The Conservative Cave

Current Events => Breaking News => Topic started by: BlueStateSaint on July 10, 2013, 05:19:35 AM

Title: Obama orders federal workers to spy on each other
Post by: BlueStateSaint on July 10, 2013, 05:19:35 AM
That's the gist of the headline on Drudge.  Here's the article:


(http://media.mcclatchydc.com/smedia/2013/07/09/15/32/1uEote.WiPh2.91.jpg)

Linchpin for Obama’s plan to predict future leakers unproven, isn’t likely to work, experts say

By Jonathan S. Landay and Marisa Taylor | McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — In an initiative aimed at rooting out future leakers and other security violators, President Barack Obama has ordered federal employees to report suspicious actions of their colleagues based on behavioral profiling techniques that are not scientifically proven to work, according to experts and government documents.

The techniques are a key pillar of the Insider Threat Program, an unprecedented government-wide crackdown under which millions of federal bureaucrats and contractors must watch out for “high-risk persons or behaviors” among co-workers. Those who fail to report them could face penalties, including criminal charges.

Obama mandated the program in an October 2011 executive order after Army Pfc. Bradley Manning downloaded hundreds of thousands of documents from a classified computer network and gave them to WikiLeaks, the anti-government secrecy group. The order covers virtually every federal department and agency, including the Peace Corps, the Department of Education and others not directly involved in national security.

Under the program, which is being implemented with little public attention, security investigations can be launched when government employees showing “indicators of insider threat behavior” are reported by co-workers, according to previously undisclosed administration documents obtained by McClatchy. Investigations also can be triggered when “suspicious user behavior” is detected by computer network monitoring and reported to “insider threat personnel.”

Federal employees and contractors are asked to pay particular attention to the lifestyles, attitudes and behaviors – like financial troubles, odd working hours or unexplained travel – of co-workers as a way to predict whether they might do “harm to the United States.” Managers of special insider threat offices will have “regular, timely, and, if possible, electronic, access” to employees’ personnel, payroll, disciplinary and “personal contact” files, as well as records of their use of classified and unclassified computer networks, polygraph results, travel reports and financial disclosure forms.



I can see why they're doing this--they don't want to get caught with their pants down again.  But, isn't this anathema to just about everything that America was founded on?

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/07/09/196211/linchpin-for-obamas-plan-to-predict.html#.Ud00TPlJ6Dc#storylink=cpy
Title: Re: Obama orders federal workers to spy on each other
Post by: Mr Mannn on July 10, 2013, 06:19:48 AM
How does one respond?  Bush would have been roasted alive if he ordered this.

I note the 2011 order did NOTHING to stop Snowden. Still, the main reason may be to have govt employees live in fear.

Failure to notify means prison time. But where does that start or end? If I am unaware that my team member is leaking secrets, will I be punished for NOT being aware? Are all co-workers threatened with jail along with the leaker? How does the state prove I was aware or not.

There are places like the CIA where this is par for the course (and they already have rules like this)..but this rule extends to even the Peace Corps?
Title: Re: Obama orders federal workers to spy on each other
Post by: Freeper on July 10, 2013, 07:05:40 AM
I wonder how long before this applies to regular people. Perhaps a mandate that if your neighbor is one of them tea part terrorists you better report their creepy cracker asses right away.  :mental:
Title: Re: Obama orders federal workers to spy on each other
Post by: JohnnyReb on July 10, 2013, 08:13:28 AM
pssst...I have a feeling that Obama is into un-American activities.....where do I report him?
Title: Re: Obama orders federal workers to spy on each other
Post by: Freeper on July 10, 2013, 08:22:27 AM
pssst...I have a feeling that Obama is into un-American activities.....where do I report him?

You could try the justice dept, but Eric Holder still owes him for using executive privilege to save his ass over fast and furious.
Title: Re: Obama orders federal workers to spy on each other
Post by: Mike220 on July 10, 2013, 08:35:33 AM
Man, didn't they learn anything from the #attackwatch Twitter debacle.
Title: Re: Obama orders federal workers to spy on each other
Post by: seahorse513 on July 10, 2013, 08:52:58 AM
This administration is more screwed up than I could even imagine!! When does the craziness stop??  :rant: :rant:
Title: Re: Obama orders federal workers to spy on each other
Post by: Chris_ on July 10, 2013, 08:57:53 AM
Man, didn't they learn anything from the #attackwatch Twitter debacle.
I wonder if snitch@whitehouse.gov is still open.
Title: Re: Obama orders federal workers to spy on each other
Post by: Ptarmigan on July 10, 2013, 09:03:08 AM
Sounds like Soviet Union or Stasi.
Title: Re: Obama orders federal workers to spy on each other
Post by: thundley4 on July 10, 2013, 10:06:46 AM
Government workers will be so busy spying on their coworkers that they will spend even less time doing their jobs.

What a fun working environment that must be.  Looking over your shoulder all the time to see who is spying on you.