3 ms·
Quite simply, they decided it was worse to leave it up and allow the communication as the risk/reward was not sufficient. The relevant text of that point (list
by lost_name 14y ago
Quite simply, they decided it was worse to leave it up and allow the communication as the risk/reward was not sufficient.
The relevant text of that point (listed as 218, but is actually 228):
For example, a “honey pot” jihadist website reportedly was designed by the [Central
Intelligence Agency] and Saudi Arabian Government to attract and monitor terrorist
activities. The information collected from the site was used by intelligence
analysts to track the operational plans of jihadists, leading to arrests before the
planned attacks could be executed. However, the website also was reportedly being
used to transmit operational plans for jihadists entering Iraq to conduct attacks
on U.S. troops. Debates between representatives of the [National Security Agency,
Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, Office of the Director of
National Intelligence and National Security Council] led to a determination that
the threat to troops in theater was greater than the intelligence value gained
from monitoring the website, and a computer network team from the [Joint Task
Force Global Network Operations] ultimately dismantled it.
- krenoten 14y agoI don't think it's very likely that the shutdown stopped them from communicating. Risk/reward? The risk is that the honeypot was the only way they could communicate, and that keeping it alive was the only way these attacks could continue. I don't think this is a very large risk. The reward, however, is foreknowledge of an attack. Maybe they don't think this is very useful knowledge? In any case, I don't think these were the reasons for taking it down.
- JabavuAdams 14y agoPossible, but remember that these are political animals. How are they going to explain to the American people (or talk-radio hosts) that President Obama authorized a website that was used to plan attacks on U.S. soldiers?
- mturmon 14y agoYes, when law enforcement gets that enmeshed with the plans of criminals, things go sideways. Compare the ATF scheme ("Operation Fast and Furious") for letting illegal gun sales proceed so that criminal gun distributors higher up the food chain could be caught: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATF_gunwalking_scandal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATF_gunwalking_scandal When you count all the guns that the US let leak into Mexico over the years, it's hard to justify the operation. Basically, such an operation deserves a fuller debate and examination of all the consequences. But by their nature, secret operations can't have full debates.
- cpeterso 14y agoI wonder why they didn't use the honeypot to seed disinformation or selectively edit the leaked military plans.
- Wingman4l7 14y agoMaybe because they were afraid such actions would be noticed, and give the game away?