As Head Of NSA Review Group Obama Appoints Same Person Who "Apologized" For Lying To Congress

by Tyler Durden

It is almost as if the Obama administration is intent on making every possible PR (and of course governance, but it's really the Fed that is in charge of the US so that part is irrelevant) mistake, and then some more.

Recall that on Friday, to much fanfare, the president took credit for the revelations presented by Edward Snowden (because, you see, he would have publicly addressed all the top secret NSA issues regardless, ignoring for a minute that without Snowden all speculation about pervasive NSA domestic surveillance would still be dismissed as simply more conspiracy theory), and announced that he would conduct a review of the policies and espionage procedures in place at the NSA.

Also recall that in a Senate hearing this March, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Senator Ron Wyden that the NSA did not collect phone records of millions of Americans. This was just three months before the revelations of an NSA leaker made it clear that Clapper was not telling the truth. Pressed on his false testimony before Congress, Clapper apologized for giving an "erroneous" answer but claimed it was just because he "simply didn't think of Section 215 of the Patriot Act." As Ron Paul said: "Wow."

We have no idea what Ron would exclaim at this latest reveleation from the government, although we have a few phrases in mind. Moments ago, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence reported the following:

DNI Clapper Announces Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies

At the direction of the President, I am establishing the Director of National Intelligence Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies to examine our global signals-intelligence collection and surveillance capability.

The Review Group will assess whether, in light of advancements in communications technologies, the United States employs its technical collection capabilities in a manner that optimally protects our national security and advances our foreign policy while appropriately accounting for other policy considerations, such as the risk of unauthorized disclosure and our need to maintain the public trust.

The Review Group will brief its interim findings to the President within 60 days of its establishment, and provide a final report with recommendations no later than Dec. 15, 2013.

James R. Clapper Director of National Intelligence

A question arises: how does one know they are living in an unmitigated disaster of a banana republic where not even an attempt at hiding the crime and corruption takes place? Well, we are not absolutely certain, but we have a distinct feeling that when the president appoints as his impartial "reviewer" of the ultra top secret NSA's policies and capabilities the one man who was caught and exposed and subsequently apologized for lying to Congress, that may be a pretty damn good sign.

Sadly, that is precisely what just happened.

And speaking of comedy and banana republics, here is the memo from the president:

Presidential Memorandum -- Reviewing Our Global Signals Intelligence Collection and Communications Technologies

SUBJECT: Reviewing Our Global Signals Intelligence Collection and Communications Technologies

The United States, like all nations, gathers intelligence in order to protect its national interests and to defend itself, its citizens, and its partners and allies from threats to our security. The United States cooperates closely with many countries on intelligence matters and these intelligence relationships have helped to ensure our common security.

Recent years have brought unprecedented and rapid advancements in communications technologies, particularly with respect to global telecommunications. These technological advances have brought with them both great opportunities and significant risks for our Intelligence Community: opportunity in the form of enhanced technical capabilities that can more precisely and readily identify threats to our security, and risks in the form of insider and cyber threats.

I believe it is important to take stock of how these technological advances alter the environment in which we conduct our intelligence mission. To this end, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I am directing you to establish a Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies (Review Group).

The Review Group will assess whether, in light of advancements in communications technologies, the United States employs its technical collection capabilities in a manner that optimally protects our national security and advances our foreign policy while appropriately accounting for other policy considerations, such as the risk of unauthorized disclosure and our need to maintain the public trust. Within 60 days of its establishment, the Review Group will brief their interim findings to me through the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), and the Review Group will provide a final report and recommendations to me through the DNI no later than December 15, 2013.

You are hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

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Manning Speaks: "I am a Good Person"

Army whistleblower apologizes for any harm done by his release of government information, and asks for opportunity to prove "through actions" that he has more positive things to offer society

Pfc. Bradley Manning spoke on his own behalf during the final sentencing phase of his trial in a military courtroom at Ft. Meade in Maryland on Wednesday.

What follows is the transcribed version of his spoken testimony as recorded by the stenographer sponsored by the Freedom of the Press Foundation (via FireDogLake's K. Gosztola):

First, your honour I want to start off with an apology. I am sorry that my actions hurt people. I ?m sorry that they hurt the United States.

At the time of my decisions, as you know, I was dealing with a lot of issues, issues that are ongoing and continuing to effect me. Although a considerable difficulty in my life, these issues are not an excuse for my actions.

I understood what I was doing, and decisions I made. However I did not fully appreciate the broader effects of my actions.

Those factors are clear to me now, through both self-refection during my confinement in various forms, and through the merits and sentecing testimony that I have seen here.

I am sorry for the unintended consequences of my actions. When I made these decisions I believed I was going to help people, not hurt people.

The last few years have been a learning experience. I look back at my decisions and wonder how on earth could I, a junior analyst, possibly believe I could change the world for the better [?] on decisions of those with the proper authority.

In retrospect I should have worked more aggressively inside the system, as we discussed during the [?] statement, I had options and I should have used these options.

Unfortunately, I can?t go back and change things. I can only go forward. I want to go forward. Before I can do that, I understand that I must pay a price for my decisions and actions.

Once I pay that price, I hope to one day live in a manner that I haven?t been able to in the past. I want to be a better person, to go to college, to get a degree and to have a meaningful relationship with my sister with my sister?s family and my family.

I want to be a positive influence in their lives, just as my Aunt Deborah has been to me. I have flaws and issues that I have to deal with, but I know that I can and will be a better person.

I hope that you can give me the opportunity to prove, not through words, but through conduct, that I am a good person and that I can return to productive place in society. Thank you, Your Honor.

(Image by Clark Stoeckley under Creative Commons license)

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You have read 1984....?

Even the imagined Winston Smith was "reformed" by the end of his ordeal.

Doublespeak,

What the government says seems to be saying; "This all a big charade, we know Manning did nothing legally wrong, but we're going to take his life anyway....."

What Manning seems to be saying; "I'm at the mercy of FASCISTS, they have tortured me, they could torture me more, they're promising to effectively end some certain part of my life, now can I boot-lick well enough to salvage some remaining piece?".....

It's not like you can blame him, he was really treated worse than animals on death row at the local shelter.... He's literally under the thumb of psycho-robotic fascists.

It's probably a weak argument that would suggest there is anything to be gained by much of anybody by HIM not playing along at this point. The media is controlled there, even if he made some kind of "fuck the system" statement, it's not like it would get heard on any broad scale, or even be beneficial should it....

My god! It sound like the confession of a political prisoner from one of the Soviet area Communist regime after he has been tortured and brain washed for months! I CAN NOT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPENING IN MY COUNTRY! DAM IT! WAKE UP USA! WAKE UP! THE CORPORATISTS ARE DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY! Ya, they promised him leniancy if he say some shit like this and they are going to give him 120 years any way right? But you know what? They can give him a 1000 years if they want and he will not matter because we are going to free this man! Mark my word! My advice to any soldier: Don't stand in our way guys when we put in prison your bosses because it will hurt big time. the msm and what i observed, and this was before i was awake to this issue:

on one side they had some reports of govt wrongdoing in the war. they didn't say what their sources were and i didn't think much of it at the time.

on the other side they said Bradley Manning is being accused of tratiorous actions. they never said what info he actually leaked, they only said his info put our soldiers in more danger than they already were.

IF they (well, ridiculous to expect this of msm and no i don't), but NOW THAT alternative media has shown me that -this- piece of damning crucial info came from -this- leaker (Manning),
and that -this- leaker is arrested for leaking -this- truthful information,

then i would've known from the very getgo that Manning was never a traitor, and everything he did was good. his apology above is obviously forced, and if he were not being forced to say it, he wouldn't need to apologize for a damn single thing.

God already knows all this. i'm glad i finally now know it. at this rate, alternative media is saving souls; i thank everyone who participates.

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