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Obama Declares Global Cyberwar
by Stephen Lendman
Throughout his tenure, Obama governed lawlessly for the monied interests that own him. He’s waged no-holds-barred war on humanity.
Strategy includes homeland tyranny, fear-mongering, saber rattling, hot wars, proxy ones, drone ones, domestic political ones, geopolitical ones, financial ones, anti-populist ones, sanctions, subversion, sabotage, targeted assassinations, mass murder, cyberwar, and more.
In May 2009, Obama prioritized cybersecurity. He called cyber-threats “one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation.”
“America’s economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity.”
He ordered a top-to-bottom review. A Cyberspace Policy Review report followed. He waged cyberwar on Iran. He did so cooperatively with Israel.
In spring 2010, Iranian intelligence discovered Stuxnet malware contamination. The computer virus infected its Bushehr nuclear facility. At the time, operations were halted indefinitely.
Israel was blamed. Washington was involved. Had the facility gone online infected, Iran’s entire electrical power grid could have been shut down.
A more destructive virus called Flame malware is known. Internet security experts say it’s 20 times more harmful than Stuxnet. Iran’s military-industrial complex is targeted. So is its nuclear program. Maximum disruption is planned.
Obama supports draconian cybersecurity bills. Passage threatens constitutional freedoms.
Targeted assassinations eliminate America’s enemies. Lawless domestic spying is policy. So is warrantless wiretapping. Americans are as vulnerable as others.
Obama’s waging war on humanity. He’s doing it multiple ways. Last October, he signed an executive order. It expanded military authority. It authorized cyberattacks. It redefined defense. Doing so lawlessly legitimizes aggression.
In November, Presidential Policy Directive 20 followed. It’s secret. It set guidelines for confronting cyberspace threats.
Last fall, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned of a “cyber Pearl Harbor.” It could “cause physical destruction and loss of life,” he said. It could “paralyze and shock the nation and create a new profound sense of vulnerability.”
US officials never lack for hyperbole. Fear-mongering is longstanding policy. So are Big Lies, false flags, and other pretexts for wars, other military actions, and disruptive ones.
Cyberwar capability adds to America’s arsenal. Preemption adds another dirty tactic.
In early February, US media reports headlined stepped-up cyberwar. Preemption is prioritized. Nation states, organizations, and individuals are fair game.
US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) has full operational control. It’s a cyber hit squad. It’s part of the US Strategic Command.
It’s based at Fort Meade, MD. General Keith Alexander serves as National Security Agency (NSA) director and US Cyber Command head.
The New York Times cited a secret legal review. It affords Obama sweeping preemptive cyberattack powers.
It permits him “to order a preemptive strike if the United States detects (allegedly) credible evidence of a major digital attack looming from abroad.”
His word alone is policy. Corroborating evidence isn’t needed. Efforts to protect classified and proprietary information are increasing.
The Washington Post said wireless and technology giants are battling over a plan to create super Wi-Fi networks.
The Wall Street Journal said Google, Microsoft and Amazon are competing to control cloud computing business.
The Christian Science Monitor said preemptive cyberwar entered America’s arsenal. It “nugded up along side other” approved tactics and techniques.
New policies govern how intelligence agencies work. They’ve been unrestrained before. They’ll have greater powers now.
The New York Times said they’ll be able to “carry out searches of faraway computer networks for signs of potential attacks on the United States and, if the president approves, attack adversaries by injecting them with destructive code – even if there is no declared war.”
Rules of engagement are classified. Effectively there are none. Cyber-warriors are freewheeling. They’re unrestrained.
They’ll operate anywhere globally. China is a target of choice. It’s America’s main economic and geopolitical competitor.
An unnamed US official said new cyberwar strategy is “far more aggressive than anything” used or recommended before. The gloves are off. Anything goes.
Major disruptions can occur without firing a shot. Military and/or civilian power grids can be crippled. So can financial systems and communications networks.
Another unnamed US official said cyberweapons are so powerful that “they should be unleashed only by” presidential order. Exceptions would be tactical strikes.
Examples include disabling command and control as well as ground radar ahead of conventional strikes. At the same time, most cyberoperations are presidential prerogatives.
Expect Obama to take full advantage. Extrajudicial operations are prioritized. Rule of law principles are spurned. Operational procedures have been in development for over two years.
They’re headlined now. They coming out when cyberattacks more often target US companies and critical infrastructure. An unnamed US power station was crippled for weeks.
The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal reported cyberattacks. Obama prioritizes preemption. Doing so has no legal standing. Self-defense alone is justified. Acting on suspicions without evidence is aggression.
New rules serve Washington. Lawyers get marching orders. They’re well paid to subvert accepted legal standards. Doing so doesn’t change them.
What constitutes “reasonable and proportionate force” resides in the eye of the aggressor. New guidelines exclude the Pentagon from defending US companies or individuals without presidential authority.
Doing so is Homeland Security’s prerogative. The FBI has investigatory authority. Cybersecurity legislation remains stalled in Congress. Expect stepped up efforts for passage.
Doing so will more greatly comprise freedom. Full-blown tyranny approaches. It’s a hair’s breadth away. Whistleblowers are targeted. Dissent is endangered.
There’s no place to hide. Big Brother’s expanding exponentially. Cyber-preemption adds greater police state power.
On February 3, a Washington Post editorial headlined “Cyberwar, out of the shadows,” saying:
US Cyber Command is expanding exponentially. Doing so “is indicative of how conflict is moving toward center stage for the military, a domain similar to land, sea, air and outer space.”
It’s heading America toward unchallenged dominance.
In May 2000, the Pentagon’s Joint Vision 2020 called for “full spectrum dominance” over all land, surface and sub-surface sea, air, space, electromagnetic spectrum and information systems with enough overwhelming power to fight and win global wars against any adversary.
Doing so includes nuclear weapons use preemptively. Non-nuclear countries and adversaries are fair game.
Cyber Command includes:
(1) “Combat mission forces” cooperatively with military units.
(2) “Protection forces” to defend Pentagon networks.
(3) “National mission forces” to head off threats to critical infrastructure. They’ll operate outside America. They’ll function anywhere if authorized. They’ll strike US adversaries preemptively.
Targeting cuts both ways. Incoming attacks can precede or follow US ones. Secrecy is prioritized but compromised. Spies have clever ways of doing it.
Rules of engagement aren’t clear. Public information is limited. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Policy need generous doses.
“If conflict in cyberspace is underway,” said the Post, “then it is important to sustain support for the resources and decisions to fight it, and that will require more candor.”
Expect little forthcoming from the most secretive administration in US history. Obama’s first term prioritized homeland repression and lawless aggression. Imagine what he has in mind for term two.
About the Author: Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book is titled “How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War”
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
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Posted by Stephen Lendman on Feb 8 2013, With 0 Reads, Filed under Americas, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Having problems sending reply but will try again because it is a fundamental issue that comes up often lately.
Regarding your post I have few issues but do not agree with your conclusion. Regarding Drones: Obama has declared his intention of stopping the use of our troops to fight and die for questionable wars of aggression instead of self defense. While Afghanistan was a Constitutionally legitimate reply to aggression, war on terrorism against groups of individuals is usually a Police action or Now Upgraded to the use of Special Forces and new equipment such as drones. The issue is to save lives. Just compare the number of people killed in other wars, both civilians and our troops. This does not mean we must not check closely because the mentality that led us into past wars is still with us too often based on greed or the result of greed and lust for power. So, this drones targeting, if closely controlled, is a start toward better global relations.
But my main objection is the political use of the issue, as was the use of our troop for special interests.
The supposed LIST of targets. I have not seen it if it is only a wish list from Obama or the trigger happy CIA, by all mean some special Pentagon, State and Congress should be involved with high security. My main issue, again, is the political effort to “get Obama”. In the process twisting the Constitution and ignoring facts. According to the Constitution and related Laws Allawi gave up his citizenship the moment he took up arms with enemies of the USA and worked with them to kill and attack the USA. The privileges of citizenship apply only while you are a citizens, being born here only makes you eligible for Citizenship with its duty and privileges. There are several way listed to give up Citizenship, you can declare you intention or, as Allawi did, by his action of treason. NOW regarding Treason having to be proven in a Court of Law,. As stated this is a Police Action, would you tell the Police not to shoot a criminal with a gun pointed at you and others because you cannot grab him and drag him into Court? That is ridiculous. Sen. Rand Paul this morning quoted the Constitution on which he bases his argument
“No taking or using property or deprive one of life and liberty with out due process of law. For that I refer to my argument above, the right of self defense and for the Police to protect us. Allawi was no longer a citizen he gave that up when he joined a terrorist group with which we are at war, and the right of Law Enforcement to protect the citizens.
‘Snooper Charter’: UK govt latest salvo on web privacy
**************http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kefb3exklAA&feature
“Secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society…” said President Kennedy. It remains so today. But we must ask, why someone, anyone conducting public business in secrecy? They being the elected but self-appointed public servants in Washington D.C., are beginning to operate deeper into secrecy because we, the wandering herd of consuming lemmings who serve no real purpose to them except a revenue source, are discovering we are finally catching on to their chicanery to new world odor. They now understand we are beginning to understand our own elected leaders are not serving anything but their own agendas. Now, in this post-Bush/Clinton/Bush era, Obama continues the onslaught with attempts to silence the spoken or printed word in dire fear we are organizing ourselves and sharing information. Obama changed things alright. In this world today, many of them will welcome you to their new world odor
and, with everything against “We the People..,” with all our money being forcefully collected in taxes, and with the power of Congress to enact legislation we do not agree with, they still find it necessary to dig deeper into secrecy. For they know, once the 300 million people suddenly discover their own government is where our attention should have been focused since JFK was assassinated. Secrecy is repugnant in America, and so are those public servants who choose to resort to it. Congress could stop all this and avoid backing this president if they truly wanted to. This is the new world odor and either we resist it or we accept it. Cyber war means they are deathly afraid of the free press, freedom of speech, and freedom to read. They do not want us to know what they are doing. Ask yourself why, a president if the United States of America, needs to operate in secrecy? Thank you Mr. Lendman. Excellent article
I agree with many of the author’s observations about oncoming threats to individual freedom, too numerous to list.
May I respectfully disagree with the following statement:
“China is a target of choice. It’s America’s main economic and geopolitical competitor.”
“Choice” is not the operative word.
Seven years ago, outside cyber attacks on the open (green) server of one of the eminent national security facilities averaged in the seven figures per day.
Where might there be 25 million ridiculously brilliant, computer adept hackers? (Rhymes with Dinah Shore.)
Hence I am forced to concede that cyber security is perhaps one of the most pressing challenges we face as a Nation.
The American President needs sweeping powers to thwart preemptive cyberattacks because our country’s electrical grid has most likely already been tested and pinged from outside our territory, years ago. Past tense. Way past tense.
The attacks can now happen in a nanosecond and the cascade effect has to be thwarted immediately.
I’m not sure criticism of all of Obama’s orders is warranted, because Clinton had numerous executive orders, too, although not stratospheric in number. (There was that other guy in the middle, too, who decreed much.) The increase could be due to a sign of the times. Walk a mile in another man’s shoes and then reevaluate – might be good advice.
A thought provoking article. I shall retreat to my cyber cave and muse about it.