New Snowden leaks unravel mystery behind NSA's UK base • Hacker News Board

Re: New Snowden leaks unravel mystery behind NSA's UK base

#21

Post by throwanem » Wed, Sep 07, 2016, 4:42 AM UTC

lkmlkmsfd wrote: post #20

throwanem wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Gentlemen do not read each other's mail'?

Pretty much, also taking into account that none of these agencies have a net benefit for humanity.

This is one of those cases where the prisoner's dilemma actually is applicable. All it takes is one defector for everybody to be screwed, and the advantage outweighs the penalty, so someone is guaranteed to defect. Anyone who does not remains screwed, so everyone defects soon after.

Whoever called economics the dismal science obviously knew nothing of realpolitik. But we must face the world as it is.

Re: New Snowden leaks unravel mystery behind NSA's UK base

#22

Post by somenomadicguy » Wed, Sep 07, 2016, 6:49 AM UTC

There was a time when this would have been leaked on Wikileaks and sensationalized for weeks. Snowden seems to be able to maintain his composure, grace, and professionalism while in exile in Russia, he's still an inspiration.

Assange on the other hand, not so much.

(Edited for typos)

Re: New Snowden leaks unravel mystery behind NSA's UK base

#23

Post by dingaling » Wed, Sep 07, 2016, 6:55 AM UTC

anexprogrammer wrote: post #19

dboreham wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

20-odd years ago I lived a few miles from Menwith and drove past it on the way to work. A few years before that I had worked on hardware for massively parallel systems, much of which ended up in black projects. As I drove by, I would muse as to how much of my gear was whirring away in that place.. fwiw everyone in the local tech industry knew the real mission for the base in 1993 so I'm also not sure how much of the…

A pub that was probably really easy to spot as a haunt of Menwith Hill by having a car park full of US cars. Used to surprise me driving past at how many big US cars you'd see driving on and off base. I'd wonder how it was worth shipping them across the pond instead of using something local for duration of their posting.

The most puzzling example of a shipped car I saw was a Geo Prizm going in to the USAF airbase at RAF Lakenheath.

I could understand the big Crown Vics imported by the USAF police to patrol the nearby roads, but to import a small car based on the Toyota Corolla that was common on UK roads...?

Re: New Snowden leaks unravel mystery behind NSA's UK base

#24

Post by dogma1138 » Wed, Sep 07, 2016, 1:37 PM UTC

lkmlkmsfd wrote: post #8

dogma1138 wrote: post #2

FORNSAT could potentially be iffy, but OVERHEAD and GHOSTHUNTER is exactly the kind of programmes that the NSA and any other national SIGINT agency is supposed to run. Geographically confined and directed at specific adversaries to achieve clear military goals.

You're starting with the assumption that NSA is a good idea in the first place. It's not.

Only siths deal in absolutes.

Good and bad are silly and childish terms, a modern military needs the capability to intercept enemy signals, a nation state needs signal intelligence capabilities to facilitate it's own national interests and security.

This doesn't mean that the NSA should capture every email, facebook post and tweet and store it for future use.

But that doesn't mean that a signal intelligence agency running a SIGINT/ELINT missions in direct support of a military activity is inherently bad it isn't anything, it just is, as this is a capability that any modern military complex has to posses.

Re: New Snowden leaks unravel mystery behind NSA's UK base

#25

Post by dogma1138 » Wed, Sep 07, 2016, 1:41 PM UTC

trendia wrote: post #13

jomamaxx wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"When you say those are the programs that they're "supposed to run", I ask, who gave them that mandate?" Congress, elected by the people. Most Americans are supportive of the USA's actions as it relates to spying on Putin etc. As far as snooping on Americans, it depends on the type. If Snowden is a 'whistleblower' - he should be talking about things that are clearly out of bounds. When he talks about normal espionage…

The majority of Americans do NOT support broad NSA spying activities. [1] More than three-quarters of likely voters the poll interviewed opposed related aspects of current surveillance authorities and operations. Eighty-two percent are “concerned” about government collection and retention of their personal data. Eighty-three percent are concerned about government access to data stored by businesses without judicial o…

The poster above you is correct the US public at large supports the mission of the NSA and other intelligence agencies as far as gathering information on foreign targets including allies goes.

The US public opposes the collection of information on Americans quite strongly, but things get iffy once you include Americans who have committed or have stated the intent to commit acts of violence against the US or multi-nationals who hold an american citizenship.

Re: New Snowden leaks unravel mystery behind NSA's UK base

#26

Post by Ded7xSEoPKYNsDd » Wed, Sep 07, 2016, 1:45 PM UTC

somenomadicguy wrote: post #22

There was a time when this would have been leaked on Wikileaks and sensationalized for weeks. Snowden seems to be able to maintain his composure, grace, and professionalism while in exile in Russia, he's still an inspiration. Assange on the other hand, not so much. (Edited for typos)

Snowden handed over those documents to journalists back when he was in Hong Kong. Ever since he has no direct control over what gets published (or when).

Re: New Snowden leaks unravel mystery behind NSA's UK base

#27

Post by dboreham » Thu, Sep 08, 2016, 3:27 AM UTC

anexprogrammer wrote: post #19

dboreham wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

20-odd years ago I lived a few miles from Menwith and drove past it on the way to work. A few years before that I had worked on hardware for massively parallel systems, much of which ended up in black projects. As I drove by, I would muse as to how much of my gear was whirring away in that place.. fwiw everyone in the local tech industry knew the real mission for the base in 1993 so I'm also not sure how much of the…

A pub that was probably really easy to spot as a haunt of Menwith Hill by having a car park full of US cars. Used to surprise me driving past at how many big US cars you'd see driving on and off base. I'd wonder how it was worth shipping them across the pond instead of using something local for duration of their posting.

Perhaps a fear of British car electrics?