14 ms·

These requirements for pairing and that everyone working in sensitive intelligence work will now have to spy and tattle on their fellow workers is interesting i

These requirements for pairing and that everyone working in sensitive intelligence work will now have to spy and tattle on their fellow workers is interesting in that it includes the Peace Corps in the directive. Peace Corps being added to the list of organizations that have to spy on each other for disclosure of classified information is interesting since in 1996 the white house announced that the CIA had not been using the Peace Corp for spying for over 20 years. Currently the Peace Corps requires applicants to promise they have never worked for the CIA. Not the NSA though, other intelligence agencies, or subcontractors of the CIA. Just directly for the CIA. http://www.peacecorps.gov/jobs/workingpc/eligibility/ http://www.peacecorps.gov/jobs/workingpc/eligibility/ http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Peace_Corps http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Peace_Corps http://clinton6.nara.gov/1996/07/1996-07-17-press-briefing-by-mike-mccurry.html http://clinton6.nara.gov/1996/07/1996-07-17-press-briefing-b... Peace Corps being a front for US military and intelligence operations has been called a myth, but including them in this directive about classified information is going to smash the claim this is really a myth.

rmc 13y ago
Remember that having a global humanitarian organisation that is seen to be an arm of the US government or military can make the organisation useless. People in far off countries which are/can be targets of US military attacks are highly unlikely to cooperate with an organisation that they think is going to spy on them and report back.
- pekk 13y ago
  Peace Corps is not working in any countries which are targets of US military attacks. They do work in some countries where local politicians scapegoat the US. It works out OK, because volunteers are not conducting espionage inside government ministries, they are doing things like teaching classes on how to dig better toilets. It seems to take an American or a European to be so paranoid that even this can be cast as a sinister activity.
  - cbs 13y ago
    It seems to take an American or a European to be so paranoid that even this can be cast as a sinister activity. They know their history. The possibility that their governments would do something as underhanded as hide a person with ulterior motive inside a humanitarian organization is not irrational.
  - rmc 13y ago
    You do know the US Government set up a (sorta) fake vaccination centre to catch Osama Bin Laden? The original post we're commenting on is how the US can't really be trusted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/11/cia-fake-vaccinations-osama-bin-ladens-dna http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/11/cia-fake-vaccina...
hga 13y ago
When I see the freaking Education Department on the same list I have to wonder if something else isn't going on. Where is national security implicated there? For that matter, the Social Security Administration? Now, there's good reason to suppress certain types of leaks from those organizations, they have a lot of private data on Americans (Obamacare put all government guaranteed etc. student loans going forward into the government, and a quick skim of Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_loans_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_loans_in_the_United_Sta...) indicates the DoEducation is naturally involved). But that's not been a problem as long as I can remember, so I somehow doubt that's the intention of this insanely broad program. As I've mentioned in other akin discussions, I remember Nixon, and this feels like Nixon to the Nth degree.
- moens 13y ago
  Its important to understand that from some people's perspective, the whole point of Federally funded education is indoctrination. In which case it would be very important to identify those who are, "frustrat[ed] with co-workers or the organization."
- pstuart 13y ago
  But the private data you mention isn't all that private. The government doesn't care about leaking your private data, it cares about information getting out that will politically damage or embarrass those in charge.
pekk 13y ago
You don't know what you are talking about. Peace Corps volunteers do not have access to classified documents to begin with. They are required not to have ties to intelligence gathering activity, even a relative in the intelligence industry will get you thrown out of the application process. This issue threatens the lives of Peace Corps volunteers and I find it disgusting that you are willing to endanger them on the basis of conjecture and hearsay.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]

rmc 13y ago

Remember that having a global humanitarian organisation that is seen to be an arm of the US government or military can make the organisation useless. People in far off countries which are/can be targets of US military attacks are highly unlikely to cooperate with an organisation that they think is going to spy on them and report back.

pekk 13y ago
Peace Corps is not working in any countries which are targets of US military attacks. They do work in some countries where local politicians scapegoat the US. It works out OK, because volunteers are not conducting espionage inside government ministries, they are doing things like teaching classes on how to dig better toilets. It seems to take an American or a European to be so paranoid that even this can be cast as a sinister activity.
- cbs 13y ago
  It seems to take an American or a European to be so paranoid that even this can be cast as a sinister activity. They know their history. The possibility that their governments would do something as underhanded as hide a person with ulterior motive inside a humanitarian organization is not irrational.
- rmc 13y ago
  You do know the US Government set up a (sorta) fake vaccination centre to catch Osama Bin Laden? The original post we're commenting on is how the US can't really be trusted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/11/cia-fake-vaccinations-osama-bin-ladens-dna http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/11/cia-fake-vaccina...

hga 13y ago

When I see the freaking Education Department on the same list I have to wonder if something else isn't going on. Where is national security implicated there? For that matter, the Social Security Administration? Now, there's good reason to suppress certain types of leaks from those organizations, they have a lot of private data on Americans (Obamacare put all government guaranteed etc. student loans going forward into the government, and a quick skim of Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_loans_in_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_loans_in_the_United_Sta...) indicates the DoEducation is naturally involved). But that's not been a problem as long as I can remember, so I somehow doubt that's the intention of this insanely broad program. As I've mentioned in other akin discussions, I remember Nixon, and this feels like Nixon to the Nth degree.

moens 13y ago
Its important to understand that from some people's perspective, the whole point of Federally funded education is indoctrination. In which case it would be very important to identify those who are, "frustrat[ed] with co-workers or the organization."
pstuart 13y ago
But the private data you mention isn't all that private. The government doesn't care about leaking your private data, it cares about information getting out that will politically damage or embarrass those in charge.

pekk 13y ago

You don't know what you are talking about. Peace Corps volunteers do not have access to classified documents to begin with. They are required not to have ties to intelligence gathering activity, even a relative in the intelligence industry will get you thrown out of the application process. This issue threatens the lives of Peace Corps volunteers and I find it disgusting that you are willing to endanger them on the basis of conjecture and hearsay.

deleted 13y ago
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