NSA planted bugs at Indian missions in D.C., U.N.

Another day...another example of Government abuse. It's coming to define our times and certainly, our morning news runs. This time it'll be India that had their secrets trawled like fish from the sea. Only, this would have been fishing with long nets to capture everything in the water. Oh...what else can we do to thoroughly infuriate our allies or..at least friends? (Former friends?)

According to a top-secret NSA document obtained by The Hindu, the NSA selected India’s U.N. office and the embassy as “location target” for infiltrating their computers and telephones with hi-tech bugs, which might have given them access to vast quantities of Internet traffic, e-mails, telephone and office conversations and even official documents stored digitally.

Since the NSA revelations began in June, U.S. President Barack Obama and other top American officials have all claimed that the surveillance activities were aimed exclusively at preventing terrorist attacks. But the targeted spying of Indian diplomatic buildings could have been done for political and commercial reasons — not the core responsibility of the NSA.

Source

You mean they have been dishonest about the extent and scope of intelligence activities against friendly nations? Oh.. golly.. still my beating heart. It's racing away in shock and surprise! (gasp)

It is very disturbing to see the level of hubris here though. As if never giving a care in the world that some day they may be caught at this and the other nations may be as pissed with us as we'd be with them. Imagine finding the Indian Government had successfully infiltrated all the US computers in the Embassy and had been downloading entire hard drives for who knows how long? We'd be furious...and rightly so.

So what gave anyone in the NSA the right, when there is absolutely nothing about India someone could call an enemy?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Haha commercial/economic espionage under the guise of international security. How cliche.

Geezz, soon diplomats will have to start checking their back pockets to make sure the US doesn't have their hand in it on a daily basis.

The illegality of these actions are really what astounds me. This embassies are foreign territory, how can this not be interpreted as a malicious attempt to undermine the sovereignty and security of foreign nations.

Hasn't war been declared for less?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

I was in the midst of preparing a thread on this very topic so I might as well continue - as if.

My opening remarks were going to focus in particular on those who deny the importance of the Snowden revelations and my strong contention that everything in them is NEW - then in a more general way - on to the nay-sayers, shills, and those who have not only bought into the "Cognitive Dissonance" propaganda spewed forth throughout the internet by a corrupt and malicious US government, but most especially for those who are actually on their payroll, and act as operatives [maybe] right here on ATS - imagine that.

So - You may have 'thought' you knew what the content was of Edward Snowden's phenomenal disclosures regarding the true nature of the Stasi like "Police State" that we are subjected to here in the USA - you may have had an 'inkling' or a suspicion, but the truth of the matter is this - pre-Snowden you didn't know jack-s---!!! Post Snowden you now are aware of everything there is to know about the NSA's awful intrusion into our lives' and the lives' of many others throughout the entire world.

Every single revelation coming out of the Snowden material is NEW!!! People here on ATS who hold the position that they knew about it all along - they didn't - they didn't know diddly squat!!!

The contents of this thread are but ONE example (a good one though) of what I am referring to here and this represents just one of the many hundreds of revelations made available to the general public (so far) of very good examples of NEW INFORMATION made possible (and freely available) on the internet by the HEROIC efforts of whistle-blower Edward Snowden - if you would but take the time to inform yourself.

PS - Snowden is a whistleblower - not a traitor - not a person involved in espionage - but a whistleblower.

The “secret” 3G chip that Intel added to its processors in 2011 caused little consternation until the NSA spying issue exploded earlier this year as a result of Edward Snowden’s revelations.
In a promotional video for the technology, Intel brags that the chips actually offer enhanced security because they don’t require computers to be “powered on” and allow problems to be fixed remotely. The promo also highlights the ability for an administrator to shut down PCs remotely “even if the PC is not connected to the network,” as well as the ability to bypass hard drive encryption.

“Intel actually embedded the 3G radio chip in order to enable its Anti Theft 3.0 technology. And since that technology is found on every Core i3/i5/i7 CPU after Sandy Bridge, that means a lot of CPUs, not just new vPro, might have a secret 3G connection nobody knew about until now,”reports Softpedia.

edit on 26-9-2013 by YodHeVauHe because: (no reason given)

reply to post by MDDoxs


Yes... Actually... I believe now that you mention it ....

I'm really not getting that warm and comfy feeling as the US seems to almost try to piss off nations at this point. Errr.... Stop.. For the love of all that's holy.. STOP! No more.. Make announcements of 70's style barn burning investigations of the NSA and the other 15+ Alphabet Soup agencies. Make Pike look like a wimp by the time it's all done ..

Maybe that will slow the world down..as I can almost feel the mood turning toward seeing America as having gone outright rogue. This isn't a happy time and America isn't *THAT* powerful. Not if the world in general decides we're too big for our britches.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


There'a an interesting article on Zerohedge at the moment, with a similar thesis.

www.zerohedge.com...

America now wears the moustache, not the white hat.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


It certainly seems that way Wrabbit.

The EU is getting frustrated, the South American block is already pissed and now we want to involve more of the South Asian countries. Great plannnnnn

The US will find itself alienating itself and its close allies complicit in these actions (Canada, UK, Australia) from the rest of the world.

Eventually No one will want America in its country. This is a great way to isolate, and destroy America. Now you've got to wonder what else the NSA is up to, that they havent gotten busted for yet. Makes me shiver

There was some incident a while ago that made it plain to me that India did not trust the US. Can't recall the incident, but I notice that every once in a while the US makes nice with India and I always wonder just what it's been caught doing, lol.

At one time the world believed that only Russia and the US/Israel did this, but it would make sense for the nuclear club to be watching others of interest to them. The particular relationship/animosity between India and Pakistan makes me believe that the US sometimes runs interference in that situation. Is this a good thing perhaps? I would imagine that China spies heavily on India too.

Must be lots of listening bugs crawling around, huh?

reply to post by Glassbender777


Yeah.. No kidding.... I never actually looked at "Enemy of the State" as having much truth in it. About as accurate, I figured, as the Bourne movies. Sure..there is something at the heart of the concept which is true, but not much more.

These days? I have to rethink and perhaps go rent that movie again. It'll be a different viewing experience after recent revelations in the real world, eh?

S&F for the thread Wrabbit: I just want to add the "WAY" the War on terrorism was put forth, gave a green light to many agencies to "out-do" themselves while looking for all the cockroaches of the world. The whole electronic spying and intercept programs were alive and kicking even back as early as the 70s. But in truth much, much, earlier.. remember we broke the Japanese codes and were able to know what their plans were by intercepting radio transmissions. Cell phones and any electronic device that is used to communicate is just another frequency ripe for data mining.

Kinda like our justice system having changed from "innocent until proven guilty" into a morphed basturdination of and event where you can be found guilty in the press before you even have a court date. Something in our food or water?

With email and computers NSAs work has just became much easier... America in certain areas wants to be the best at whatever they do.... there are some very smart people who work for the alphabet agencies... no doubt many if not all like promotions and looking good before their superiors. ... Sorry a little down on the whole subject, excuse me... Back on subject...

In the NSA case of spying and the world knowledge of our activities we have once again been taken down a notch from our high sounding rhetoric. Not only are certain world leaders kinda pissed (until the check shows up) but many in the homeland are fed up as well. Not nice when caught with your hand in the cookie jar..

Wrabbit2000
reply to post by Glassbender777

 

Yeah.. No kidding.... I never actually looked at "Enemy of the State" as having much truth in it. About as accurate, I figured, as the Bourne movies. Sure..there is something at the heart of the concept which is true, but not much more.

These days? I have to rethink and perhaps go rent that movie again. It'll be a different viewing experience after recent revelations in the real world, eh?

It's pretty awful, if you're looking for accuracy. It's a fun movie if you don't care that 99% of it is...entertainment.

reply to post by Bedlam


I didn't mean technical accuracy.. lol... The overall idea of totality in both surveillance and control though? Well, until recently it was suspected but impossible to know how far it had really gone. Now some basic outlines of that film don't seem that far fetched at all. In fact, it's not far from what many have postulated happened to the reporter in Los Angeles. Who knows on some of this....and some seems more out there than even a movie has touched yet.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Well, NSA doesn't whack people. That's another bunch altogether. OTOH, the Indian bugs were put in place by SCS.

reply to post by Bedlam


I'm not sure I'd assume any US Agency is without their own ability to act in enforcement or defensive roles. Recall, we see weapons and tactical gear being bought by everything from the IRS to the Weather Service (NOAA). I'd never put the NSA in with agencies who would politely decline the wealth being spread around for that funding, eh?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


You would't expect the USDA to shoot people and toss them in a sandy draw, nor NRO, or any number of others. The NSA isn't a gun totin' bunch like the agency or feebs. There are military elint groups from various services that sail around picking up data but your typical NSA guy is a CS grad. Even SCS couldn't pack for years. Ft Meade police are NSA, I guess they could shoot you. But Enemy of the State-esque assassins aren't NSA at all.

reply to post by Bedlam


This is the same NSA that doesn't spy on American citizens ... Doesn't spy on our allies in their own offices and embassies...and absolutely doesn't keep records of communications between domestic parties...err.. wait.. they do all that after all, huh? Just learned all that....didn't we? I think that was a good lesson in never underestimating or saying "don't do" when it comes to Uncle and his spooky children.

That's the agency you're sure is unarmed, peaceful and benign? Okay... I'll just assume they aren't, if that's okay. Short of working for them to know as an insider? I'll never assume any part of U.S. Intelligence doesn't have in-house paramilitary capability. Perhaps small....but the idea that the NSA would have to call a total outside agency for basic help on a security problem is pretty hard to buy? They've become a power unto themselves since the unlimited budgets of the War on Terror turned them into a regular monster.

Wrabbit2000
reply to post by Bedlam

 

This is the same NSA that doesn't spy on American citizens ... Doesn't spy on our allies in their own offices and embassies...and absolutely doesn't keep records of communications between domestic parties...err.. wait.. they do all that after all, huh? Just learned all that....didn't we?

I think I've posted they do and when and why since on ATS since about 2004. None of which conflicts with what was on the news. You just weren't listening. But SIGINT and crypto is their aegis, it's their mandate. It's what they do. Rangers break things, SF subverts governments and does spy work on their off time for CIA, Delta rescues hostages and does political assassinations I mean they do guard work for ambassadors, NSA does SIGINT.

I think that was a good lesson in never underestimating or saying "don't do" when it comes to Uncle and his spooky children.

They all have their own particular mandate. DIA has one, NSA has one, FBI has one, on and on about 17 times.

NRO doesn't go around sticking poison knives into people any more than the Coast Guard does. There aren't any NSA assassins, it's not what they're tasked to do.

That's the agency you're sure is unarmed, peaceful and benign? Okay... I'll just assume they aren't, if that's okay.

Assume away if you like, it won't be true though.

Short of working for them to know as an insider? I'll never assume any part of U.S. Intelligence doesn't have in-house paramilitary capability. Perhaps small....but the idea that the NSA would have to call a total outside agency for basic help on a security problem is pretty hard to buy? They've become a power unto themselves since the unlimited budgets of the War on Terror turned them into a regular monster.

What sort of 'security problem' are you talking about? Someone losing the IP to Saville? They would get really PO'd about that, you'd end up in the pen, but send some sort of secret NSA assassin? Meh.

reply to post by Bedlam


Exactly.

People have far too many weird ideas about how secret government conspiracies work because they don't know how government works. Bedlam does.

In a nutshell, government is nothing like Blofeld from SPECTRE, or Men In Black---they're far too effective and charmingly wicked. James T. Kirk is a fiction.

Who really has the power in government? Lawyers and accountants.

Is morality an central issue? Not exactly. What is? Compliance. What does (to choose a random exmaple) JP Morgan think about securities laws and insider trading & disclosure? A moral issue? No, obviously not. A compliance issue for review by Legal to check SEC case law.

Regulations, laws, contracts, budget items, reports, spending. If you're giving farm subsidies, or making stealth plasma cruise missiles from supposedly back-engineered "Foreign" technology, it's all the same. Conspiracy theorists who don't understand government don't recognize this reality.