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Quote of the Day – Handling Classified Information
I’m amused by people who make a living disclosing classified information, including the names of intelligence operative wringing their hands about whether I can handle classified information…. Sometimes people can convince themselves that what they’re doing is in the higher interest, the better good. They don’t realize that what they’re doing is really antithetical to the democratic system that we have. They start viewing themselves as the guardians of the people that are more informed and insensitive than everybody else. They can, in their own mind, they can have those kinds of motives. And sometimes they can look at evidence and facts through a biased prism that they themselves don’t realize.
– Attorney General William Barr, in an extended interview with CBS’s Jan Crawford.
I don’t think I can much improve on this quote by Bill Barr. Res ipsa loquitur – the thing speaks for itself.
Published in Politics
AG Barr is the ideal man to be where he is at this time in our history. I would honor him at any time, but he knew he was getting into a disastrous situation and chose to do it anyway. He knew he would be attacked, denigrated and he signed up anyway. That takes real courage, patriotism and dedication. He is a man I will remember for a long time.
I was skeptical of Barr as I knew he was a Bush family retread. But I think he realized very quickly that there were two types of “norm busting” going on, one of style and one of law, and he’s chosen to defend the law.
Yes, it does.
Thanks for that quote. I started watching some of that interview on YouTube a few days ago, but didn’t get that far because I had to stop and clean off the slime that was emanating from the interviewer.
I always believed freedom of the press did not include releasing classified information. Sure, there are things which are only classified to be hidden for political reasons, but it is not up to reporters to determine whether or not to release that information to the general public.
Perhaps if reporters were made liable for the consequences of their actions, they’d think twice – such as being an accessory to murder if the name of a spy is released and he’s assassinated . . .
Abuses of the classification system are legendary. The larger the government and the smaller the world, the potential of abuse grows and grows. Almost everything can be classified as a national security threat.
All I had to hear was “top secret//special access information on an unsecured server” and I knew that I’d vote against Hillary no matter what. She and her enablers should be in jail. Can’t wait until Horowitz’s report is released.
I have mixed feelings. I just don’t much trust the government.
Classified information that actually endangers intelligence assets or reveals matters that makes us less safe generally needs to remain undisclosed.
Classified information that is classified to protect the corrupt or to keep us from knowing about generally intrusive government behavior (e.g., NSA recording of everyone’s telephone calls) needs to disclosed.
I do not think we have to 100% trust the classification system.
When I held a Secret Clearance, if I wrote a shopping list (eggs, cheese, milk, cereal,…) on a piece of paper and took it out of a secure area, I would be in violation. Probably just a warning, but still!
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Having worked for state government, I know we all got computer security and the unacceptability of using computers for personal reasons pounded into us on a regular basis. I am pretty sure that Federal employees got something similar. When Comey first said that there was no intent to commit a crime, I knew he was up to no good. I wish Trump had fired him his first day in office. The Secretary of State didn’t know? Come on.
@davidcarroll, we should never trust our government, in any way, shape or form. What they (“they”) don’t do through nefarious intent, they often do through sloth, apathy and negligence.
That said, there are pretty severe sanctions for those who violate security classification guidance. There is a protocol for designating anything TS, to ensure it’s legit. There’s even more of a process (to include Congressional oversight; the amount and type varies depending on the project) for something labeled “Special Access.” If a piece of information earns that designation, chances are it’s legit, and that keeping it secret was important to maintaining security for America and its interests.
@joelb, it’s worse than that. One cannot simply get on a secret or TS accredited computer and inadvertently send it to an unclassified computer. It takes an overt act of criminality.
One possible way to do it: One wants secret/TS information to get shipped to a collateral, unsecured server. One pulls up the report/document/product in digital form, and deletes each paragraph’s security markings (that’s right, every paragraph gets its own classification rendering; there are times I spent two days writing a document, then two weeks making sure it was absolutely correct in its classification markings).
The reason one deletes all of those, and the header and footer markings, is because optical scanners will examine the documents before sending them out. So, you can’t just print the document on a Secret printer and then run it to the unclass scanner and send them. No, you have to cull all the markings that would set off alarms, then print it on the Classified side, then scan it into an unclass system and send it out.
It’s why I knew Jim Comey is a douche when he “exonerated” HRC at that 05 July press conference. Which are you, Mr. fired FBI Director: Stupid or Liar?
These people who think themselves the Praetorian Guard who know better than our laws are the same ones who’ve been so derelict in practical security under their watch we’ve had NSA tools stolen and used against us, OPM files hacked, former CIA post-retirement selling us out to the Chinese, and the list goes on. They’ve opened up databases/files to monitor more Americans without following protocols to protect the data, and in the process opened us up to greater exposure to bad actor nations.
It was thanks to an Obama administration 2012 request to change the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to allow FBI to share more info with foreign officials and request foreign ally agencies to monitor US citizens (avoiding having to get a warrant with its pesky probable cause requirement,) that paved the way for the 2016 spying on an opposing political campaign.
These people who bend and twist the law to serve their supposed greater goal — who use it rather than follow it — are dangerous to a democratic republic. America is less safe, less free under them.
@joelb, you’re sensing the tip of the iceberg. Boss Mongo makes that pretty clear. I didn’t do anything even remotely close to what he did. And yet… see above.
I listened to Comey with jaw hanging open. I don’t know how many attorneys I’ve talked to who did the same: ” (CoC) he’s doing it! She’s going to prison!” Then to hear Worm Comey say… WHAT?
This was one of any number of incidents during the Obama administration when I comprehended how deeply corrupt that whole syndicate
wasis.Those kinds of people have zero idea the human lives, many who are moms and dads, that they put in extreme danger by compromising those working undercover.
I agree the system is ripe for abuse, but the release of classified information is a crime regardless. OTOH, Congress has a need-to-know based on their being our elected representatives who provide oversight of the Legislative Branch. They don’t even need background checks, but they still have to follow the rules when they do get access.
From your lips to whatever space remains on Mount Rushmore.
I see William Barr as standing on the threshold of a seminal moment in American history. The Democrat Party, in a conspiracy with mainstream media, operated at the highest levels of the federal government in an attempted coup d’etat. William Barr is the one who can expose all of that.
After all the corruption, you’d think it unlikely more would make a difference but reading the below thread online today made me feel sick. The FBI had heads up from Judicial Watch (based on JW’s research) that sensitive info from HRC’s server was on the dark web. The agent Judicial Watch met with to pass on what they’d discovered was Peter Strzok. Earlier in the thread is a screen shot of FBI’s description of the targeting data (first in Russian then in Arabic) from HRC’s server that was out on the dark web. I’m wondering who/what was compromised after Russians/Arabs knew the US had intercepted their target data….
@bossmongo, I’m thinking we need a stronger word than stupid or liar for Comey, Strzok, McCabe, etc.
Imagine how much more Bill Barr knows — about what happened, and all the ways it crossed the line — when he spoke the words in the QOTD.
Absotively, posolutely. Let’s do this. Let’s rip the Band-Aid off fast.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, keynote speaker at Cyber Defense summit October 2019
https://twitter.com/ThePowersThatBe/status/1137106878574551046
I thought it was a joke, but it seems to be serious. Are they out of their minds? Does that give anyone a good feeling about the quality of our cyber-defenses that they would have her address them?
Anyone can organize a Cyber Defense summit. This one was organized by a private-sector company that sells cyber-security products. It is a four-day infomercial for which suckers will pay big bucks. On the other hand, for me it does signal this company is probably not a serious player and its products should be avoided.
I dunno. There have been several cases of hackers who were hired to help find security holes. Kevin Mitnick, for example. If you want to know how someone goes about evading legal security requirements and defying the court orders of Judge Royce Lamberth regarding mail retention, I don’t know anyone more qualified to advise you than Hillary Clinton.
Portion-marked documents: That’s the key. The documents carry the classification associated with the highest classification of each paragraph/graphic. It is possible that a document can be effectively declassified by the deletion of a single paragraph/graphic. Not likely, but possible. Delete the offending section and formally re-classify the modified document – if you have the balls to do it, and are willing to be the person who signs the necessary forms.
Second, is the case where you originate the document. As the originator, you are responsible for the proper classification headings. You go to the designated security office for guidance – if you are following procedures – and get the following response, “Here are the guidelines.” The guidelines are a six-hundred page document you have never seen before, and you need to get your document out by CoB. So, you get a second set of eyes, and probably over-classify the document to be safe.
This stuff happens all the time. BTW, I am not excusing Hillary, et. al in any way.