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Octafish

(55,745 posts)
28. Good question. I think Snowden is against terrorism.
Sun Oct 11, 2015, 12:15 PM
Oct 2015

That's why he went to work for NSA and/or Booz Allen Hamilton.



Behind the Curtain: Booz Allen Hamilton and its Owner, The Carlyle Group

Written by Bob Adelmann
The New American; June 13, 2013

According to writers Thomas Heath and Marjorie Censer at the Washington Post, The Carlyle Group and its errant child, Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), have a public relations problem, thanks to NSA leaker and former BAH employee Edward Snowden. By the time top management at BAH learned that one of their top level agents had gone rogue, and terminated his employment, it was too late.

For years Carlyle had, according to the Post, “nurtured a reputation as a financially sophisticated asset manager that buys and sells everything from railroads to oil refineries”; but now the light from the Snowden revelations has revealed nothing more than two companies, parent and child, “bound by the thread of turning government secrets into profits.”

And have they ever. When The Carlyle Group bought BAH back in 2008, it was totally dependent upon government contracts in the fields of information technology (IT) and systems engineering for its bread and butter. But there wasn't much butter: After two years the company’s gross revenues were $5.1 billion but net profits were a minuscule $25 million, close to a rounding error on the company’s financial statement. In 2012, however, BAH grossed $5.8 billion and showed earnings of $219 million, nearly a nine-fold increase in net revenues and a nice gain in value for Carlyle.

Unwittingly, the Post authors exposed the real reason for the jump in profitability: close ties and interconnected relationships between top people at Carlyle and BAH, and the agencies with which they are working. The authors quoted George Price, an equity analyst at BB&T Capital: "[Booz Allen has] got a great brand, they've focused over time on hiring top people, including bringing on people who have a lot of senior government experience." (Emphasis added.)

For instance, James Clapper had a stint at BAH before becoming the current Director of National Intelligence; George Little consulted with BAH before taking a position at the Central Intelligence Agency; John McConnell, now vice chairman at BAH, was director of the National Security Agency (NSA) in the ‘90s before moving up to director of national intelligence in 2007; Todd Park began his career with BAH and now serves as the country's chief technology officer; James Woolsey, currently a senior vice president at BAH, served in the past as director of the Central Intelligence Agency; and so on.

BAH has had more than a little problem with self-dealing and conflicts of interest over the years. For instance in 2006 the European Commission asked the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Privacy International (PI) to investigate BAH’s involvement with President George Bush’s SWIFT surveillance program, which was viewed by that administration as “just another tool” in its so-called “War on Terror.” The only problem is that it was illegal, as it violated U.S., Belgian, and European privacy laws. BAH was right in the middle of it. According to the ACLU/PI report,

Though Booz Allen’s role is to verify that the access to the SWIFT data is not abused, its relationship with the U.S. Government calls its objectivity significantly into question. (Emphasis added.)

Among Booz Allen’s senior consulting staff are several former members of the intelligence community, including a former Director of the CIA and a former director of the NSA.


As noted by Barry Steinhardt, an ACLU director, “It’s bad enough that the [Bush] administration is trying to hold out a private company as a substitute for genuine checks and balances on its surveillance activities. But of all companies to perform audits on a secret surveillance program, it would be difficult to find one less objective and more intertwined with the U.S. government security establishment.” (Emphasis added.)

CONTINUED w Links n Privatized INTEL...

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/15696-behind-the-curtain-booz-allen-hamilton-and-its-owner-the-carlyle-group



While I don't think they share it with Russia in their fight against terrorism, I do wonder who Carlyle Group shares all that inside information they gather for the NSA?.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Uh....what? jeff47 Oct 2015 #1
Uh...the plane circled overhead for an hour. Octafish Oct 2015 #2
And the US admitted to doing that. So what use is the video? jeff47 Oct 2015 #3
It's the difference between hearing you tell me about it and seeing it with my own eyes. Octafish Oct 2015 #4
So, it's needed as a PR stunt. (nt) jeff47 Oct 2015 #5
That's one way of looking at it. I'd say it would prove or disprove a war crime. Octafish Oct 2015 #7
It's called transparency. Dont call me Shirley Oct 2015 #62
No, it's the illusion of transparency. Because while you're gawking at the footage jeff47 Oct 2015 #63
In the military orders come from the top down. Dont call me Shirley Oct 2015 #64
Right.we keep repeating the mantra to ourselves. 7wo7rees Oct 2015 #6
That movie sounds like an interesting project. Octafish Oct 2015 #8
And That Makes The US A Terrorist State For Committing A War Crime cantbeserious Oct 2015 #26
You mean a stupidly obvious and simplistic solution? Sure... Blue_Tires Oct 2015 #9
That makes sense, in a way. But I prefer to see for myself. Octafish Oct 2015 #10
Wikileaks is too biased against the U.S., so it's not like they would be an impartial party Blue_Tires Oct 2015 #11
WikiLeaks has nothing to do with bias as it published official US documents. Octafish Oct 2015 #14
The Sony e-mails were "official" US documents? Blue_Tires Oct 2015 #15
Obviously, right? Russia has zero to do with USA strafing the MSF hospital in Kunduz. Octafish Oct 2015 #16
And the U.S. has jack shit to do with MH17 Blue_Tires Oct 2015 #60
+1,000 malaise Oct 2015 #38
The U.S. has changed its story four times @ the MSF hospital bombing riderinthestorm Oct 2015 #12
Someone wanted to send a message. Octafish Oct 2015 #13
This was a war crime. There needs to be justice riderinthestorm Oct 2015 #23
kicked and recommended! CanSocDem Oct 2015 #17
Not even Congress can see the tapes -- it's like the cops and an 'ongoing investigation' Octafish Oct 2015 #18
My Lai would have been hidden forever if not for military whistle blower Ichingcarpenter Oct 2015 #19
Someone isn't being held to account. Octafish Oct 2015 #20
yep! nailed it again Octafish.... wildbilln864 Oct 2015 #21
Message auto-removed Name removed Oct 2015 #25
My Lai probably would never happen had JFK lived. Octafish Oct 2015 #39
So now you don't believe in 5th amendment? nt msanthrope Oct 2015 #22
Must we protect the national security state, no matter the cost? Octafish Oct 2015 #24
It's called due process.... evidence isn't general released into the public domain msanthrope Oct 2015 #32
Congress is often involved, especially when investigations are ongoing riderinthestorm Oct 2015 #33
Fabulous....can you name me an Oversight Committee you think should msanthrope Oct 2015 #34
A special investigatory sub committee of the Armed Services Committee nt riderinthestorm Oct 2015 #37
Headed by a Republican. nt msanthrope Oct 2015 #40
So you'd prefer this war crime isn't investigated? riderinthestorm Oct 2015 #43
You have no idea if this is a war crime. And, as a criminal msanthrope Oct 2015 #46
That's what the tapes would show. Octafish Oct 2015 #49
Q: Since when is Congress considered secondary to the military? Octafish Oct 2015 #35
Since when is the 5th amendment secondary to Snowden's msanthrope Oct 2015 #41
That doesn't matter, though. Were this a democracy, Congress would demand accountability. Octafish Oct 2015 #42
How about the Russian bombing of Syria Edward, tell us how you feel about that while you are at it still_one Oct 2015 #27
Good question. I think Snowden is against terrorism. Octafish Oct 2015 #28
No question about it, the Carlyle Group has and has had some questionable dealings. still_one Oct 2015 #29
The attack(s) lasted an hour. Octafish Oct 2015 #30
Kunduz was (and is) a war zone cheapdate Oct 2015 #31
MSF phoned US and Afghan authorities, attack continued 30 minutes... Octafish Oct 2015 #36
I don't doubt that they meant to hit the building. cheapdate Oct 2015 #44
This was a MSF hospital! Their coordinates were known! riderinthestorm Oct 2015 #45
So, what's your theory? cheapdate Oct 2015 #47
That's what the tapes would show. Octafish Oct 2015 #48
It was the alternative, speculative theory cheapdate Oct 2015 #51
Thanks. I didn't think you were blaming the victim. Octafish Oct 2015 #53
K/R marmar Oct 2015 #50
Orwellian in the worst of ways. Octafish Oct 2015 #54
When Mr. Snowden turns over the tapes of what he said and is saying to the Russians and Chinese he kelliekat44 Oct 2015 #52
Anything to add about attacking the MSF hospital? Octafish Oct 2015 #55
It's war, shit happens. How many hospitals did we blow up in WW2? B Calm Oct 2015 #56
Like Jebthro said, 14 years of war and ''shit happens.'' Octafish Oct 2015 #57
Listen, there isn't anyone here more against this god damn war than I. We need to bring our troops B Calm Oct 2015 #58
Re: the last sentence of post 57-so do I, and many of US respect Ed Snowden for what he did. K&R n/t bobthedrummer Oct 2015 #61
K&R&bookmark JEB Oct 2015 #59
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