| Subject: Re: BoA |
| From: "MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:" <michaelriley@bloomberg.net> |
| Date: 10/10/11, 16:23 |
sounds like a lot of work. think it will pay off?
and anything interesting on the other intel projects that you want to share?
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
Twitter: @rileybloomberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Barri2009 <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 10/10 16:20:35
Meanwhile, we've launched the first round of social engineering against intel contracting industry since the launch of opmetalgear, when we originally made phone calls to a number of people close to both team themis and booz allen hamilton's unknown project that barr was consulted on. I've sent e-mails cc'd to several people who were involved in a certain project explaining that each has the chance to provide me with info off the record or entirely anonymously via a dummy e-mail account, for instance, with the understanding that there's a chance that each person may be maligned by another without that person being able to know (sort of a gun in a dark room gambit), and that the chance of anyone's bosses being able to figure out who said what is reduced by the fact that I'm asking similar questions of other small groups and that this will gradually become evident to others in the industry. Yesterday alone I made about seven phone calls to the homes of individuals of interest, and have forwarded hbgary e-mail threads in which something negative is said about others in the industry to the people in question. I expect to contact over a hundred individuals by the end of the year with various offers and ploys, with recordings to be made of all phone convos with those who prove hostile. This is in addition to another effort that's just begun and which will remain secret for at least a year. Also, we've identified several more interesting classified programs on which we've obtained at least basic info.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: "MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:" <michaelriley@bloomberg.net>
Date: 10 Oct 2011 16:04:51
To: <barriticus@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: BoA
yeah. just tried it and it was really slow. Sort of having a good time waiting to see what will happen...
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
Twitter: @rileybloomberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 10/10 16:03:33
They've been hitting for a few minutes now, NYSE.com has gone down briefly
and been slow at other times so far. A couple of the servers are opposed to
it, some are for it - this will all depend on how many get involved despite
the silly rumors of it being a psyops deal and the opposition that's
otherwise been expressed.
On Sun, Oct 9, 2011 at 9:40 PM, MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM: <
michaelriley@bloomberg.net> wrote:
Cool. I'll check in tomorrow. But it will be interesting to see whether
they pull it off.
---
Sent From Bloomberg Mobile MSG
---- Original Message ----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
At: 10/9/2011 21:12
Got a column out on the general subject today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/oct/09/virtual-secret-state-military-industrial
Also, there are indeed people planning to hit NYSE tomorrow. It wasn't a
fake or psyops operation, but was in fact organized in part by people who
have ran successful large-scale operations against a Western government.
We'll see how many join in, or if anyone involved has a botnet, tomorrow.
On Wed, Oct 5, 2011 at 1:49 PM, MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM: <
michaelriley@bloomberg.net> wrote:
it just seems like the ddos attack against boa has to be part of this,
right. doesn't make much sense otherwise.
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
Twitter: @rileybloomberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Barri2009 <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 10/05 14:44:20
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db_P0wHsSz0
Not sure about context here.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: "MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:" <michaelriley@bloomberg.net>
Date: 05 Oct 2011 14:34:24
To: <barriticus@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: BoA
cool. thanks.
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
Twitter: @rileybloomberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Barri2009 <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 10/05 14:29:56
Okay, got several messages while I was on phone with you. What Anon is
actually doing is encouraging run on boa, although it'd be hard to
determine
how much they've "helped" without compiling a timeline. Apparently there
are
now youtube vids up of police called in to handle branch runs in LA and
elsewhere. Future reference, twitter is a very good way to monitor
specifics
of anon ops and trends; follow anonyops, anon_central, etc
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: "barri2009" <barriticus@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2011 18:13:34
To: MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:<michaelriley@bloomberg.net>
Reply-To: barriticus@gmail.com
Subject: Re: BoA
Just asked a contact, says he's heard nothing about an Anon attack. There
is an opBoA channel but it's been around for a while and no talk there of
ddos. There's also talk, outside of Anon, of an upcoming Anon hack on
NYSE,
which is likely nonsense.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: "MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:" <michaelriley@bloomberg.net>
Date: 05 Oct 2011 14:12:21
To: <barriticus@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: BoA
cool. but texas man. you're missing all the fun. #occupy is legitimizing
Anonymous for the masses.
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
Twitter: @rileybloomberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Barri2009 <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 10/05 14:11:14
I was at the protests the other day, addressed the livestream about the
intel industry. I'm back in Texas now to write the Anon book we just
signed
with Amazon. Laptop is screwed up, have been relying on blackberry for
communication.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: "MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:" <michaelriley@bloomberg.net>
Date: 05 Oct 2011 14:07:28
To: <barriticus@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: BoA
via blackberry? are you at the protests?
If i can get some kind of confirmation that it's anon related, I'd love
to
use the quote. can you ask around and let me know?
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
Twitter: @rileybloomberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Barri2009 <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 10/05 14:05:55
I've been away from irc for the past couple of days, but this is likely
the
work of some contingent of Anons. If so, it's a justified and overdue
attack
on a firm that has so far escaped retaliation for its role in the Team
Themis conspiracy against Wikileaks.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
-----Original Message-----
From: "MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:" <michaelriley@bloomberg.net>
Date: 05 Oct 2011 13:55:36
To: <barriticus@gmail.com>
Subject: BoA
Hey,
so the BoA website is under attack, and has been for the last 24 hours or
so. it's creating some problems for them in terms of online banking
customers.
Is this anon-related?
----- Original Message -----
From: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
To: barriticus@gmail.com
At: 7/22 17:30:06
Cool.
Let me know if you make headway on news corp....
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
Twitter: @rileybloomberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 7/22 17:16:41
It's on hacktivism, no title yet, being done by Luminant Media or some
such
thing. Had another crew a week for another doc on a similar subject,
taking
the opportunity to talk about Romas/COIN and Endgame and the Pixar/Disney
thing.
On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 4:08 PM, MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM: <
michaelriley@bloomberg.net> wrote:
Cool. what's the documentary?
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
Twitter: @rileybloomberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 7/22 17:05:22
I haven't, but at any rate from what I'm seeing they might not be
releasing
them after all lest they compromise the case or some such thing. But I
just
got done with a documentary crew and haven't had a chance to see what's
up.
On Fri, Jul 22, 2011 at 1:03 PM, MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM: <
michaelriley@bloomberg.net> wrote:
Hey, Barrett. Checking to see if you've had any luck reaching any of
the
lulzsec guys about the news corp docs. I realize it's a long shot.
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
Twitter: @rileybloomberg
----- Original Message -----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 7/21 14:42:38
I'll try, I don't have any direct means of getting in touch with them
right
now.
On Thu, Jul 21, 2011 at 8:35 AM, MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:
<
michaelriley@bloomberg.net> wrote:
Hey, man. Here's the endgame thing. Cover of Businessweek this
week.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/cyber-weapons-the-new-arms-race-07212011.html
So, lulzsec supposedly is working with some media on news of the
world
emails they have.
Is it possible for you to approach topiary or one of the others and
find
out if they'd be willing to include us?
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
----- Original Message -----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 7/19 22:44:54
Also, a California attorney who's provided pro bono assistance to
other
internet activists got in touch with me today offering to arrange
some
colleagues to represent any of the 12 people who will likely be
tried
in
California's Northern District; I've also put him in touch with the
National
Lawyer's Guild so that they can begin coordinating.
On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 6:24 PM, Barrett Brown <
barriticus@gmail.com
wrote:
One more thing - National Lawyer's Guild will be providing
assistance
to
those who need it. I've just put out this statement:
http://pastebin.com/ddPgpyCP
On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 5:27 PM, Barrett Brown <
barriticus@gmail.com
wrote:
It's telling me that number doesn't work; you can call me now
though.
On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 5:19 PM, MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/
NEWSROOM:
<
michaelriley@bloomberg.net> wrote:
Hey, give a call when you get off the phone: 202 954 1982
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
----- Original Message -----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 7/19 17:38:00
Cool, thanks.
On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 6:46 AM, MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/
NEWSROOM:
<
michaelriley@bloomberg.net> wrote:
Or the week after. You never know w these guys. But yep.
---
Sent From Bloomberg Mobile MSG
---- Original Message ----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
At: 7/18/2011 23:56
Are you guys still bringing out a piece on Endgame?
On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 4:32 PM, Barrett Brown <
barriticus@gmail.com
wrote:
The e-mails that Lulzsec took from CEO of Unveillance are
located
in
a
Gmail account set up by my main technical guy for easy
searching.
Go
to
gmail and use this to login:
Login: karimhijazi.unveillance
Password: hbgemail
Just search Endgame and you'll find a number of discussions
about
them as
well as a bit of communication between the CEO and John
Farrell.
On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 1:31 PM, MICHAEL RILEY, BLOOMBERG/
NEWSROOM:
<
michaelriley@bloomberg.net> wrote:
202 624 1982...or after 5 pm eastern on my cell: 720 635
8553
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
----- Original Message -----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 6/22 22:12:38
Oh, and here's another little tidbit:
http://hbgary.anonleaks.ch/greg_hbgary_com/26795.html
On Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 9:11 PM, Barrett Brown <
barriticus@gmail.com>
wrote:
Romas/COIN, the one I announced today. And this is the
former
NSA
fellow
who went over to Pixar:
http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/press_room/2002/new_adr.shtml
On Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 9:10 PM, MICHAEL RILEY,
BLOOMBERG/
NEWSROOM: <
michaelriley@bloomberg.net> wrote:
Say it ain't so. Even Disney and Pixar?
Seriously, though. What's the connection? What project
is
he
talking
about
that links to pixar?
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
----- Original Message -----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: MICHAEL RILEY (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:)
At: 6/22 21:56:32
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/jun/22/hacking-anonymous
Also, you might take a look at this:
http://hbgary.anonleaks.ch/aaron_hbgary_com/8403.html
On Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 8:55 PM, MICHAEL RILEY,
BLOOMBERG/
NEWSROOM:
<
michaelriley@bloomberg.net> wrote:
thx for the heads up, Barrett.
------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Riley
Washington bureau/Bloomberg News
(202) 624 1982
(720) 635 8553 (cell)
----- Original Message -----
From: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>
To: ADRIENNE TOSCANO (BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM:), MICHAEL
RILEY
(BLOOMBERG/
NEWSROOM:)
At: 6/21 16:08:31
Adrienne-
As I noted on the phone, an accompanying explanatory
piece
will
run
in
The
Guardian tomorrow, while the document itself, which
I've
pasted
below,
will
run on the wiki maintained by my group Project PM.
The
NYT
has
a
copy
and
is
vetting it now; the e-mails may be verified and other
details
obtained
by
way of this search engine maintained by Anonymous,
which
acquired
the
71,000
e-mails in question in early February:
http://hbgary.anonleaks.ch/
Michael, I'm cc'ing you on this to give you a heads
up;
let
me
know
if
you
have any questions.
***
For at least two years, the U.S. has been conducting
a
secretive
and
immensely sophisticated campaign of mass surveillance
and
data
mining
against the Arab world, allowing the intelligence
community
to
monitor
the
habits, conversations, and activity of millions of
individuals
at
once.
And
with an upgrade scheduled for later this year, the
top
contender to
win
the
federal contract and thus take over the program is a
team
of
about
a
dozen
companies which were brought together in large part
by
Aaron
Barr -
the
same
disgraced CEO who resigned from his own firm earlier
this
year
after
he
was
discovered to have planned a full-scale information
war
against
political
activists at the behest of corporate clients. The new
revelation
provides
for a disturbing picture, particularly when viewed in
a
wider
context.
Unprecedented surveillance capabilities are being
produced
by
an
industry
that works in secret on applications that are
nonetheless
funded by
the
American public – and which in some cases are used
against
that
very
same
public. Their products are developed on demand for an
intelligence
community
that is not subject to Congressional oversight and
which
has
been
repeatedly
shown to have misused its existing powers in ways
that
violate
U.S.
law
as
well as American ideals. And with expanded
intelligence
capabilities
by
which to monitor Arab populations in ways that would
have
previously
been
impossible, those same intelligence agencies now have
improved
means
by
which to provide information on dissidents to those
regional
dictators
viewed by the U.S. as strategic allies.
The nature and extent of the operation, which was
known
as
Romas/COIN
and
which is scheduled for replacement sometime this year
by
a
similar
program
known as Odyssey, may be determined in part by a
close
reading
of
hundreds
of e-mails among the 70,000 that were stolen in
February
from
the
contracting firm HBGary Federal and its parent
company
HBGary.
Other
details
may be gleaned by an examination of the various other
firms
and
individuals
that are discussed as being potential partners.
Of course, there are many in the U.S. that would
prefer
that
such
details
not be revealed at all; such people tend to cite the
amorphous
and
much-abused concept of “national security” as
sufficient
reason
for
the
citizenry to stand idly by as an ever-expanding
coalition
of
government
agencies and semi-private corporations gain greater
influence
over
U.S.
foreign policy. That the last decade of foreign
policy
as
practiced
by
such
individuals has been an absolute disaster even by the
admission
of
many
of
those who put it into place will not phase those who
nonetheless
believe
that the citizenry should be prevented from knowing
what
is
being
done
in
its name and with its tax dollars.
To the extent that the actions of a government are
divorced
from
the
informed consent of those who pay for such actions,
such
a
government
is
illegitimate. To the extent that power is
concentrated
in
the
hands
of
small
groups of men who wield such power behind the scenes,
there
is
no
assurance
that such power will be used in a manner that is
compatible
with
the
actual
interests of that citizenry, or populations
elsewhere.
The
known
history
of
the U.S. intelligence community is comprised in large
part
of
murder,
assassinations, disinformation, the topping of
democratic
governments,
the
abuse of the rights of U.S. citizens, and a great
number
of
other
things
that cannot even be defended on “national security”
grounds
insomuch
as
that
many such actions have quite correctly turned entire
populations
against
the
U.S. government. This is not only my opinion, but
also
the
opinion
of
countless individuals who once served in the
intelligence
community
and
have
since come to criticize it and even unveil many of
its
secrets
in
an
effort
to alert the citizenry to what has been unleashed
against
the
world
in
the
name of “security.”
Likewise, I will here provide as much information as
I
can
on
Romas/COIN
and its upcoming replacement.
***
Although the relatively well-known military
contractor
Northrop
Grumman
had
long held the contract for Romas/COIN, such contracts
are
subject
to
regular
recompetes by which other companies, or several
working
in
tandem,
can
apply
to take over. In early February, HBGary Federal CEO
Aaron
Barr
wrote
the
following e-mail to Al Pisani, an executive at the
much
larger
federal
contractor TASC, a company which until recently had
been
owned
by
Northrop
and which was now looking to compete with it for
lucrative
contracts:
"I met with [Mantech CEO] Bob Frisbie the other day
to
catch
up.
He
is
looking to expand a capability in IO related to the
COIN
re-compete
but
more
for DoD. He told me he has a few acquisitions in the
works
that
will
increase his capability in this area. So just a
thought
that
it
might
be
worth a phone call to see if there is any synergy and
strength
between
TASC
and ManTech in this area. I think forming a team and
response
to
compete
against SAIC will be tough but doable." IO in this
context
stands
for
“information operations,” while COIN itself, as noted
in
an
NDA
attached
to
one of the e-mails, stands for “counter intelligence.
SAIC
is
a
larger
intelligence contractor that was expected to pursue
the
recompete
as
well.
Pisani agreed to the idea, and in conjunction with
Barr
and
fellow
TASC
exec John Lovegrove, the growing party spent much of
the
next
year
working
to create a partnership of firms capable of providing
the
“client”
-
a
U.S.
agency that is never specified in the hundreds of
e-mails
that
follow
–
with
capabilities that would outmatch those being provided
by
Northrop,
SAIC,
or
other competitors.
Several e-mails in particular provide a great deal
of
material
by
which
to
determine the scope and intent of Romas/COIN. One
that
Barr
wrote
to
his
own
e-mail account, likely for the purpose of adding to
other
documents
later,
is entitled “Notes on COIN.” It begins with a list of
entries
for
various
facets of the program, all of which are blank and
were
presumably
filled
out
later: “ISP, Operations, Language/Culture, Media
Development,
Marketing
and
Advertising, Security, MOE.” Afterwards, another list
consists
of
the
following: “Capabilities, Mobile Development,
Challenges,
MOE,
Infrastructure, Security.” Finally, a list of the
following
websites
is
composed, many of which represent various small
companies
that
provide
niche
marketing services pursuant to mobile phones.
More helpful is a later e-mail from Lovegrove to
Barr
and
some
of
his
colleagues at TASC in which he announces the
following:
*Our team consists of:*
*- TASC (PMO, creative services)*
*- HB Gary (Strategy, planning, PMO)*
*- Akamai (infrastructure)*
*- Archimedes Global (Specialized linguistics,
strategy,
planning)*
*- Acclaim Technical Services (specialized
linguistics)*
*- Mission Essential Personnel (linguistic services)*
*- Cipher (strategy, planning operations)*
*- PointAbout (rapid mobile application development,
list
of
strategic*
*partners)*
*- Google (strategy, mobile application and platform
development -
long*
*list of strategic partners)*
*- Apple (mobile and desktop platform, application
assistance
-long
list*
*of strategic partners)*
*We are trying to schedule an interview with ATT
plus
some
other
small
app
developers.*
From these and dozens of other clues and references,
the
following
may
be
determined about the nature of Romas/COIN:
1.
Mobile phone software and applications constitute a
major
component
of
the program.
2.
There's discussion of bringing in a “gaming
developer,”
apparently
at
the
behest of Barr, who mentions that the team could
make
good
use of
“a
social
gaming company maybe like zynga, gameloft, etc.”
Lovegrove
elsewhere
notes:
“I know a couple of small gaming companies at MIT
that
might
fit
the
bill.”
3.
Apple and Google were active team partners, and
AT&T
may
have
been
as
well. The latter is known to have provided the NSA
free
reign
over
customer
communications (and was in turn protected by a bill
granting
them
retroactive immunity from lawsuits). Google itself
is
the
only
company
to
have received a “Hostile to Privacy” rating from
Privacy
International.
Apple is currently being investigated by Congress
after
the
iPhone
was
revealed to compile user location data in a way
that
differs
from
other
mobile phones; the company has claimed this to have
been
a
“bug.”
4.
The program makes use of several providers of
“linguistic
services.”
At
one point, the team discusses hiring a
military-trained
Arabic
linguist.
Elsewhere, Barr writes: “I feel confident I can get
you
a
ringer
for
Farsi
if they are still interested in Farsi (we need to
find
that
out).
These
linguists are not only going to be developing new
content
but
also
meeting
with folks, so they have to have native or near
native
proficiency
and
have
to have the cultural relevance as well.”
5.
Alterion and SocialEyez are listed as “businesses
to
contact.”
The
former
specializes in “social media monitoring tools.” The
latter
uses
“sophisticated natural language processing
methodology”
in
order
to
“process
tens of millions of multi-lingual conversations
daily”
while
also
employing
“researchers and media analysts on the ground;” its
website
also
notes
that
“Millions of people around the globe are now
networked
as
never
before
-
exchanging information and ideas, forming opinions,
and
speaking
their
minds
about everything from politics to products.”
6.
At one point, TASC exec Chris Clair asks Aaron and
others,
“Can
we
name
COIN Saif? Saif is the sword an Arab executioner
uses
when
they
decapitate
criminals. I can think of a few cool brands for
this.”
7.
A diagram attached to one of Barr's e-mails to the
group
(
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/7/pmo.png/)
depicts
Magpii
as
interacting in some unspecified manner with
“Foreign
Mobile”
and
“Foreign
Web.” Magpii is a project of Barr's own creation
which
stands
for
“Magnify
Personal Identifying Information,” involves social
networking,
and
is
designed for the purpose of storing personal
information
on
users.
Although
details are difficult to determine from references
in
Barr's
e-mails,
he
discusses the project almost exclusively with
members
of
military
intelligence to which he was pitching the idea.
8.
There are sporadic references such things as
“semantic
analysis,”
“Latent
Semantic Indexing,” “specialized linguistics,” and
OPS,
a
programming
language designed for solving problems using expert
systems.
9.
Barr asks the team's partner at Apple, Andy Kemp
(whose
signature
lists
him as being from the company's Homeland
Defense/National
Programs
division), to provide him “a contact at
Pixar/Disney.”
Altogether, then, a successful bid for the relevant
contract
was
seen
to
require the combined capabilities of perhaps a dozen
firms
–
capabilities
whereby millions of conversations can be monitored
and
automatically
analyzed, whereby a wide range of personal data can
be
obtained
and
stored
in secret, and whereby some unknown degree of
information
can
be
released
to
a given population through a variety of means and
without
any
hint
that
the
actual source is U.S. military intelligence. All this
is
merely
in
addition
to whichever additional capabilities are not evident
from
the
limited
description available, with the program as a whole
presumably
being
operated
in conjunction with other surveillance and propaganda
assets
controlled
by
the U.S. and its partners.
Whatever the exact nature and scope of COIN, the
firms
that
had
been
assembled for the purpose by Barr and TASC never got
a
chance
to
bid
on
the
program's recompete. In late September, Lovegrove
noted
to
Barr
and
others
that he'd spoken to the “CO [contracting officer] for
COIN.”
“The
current
procurement approach is cancelled [sic], she cited
changed
requirements,”
he
reported. “They will be coming out with some
documents
in
a
month
or
two,
most likely an updated RFI [request for information].
There
will be
a
procurement following soon after. We are on the list
to
receive
all
information." On January 18th of next year, Lovegrove
provided
an
update:
“I
just spoke to the group chief on the contracts side
(Doug
K).
COIN
has
been
replaced by a procurement called Odyssey. He says
that
it
is
in
the
formative stages and that something should be
released
this
year.
--
Regards,
Barrett Brown
512-560-2302
