SECRECY & THE SECURITY STATE - page 18

The only lawmaker to have voted against the broad legislation that launched the War on Terror criticized its continued use on Monday, immediately after the Pentagon cited it when carrying out airstrikes in Libya against the Islamic State (ISIL). Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) expressed discomfort at the lack of congressional oversight in the global counter-ISIL campaign, noting in a statement: “The US military continues to become engaged in the Middle East, despite the lack of a Congressional debate or a specific authorization.” “I have called…

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A federal judge in California ruled that the FBI acted lawfully when it placed recording devices around the steps of two county courthouses. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton said, however, that the surveillance scheme was “unsettling.” According to filings, the government bugged light fixtures along the steps and in nearby proximity to courthouses in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, in hopes of acquiring incriminating evidence on four defendants accused of real estate fraud. Lawyers for the defense had attempted to suppress the recorded conversations, saying they…

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The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) determined that Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro broke the law when he campaigned on behalf of Hillary Clinton. The violation took place last April, during an interview with Yahoo News, which was broadcast from the department’s recording studio, with the HUD seal in the background. During the recording, Castro praised the former Secretary of State, claiming: “Hillary Clinton is the most experienced, thoughtful and prepared candidate for president that we have this year.” Although Castro prefaced his…

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A lawmaker told a high ranking American diplomat on Thursday that Saudi Arabia isn’t considered a government sponsor of terrorism by the US because the country has “been selling us oil, which we’re slaves to.” “And that’s why they’re not on the list,” Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) said to Anne Patterson, the top official overseeing Middle Eastern foreign policy at the State Department. Patterson immediately rejected Cohen’s claim. “Sir, I would take issue with that,” Patterson said. “They’re not on the list because they’re not…

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An internal surveillance program established in the wake of Wikileaks’ Cablegate publications is set to be “fully operational” throughout the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by the start of 2017. Department classified computer networks that share information with 23 other federal agencies will soon be equipped with “monitoring technology,” according to Congressional testimony given Wednesday by DHS officials and a US Coast Guard (USCG) Rear Admiral. The “Insider Threat” program had been mandated across all federal agencies “that operate or access classified computer networks” by President…

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The Obama administration is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit brought against it, which alleges that the military campaign against the Islamic State (ISIL) is being illegally waged. In court filings this week, Department of Justice lawyers argued that the current war effort against ISIL—known as Operation Inherent Resolve—does not violate the War Powers Act. The 1973 law restricts the President’s powers to commit the US military to a sustained armed conflict for more than 60 days without Congressional approval. The legislature has yet to formally…

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A federal court has for the first time dismissed evidence obtained using a cell site simulator, ruling that the government must obtain a warrant before employing the surveillance technology. Also known as a “stingrays,” the gadgets are in wide use by federal and local police to track down suspects based on their cell phone information. They are often mounted on an airplane and flown over a community, pinging cell phones below until pinpointing the location of a target. In the case before US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan…

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The number of detainees remaining at the Guantanamo Bay prison facility dropped to 76 this week, following the transfers of two prisoners to the Government of Serbia. The Pentagon announced the transfers of Tajik national, Muhammadi Davlatov, and Yemeni-born Mansur Ahmad Saad al-Dayfi in a statement on Monday. The men had been imprisoned at Guantanamo since 2002. One of the detainees, al-Dayfi was cleared for transfer last October, after an inter-agency review board overturned a prior determination in 2010 that he was too dangerous for…

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During a surprise visit to the Iraqi capital on Monday, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced the deployment of 560 more US troops to the country, ahead of what could be a critical battle against the Islamic State (ISIL). The new influx of soldiers will primarily take up position near the town of Qayyarah, at an airfield recently recaptured by Iraqi security forces. The base is roughly 40 miles south of Mosul—one of the largest cities held by ISIL, when it was captured in 2014. “These additional US…

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Days after he recommended no charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, FBI Director James Comey was called before a House oversight panel on Thursday to defend his decision. House Republicans seized on the proceedings to highlight several inaccurate statements made by Clinton regarding her private email server—including false claims to Congress that may warrant another FBI investigation. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the Chairman of the House Government and Government Reform Committee, mentioned Clinton’s testimony before the Benghazi investigatory committee last October. During her…

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