A few quick followups tonight to my lengthy story from this morning on the proposed $2 million per month plot created for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to use tools and techniques from the so-called “War on Terror” against U.S. citizens, journalists and groups who opposed their strong-arm lobbying tactics.
As noted, one of those they’d planned to target in hopes of discrediting in their nefarious scheme was yours truly, as well as my family, and VelvetRevolution.us, the non-profit, non-partisan organization co-founded by The BRAD BLOG. I was specifically targeted personally as the Chamber’s first, “Tier 1” opponent in a Power Point presentation prepared for the nation’s largest corporate lobby’s law firm Hunton & Williams (H&W) by the three cyber-security/intelligence firms, HBGary Federal, Berico Technologies & Palantir Technologies. The triumvirate called themselves “Team Themis” in the plots developed for the U.S. Chamber to fraudulently discredit opponents and for a very similar scheme made for Bank of America to try and disrupt WikiLeaks.
So here are a few items following up on our previous report…
FARCing Aaron Barr: Marcy Wheeler picks up on the general leitmotif of my piece today, highlighting tools and techniques developed by the three Team Themis firms for use against terrorist networks, now turned against U.S. citizen political opponents of their corporate clients, the U.S. Chamber and BofA. Her piece offers real world details on how HBGary’s CEO and Jackass-in-Chief, Aaron Barr, had previously used the very same social media analysis tools against FARC revolutionaries — the same tools and techniques he’d hoped to employ against people like me — and you.
The Chamber Knew: I also noted the utter failure and complete absurdity of the U.S. Chamber’s two, laughable non-denial denials (here and here) issued in the wake of this mess, claiming it was they who were the victims of “baseless attacks” and “smears”, when in reality, they had simply no idea what those dastardly folks at Team Themis were up to! I noted the HBGary emails published by Anonymous showed that, in fact, the Chamber certainly knew what was going on, and how it was ridiculous on its face to presume their own law firm was acting without their direction. Today, Scott Keyes at ThinkProgress highlights a number of those emails demonstrating that the Chamber was in the loop throughout as their law firm H&W and Team Themis honed their conspiracies to defraud and defame.
Palantir Suspension: I pointed out a few of the implausibilities in the Palantir firm’s claims of innocence as well, and their use of HBGary and its CEO Barr as terribly convenient fall guys (see the “Damage Control” section of yesterday’s report) as the company now fights to save face and hang on to millions of dollars in government intel contracts. While the firm and their CEO, Dr. Alex Karp claimed the company “did not participate in the development” of the most “offensive” parts of the schemes, the emails show otherwise. Now, as Salon reports, one of their engineers, 26-year old Matthew Steckman, has been placed “on leave pending a thorough review of his actions” in the matter. And no, in case you’re wondering, while Karp quickly called the very high-profile journalist Glenn Greenwald to offer an apology for his targeting by Team Themis after the conspiracy to discredit him came to light, Karp has yet to offer me the same courtesy, even as I was placed front and center in their ChamberPlot.
The Man Who Knew Too Little: And for those who took me up on my strong urgings to go read Nate Anderson’s hilarious detailed account of Anonymous’ legendary take-down of HBGary as stitched together from Barr’s emails and other documents, you’ll much appreciate the graphic below (and for those who haven’t, go read it!)…
The above accompanies Anderson’s new story tonight, yet another detailed narrative pieced together from the companies leaked documents, this one on the genesis of the short-lived Team Themis and how the U.S. Chamber’s plot, and the one for Bank of America, came about — and then didn’t: “Spy Games: Inside the Convoluted Plot to Bring Down WikiLeaks”.
CORRECTION: I had originally, once or twice, referred to Aaron Barr, as “Aaron Burr”, the third VP of the U.S., famous for killing Alexander Hamilton in an 1804 duel, in the article above — a mistake I’ve made once or twice when speaking about this matter since it first came to light. It’s now been fixed. “Whatever one thinks of Aaron Burr,” wrote commenter Steve who alerted me to the problem, “I suspect he was a far more honorable man than Aaron Barr.” We apologize to Mr. Burr’s ancestors for the inadvertent error.
Previously related at The BRAD BLOG:
UPDATE 2/18/11: U.S. Chamber Plot Update: Malware, Fake Personas, Government Contracts, Public Shame, Bar Complaints, Media Failures and Other News
Unfortunately for those of you who hold out hope that any one person, even Brad Friedman, could achieve getting even one nefarious scoundrel prosecuted, it is not likely.
Monied interests have such a hold on the workings of government through campaign contributions, and lobbying and other ways of enticing or affiliating with government officials, managers and employees, I do not believe there are any intact agencies left. And using these tactics, the corporate entities have infiltrated our government so thoroughly that it is not likely to happen unless large numbers of Americans also apply pressure politically as well.
The corruption problem is so huge, and the players are so well connected and supported by the corporations that what is happening is that as massive corruption is being discovered, the implicated ones are being allowed to leave or retire. They are vanishing from public view; some are turning up again in the employ of corporations, such as defense contractors, after opportunely using the infamous revolving door.
Others are still using abuse and intimidation of employees and others to keep a lid on it and try to maintain anonimity in their own crimes and corruptions. Things are getting uglier and uglier.
As for the investigations? The problems being uncovered are in some cases so convoluted and spread so broadly and deeply, the investigative agencies (and perhaps some of those in Justice) do not know what to do. There seeems to be a mute paralysis in evidence. It may seem overwheming. Kind of like what do we do with criminal past political leaders? Unfortunately, the decision has been made in the past to “just move on.” That is what they are still trying to do.
Hey American Taxpayers! If you do not agree with that policy, now is the time to speak up. We each have a part to play if we ever are going to get secure justice against those who act out their schemes to co-opt our government and justice system.
OT – 2 items:
In Bahrain (home of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet…remember, they’re OUR dictators!)
and
Shirley Sherrod sues Breitbum!
Parsing the denials.
Part I – Palentir.
In his initial statement, Dr. Alex Karp stated [emphasis added]:
Note the future tense, “will not be involved.” That is not the same as, “Palantir Technologies was never involved.”
Karp did not say “when” he made it clear that Palantir “will not be involved” and the fluff about “free speech” appears designed to hide the Now that we’ve been exposed, “I have made it clear that Palantir Technologies will not be involved.”
After Salon posted a series of emails between Aaron Barr and Palintir’s Matthew Steckman, which reveal that Steckman, utilizing Palantir’s logo, played an active role in creating the Greenwald slideshow, Palintir responded [emphasis added]:
The severance of ties “going forward” is an admission that, until this scheme was exposed by Anonymous, the ties existed. The fall-back is a claim that a 26-year old engineer, Matt Steckman, had exceeded his authority–this despite the fact that it is exceedingly doubtful that the “existing ties” were created by a 26-year old engineer.
Note that Steckman’s leave of absence came only after the Barr/Steckman emails entered the public domain.
Parsing the Denials
Part II — Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber said [emphasis added]:
First, it is firms, plural: HBGary, Berico & Palintir, operating jointly as Team Themis.
Second, while it is quite possible that the Chamber did not directly hire Team Themis, the claim that Team Themis was not hired “by anyone else on the Chamber’s behalf,” is belied by numerous emails between Team Themis and the Hunt & Williams law firm.
Clearly the Chamber’s law firm hired Team Themis on behalf of the Chamber. The only question is whether the H & W lawyers did so with the express knowledge and consent of their clients, the Chamber and B of A.
Either the Chamber spokesperson did not check with their own law firm to ascertain whether “anyone else” hired Team Themis “on the Chamber’s behalf” (exceedingly doubtful since the links between H & W and Team Themis were already publicized before the Chamber issued its statement), or the Chamber’s “anyone else on the Chamber’s behalf” reflects a deliberate prevarication.
The evidence suggests, therefore, that the Chamber’s “denial” was a deliberate lie.
Hey Brad!
I linked to your Wheeler interview in last nights Wikileaks Informationthread over at teh kos.
Do you mind if I quote a bunch of this article for tonight? Of course with link.
Brad- Just wanted to point out that early in this post and at least a couple of time you accidentally refer to Aaron Barr as Aaron Burr. Whatever one thinks of Aaron Burr, I suspect he was a far more honorable man than Aaron Barr.
Ernie,
If I ever need a lawyer, you da man.
Thanks for the kind words, Lora, but I intend to retire completely by the end of this year; haven’t accepted any “new” cases since 2005; just winding down the old ones.
Ernie,
Oh well!
Well, then, I’d take your suggestions for lawyers (or on any other topic!) very seriously. I just think that sharp analytical mind of yours doesn’t miss a trick.
OT (but possibly related):
I just noticed that truthout.org has been knocked off-line. Their message implies it’s an attack. Take precautions, everyone!
Thanks, Steve! Not first time I’ve made that mistake, as I’ve now noted in my CORRECTION above.
as always, we only realize our power when we see how fearful the elite can be of such small entity as the Brad Blog….
Cedar Park –
Never a need to ask. Where info from The BRAD BLOG
A powerful defense argument for our national hero Bradley Manning. Please share.
We need an open thread….there’s so much going on right now. Hate to OT so much.
Curveball admits he lied about WMD
Now, any chance they will go after him with half the effort they are putting towards Manning? Seems like things are coming apart at the seams.
Re: Burr correction:
Mightn’t it have been better and more timely to apologize to Burr’s descendants rather than to his ancestors?
Fabulous blow by blow account of how HBGary was unmasked: Anonymous speaks: the inside story of the HBGary hack
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/anonymous-speaks-the-inside-story-of-the-hbgary-hack.ars
Brad, you should put this story on Bradblog if they will let you have permission.