraternity based on color amongst whites. There may be amongst nationalities but not race and to be more accurate it is strongest amongst sub cultures of like minded people. I admit to being tribal, unashamedly so.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Ash:

    PS,
    Read Coulter:

    Some of her female hormones may interact with your Metro self, and result in a semi-human bot-like organism capable of primordial "thought."

    ReplyDelete
  52. "Even with a residence, do whatever you want to do on the inside, but do not improve anything that the drive-bys can see."
    ---
    To include Google Street View.

    ReplyDelete
  53. It would behoove you to take what's floating out there right now on the FOB Chapman story with a couple of big spoonfuls of salt.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Deuce,

    How can a TSA agent assess ones tribe? They basically only have visual clues to go by - no time to interview and do background checks on each traveler - or even your profiled ones. Your prescription seems to be based upon visual identifiers upon which you seem to think there is white and the rest. They certainly don't walk about with terrorist name tags and, heck, you can't even determine, visually, if someone is a Muslim.

    Again - the central issue seems to be whether we have the ability to screen passengers motives versus their abilities.

    And your racism is showing, again Deuce, with your fixation on your conclusion that I'm a nigger. Your only evidence would be based on my writing and using that to infer my race is, necessarily, racism - all niggers think alike. Have at it - as if my race made a difference to what I write here. It is funny observing you react to my pasty white middle aged golfing, sailing, contrarian self as a brotha. I sure could be but I'm not.

    ReplyDelete
  55. "all niggers think alike."
    ---
    All phoney "progressive" Amerika-Haters "think" alike.

    So banal, so boring, so evil.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hey, Doug, when you get through fellatiating Richard Fernandez, and the BC/PC crowd you can fellatiate me.

    ReplyDelete
  57. So, the resident liberal is the first to break out the racial slur, and Doug is the first to second it.

    Plus, Doug is the first to break out the "F" word.

    Bugger theyself, Dougie.

    ReplyDelete
  58. ummm, rufus, Deuce wrote:

    "You may not understand this, not being white yourself, "

    and you say I was the first to bring up the race notion? Deuce's evaluation of my writings here led him to conclude that I think like a 'non-white'. Mat reached the conclusion that I was female based on my writing. Both reveal something about those making the evaluation of thoughts expressed by my typing on a blog comment section. The only way they can make the determination of race or gender based on writing is by implying that race and/or gender determine ones philosophy.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Ash, I don't recall using the word nigger. You can refer me to the place where I did. You know and I know that will not happen, becuase it did not happen.

    Now the word does not frighten me. It is crude and used more by negroes than by caucasians. (Blacks than whites to be less precise). Most whites are offended by the word. I know mostly whites and rarely, at least in the last twenty years have heard it used.

    However if I hear popular rap music played by and for blacks, the word is used almost as much as mother fucker. Perhaps you are more familiar with popular black music and have some insight that I have missed.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Ash, also let me remind you that I took exception to not scrutinizing Muslim Nigerians entering the US, closely. You jumped on that statement and saw it through racial eyes.

    ReplyDelete