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CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

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Re: CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

#91
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you miss that WikiLeaks met with Trump campaign staff that had close relations with russian secret services and then leaked DNC campaign mails so that right wing actors could make that into a pedophile pizza place conspiracy theory? I used to be a big WikiLeaks supporter but these days are long gone. They promised leaks on russian oligarchs that never happened. They promised to "bring down" Bank of America. They…

The BOA leak, and several others, got burned by that Daniel Dumbshit guy over some petty personal disputes on how Wikileaks was run. That's what the Benedict Cumberbatch movie was all about, told from the perspective of the shithead who wiped all that data. Wikileaks had an image of a Bank of America VP laptop with email discussion about the creation and exploitation of predatory loans, and a complete indifference to…

To sum this post up with the reference only. Recommended documentary by Laura Poitras about Assange, called Risk [1].

[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4964772/

Re: CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

#92
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you miss that WikiLeaks met with Trump campaign staff that had close relations with russian secret services and then leaked DNC campaign mails so that right wing actors could make that into a pedophile pizza place conspiracy theory? I used to be a big WikiLeaks supporter but these days are long gone. They promised leaks on russian oligarchs that never happened. They promised to "bring down" Bank of America. They…

The BOA leak, and several others, got burned by that Daniel Dumbshit guy over some petty personal disputes on how Wikileaks was run. That's what the Benedict Cumberbatch movie was all about, told from the perspective of the shithead who wiped all that data. Wikileaks had an image of a Bank of America VP laptop with email discussion about the creation and exploitation of predatory loans, and a complete indifference to…

> As to the DNC stuff, yeah Assange was probabally used by the Russian intelligence, but it was probabally an easy sell. Hillary really did (maybe jokingly?) call for Assange to be assassinated when she was secretary of state. He had every reason in the world to cut off her ascent to power.

Hillary's joke (if that is what it was) was an assault. She had the means to actually carry out the murder she suggested. Such actions, even in jest, have been known to cause people to get killed when some subordinate takes it as an order.

I think it takes a tremendous lack of empathy to not allow Assange a grudge against someone who quipped about murdering him and potentially the people around him, particularly someone with the awesome power of the united states behind them.

Journalists often have their axes to grind and their blind spots. It isn't great but it's just something we have to factor in... and I think this is one that a lot more justifiable than most.

And while he may have been used by Russia in the DNC leak, the leak revealed substantial unethical conduct that people were rightfully fired over. It brought transparency to the world that we deserved. If its publication depended on some bias on Assange's part, I think it wouldn't require much bias perhaps only would have been with respect to the timing of it.

Re: CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

#93
post #66
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sort of wondering about that "tap board" in the Snom 870 VoiP phone. Pictures here: http://buggedplanet.info/lost+found/20180323/ I can't tell which parts are supposedly not part of the original phone. The 870 doesn't have bluetooth, but some very similar looking models do, which could account for the antenna on the board. Edit: See my follow up below. I'm now convinced this is a pretty complex tap inside the Voi…

They replaced the entire keypad PCB, you can look at the 2 last pictures for comparison next to a normal keypad PCB. I'm very impressed by the complexity of the module.

I guess, if they made an PCB for that phone model, it is not the only phone with such a bug at moment. If I had such a phone I would open an check it.

Re: CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

#94
post #24
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

5th image bottom left you can see a little board with 3 black wires running off of it that doesn't look original. Could be a factory bodge but definitely looks a bit out of place.

Ah, thanks. Though the slides talk about, for example, the Spartan 6, which is on the larger board and seems factory looking. That white connector on the little tap board appears to plug into J4 on this board: http://buggedplanet.info/lost+found/20180323/Images/18.jpg So that larger board would have to be part of the conspiracy. It's the one with the 2 FPGAs, NAND memory, board trace antenna, etc. That board is obvio…

> Which is a pretty fishy chip to be in a desk VOIP phone. Interesting that someone might have made a custom fit, nicely silkscreened and barcode part-labeled bug for one specific model of voip phone.

I would imagine these bugs are designed by hardware engineers (a high skill job due to uniqueness of such trait), but not necessarily assembled by the same engineers (a lower skill job which requires different qualities).

So, for example, a 'TAO station' would not necessarily contain all those engineers who designed the bugs, but it would have technicians who can install/implement them.

Re: CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

#95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you miss that WikiLeaks met with Trump campaign staff that had close relations with russian secret services and then leaked DNC campaign mails so that right wing actors could make that into a pedophile pizza place conspiracy theory? I used to be a big WikiLeaks supporter but these days are long gone. They promised leaks on russian oligarchs that never happened. They promised to "bring down" Bank of America. They…

> I used to be a big WikiLeaks supporter but these days are long gone. Then you've been duped. The prosecution of Assange is based on his work with Chelsea Manning on US war crimes in Iraq. But if the lives of poor brown people far away are not as important as cheap partizanship then the CIA can make you believe anything. Not to mention the fact HRC called for the assassination of Assange and his treatment has been c…

The only dupes at this point are the useful idiots who still support WikiLeaks. It has long since passed from being anything useful into being an cult of personality built around Assange.

Re: CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

#96
post #84
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The main advantage 'the man' has is organization and unit cohesion. Riots look fun on TV. and then you're in one. And you've only met these protesters casually a few times. Are you ready to take a beat down for them? And are you willing to fight hard against a tight unit like LEO or the military who have a lot more weapons to escalate with.

I think that the biggest advantage the "man" has is the law. If violence is perpetrated against the police, preparators will go to jail. That is however not the case when done by anti-riot police. These asymmetrical rules prevent much from happening.

Jail is probably the best possible outcome for someone who uses violence against the police, justified or not. As you note the color of law (and usually sympathy of the public as well) is the greatest of the asymmetrical assets of law enforcement and so the police at least in the US have the opportunity to assault or kill you with little or no legal liability.

Re: CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

#97

– (1) “Do you live in the UK?” / Alternative: “What is your occupation?” – (2) “How long do you stay?” – (3) “What do you do in the UK?” These are the questions I always get every time I cross any border anywhere except the border (on the way in) of my own country. I don't get this bit.

Heck, I've been quizzed this way by agents of the US while returning to the US, as a citizen , from abroad. What's your job, what did you do on your trip, how long was it. This was before I got on the plane, in a foreign airport. They aren't interested in the answer, they're interested in whether you have a ready answer and don't sound evasive.

>They aren't interested in the answer, they're interested in whether you have a ready answer and don't sound evasive.

It doesn't seem too hard to remember the answers to four questions and practice it beforehand.

Re: CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

#98

I am afraid the real world journalists don't care too much about Wikileak. I am afraid that's how I feel this way. To me, Wikileak is the real meat journalists, no speculation, no opinion, just information, data for people to process. But we don't want it, we want to read tldr;, one sentence is something I am interested to read about a topic. Journalists know that, they rather publish unchecked facts, as long as it g…

I think traditional journalists generally are unsure what to make of / wary of Wikileaks.

Rather than a site willing to release anything.... Wikileaks, even from the early days they, seemed to craft their own narratives in a way that many journalists find uncomfortable.

Even in the earlier days of Wikileaks when they had a facebook page (not sure if they do anymore) they'd regularly announce an upcoming data dump and imply that it was very important and serious and imply what it was about .... then radio silence. They never would release anything on that topic...

If you asked on their page, your comment was deleted ... whey did they not release it? No word. Many of these weren't national security type situations and there was enough info that you knew they never released it ever, just radio silence.

I liked the idea of what I thought Wikileaks was early on, but it never was that, and I'm suspicious of their choices and etc. They seem as interested in crafting something, what I'm not sure, keeping their own secrets, as any state. Who really is Wikileaks, what are they up to, I wonder sometimes...

On the internet of course this is all or nothing. You either are for a thing and against everything deemed to be the polar opposite or the other way. It's hard to have nuanced discussions about these things but I think that grey area is where you see the concern from journalists.

Re: CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

#99
He makes an important point early on in outlining the mission of Wikileaks centering on making Data and Information freely accessible to all (the concept of Dataism, for those who have read Yuval Harrari’s HOMO DEUS).

However, the processing of Information into Intelligence that can be acted upon is what characterizes Intelligence agencies. Wikileaks does not concern itself with this phase. Yet, the CIA’s Pompeo is trying to paint a narrative that Wikileaks is doing this by labeling them a “non-state intelligence agency”, thereby justifying the CIA’s actions to attack Wikileaks.

In brief:

Narrative #1 - the CIA attacking an “Idealistic Free Information Publisher”.

Narrative #2 - the CIA attacking a “Non-state Dark Intelligence Agency”

The CIA is actively trying to create Narrative #2, which is a bit concerning.

Re: CIA vs. Wikileaks [video]

#100

He makes an important point early on in outlining the mission of Wikileaks centering on making Data and Information freely accessible to all (the concept of Dataism, for those who have read Yuval Harrari’s HOMO DEUS ). However, the processing of Information into Intelligence that can be acted upon is what characterizes Intelligence agencies. Wikileaks does not concern itself with this phase. Yet, the CIA’s Pompeo is…

I think the true narrative is probably somewhere in the middle of those. Did WikiLeaks not strategically publish information for their desired political outcome?
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