Obama Order Sped Up Wave of Cyberattacks Against Iran

[didymus]

NY Times:

Obama Order Sped Up Wave of Cyberattacks Against Iran

WASHINGTON — From his first months in office, President Obama secretly ordered increasingly sophisticated attacks on the computer systems that run Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facilities, significantly expanding America’s first sustained use of cyberweapons, according to participants in the program.
Mr. Obama decided to accelerate the attacks — begun in the Bush administration and code-named Olympic Games — even after an element of the program accidentally became public in the summer of 2010 because of a programming error that allowed it to escape Iran’s Natanz plant and sent it around the world on the Internet. Computer security experts who began studying the worm, which had been developed by the United States and Israel, gave it a name: Stuxnet.



At a tense meeting in the White House Situation Room within days of the worm’s “escape,” Mr. Obama, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency at the time, Leon E. Panetta, considered whether America’s most ambitious attempt to slow the progress of Iran’s nuclear efforts had been fatally compromised.
“Should we shut this thing down?” Mr. Obama asked, according to members of the president’s national security team who were in the room.

Told it was unclear how much the Iranians knew about the code, and offered evidence that it was still causing havoc, Mr. Obama decided that the cyberattacks should proceed. In the following weeks, the Natanz plant was hit by a newer version of the computer worm, and then another after that. The last of that series of attacks, a few weeks after Stuxnet was detected around the world, temporarily took out nearly 1,000 of the 5,000 centrifuges Iran had spinning at the time to purify uranium.



[snip]

The United States government only recently acknowledged developing cyberweapons, and it has never admitted using them. There have been reports of one-time attacks against personal computers used by members of Al Qaeda, and of contemplated attacks against the computers that run air defense systems, including during the NATO-led air attack on Libya last year. But Olympic Games was of an entirely different type and sophistication. It appears to be the first time the United States has repeatedly used cyberweapons to cripple another country’s infrastructure, achieving, with computer code, what until then could be accomplished only by bombing a country or sending in agents to plant explosives.

This is becoming a weekly thing, the White House authorises leaks to the Times showing how tough and in charge the President is. Of course there is the little matter of revealing classified information, which is a crime.

[Seamus L]

And it was a little over a year ago that the Pentagon announced that cyber attacks may constitute an act of war http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...LEFTTopStories. Apparently that only means attacks on the US and not American attacks on other countries.

[SamH]

Originally Posted by didymus

NY Times:


This is becoming a weekly thing, the White House authorises leaks to the Times showing how tough and in charge the President is. Of course there is the little matter of revealing classified information, which is a crime.

That's why an independent council should be set up. No way should a couple lawyers that answer to Eric Holder (about to be held in contempt for lying to congress) be allowed to investigate this.

If mentioning a known fact about Valeria Plame in public is cause for an independent council revealing state secrets that have resulted in the jailing and possible deaths of US contacts shouldn't even be questioned.


http://wor710.com/Dr-Jailed-for-Bein...rmant/13288619

Prominent media outlets are reporting that a Pakistani doctor was jailed last week for alleged ties to an illegal militant group. The court judgment indicates that Dr. Shakil Afridi was convicted on May 23, 2012 and sentenced to 33 years imprisonment. Dr. Afridi reportedly helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden, but no mention was made in the judgment. The Dr. will reportedly appeal the conviction.




The most serious issue here is whether U.S. Officials revealed classified information which revealed the Dr.’s identity and his role in finding bin Laden. Other leaks from the Obama Administration occurred after the killing of bin Laden, and also after the failed underwear bomb plot earlier this month. Despite promises from high-ranking U.S. Congressman and Senators, the leakers of the underwear bomb plot have not yet been located. It is uncertain whether any serious efforts will be made to find the person(s) who exposed the Dr.’s identity.

[Roselle]

It will be interesting to see where investigations go about these leaks. It wasn't all that long ago that we had Scooter Libby and the mention of Valerie Plame’s work with the CIA.

This recent information about cyber warfare is far more telling and troubling. Likes Jonathan Tobin's article on this.

"Will the Scooter Libby Rules Apply to the Obama Administration?"

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/20...ew-york-times/

....It was illegal to name a CIA officer in the manner that Plame’s identity was outed. but she was working at a desk in Langley, Virginia, not working undercover in enemy territory. By contrast, the leaks about drone attacks and especially cyber warfare research and decision-making go to the heart of America’s national security. Fitzgerald knew he could never send Armitage to jail for mentioning Plame, but that might be more of a possibility with the Obama administration leakers.

Yet the main outcome here to be desired is not so much the jailing of Obama’s deputies or the prosecution of journalists but the exposure of what they did. The real scandal here isn’t the possible violation of the 1917 Espionage Act, a law rarely enforced. It is that the president’s aides thought nothing of uncovering America’s secrets in order to let their friends in the press portray the president as a tough guy.

The administration will do everything in its power to ensure the truth doesn’t come out before November. But if Holder has appointed unscrupulous prosecutors in the Fitzgerald mold and they wind up spending the next four years fending off arbitrary prosecutions that will drag the administration’s name in the mud, they may wind up wishing the truth had come out in a timely manner.

[scipio337]

According to Haaretz, the Mossad credit themselves with stuxnet/flame, and state the Obama claims are just election positioning.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/globa...stuxnet/53354/

[john78]

ya, everything Obama does is a nightmare for the World actually.

it's like the only time America gets a break is when this guy is asleep.

Then take this into consideration he hasn't done anything to help to this country, his actions prove it.

Everything he does is for himself, his mind set is not on serving the nation and protecting it, his goal is himself, what can he do to make his life better, to get re elected, to keep the numbers in the polls as high as possible in his favor. and maybe to exact some justice on what he sees as an unjust America.


Notice gas prices going down, how long will it be before he takes credit for that ?

and Guess what Romney isn't much better, his past actions are coming to light and voting for a third party at this time isn't going to help America any.

the best we can hope for is Romney doesnt make things worse and to make him a one term president as well, and send a message to both parties that we will keep voting one term presidents and keep shuffling the congress and senate around until they wake up.


start doing that enough times, and a third party has a real chance at making a solid stand, and we start putting Americans into the congress,senate,and white house instead of lawyers, globalists,communists, and what have you. maybe start making things more accountable too... it will never be a perfect system by anyones standards, but it deserves better than this two card monte system we have now. until then we can continue to blame Bush.

And Obama has kept his promise on Hope and Change,

He just didnt say it was his hope to change America into his vision of the socialist, marxist,and communist views he grew up with.

Ever heard of a rebound boyfriend ?

a term coined when a female goes through a bad break up and she starts dating a new guy rather quickly... this rebound boyfriend is pretty much to help get over the old one, then this guy gets passd for a better one.


That is Romney, our rebound.


So while Obama keeps serving himself and his own twisted agenda, we have to start speeding up the hope and change for the morals,and values we hold near and dear to our hearts.



The " Cyber attacks " probably are worth investigation and have merits of concern, but this stuff has been going on since 2000 we just dont hear about it until someone deems it to favor them. So while this pot is now on the burner i dont think it deserves the utmost in attention. there is alot on the stove right now as it, and a lot of stuff to clean up after Obama is out, and then having to keep Romney on a short leash to get him to start addressing problems such as obama care, the fast and furious crime scandal which Holder keeps stone walling, and maybe tackle the Solargate debacle, make sure former systems are back in place so that we dont have another problem with wall street, toss in this cyber war problem,, and then all we have to focus on is crackn Iran hard enough that they drop on their knees and stop screwing with our allies , knock out a few hard core muslim extremists bent on world domination, repair our immigration system, make some improvements on the war on drugs and we might be able to take a breath of air for a minute after that.

If Romney manages to get even half of any of that accomplished I would consider re electing him if he manages to get elected in November.

[BernardM]

Oddly enough The Mossad is quietly calling shenanigans on the administration's grandstanding during the election.

[scipio337]

Originally Posted by BernardM

Oddly enough The Mossad is quietly calling shenanigans on the administration's grandstanding during the election.

You're only 8 minutes short.

http://forums.catholic.com/showpost....55&postcount=5

[7 Sorrows]

Originally Posted by SamH

That's why an independent council should be set up. No way should a couple lawyers that answer to Eric Holder (about to be held in contempt for lying to congress) be allowed to investigate this.

If mentioning a known fact about Valeria Plame in public is cause for an independent council revealing state secrets that have resulted in the jailing and possible deaths of US contacts shouldn't even be questioned.


http://wor710.com/Dr-Jailed-for-Bein...rmant/13288619

yes, i agree. when i heard that Eric Holder would choose people to investigate the "leaks",
i coudn't believe it!!! he is Barry's buddy!!! do you think he really wants this to be investigated if the leaks will lead back to the White House???!!! me either.

an independent council definitely needs to be chosen.

[7 Sorrows]

Originally Posted by john78

ya, everything Obama does is a nightmare for the World actually.

it's like the only time America gets a break is when this guy is asleep.

Then take this into consideration he hasn't done anything to help to this country, his actions prove it.

Everything he does is for himself, his mind set is not on serving the nation and protecting it, his goal is himself, what can he do to make his life better, to get re elected, to keep the numbers in the polls as high as possible in his favor. and maybe to exact some justice on what he sees as an unjust America.


Notice gas prices going down, how long will it be before he takes credit for that ?

and Guess what Romney isn't much better, his past actions are coming to light and voting for a third party at this time isn't going to help America any.

the best we can hope for is Romney doesnt make things worse and to make him a one term president as well, and send a message to both parties that we will keep voting one term presidents and keep shuffling the congress and senate around until they wake up.


start doing that enough times, and a third party has a real chance at making a solid stand, and we start putting Americans into the congress,senate,and white house instead of lawyers, globalists,communists, and what have you. maybe start making things more accountable too... it will never be a perfect system by anyones standards, but it deserves better than this two card monte system we have now. until then we can continue to blame Bush.

And Obama has kept his promise on Hope and Change,

He just didnt say it was his hope to change America into his vision of the socialist, marxist,and communist views he grew up with.

Ever heard of a rebound boyfriend ?

a term coined when a female goes through a bad break up and she starts dating a new guy rather quickly... this rebound boyfriend is pretty much to help get over the old one, then this guy gets passd for a better one.


That is Romney, our rebound.


So while Obama keeps serving himself and his own twisted agenda, we have to start speeding up the hope and change for the morals,and values we hold near and dear to our hearts.



The " Cyber attacks " probably are worth investigation and have merits of concern, but this stuff has been going on since 2000 we just dont hear about it until someone deems it to favor them. So while this pot is now on the burner i dont think it deserves the utmost in attention. there is alot on the stove right now as it, and a lot of stuff to clean up after Obama is out, and then having to keep Romney on a short leash to get him to start addressing problems such as obama care, the fast and furious crime scandal which Holder keeps stone walling, and maybe tackle the Solargate debacle, make sure former systems are back in place so that we dont have another problem with wall street, toss in this cyber war problem,, and then all we have to focus on is crackn Iran hard enough that they drop on their knees and stop screwing with our allies , knock out a few hard core muslim extremists bent on world domination, repair our immigration system, make some improvements on the war on drugs and we might be able to take a breath of air for a minute after that.

If Romney manages to get even half of any of that accomplished I would consider re electing him if he manages to get elected in November.

yes, but sometimes a rebound will turn out well. at least with Romney there is hope and we have made a step up from Obama. Romney definitely wants to get our country going in the right direction again. he cares about helping the average american people.
Obama is so self absorbed and enamored of himself, he can't see past his nose.
Romney is definitely a step in the right direction i feel. maybe just for one term, but at least he can get things turned around in the right direction again!

[CMatt25]

Originally Posted by john78

ya, everything Obama does is a nightmare for the World actually.

it's like the only time America gets a break is when this guy is asleep.

Then take this into consideration he hasn't done anything to help to this country, his actions prove it.

Everything he does is for himself, his mind set is not on serving the nation and protecting it, his goal is himself, what can he do to make his life better, to get re elected, to keep the numbers in the polls as high as possible in his favor. and maybe to exact some justice on what he sees as an unjust America.


Notice gas prices going down, how long will it be before he takes credit for that ?

Longer than it took his opponents to blame him.

[SamH]

Originally Posted by ellipsis2

Jonathan Tobin has his facts wrong. The usual whining. Some people are so gullible. Valerie Plame's status was verified under oath and she was not a merely sittiing behind a desk. Guess that doesn't futher the agenda, though.

Source?

For some reason the special prosecutor couldn't make that case. That is why Richard Armitage never faced charges for releasing her name.