Communities of Practice – Page 1334 – Public Intelligence Blog

(from Rawstory.com citing NY Times 2009 article) Elena Kagan, President Barack Obama's latest nominee to the Supreme Court, helped protect the Saudi royal family from lawsuits that sought to hold al Qaeda financiers responsible in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The suits were filed by thousands family members and others affected by the Sept. 11 attacks. In court papers, they provided evidence that members of the Saudi royal family had channeled millions to al Qaeda prior to the bombings, often in contravention of direct guidance from the United States. But Kagan, acting as President Obama's Solicitor General, argued that the case should not be heard even if evidence proved that the Saudis helped underwrite al Qaeda, because it would interfere with US foreign policy with the oil-rich nation. She posited “that the princes are immune from petitioners’ claims” because of “the potentially significant foreign relations consequences of subjecting another sovereign state to suit.”

2010/05/082010/05/08

Video on Reshaping Banking & Political Power: BILL MOYERS JOURNAL | Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Simon Johnson | PBS

01 Poverty, 03 Economy, 09 Justice, 11 Society, Commerce, Communities of Practice, Government, Policies, Threats, Videos/Movies/Documentaries

One of the better points of this video:
How serious is the Federal government about justice in regards to the largest financial crisis in American history? Look at the number of persons investigating and prosecuting mortgage fraud and securities fraud. And until those numbers increase, we will not have justice.
Interestingly, Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio stood on the House floor and encouraged citizens to not leave their homes when they were being forced out.

2010/05/082010/05/08

Event: 9-10 June 2010, D.C., Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance-Challenges, Opportunities, Requirements, and Master Plans

Commerce, Communities of Practice, Government, Intelligence (government), Military

30 Leading Experts from HAF/A2, OPNAV/N2/N6F2(ISR), Army G2/DCS-I, OUSD-I, USJFCOM, USAF 480th ISR Wing, AFWC, AFMC, NGA, USNORTHCOM, USAF 950th ELSG, Army EW Div., USAF Space AE, GAO, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, Microsoft, SAIC, Mercury, Booz Allen Hamilton examine:

* Government ISR Strategy, Plans, Roadmaps, Needs & Initiatives
* Developing/Deploying Integrated ISR (DCGS-based) Networks
* Platform and Payload Needs, Challenges and Capabilities
* Next-Generation Intelligence Collection, Analysis & Dissemination
* Developing the ISR Enterprise

About The Conference:
Dealing with the New Realities, Opportunities and Challenges in Global ISR. Continuing gaps in intelligence information sharing capabilities post 9/11, emerging requirements for new “ISR surges” in Afghan and Iraqi operations, ISR challenges associated with new counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, increased roles for ISR assets across a broad range of new and evolving missions (space defense, maritime domain awareness, global surveillance/global strike, etc.) – these and many other critical issues are driving the ongoing reassessment of our current ISR forces.

Continue reading “Event: 9-10 June 2010, D.C., Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance-Challenges, Opportunities, Requirements, and Master Plans”

2010/05/082010/08/20

Corruption is Non-Partisan: New Documentary “Casino Jack” shows US Gov’s Legalized Bribery through Jack Abramoff & the Story of Human Failure.

Corruption, Government, Videos/Movies/Documentaries

Good quotes from the movie:
+ Jack Abramoff was the “perfect marriage of idealism and corruption.”
+ “Campaign finance is a system of legalized bribery.” What also comes to mind is Danny Schecter saying “I used to think of Wall Street as a financial center, now I think of it as a crime scene.”

One interesting part of the movie mentioned a court order that was issued just to force the Bush administration to hand over copies of photos of Bush & Abramoff in Malaysia. Video clips of George W Bush show him lying about not knowing Jack Abramoff.

Conclusion:
Corruption has become normal in Washington DC politics. Parasitic behavior of lobbyists such a Abramoff (despite him being “one of a kind” as far as his deceptive charismatic mastery was concerned) are the result of relationships with “willing hosts,” politicians open to bribery and betrayl of public service, perpetually seeking more money and more power.

On an interesting note, this documentary has a segment on the Mariana Islands when they were a loophole for textile manufacturers. Abramoff had links to their government and industry and became a bridge between them and US politicians willing to deny inhumane treatment of workers. The day I saw this documentary (May 7) I received a text message from the twitter feed of the Government Accountability Office mentioning the Mariana Islands immigration issue.

Related:

2010/05/032010/05/25

CIA retired Carmen Medina on Info-tech & Openness

Government, Intelligence (government), Open Government, Privacy

read the interview

Interview where she responds to the following questions/issues:

+ Social media and extreme views
+ How our ideas about privacy have to change
+ How failure to share information leads to more failure
+ Why previous attempts to share intelligence have failed
+ The way government adopts technology is broken
+ Can we crowdsource intelligence gathering?

2010/05/022010/05/08

EVENT: 9-16 Oct, Univ Passau Germany, Economics of Corruption 2010: Lecture and Workshop in Good Governance and Reform

03 Economy, 09 Justice, Corruption, Government, Open Government

Training and qualifying practitioners, researchers and students in anti-corruption is increasingly requested, utterly needed, but still in its infancy. For many years now we developed a training program that fills this gap, joining the world of theory with the world of practice. An analysis of political, economic and organizational incentives allows participants to obtain a profound understanding of the forces that are at play.

Survey techniques and statistical analysis confront theory with data. Interactive tools such as games, poster presentations and case studies involve participants and make them acquainted with today's challenges. Prof. Johann Graf Lambsdorff and his team have spearheaded models for reform related to such issues as contract penalties, compliance systems, debarment, procurement, leniency and corporate liability. Participants are introduced into this body of research.

This international event continues to be offered on a pro bono basis. It is directed towards anti-corruption policymakers and practitioners, as well as towards graduate and post-graduate students and faculty in the social sciences.

2010/04/152011/09/12

Reference: Invisible Empire New World Order DVD + RECAP

08 Wild Cards, 10 Security, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, DHS, Director of National Intelligence et al (IC), DoD, Government, InfoOps (IO), Intelligence (government), IO Deeds of War, Methods & Process, Military, Movies, Officers Call, Power Behind-the-Scenes/Special Interests, Secrecy & Politics of Secrecy, Strategy, United Nations & NGOs, Waste (materials, food, etc)

Invisible Empire A New World Order Defined Full

2 hours, 14 minutes, 1 second — free online, click on title above

Jason Bermas [creator or Loose Change movie] presents Invisible Empire: A New World Order Defined produced by Alex Jones. The film can be ordered here http://infowars-shop.stores.yahoo.net/inemnewwoord.html or viewed free online (click on title above).

Summary and See Also Below the Line.

Continue reading “Reference: Invisible Empire New World Order DVD + RECAP”

Category: Communities of Practice

Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan & Her Actions to Protect Saudi Royal Family from 9/11 Lawsuits