Better late than never. . .we’ve been a bit under the weather of late, and a bit blue. Both headline collections today are lonnngggggg, two days’ worth since we’re playing catch-up.
Major developments continue on the spooks and security front, including the emergence of Asian versions of the national security state, covered more in Japan than China, where media control is much more overt.
We begin Down Under with a headline from The Guardian:
Revealed: Australian spy agency offered to share data about ordinary citizens
Secret 5-Eyes document shows surveillance partners discussing what information they can pool about their citizens
DSD indicated it could provide material without some privacy restraints imposed by other countries such as Canada
Medical, legal or religious information ‘not automatically limited’
Concern that intelligence agency could be ‘operating outside its legal mandate’
A parallel development, again from The Guardian:
Edward Snowden revelations prompt UN investigation into surveillance
UN’s senior counter-terrorism official says revelations ‘are at the very apex of public interest concerns’
The UN’s senior counter-terrorism official is to launch an investigation into the surveillance powers of American and British intelligence agencies following Edward Snowden’s revelations that they are using secret programmes to store and analyse billions of emails, phone calls and text messages.
The UN special rapporteur Ben Emmerson QC said his inquiry would also seek to establish whether the British parliament had been misled about the capabilities of Britain’s eavesdropping headquarters, GCHQ, and whether the current system of oversight and scrutiny was strong enough to meet United Nations standards.
Channel NewsAsia Singapore covers Aussie blowback from previous revelations:
New G20 chair Australia coy on spying
Prime Minister Tony Abbott vowed to be “absolutely candid” with world leaders but sidestepped questions on spying as Australia assumed the leadership of the G20 for 2014 on Sunday.
The Guardian conveys a lofty assurance:
Intelligence watchdog says it knows all about spy agency’s activities
Inspector General of Intelligence and Security claims it has ‘ongoing visibility’ of Australian Signals Directorate operations
Australia’s intelligence watchdog, the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security, says it maintains “ongoing visibility” of all activities undertaken by the Australian Signals Directorate as the federal attorney-general George Brandis, moved to discredit a new document from the whistleblower Edward Snowden.
And from The Guardian, blowback blows back on earlier Aussie revelations:
Tony Abbott criticises ABC for working with Guardian Australia on spying story
National broadcaster accused of being ‘an advertising amplifier’ for revelations about bid to tap Indonesian president’s phone
On this side of the pond, The Hill threatens:
Intel chair warns of ‘huge malevolence’
Americans are in more danger of terrorist attacks than ever before, the leaders of congressional intelligence panels said on Sunday. “The threat level has never been more diverse than it is today,” Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN’s Candy Crowley on “State of the Union.”
“The more efforts [extremists] try, the more perfect you have to be in trying to stop something, and that’s a challenge,” he said.
Rogers and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, discussed threats from terrorists with greater numbers and evolving methods.
“There are more groups than ever and there is huge malevolence out there,” Feinstein said. “The fatalities are way up, the numbers [of attacks] are way up, there are new bombs – very big bombs — trucks being reinforced for those bombs; bombs can get through magnetometers [and onto planes].”
More European blowback, this time from TheLocal.ch:
Swiss prosecutor probes US spying allegations
The federal prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into charges that US agents spied on on consulates, missions and UN agencies in Geneva, a Swiss newspaper says.
SonntagsZeitung reported on Sunday that from 2005 and “possibly up to today” that security specialists working for the American government were hired to do intelligence work in the Swiss city.
From The Daily Dot, an Asian national security state refines itelf:
Chilling effect: China declares victory in war to control online speech
Earlier this year, the Chinese government launched its biggest-ever clampdown against online speech, arresting dozens of people for spreading “rumors” and holding closed-door meetings with some of the country’s most influential bloggers. Now Beijing is declaring victory.
From The Guardian, a question:
The long arm of US law: what next for Edward Snowden?
The US will chase the NSA whistleblower wherever he tries to go, and if he ends up in an American court, he may not be free for decades
And the McClatchy Washington Bureau poses another question:
Should government release its secret study on CIA interrogation?
More activists are suing to obtain a massive, secret study of CIA interrogation practices in a fight that could last longer than the study itself.
Overseen by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate intelligence panel, the 6,000-plus page study was three years in the making, as investigators probed how the Central Intelligence Agency imprisoned and harshly questioned suspected terrorists after the 9/11 attacks. So far, the Obama administration has resisted making public the study or its executive summary.
Ducth panopticon rising, via DutchNews.nl:
‘Security services should have more powers to intercept internet traffic’
The Dutch security services should have greater powers to access and analyse emails and other internet traffic, according to a government committee investigating electronic surveillance.
However, all activities should have ‘the explicit permission of the minister’ and the regulator should have the power to call a halt if he sees problems.
The London Daily Mail covers days of future past:
‘He was a very bad guy for them’: American prisoner in North Korea was in charge of top secret force training guerrillas who fought behind enemy lines during Korean War
Merrill E. Newman, 85, has been detained in North Korea for more than four weeks after he was pulled off a flight leaving the country on October 26
He was a ‘White Tiger’ adviser to the ‘Kuwol’ Partisan Regiment, an anti-communist force who fought deep behind enemy lines in the Korean War
Former members say they were ‘working, fighting and engaging in espionage’ alongside Newman
They say he should not have returned to North Korea as they view him as a spy and war criminal there
The Kuwolsan soldiers are well known in South Korea, depicted in popular culture as heroes in the fight against communism
North Korean government said Saturday Newman was arrested for being a ‘criminal involved in the killing of civilians’ during the war
They released video of him shaking as he read four-page handwritten letter admitting to his ‘criminal offences’
It is not known if he was coerced to do so
Newman is the sixth American to be detained in North Korea since 2009
El País covers another blast from the past:
Former spy for Spain and Mossad requests political asylum from Madrid
Algerian and his family have been living inside Barajas airport’s transit zone since late last month
A 50-year-old Algerian who used to spy for Spain and the Israeli intelligence service, the Mossad, is asking the Madrid government for political asylum.
And Czech billionaire pol Andrej Babiš gets burned by his past, via intelNews:
Communist-era spy allegations surface in Czech political wrangling
Allegations that a senior Czech political figure was a government informant during the country’s communist period may disrupt the emergence of a national governing coalition
From The Guardian, sins of the present:
Canadian man accused of trying to pass military secrets to China
Police say Qing Quentin Huang attempted to sell information about Canada’s warship-building procurement strategy
From BBC News, a denial:
China calls Canadian naval spy allegations ‘baseless’
Chinese officials have dismissed allegations an Ontario engineer passed China secrets about Canada’s national shipbuilding strategy.
And from The Guardian, a rebranding:
China’s work camps raise human rights concerns over drug offenders
Many of China’s labour camps are now calling themselves drug rehab centres – but what has changed beyond the name?
From the Japan Times, through rose-colored glasses?:
U.S. may scale down its global policing: experts
Political, demographic and diplomatic changes in the U.S. during the past decades suggest the country will probably continue to be polarized into Democrat and Republican extremes, and the superpower will probably continue to rely on immigrants for economic growth and will likely play the global policeman role to a lesser extent, five academic researchers said at a symposium in Tokyo.
On to Japan, where a national security state is in the making. JapanToday covers the latest development with one major pillar of the emerging edifice:
Japan set to pass state secret law despite growing opposition
A controversial state secrets bill is expected to become law in Japan this week despite objections from a broadening coalition who say the legislation is being rushed through the Diet.
Lawyers, journalists, religious leaders and a Nobel physicist are among a growing group of opponents who think the act is worryingly vague and gives too much power to the government.
The Japan Times covers dangerous hyperbole:
Secrecy law protests ‘act of terrorism’: LDP secretary-general
Citizens demonstrating against the controversial state secrets bill are committing “an act terrorism,” according to Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba.
The Asahi Shimbun has more:
LDP senior official causes uproar, labeling noisy protests as terrorism
A ruling party heavyweight is not backing down for equating noisy protests by outraged citizens opposing the contentious state secrecy bill with terrorism at a time it is being fast-tracked through the Diet with little public debate.
Shigeru Ishiba, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, said in his blog on Nov. 29, “The tactic of simply shouting at the top of their lungs (to protest the bill) is not much different from an act of terrorism, in essence.”
And the Mainichi covers the skinback:
LDP bigwig apologizes for ‘terrorism’ comment over protests against secrets bill
Shigeru Ishiba, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has offered an apology for labeling noisy protests against the state secrets protection bill as a de facto act of terrorism.
The Asahi Shimbun has more spin control:
Government forced into damage control over protests-to-terrorism comparison
The Abe administration moved quickly to quash a potential pitfall to a controversial secrecy bill before the Diet, defusing a ruling party executive’s remarks equating loud protests to the legislation with terrorism.
“Demonstrations are (guaranteed under) freedom of speech as long as they are staged within the scope of laws and regulations,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a meeting of the Upper House special committee on national security on Dec. 2.
SimplyInfo covers implications:
Japan State Secrets Bill Would Jail Journalists, Hide Fukushima Information
This bill is a major issue in Japan for good reason, yet this issue gets little press in the west. The current LDP government proposed a new state secrets law that would make anything at any agency a “state secret” if the agency or prime minister decided it should be. This system has no oversight or checks and balances to prevent abuse or to protect the public’s right to know.
“Yutaka Saito, a member of the Japan In-House Lawyers Association task force. “The bill takes everything bad about national security laws in the U.S. and then removes all the safeguards and checks.
And from the Asahi Shimbun, the people’s voice:
ASAHI POLL: Voter opposition to state secrets bill rises to 50%; Abe support rate falls to 49%
Voters opposed to the state secrets protection bill now outnumber proponents 2-to-1, while the Abe Cabinet’s support rate has dipped below 50 percent for the first time, an Asahi Shimbun survey showed.
JapanToday covers a parallel development:
Japan defense update to stress air, sea surveillance capabilities
An update of Japan’s long-term defense policy to be unveiled next month will call for stronger air and maritime surveillance capabilities and the improved ability to defend far-flung isles as concerns rise about China’s growing military assertiveness.
The policy review, in the works since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office last December, is being finalised as tensions mount between Japan and China over tiny islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.
More from a later JapanToday story:
Japan defense update to stress air, sea surveillance capabilities
An update of Japan’s long-term defense policy to be unveiled next month will call for stronger air and maritime surveillance capabilities and the improved ability to defend far-flung isles as concerns rise about China’s growing military assertiveness.
Still more from Jiji Press:
Govt May Say Collective Self-Defense in Scope of Minimum Defense
The Japanese government has drafted a revised constitutional interpretation saying that the exercise of the nation’s collective self-defense right is included in the scope of minimum necessary acts of defense allowed under war-renouncing Article 9, it was learned Sunday.
The draft new interpretation was drawn up by the office of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and submitted as a basis for discussions to the Advisory Panel on Reconstruction of the Legal Basis for Security, which was set up by Abe, sources familiar with the matter said.
And on to the very much related furor surrounding China’s extension of its air defense identification zone, first from the Asahi Shimbun:
Japan baffled by U.S. telling airlines to respect new Chinese air zone
U.S. State Department guidance to domestic airlines that they comply with China’s new air defense zone in the East China Sea has perplexed Japan, which wonders if it still has the full support of its ally in challenging Beijing’s claims to the airspace.
Japan and the United States had consistently taken a firm stand against China’s designation late last month of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) that overlaps the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The islets are administered by Japan but claimed by China.
The Guardian reports compliance:
American and Delta notify China of flights through disputed zone
Airlines confirm compliance with government advice a day after China scrambles jets in answer to US and Japanese planes
From Kyodo News, a claim:
China’s air zone backed by int’l community, top official tells Japan
Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi has told a former Japanese foreign minister that the country’s recent establishment of an air defense zone over the East China Sea is “supported by the majority of the international community,” a source familiar with the matter said Saturday.
While the Japan Times covers strategizing:
Onodera, Royal Navy brass discuss China ADIZ resolution
Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera met Monday with Adm. George Zambellas, chief of the Naval Staff of Britain’s Royal Navy, and exchanged views on China’s newly established air defense identification zone.
Another response, via CNN’s Security Clearance:
U.S. Navy deploys new reconnaissance planes to Japan
The U.S. Navy has deployed two of its next-generation reconnaissance aircraft to Japan, a long-planned move that comes amid controversy over Chinese air defenses
On to Europe, and more security state evolution, plus a question from Deutsche Welle:
Eurosur – surveillance or protection for refugees?
The Frontex border protection agency uses high technology to coordinate activities on the EU’s external borders. But even before its launch the new Eurosur system draws criticism in matters of human rights.
Another form of border controls, this time cultural. From Spiegel:
‘Nazi Shazam’: Police Devise App to Curb Far-Right Music
Right-wing extremists at a demonstration in Berlin: Police are hoping to use a smartphone app similar to Shazam to stop the neo-Nazi music.
German police have developed a Shazam-like smartphone app that allows them to identify far-right rock songs by playing just a brief sample. It could make it harder for neo-Nazis to lure under-18s with music, which is seen as a “gateway drug” into the scene.
From the Associated Press, a blip in a nation otherwise very secure in one key regard:
Gunman killed in Iceland’s ‘first’ police shooting
Police in Iceland say they have shot dead a gunman _ the first time armed police have shot and killed someone in the nation.
And from CBC News, border control out of control much closer to home:
Canadian woman refused U.S. entry because of depression
U.S. customs agent somehow knew of hospitalization
Ellen Richardson says she was told by U.S. customs officials at Pearson International Airport on Monday that because she had been hospitalized for clinical depression in June 2012, she could not enter the U.S.
As a result, she missed her flight to New York City and a Caribbean cruise, for which she had paid $6,000.
From the Los Angeles Times, cause for insecurity:
Sheriff’s Department hired officers with histories of misconduct
Despite background investigations that revealed wrongdoing, incompetence, or poor performance, the department still hired dozens of problem applicants in 2010, internal records show.
The Guardian notes covers another cause of insecurity:
Leaked paper reveals UN split over war on drugs
Latin American nations call for treatment strategy, claiming UN’s prohibition stance plays into hands of paramilitary groups
Corporate Europe Observatory covers obfuscatory efforts:
Amazon: lobbying to weaken data privacy rights, refusing lobby transparency
Amazon, also known for tax evasion and abominable working conditions, is one of a large number of companies that exploit the EU’s weak lobby transparency rules. The company is lobbying heavily to influence decision-making in Brussels but refuses to sign up to the Transparency Register for lobbyists, which is voluntary rather than mandatory. The company therefore manages to stay out of the spotlight, not disclosing who its lobbyists are and how much it spends on lobbying. In the coming weeks a Parliament-Commission working group will make final decisions about the future of the EU’s lobby transparency register. The Amazon case shows the need to finally drop the failing voluntary model and move to a mandatory register with comprehensive information about lobbying.
And The Guardian gets down to brass tacks:
The war on democracy
How corporations and spy agencies use “security” to defend profiteering and crush activism
PCWorld covers the Snowden boom:
Encryption and security booming in post-Snowden Internet, but will it help or hinder?
As people discover the extent of US government spying on just about everyone, they’re reasonably turning to encryption and security solutions.
The Daily Dot covers another form of corporate censorship, with KlearGear playing the role of heavy:
Couple fined for writing negative online review fights back, demands $75K
The couple facing a $3,500 fine for leaving a negative review of an online retailer is finally fighting back.
A nonprofit legal group has offered the store an ultimatum on the couple’s behalf: Walk away and pay $75,000, or we’ll sue.
From Karsten on Free Software, another invasion:
Renault will remotely lock down electric cars
For a long time, cars were a symbol of freedom and independence. No longer. In its Zoe electric car, car maker Renault apparently has the ability to remotely prevent the battery from charging. And that’s more chilling than it sounds.
When you buy a Renault Zoe, the battery isn’t included. Instead, you sign a rental contract for the battery with the car maker. In a Zoe owner’s forum, user Franko30 reports that the contract contains a clause giving Renault the right to prevent your battery from charging at the end of the rental period. According to an article in Der Spiegel, the company may also do this when you fall behind on paying the rent for the battery.
From the New York Times, RoboCop, corporate enforcement on the cheap:
Coming Soon, a Night Watchman With Wheels?
The night watchman of the future is 5 feet tall, weighs 300 pounds and looks a lot like R2-D2 – without the whimsy. And will work for $6.25 an hour.
A company in California has developed a mobile robot, known as the K5 Autonomous Data Machine, as a safety and security tool for corporations, as well as for schools and neighborhoods.
Corporate delivery drones, via the Japan Times:
Amazon to deliver packages in U.S. via drones
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed Sunday that his company is looking to the future with plans to use “octocopter” minidrones to fly small packages to consumers in just 30 minutes.
The U.S. retail giant’s ambitious project still requires additional safety testing and federal approval, but Bezos estimated that Amazon “Prime Air” would be up and running within four to five years.
But NextGov reports that Amazon is, if anything behind the curve:
Australia and China Are Beating Amazon in the Commercial Drone Race
From Deeplinks, satire not allowed:
US Citizen Charged Under UAE Cybercrime Decree
A US citizen has become the first foreigner to be charged under the United Arab Emirates’ “cybercrime” decree for a satirical video about young people in Dubai. Shezanne Casim, an Abu Dhabi resident, was arrested in April and charged with, among other things, violating Article 28 of the cybercrimes law, which bans “using information technology to publish caricatures that are ‘liable to endanger state security and its higher interestes or infringe on public order’” and is punishable by imprisonment and a fine of up to 1 million dirhams (approximately 272,000 USD). The law came into effect more than one month after the video* was posted.
And from Firedoglake, our final headline, turkey talking points for the NSA holiday feaster:
NSA Sent Home Talking Points for Employees to Use in Conversations with Family & Friends During Holidays
The “talking points” sheet suggests that employees make five key points: (1) NSA’s mission is of great value to the Nation”; (2) NSA performs its mission the right way—lawful, compliant and in a way that protects civil liberties and privacy; (3) NSA performs its mission exceptionally well. We strive to be the best that we can be, because that’s what America requires as part of its defense in a dangerous world; (4) The people who work for NSA are loyal Americans with expert skills who make sacrifices to help protect the freedoms we all cherish; (5) NSA is committed to increased transparency, public dialog and faithful implementation of any changes required by our overseers. (No emphasis added. Underlines appear in the document.)
