Re: Anonymous

On Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 2:33 PM, Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com> wrote:

Michael-

Thanks again for your interest. Below, find links to al-JAzeera piece, my original text for piece, a guide compiled by Anons on Palantir, and a link to audio of Barr and myself, all of which should get you started. I'll forward e-mails in a bit.

http://www.typewith.me/cV9zoEKSWv - Guide to Palantir and link to audio

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/02/201121321487750509.html link to al-Jazeera piece

Original texxt (slightly changed by al-jaz editors)

There exists a reasonable tendency to judge from the past what is possible in the present. This becomes less reasonable to the extent that the environment changes. It is a useful thing, then, to ask every once in a while if the environment has recently gone through any particular severe changes and thereby expanded our options. Over the last twenty years, for instance, the terminology has changed to such a degree that many of todays essential discussions would be entirely incomprehensible to anyone living two decades ago. Never in history has this been so true as it is now, at the onset of the communications age. As the environment has changed, some have already began to take the new options, and more will do so soon. It is time for the rest of the world to begin to understand why.

When a release by Wikileaks to the effect that the government was even more specifically corrupt and horrid than previously realized prompted Tunisians to step up active dissent and take to the streets in huge numbers for the first time, a loose network of participants within the international Anonymous protest movement attacked non-essential government websites (those not providing direct services to Tunisians) at the prompting of our Tunisian contacts; several such sites were replaced with a message of support to the Tunisian people, with the others merely being pushed offline by means of a DDOS attack involving thousands of computer users who request large amounts of data from a website at once in order to overwhelm it. Other assistance programs have begun to follow in the days since President Ben Ali fled the nation that reviled him, with Anonymous and other parties working with Tunisians both in-country and abroad to provide the nations people with the tools and informational resources they need to begin building up new, reasonable political institutions capable of ensuring a freer civic life. Our Guide to Protecting the Tunisian Revolution series - a collaboration between hundreds of veterans of traditional revolutionary movements as well as practitioners of the new activism - has been disseminated both online and in printed copies; aside from tips on safety during confrontation and the like, these also explain how to establish secure yet accessible networks and communications for Tunisians as well as instructions on establishing neighborhood syndicates capable of uniting in common cause. Already, such organizations are now being established across Tunisia, just as they will be established elsewhere as this movement proceeds.

Anonymous is merely a means by which people across the globe can assist in the hard work being performed by the Tunisian people, who have long taken issue with their government but first began protesting in earnest last month when a fruit vendor set himself on fire in response to police cruelty. The Anonymous movement itself grew out of message boards frequented mostly by young people with an interest in internet culture in general and Japanese media in particular; in 2005, participants began attacking other internet venues as a sort of sport, and in the process honed their skills in a way that also proved useful in informational warfare. In 2007 some users proposed that the Church of Scientology be exposed for its unethical and sometimes violent conduct, sparking a coordinated global protest movement that differed from anything else seen and which still continues today; the Australian government was later attacked for introducing new internet censorship laws, and in the meantime those within Anonymous who see the subculture as a potential force for justice have launched other efforts while also building new strategies and recruiting individuals from across the globe, some of whom hold significant positions in media, industry, and the sciences.

In the meantime, there are obstacles to be overcome. Those within the Tunisian government who seek to deny liberty to their people are easy enough to deal with; the greatest threat to revolution comes not from any state but rather from those who decry such revolutions without understanding them. In this case, the idea that a loose network of people with shared values and varying skill sets can provide substantial help to a population abroad is seen as quixotic or even unseemly by many of those who have failed to understand the last ten years, as well as those whose first instinct is to attack a popular revolt rather than assist it. Elsewhere, a number of American pundits have decided to criticize the revolution as possibly destabilizing the region; many of these once demanded the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and greeted every Arab revolt as the work of President Bush but now see nothing for themselves in the cause of Arab liberty. Some have even portrayed the movement as the work of radical Islamists; most cannot find Tunisia on a map. Suffice to say that the results of our efforts are already on display and will become more evident as Tunisians use our tools and resources to achieve their greatest triumph. Those who wish to assist and are competent to do so can find us easily enough; the Tunisians had little trouble in doing so.

Although we have made great progress in convincing individuals from across the world to join this effort and others (such as those now taking place within Algeria and Egypt, both of which have seen government websites taken down and/or replaced by Anonymous operatives), more must be done before the movement takes the next step towards a worldwide network capable of perpetual engagement against those who are comfortable with tyranny. Whatever effort is required, such a goal is not only possible, but rather unambitious. There is a reason, after all, that those of us who have seen the movement up close have dedicated our lives to what is stands for and have even violated the modern Western taboo of believing in something. I have been working with and covering Anonymous for about six years now, for instance; looking back at my writings, I have found that my predictions, while always enthusiastic, have nonetheless turned out to have been conservative. Today I today predict that Anonymous and entities like it will become far more significant over the next few years, and this will no doubt turn out to be just as much of an understatement as anything else that has been written on the subject. The fact is that the technological infrastructure that allows these things has only been in place for a few years, but such phenomena as Wikileaks and Anonymous have already appeared, expanded, and even come into play on the geopolitical scene; others have come about since. This is the future, whether one approves or not, and the failure on the part of governments and media alike to understand and contend with the rapid change now afoot ought to remind everyone concerned why it is that this movement is necessary in the first place.

Tunisia is a small nation, largely reducing the number of educated countrymen necessary to promote liberty and reform

it can be tough to muster a reasonable consensus in a democracy, and thus not always possible to run one as well as one might like. But any number of people who share a set of values and a certain level of erudition can now assemble together regardless of location, establish a network making use of efficient collaboration techniques, and go about acting as an effective remedy against any number of problems across the world. As more develop, such entities can link up for the purposes of addressing a particular issue or even combine if both groups are interested in many of the same pursuits.

esOperation Swift Assist
(technical and economic relief to the people of tunisia)
(also see http://typewith.me/optunisia)\
(Francais version is below, others to follow)

First guide, Guide to Protecting the Tunisian Revolution Part One: Initial Security.

First Guide: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/1/15/185310/974?new=true

(Also available at: http://typewith.me/how-to-protect-tunisian-arabic-french)

Second guide, Guide to Protecting the Tunisian Revolution Part Two: Safety in Confrontation

Second Guide: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/1/16/936793/-Please-distribute-to-Tunisians:-Safety-in-Confrontation

Third guide, Guide to Protecting the Tunisian Revolution Part Three: Transforming National Politics (Still in progress, lease assist)

http://www.typewith.me/qdjqeFFu8O

Below currently consists of raw notes; this will be converted into a much different document as we proceed. The main thing we need is input on helping Tunisians communicate on the internet in a secure fashion as well as on setting up revolutionary groups.

This operation is intent on helping to ensure that the current period of chaos in Tunisia ends in victory for those who favor liberty and transparency. Broadly, this is to be accomplished by providing Tunisians at home and abroad with the tools that we take for granted; we also hope to develop new techniques that can be used in those similar situations which will arise as various other technology-driven revolutions arise around the globe. Operation Swift Assist is an Anonymous effort with assistance from Project PM as well as a number of Tunisian nationals both in-country and elsewhere and a few Tunisian bloggers and outlets, with other partners to be added gradually.
The experiences created through this Operation may find usage in similar situations..

In memory of Sean Carasov.

Info for n00bs

projectpm.org

Contact Info

U.S. Barrett Brown - barriticus@gmail.com
Germany Netzblockierer - Netzblockierer@privatedemail.net

Specific Objectives

(Not all of these may be achieved, of course, but some combination of them, once accomplished, will provide our Tunisian friends with a fighting chance as the tumult proceeds)

This will be used to ensure a free and democratic Tunisia. So keep in mind our resonsibility; a failure of this operation is unacceptable and would damage our credibility.

* Assess internal situation through contacts on the ground and our relevant people elsewhere
- Use your RL-connections... It is urgently recommended to build up real-life-networks and use existing ones!

* why not a social network, but a different one.(possibly diaspora https://joindiaspora.com/ ?) - it can generate more recruitment because is more easy to go. And the fact that IRC is hard, we should not make people feel disqualified to join anon (its not cool to be disqualified! And we should not be proud of this...) because that is the effect irc have on *noobs* (I disagree. Therefore WebIRC access could be hesitant to question Tunisian technical capabilities. This is a country where updated lists of proxy servers are passed around under the table in grade school.

* Provide uncensored IRC capabilities to Tunisians >> why not use this as an opportunity to try and get everyone on a decentralized system?>>seconded
(ideas for decentralized system http://pastebin.com/w5LWRhdD also implement this to safety http://socialvpn.wordpress.com (uses GMail-Accounts / or any Jabber-Server for Authentification!) other example http://www.i2p2.de is an own networking system... providing huge possibilites, but requires modifications on comuter... )
-Help establish an additional irc net within Tunisia run by Tunisians? Any way to accomplish that sort of geographic containment?
- IRC servers were a big weakpoint during O:P (Operation Payback -- during OpTunisia anonirc was always fine, except for one 30-minute bigsplit) Opers fault lol ..ya was lulz snafu
- Another con: IRC can be tough to configure
PC is recommered... ( http://quassel-irc.org/ ) it's a monlithic client in an executable file...)   Make it distributable by USB key, and completely anonymous. Better still, take one of the super secure Linux distributions that works on a USB key, and preconfigure it to connect to Tor and your special IRC node on boot. <--This sounds like an optimal solution, if we've got the resources. --> http://piratenpad.de/AnonOS or #AnonOS on Anonops IRC <-- yes! Something like that... a simple linux... with all anons need.... LOIC, tor, irc, and so on!<exactly what we need! the sooner we can get this project done, the better. Le
There was an IRC project running, please let me know (in #tunisiairc on anonops) if that is still needed...
Almost as important as getting people access to IRC is getting the information out about which channels to go to for what type of support/information
Good source of infor, "Bypassing Internet Censorship" courtesy of anon: http://pastebin.com/ksw2Xzxdut together a package that contains Tor, i2p and a pre-configured IRC client. ( Quassel-IR

* Continue to provide moral support and encouragement to the population at large. This includes also mass-distribution of information... send greetings, make politicians send them greetings...!

* Provide free secured email service and explanations about email security (in French, English and Arabic) Hushmail may work as it provides a small free inbox with built in security, ssl and a deadmans switch
(possibly try to use www.privatdemail.net ; german site, offering free, unlogged hosting... removes ip-adresses form header and so on....) germany is in EU -> data retention
- Netzblockerer (German)
- Alex Doe (French)
- ? (Arabic)

* Help them learn to use BitTorrent to distribute important informations?
I know that in some countries a lot more people have cell phones than internet access, and pretty soon those are going to be smartphones. Is there anything like Bittorrent that could run across a network of cellphones? I imagine there's probably a lot more restriction from the carriers, but it could be quite useful... // Depending on the carrier, it could work but it'll be slow as HELL. I think that the people who have cellphones also have computer.
It's OK to be slow if all you're distributing is text. The file sizes are incredibly slow. But who has the information in the first place to distribute it?
-> We have to build small torrents, delivering information as efficent as possible!

Don't re-invent the wheel. Just provide people with good, secure internet access, and specifically access to sites like Wikileaks. Let those guys handle the anonymous distribution of information. I think that's a good point, but what about tunisian information that they want to share with other tunisians (that isn't being hosted somewhere else)
They possilby need a sneakernet... if you don't guess -> https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Sneakernet

* Make contact with additional Tunisians in a position to
- 25% of their educated youth are unemployed. Will be a big boon, potentially
--> they won't possibly get a job right after establishing a goverment... maybe big interest from goverment needed... Let them build motorways, giant solar power stations...
I think he meant that they have time to work on this with us. But we can indeed, if we think it through, help small-scale economic growth. Oh, okay. Nevermind.
I know, that they have a undersized economy... so... maybe... they hafta start business on their own... but that s other topic! (Until the pad for that topic pops up, what about promoting a microloan site? Encourage Tunisians to join and others to loan)
Right

* Promote this operation through our various media contacts
- Provide press release to our people
- flood your local media; do this as a coordinated action!

*Ask for assistance from those involved in April 7 Wikileaks rally

* CrowdJournalism solutions for their new media?
- Thanks to state controlled media, there's a blank slate to work with in its absence!
Tor Services allows people to run websites in an anonymous way. Or they could use freenode.

Interactive Democracy utilizing »Liquid Democracy«
The basic idea is a democratic system in which most issues are decided (or strongly suggested to representatives) by direct referendum. Considering nobody has enough time and knowledge for every issue, votes can be delegated by topic. Furthermore delegations are transitive and can be revoked at any time. Liquid Democracy is sometimes referred to as Delegated or Proxy Voting.
delagation & proxy voting is very close to the type of "democracy" that was practiced by clans in afghanistan. all people had an equal say/vote and then delagated to their leaders. their leaders were then responsible to the clan. There are many versions of democracy - no one version is the best.
http://www.public-software-group.org/liquid_feedback > nice concept. But relies in a technology that might not be always avaliable in the places we want to change. still good to implement.
alternativly http://trac.adhocracy.cc/ (possibly better candidate, german government thinking about using it -> I'm not shure if this is true!!! They prefer oligarcy, because most prefer drinking beer and eat grilled sausages :-( )
However... they possibly need direct democracy... Offering people to get rid of problems by starting petitons. This might be security valve and prevent a crysis possibly!
Proportional Representation guards against fascism, autocracy and plutocracy.
Multi-party systems allow for more voices to be heard in a democratic system. Creating low thresholds, a single elected member, for party status widens the possibilites for small political parties to enter the system.
be careful of direct democracy - it dosn't protect minorities - just look at what happened in Switzerland last year in the referendum about minerets. Sorry, but I think how it is working in Switzerland is quite good. Tolerate it! The problem about the minerets is the fear, not the direct democracy. Yes but direct democracy means the media (and whoever controlls it) have a big say in what goes on.
That's why specific constitution is necessary constitutions are good as long as you have a strong/independent judiciary to interpret. also, dual houses of parliament is a must where one is a check & balance to the other.
absolutely
Punishment for corrupt politicians and transparency on their bank accounts. They only have to serve their citizens and nobody else.
The government format we should be looking at and encouraging is one which is representative, robust, and simple to implement. I do not feel that direct democracy meets these criteria at this time. Without an adequate feel for conditions on the ground, I think what might be best is designing a robust interim government with a clear transition point for a more specific, more directly chosen government. - Tim Ellis

Latter Objectives

* Provide Project PM schematic to locals who wish to organize further

* Acquire funding for any money-dependent operations that may be useful

French Version:

    http://typewith.me/VblZ3TZE9U
(Not Finished!) >>Done, I try to keep it up to date. French speakers, feel free to give a hand.

German Version (Netzblockierer will begin after finish of a stable in english; notify by eMail!)

    Arabic Version (Needed):

Spanish Version (

Dutch translation

    http://typewith.me/rpmbNs9cLD

http://typewith.me/?
http://typewith.me/
http://typewith.me/g,
http://typewith.me/.authorColors
http://piratenpad.de/AnonymousPR
http://typewith.me/how-to-protect-tunisian-arabic-french

Now we're leaving a critical period in Tunisia, despite the getaway of Ben Ali, his followers are preparing a big conspiracy against the people by spreading fear in the country.

Before the fallen of this dictator exactly 10 January the Tunisian's media plotting ,as usual, with the RCD(Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique), announced turmoil over protests puting the blame on protesters and accusing them of stealing destroying and burning public properties, in intention to give a deceitful image of us. And consequently turn the whole world against us.

The Tunisian Relief Movement: http://www.thetunisian.org/
Asking for donations, even as little as $5, because every little bit helps.
Bassem Bouguerra, who is with the Red Crescent in Tunisia @ http://www.ifrc.org/address/tn.asp, lives in San Francisco, California and is a Software engineer at Yahoo!.
He can be reached via email at bouguerra at gmail dot com or via phone at +1 562 233 4812

On Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 1:35 PM, Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com> wrote:

That's fine, will be around.

On Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 1:31 PM, Isikoff, Michael (NBCUniversal) <Michael.Isikoff@nbcuni.com> wrote:

Great -- in meeting but will call in about a half hour or so.
--------------------------
Sent using BlackBerry

From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: Isikoff, Michael (NBCUniversal)
Sent: Thu Feb 17 14:23:15 2011
Subject: Re: Anonymous

Yes, give me a call at 512-560-2302. I know who you are, of course, used to write for Vanity Fair, etc.

On Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 1:21 PM, Isikoff, Michael (NBCUniversal) <Michael.Isikoff@nbcuni.com> wrote:

Barrett Brown-- hi there. Glenn Greenwald passed along your contact. I'm with NBC news and would love to figure out a way to put toghether a piece on the Hunton Williams HB Gary emails. Also thought it fascinating that the deputy second of defense mentioned Anonymous as one of the cyber threats facing the country just this week. As I mentioned to Glenn, would be great to make contact with somebody from Anonymous for this story. He said you mighjt be able to help.
Please let me know.
Mike Isikoff
NBC News
C 202 258 2535
--------------------------
Sent using BlackBerry

--
Regards,

Barrett Brown
512-560-2302

--
Regards,

Barrett Brown
512-560-2302

--
Regards,

Barrett Brown
512-560-2302

--
Regards,

Barrett Brown
512-560-2302