Planting spy stories

By Creature


Is the Bush administration planting stories in the media, the American media, to help shape public opinion on domestic spying?

Last night, before hitting the hay, I read how I was "going to be shocked" by the upcoming testimony former NSA staffer Russell Tice. This, thanks to Think Progress:

A former intelligence officer for the National Security Agency said Thursday he plans to tell Senate staffers next week that unlawful activity occurred at the agency under the supervision of Gen. Michael Hayden beyond what has been publicly reported, while hinting that it might have involved the illegal use of space-based satellites and systems to spy on U.S. citizens. … [Emphasis Added]

Okay, so my interested was piqued. Like, oh my god, I can't believe we are in for more revelations. And, even though my outrage meter was pretty much pushing maximum, I was ready to be even more outraged than I had been over the "biggest database ever" revelations. But wait, this morning I read that I have nothing to be outraged about. It seems the super secret spy agency, that I assume Mr. Tice was going to expose, just outed themselves, with a feel good story no less, to the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON - A little-known spy agency that analyzes imagery taken from the skies has been spending significantly more time watching U.S. soil.

In an era when other intelligence agencies try to hide those operations, the director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Clapper, is proud of that domestic mission.

He said the work the agency did after hurricanes Rita and Katrina was the best he'd seen an intelligence agency do in his 42 years in the spy business.

"This was kind of a direct payback to the taxpayers for the investment made in this agency over the years, even though in its original design it was intended for foreign intelligence purposes," Clapper said in a Thursday interview with The Associated Press.

How sweet, the touchy-feely spooks helped with Rita and Katrina, and the America people got payback from their spy satellite 401K. Thankfully, at least they only used their spy satellite in a warm fuzzy way that helped the people through a disaster. Right? Well, Gen. Clapper hints at a few other uses, but, of course, they are totally innocuous uses.

On Clapper's watch of the last five years, his agency has found ways to expand its mission to help prepare security at Super Bowls and political conventions or deal with natural disasters, such as hurricanes and forest fires.

With help, the agency can also zoom in. Its officials cooperate with private groups, such as hotel security, to get access to footage of a lobby or ballroom. That video can then be linked with mapping and graphical data to help secure events or take action, if a hostage situation or other catastrophe happens.

This super-secret satellite spying agency helped with security at political conventions? Well, you can bet there are a whole lot of detailed photos of peaceful protesters stored somewhere. But wait, it's okay because Gen. Clapper assures us that he would never ask Congress to expand the agencies power and that the program "doesn't really affect or threaten anyone's privacy or civil liberties when you are looking at a large collective area." Great, I feel so much better.

Now, people of the blogosphere, tell me this story did not come out today, tell me that this story was not planted in the media, as an attempt to soften the blow we are about to endure when Russell Tice gives his "shocking" testimony to the Senate next week. Whether it is a "push" poll in the WaPo, or this warm and fuzzy spy leak story from the Associated Press, the Bush administration is out there aggressively "framing" public opinion so the American people will give them a free pass, and keep their criminal asses out of jail.

(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)