0 Radicals' deadly 'booby trap'

FEMALE suicide bombers are being fitted with exploding breast implants which are almost impossible to detect, British spies have reportedly discovered.

The shocking new al-Qaeda tactic involves radical doctors inserting the explosives in women’s breasts during plastic surgery — making them "virtually impossible to detect by the usual airport scanning machines".

It is believed the doctors have been trained at some of Britain’s leading teaching hospitals before returning to their own countries to perform the surgical procedures.

MI5 has also discovered that extremists are inserting the explosives into the buttocks of some male suicide bombers.

Lethal

Terrorist expert Joseph Farah claims: "Women suicide bombers recruited by al-Qaeda are known to have had the explosives inserted in their breasts under techniques similar to breast enhancing surgery."

The lethal explosives called PETN are inserted inside plastic shapes during the operation, before the breast is then sewn up.

The discovery of these methods was made after London-educated Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab came close to blowing up an airliner in the US on Christmas Day.

He had stuffed explosives inside his underpants.

Hours after he had failed, Britain’s intelligence services began to pick up "chatter" emanating from Pakistan and Yemen that alerted MI5 to the creation of the lethal implants.

A hand-picked team investigated the threat which was described as "one that can circumvent our defence".

Top surgeons have confirmed the feasibility of the explosive implants.

One claimed: "Properly inserted the implant would be virtually impossible to detect by the usual airport scanning machines.

"You would need to subject a suspect to a sophisticated X-ray.

"Given that the explosive would be inserted in a sealed plastic sachet, and would be a small amount, would make it all the more impossible to spot it with the usual body scanner."

Explosive experts allegedly told MI5 that a sachet containing as little as five ounces of PETN could blow "a considerable hole" in an airline’s skin, causing it to crash.

Source:http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2903793/Radicals-deadly-booby-trap.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News

0 Remote-controlled bomb hits police convoy in Peshawar, northwest Pakistan

Rescuers push a destroyed vehicle at the site of a blast in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, on May 12, 2012. At least two people including one policeman was killed and 16 others injured when a remote- controlled bomb hit a police convoy in Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar on Saturday morning, said police and hospital sources. (Xinhua/Ahmad Sidique)

At least four people were killed and 12 others injured when a remote-controlled bomb hit a police vehicle in Pakistan's northwest city of Peshawar on Saturday morning, reported local Urdu TV channel Express.

According to local media reports, the blast took place at about 9:00 a.m. local time when a remote-controlled bomb hit a police vehicle passing by on the G.T. road in the Gulbahar area of Peshawar, the largest city in northwest Pakistan.

At least one policeman was killed and several women were injured in the blast, said local media, adding that the blast also destroyed five vehicles.

All the injured have been rushed to Lady Reading Hospital in the city, where at least four critically injured people died later.

Security forces have cordoned off the area following the blast and a search operation is underway.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Source:http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-05/12/c_131583672.htm

0 The Gulf is Not OK: What the Media Doesn't Want You to Know

More than two years after the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, no one - absolutely NO ONE (in the mainstream media, that is) will report on the actual conditions in the areas where oil is still washing up. 

Reupload with updates -http://www.youtube.com/user/cv1122
 original video @
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGBXZyNBUyg

Photos courtesy of Renee Hulett

Videos by Denise Rednour:
April 19 2012 Heal the World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ViUAn3oK4


Sad Saturday Indeed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU11WmT4e9k

Related articles:
Oil from Deepwater Horizon spill still causing damage in gulf 2 years later, scientists find
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/article1225134.ece

Mayor: Tarballs Still Hitting Ala., Cleanup Needed
http://www2.wkrg.com/special_section/2011/apr/13/mayor-tarballs-still-hitting...
A Year After Gulf Tragedy, Offshore Oil Companies Still Shielded by 
Liability Limits
http://www.propublica.org/blog/item/a-year-after-gulf-tragedy-offshore-oil-co...

BP oil spill fund administrator defends his work
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/19/nation/la-na-gulf-spill-claims-20110419

Federal practices hamper study of Gulf dolphin deaths
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/16/us-dolphin-strandings-idUSTRE73F2XW...

0 The US Is Now Worried That Israel Could Attack Iran At Any Moment

A surprise deal by Israel's house of representatives Monday night has apparently left the U.S. far more concerned about an attack on Iran, by the new government, than it has let on.

Ron Friedman at The Times Of Israel reports that a local TV news station led the story that Washington officials are holding "marathon talks" over concern that Israel will strike Iran before America's November elections.

From The Times:

Undisclosed Washington sources told Channel 10 that they worry Kadima was offered a place in the coalition to shore up support for a preemptive attack aimed at halting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear drive, and that Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz would approve of such an attack.

The report added that the US officials believe early Israeli elections would have kept the F-15s at bay, but are now genuinely concerned that with political backing, there is little to stop Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from ordering the attack.

Basically the U.S. thought that with Israeli elections not happening until September they were safe, but now, all bets are off.

Elad Berari at Arutz Sheva also points out that Israeli's Defense Minister recently warned "that as long as Iran poses a threat to Israel with its nuclear program, all options are on the table."

“I believe it is well understood in Washington, D.C., as well as in Jerusalem that as long as there is an existential threat to our people, all options to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons should remain on the table,” Barak said.

“I have enough experience to know that a military option is not a simple one,” Barak added. “It would be complicated with certain associated risks. But a radical Islamic Republic of Iran with nuclear weapons would be far more dangerous both for the region and, indeed, the world.”

Berari concludes his report by reminding readers that President Obama is already softening his position on Iran's uranium enrichment.

The paper says Obama willingness to allow Iran uranium enrichment concentration of five percent, directly opposes Netanyahu's policy.

In April the Israeli leader told CNN in April "They have to stop all enrichment," even just three percent uranium.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-us-thinks-israel-could-attack-iran-at-any-moment-2012-5#ixzz1uZennjwC

0 Navy Moving Ahead With Effort to Put Lasers on Ships

After decades and decades of research and experimenting, the time has finally come to add deadly lasers to U.S. Navy ships’ arsenals, the sea service has decided.

That’s right, the Office of Naval Research is moving forward with a plan to arm ships with solid state lasers capable of taking out small enemy vessels that could be used in swarming attacks or suicide bombing mission against American warships.

“We believe it’s time to move forward with solid-state lasers and shift the focus from limited demonstrations to weapon prototype development and related technology advancement,” said Peter Morrison, program officer of the Solid-State Laser Technology Maturation program in a May 8 press release announcing the effort.

ONR wants to capitalize on the work it’s done with BAE Systems to marry lasers to the Mk 38 chain guns that are already used to defend ships. The latest versions of that weapon system can be remotely controlled and tied to a number of video and infrared sensors. As we’ve said before, combining all that with lasers will make the naval versions of the Mk 38 all the more deadly to anyone who gets the wrong idea while piloting a small boat near an American warship.

Want to sell your laser to the Navy? You’re in luck, ONR is hosting an industry day on May 16 “to provide the research and development community with information about the program,” reads the service’s announcement.  Potential laser-dealers can expect a request for proposals soon after that, according the announcement.

Click through the jump for video of one of ONR’s experimental lasers frying the engines of a small boat.

Source:

http://defensetech.org/2012/05/10/navy-moving-ahead-with-effort-to-put-lasers-on-ships/

0 Over 15 nations to join US-led military drill near Syria border

12000 soldiers from 17 countries carry out a US-led joint military exercise in Jordan amid the ongoing the crisis in Syria. ‘It has nothing to do with Syria. [The timing] is just a coincidence,’ a top US official says

Wounded Syrian soldiers are taken to hospital after a bomb attack which targets their convoy as they escort UN peace observers, including the Norwegian general. AP photo

The United States military said yesterday that 12,000 soldiers from 17 countries would be taking part in this month’s military exercises in Jordan, designed to enhance their ability to meet “security challenges.”

Special action troops, naval and air force units from countries including Turkey, France and Saudi Arabia will carry out the joint training operations, according to the Voice of Russia. “The tactical execution of the Eager Lion 2012 exercises will officially start on May 15,” Major Robert Bockholt, public affairs officer at Special Operations Command Central, told Agence France-Presse. 

“Eager Lion is an annual, multi-national exercise designed to strengthen military-to-military relationships through a joint, entire-government, multinational approach, integrating all instruments of national power to meet current and future complex national security challenges. … We acknowledge the right of each participating country to announce their participation in the exercise on their own terms,” Bockholt said. In April, the U.S. Department of Defense said the exercise would be held from May 7 to May 28. Bockholt said participants had been gathering in Jordan from May 7, to prepare for the land, sea and air exercises, which will be held in “various training locations.” “In all, there are more than 12,000 service members participating in the exercise,” he said.

Iran, Syria links denied

Some local media reports have speculated that the war games are linked to the unrest in neighboring Syria, saying the troops were seeking to secure Jordan’s border. “The execution of Eager Lion 2012 is not connected to any real-world event. It has nothing to do with Syria. It is just a coincidence,” 

Bockholt said. The Saudi Defense Ministry also insists that the joint large-scale military maneuvers of the U.S.-Arab allies are in no way linked to the situation in Syria or Iran.

The war games come as Jordan’s Special Operations Forces Exhibition is under way, displaying new technologies by defense manufacturers around the world. 

Jordan is a major beneficiary of U.S. military and economic aid, with Washington granting Amman $2.4 billion in the past five years, according to official figures.


Source:http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/over-15-nations-to-join-us

0 Israeli Minister Agrees Ahmadinejad Never Said Israel ‘Must Be Wiped Off the Map’

Video of an Al Jazeera interview with Dan Meridor, a deputy prime minister of Israel.

In a reminder that Persian rhetoric is not always easy for English-speakers to interpret, a senior Israeli official has acknowledged that Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, never actually said that Israel “must be wiped off the map.”

Those words were attributed to Mr. Ahmadinejad in 2005, in English translations of his speech to a “World Without Zionism” conference that October. As my colleague Ethan Bronner reported the next year, one problem was translating a metaphorical turn of phrase in Persian that has no exact English equivalent — there was, for instance, no mention of a map. More important, closer readings of the phrase suggested that the original statement was less of a threat than a prediction.

Last week, Teymoor Nabili of Al Jazeera suggested during an interview with Dan Meridor, Israel’s minister of intelligence and atomic energy, that Mr. Ahmadinejad’s rhetorical flourish had been misinterpreted. “This idea that Iran wants to wipe Israel out,” Mr. Nabili said, “now that’s a common trope that is put about by a lot of people in Israel, a lot of people in the United States, but as we know Ahmadinejad didn’t say that he plans to exterminate Israel, nor did he say that Iran’s policy is to exterminate Israel.”

In response, Mr. Meridor said that Mr. Ahmadinejad and Iran’s ruling cleric, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had said repeatedly “that Israel is an unnatural creature, it will not survive. They didn’t say, ‘We’ll wipe it out,’ you’re right, but, ‘It will not survive.’ ”

Mr. Meridor also pointed out that after Ayatollah Khamenei compared Israel to a cancerous tumor in February — adding, it “should be cut off” — his remarks were echoed last month by the president. “Israel is unnatural, it will not exist, it’s on the verge of collapse,” Mr. Meridor said. “When you hear this from these people, you need to take it seriously.”

Although there is general agreement now among translators and scholars that Mr. Ahmadinejad did not commit his country to the project of destroying the state of Israel in that 2005 speech, the phrase that was wrongly attributed to him then remains so firmly rooted in the popular imagination that it is frequently used as evidence of Iran’s genocidal intentions.

During a visit to the White House last month, on the eve of the Jewish festival of Purim, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel presented President Obama with a copy of the Book of Esther, which recounts the tale of a Persian leader who wanted to annihilate the Jews. “Then, too, they wanted to wipe us out,” Mr. Netanyahu told the president.

In January, Ehud Barak, the Israeli defense minister, told a New York Times Magazine writer: “The Iranians are, after all, a nation whose leaders have set themselves a strategic goal of wiping Israel off the map.”

As the Guardian columnist Jonathan Steele explained in 2006, a more direct translation of Mr. Ahmadinejad’s remarks would be: “this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time,” echoing a statement once made by the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

In an interview with The Lede on Tuesday, Hooman Majd, an Iranian-American writer whose father was an ambassador under the Shah, pointed out that Mr. Ahmadinejad had slightly misquoted Ayatollah Khomeini, using the Persian word for “page” instead of a similar-sounding word for “scene or stage.”

Mr. Majd, who once did a cameo as Mr. Ahmadinejad’s translator at the United Nations, also noted that in the original speech, the Iranian president had argued that while the end of Israeli rule over Jerusalem, the third holiest city in Islam, might seem impossible to imagine, the end of the Shah’s rule and the collapse of the Soviet Union both proved that change on that scale was possible.

Still, over the years, the original misinterpretation of Mr. Ahmadinejad’s remarks has been so often repeated that it has become a kind of shorthand. “In my conversations with Americans,” Mr. Majd said, very often they respond to the name Ahmadinejad by saying, “He wants to eliminate Israel.”

Mr. Majd, who recently spent time in Tehran, added that Mr. Ahmadinejad has perhaps made so little effort to explain that he was misquoted because he relishes his image as a sworn enemy of Israel, and would not want to be seen as stepping back from even threatening remarks he did not make.

Mr. Majd also said that reformers inside Iran blamed Mr. Ahmadinejad’s posturing, and his repeated and accurately translated statements denying the Holocaust, “for inflaming this Iranophobia that exists in the West.”

Source:http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/israeli-minister-agrees-ahmadinejad-never-said-israel-must-be-wiped-off-the-map/

0 New verdict in 1974 massacre of Piazza Loggia brings historical False Flag Bombing back into the mainstream

The acquittal of four people for a bombing 38 years ago has left yet another atrocity from Italy's "Years of Lead" unsolved and underlined the failures of a chaotic justice system.

An appeal court in the northern city of Brescia at the weekend confirmed the acquittal of two neo-fascists, an informer for the secret services and a former police general for a bombing that killed eight people and wounded 103 at an anti-fascist demonstration in the centre of the city in 1974.

Although there have been no fewer than 10 trials and appeals since the bombing, nobody has been convicted of an act central to what is called a "strategy of tension" by right-wing extremists aimed at preventing Italy's then-powerful communist party coming to power at the height of the Cold War.

The PCI was the biggest communist party in the West until it collapsed after the end of the Soviet Union.

The verdict was received with bitterness in Brescia.

A handwritten sign was put up near where the bomb exploded reading "Fascist massacre of Piazza Loggia. Injustice is done!"

Brescia mayor Adriano Paroli told reporters: "The city and the whole country have been waiting for so many years for an answer - an answer that must consist of truth and justice, both of which are lacking today."

"How long will reasons of state or politics overcome the search for the truth?" asked Manlio Milani, who lost his wife in the bombing and leads an association of its victims.

A leading judge and a 1980 parliamentary commission had alleged that American CIA agents and Italian secret service officers were involved in a conspiracy to organize a string of bombings, including Brescia, and to then implicate left-wingers in order to block the rise of the communists and push voters towards the Christian Democrats.

Right-wing sympathizers in the secret services and other parts of the establishment are widely believed to have sabotaged investigations into the bombings, which coincided with the urban guerrilla warfare of the leftist Red Brigades.

EVIDENCE WASHED AWAY

Two hours after the explosion in Brescia, fire hoses were used to clean the piazza where it occurred, washing away potential evidence. Waste bins were hastily emptied.

According to some estimates, up to 2,000 people died in attacks during the Years of Lead, between the late 1960s and early 1980s, which shook the foundations of the Italian republic. The crimes included the Red Brigades' murder of former Christian Democrat prime minister Aldo Moro in 1978.

"The fact that we have still not succeeded in identifying and convicting the guilty 38 years later arouses bitterness and concern," said former interior minister Nicola Mancino.

The list of unsolved crimes includes the first of the series, the bombing of Milan's Piazza Fontana in 1969, where three trials have produced no justice for the 16 people who were killed, and a train bombing in 1974 that killed 12.

Source:http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-16/news/sns-rt-us-italy-bombingsbre83f14z-20120416_1_train-bombing-nicola-mancino-brescia

0 Second Irish Priest is "Thrown a fatwa" by the Vatican for child abuse investigation

Irish priests are at war with the Vatican again after attempts to silence a second rebel cleric.

Veteran Marist priest Fr Sean Fagan has been ordered to stop writing and commentating in public.

The 84-year-old has been reprimanded by the church after he had called for an inquiry into clerical sexual abuse in all Irish dioceses.

His order has also bought all remaining copies of a theological book written by Fr Fagan who was required to give an undertaking not to write again.

The latest move came after Fr Fagan publicly advocated allowing women and married men to be ordained as priests.

The Association of Catholic Priests has condemned the moves to silence Fr Fagan, just days after another rebel priest was ordered to return to his monastery after his newspaper column was pulled by the Church.

ACP spokesman Fr Sean McDonagh told the Irish Independent that the silencing of Fr Fagan is ‘just outrageous’.

Fr McDonagh added: “The church is throwing a fatwa at the priest. Some of the church’s recent actions are like a return to the Inquisition.

“This isn’t the time for heresy hunting. Fr Fagan’s writings were clear, well written and interesting. He wants to start a conversation about the church’s views on sexuality.

“I believe that the silencing of priests by the Vatican is out of a desire for control rather than because of sincerely held belief or intelligent argument.”

The Irish Bishops have refused to comment to the Irish Independent on the story.
 

Source:: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Second-Irish-priest-silenced-by-Church-as-anger-grows-over-gagging-attempts-147729715.html#ixzz1sJ6K018G

0 Israeli Brutality Against Innocent Protester

A heroic IDF soldier defends himself from a violent left wing anarchist.... This video has caused a lot of outrage, but this shows a good insight into how the IDF handles innocent unarmed protesters, if the IDF do this to western citizens who have actual rights, what do you think they do to Palestinians?

0 Ron Paul supporters and anti-Semitism

From http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/tygrrrr-express/2012/apr/12/ron-paul-supporters-and-anti-semitism/




Several months ago Ron Paul was accused of attitudes that bordered on anti-Semitism by his former staffer Eric Dondero. Dr. Paul refused to deny the charges, while Mr. Dondero failed to offer corroborating evidence.

Therefore, to refer to Ron Paul as an anti-Semite at this point would be unfair.

His supporters are another matter. Whenever anyone criticizes Ron Paul supporters, they rush in to defend the candidate himself by countering charges that were not brought up. They claim that it is unfair to blame the candidate for his supporters. Therefore it is necessary to be crystal clear. This is not about the candidate. This is solely about his supporters.

His supporters will then lob the accusation that an attack on his supporters is a thinly veiled method of discrediting the candidate. They have it backwards. One of the reasons so many people reject Ron Paul is the behavior of his supporters. Part of this behavior includes the issue of anti-Semitism.

They then claim that every candidate has some fringe supporters, and to blame the whole lot of them is unfair. Again, clarity is necessary. Anti-Semitism does not represent a majority of Ron Paul supporters. However, it is not as rare as the movement wishes to pretend.

A statistically significant plurality of his supporters do have attitudes toward Jews that cross the line.

Ron Paul supporters may never grasp this, but the purpose of columns like these is not to increase tensions but to reduce them. Many people may have good intentions but simply do not know where the line should be drawn. Those with an axe to grind will insist that any criticism is an attack. For those who are reasonable, it is important to separate legitimate discourse from anti-Semitism.

Ron Paul believes in cutting off aid to Israel. He also believes in cutting off aid to all nations, including enemies of Israel. His supporters argue that this would benefit Israel. His critics sharply disagree. Regardless of how one feels about such a policy proposal, there is absolutely unequivocally nothing in that proposal that rises to the level of anti-Semitism. Dr. Paul has stated that if Israel were attack Iran, the United States should stay out of it. He has also not promised to defend Israel if Iran attacks first. The first part of this equation delights the Jewish community while the second part concerns them.

However, Dr. Paul's positions are consistent.

Read full source at Washington Times :http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/tygrrrr-express/2012/apr/12/ron-paul-supporters-and-anti-semitism/

Check out the comments on the article....this guy hit a firm brick wall 99% of the comments are still pro- Ron Paul.....and surprisingly (mabey for him anyway) the majority are from Jewish Ron Paul supporters.

The media ramping up of all this supposed 

"anti-Semitism"  personally show's me one thing.....

somebody is scared.

0 Lebanese Army combs snipers’ hill near Geagea residence

Hundreds of Lebanese Army personnel combed Saturday hills northwest of Maarab, Kesrouan, as part of investigations to identify the perpetrators of Wednesday’s attempted assassination of Lebanese Forces head Samir Geagea.

With the help of search dogs, over 500 army personnel took to the hills of Dlebta, over 1 kilometer southwest of the LF headquarters, where the shooters behind Wednesday’s abortive attempt to assassinate Geagea had positioned themselves for the hit.

Meanwhile, President Michel Sleiman met with Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi, General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza and ISF head Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi to follow up on the investigation.

According to Sleiman’s press office, the president stressed the need to intensify efforts and the investigation to reveal identity of the culprits and bring them to justice.

On Wednesday, Geagea said he had escaped an assassination attempt when a sniper fired at Maarab, which also serves as his residence, warning that the political killings of the last decade had not ended.

He added that the incident had required expertise, claiming that the shots had been fired a few kilometers from the target site.

Preliminary information indicates that two 12.7-mm caliber bullets, from two separate rifles, were fired simultaneously during the operation from a position overlooking the Maarab compound following a surveillance operation.

Wednesday’s incident has heightened fears of a return to a wave of political assassinations.

U.K. Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher said Saturday that Prime Minister Najib Mikati had reassured him that a full investigation into the case was under way.

“Strong reassurance from PM Najib Mikati in our meeting that full investigation underway into assassination attempt against [Geagea],” Fletcher said on his Twitter feed following his meeting with the prime minister at the Grand Serail in Beirut.

The Hezbollah-led March 8 parties’ reaction to the assassination attempt has been largely muted or outright skeptical.

Breaking the silence, Change and Reform parliament bloc MP Ghassan Moukheiber denounced the botched attack on Geagea and called for the arrest of the culprits.

Moukheiber said there was no doubting the incident was a genuine attempt to target the LF leader, saying Interior Minister Marwan Charbel had validated the nature of the attack.

Speaking to Free Lebanon Radio station Saturday, Moukheiber also said many of the country’s leading political officials were concerned for their safety.

He also warned that any assassination could destabilize the country.

“There is a danger to the stability of the country which could explode with any assassination. Therefore, it is important to fortify Lebanon from what is taking place in Syria through a policy of neutrality and not back either the Syrian regime or the Syrian opposition.”

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Apr-07/169558-lebanese-army-combs-snipers-hill-near-geagea-residence.ashx#ixzz1rN5Q8ctI
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb) 

Take into account the last few years worth of military action and the strategy outlined by Wesley Clark in  2007 (video below) is playing out just as planned....was this to be the next step?.

0 Government Hacking Into Game Consoles To Catch Paedophiles And Terrorists

Recent years have brought reports of the US government eavesdropping on phone conversations, emails, even tweets - all in the name of fighting terrorism. But surely your Xbox must be safe from the prying eyes of Big Brother?

Not for long. You might not immediately think that slaying dragons or driving like a maniac through virtual streets is all that interesting to intelligence agents, but the US government believes there might be law-enforcement gold on your Xbox.

Government researchers say that hacking into consoles will allow police to catch paedophiles and terrorists. Meanwhile, privacy advocates worry that gamers may leave sensitive data - and not just credit card information - on their Nintendos without knowing it.

At the cutting edge of this development is ObscureTechnologies, a small San Francisco-based company that performs computer forensics and which has just been given a $US177,237 ($172,250) sole-source research contract to develop ''hardware and software tools that can be used for extracting data from video-game systems'', and ''a collection of data (disk images; flash memory dumps; configuration settings) extracted from new video-game systems and used game systems purchased on the secondary market'', according to the contract award from the US Navy. (Law enforcement agencies contacted the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate for help on a tool to examine gaming console data. The department then asked the US Naval Postgraduate School to execute the contract and spearhead the research because of the expertise of Simson Garfinkel, a computer science associate professor at the NPS in California - hence the US Navy contract.)

The project, called the ''Gaming Systems Monitoring and Analysis Project'', originated in 2008, when law enforcement authorities were concerned about paedophiles using video-game consoles to find victims.

''Today's gaming systems are increasingly being used by criminals as a primary tool in exploiting children and, as a result, are being recovered by US law enforcement organisations during court-authorised searches,'' says Garfinkel, a computer forensics expert. Indeed, the FBI warns that paedophiles often use online gaming forums as their hunting grounds.

However ''there is a suspicion'' that terrorists are also using online games to communicate, John Verrico, spokesman for the Science and Technology Directorate, says.

The ultimate goal is to ''improve the current state-of-the-art of computer forensics by developing new tools for extracting information from popular game systems, and by building a corpus of data from second-hand game systems that can be used to further the development of computer forensic tools,'' Garfinkel says. Though the research is being overseen by the NPS, the contract award states that the tools developed by Obscure will be delivered to the department.

Monitoring gaming consoles is harder than you might think. Consoles such as the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii encrypt their devices to prevent piracy and tampering.

Indeed, the contract states that ''analysis of the game systems requires specific knowledge of working with the hardware of embedded systems that have significant anti-tampering technology''. But this is more than hacking; the government wants tools that can apply computer forensics, which look for legally admissible evidence, to consoles.

While there have been some attempts to use computer forensics on consoles, researchers say this is relatively new ground. The department's project is ''exploratory research and development'', the Obscure Technologies president, Greg May, says. ''It will be interesting to see, because it's new to us as well. A lot of this stuff hasn't been done. We're not sure how complicated it is.''

Of course, what the government is interested in is not the game itself, but the platform - and the way you use it. Video-game consoles have evolved beyond simple entertainment machines into powerful all-purpose devices that are used to watch movies, post on Facebook, or - more important to an FBI or CIA agent - chat with other players.

''You wouldn't intentionally store sensitive data on a console,'' Parker Higgins, a spokesman for the online privacy group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says. ''But I can think of things like connection logs and conversation logs that are incidentally stored data. And it's even more alarming because users might not know that the data is created.

''These consoles are being used as general purpose computers,'' Higgins adds. ''The Xbox has a very active online community where people communicate. It stands to reason that you could get sensitive and private information stored on the console.''

Think about it: your Nintendo Wii may tell government investigators when you were connected to the internet, who you were talking to, what you were saying and what you were playing. ''Taken in context, it could end up revealing more than you expect,'' Higgins warns. There have already been hacks that could allow for spying on users of the Xbox Kinect, a video-enabled add-on that reads body movement for interactive gaming.

The department is aware of domestic privacy issues in the US, which is why it says it intends to target consoles from overseas. ''This project requires the purchasing of used video-game systems outside the US in a manner that is likely to result in their containing significant and sensitive information from previous users,'' the contract states.

So will console-game manufacturers co-operate with government efforts to break into their devices or will they construct bigger and better firewalls? Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and the Entertainment Software Association did not respond to questions from the US magazine Foreign Policy, but the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Higgins believes the issue of console privacy and security has been neglected because consoles are dismissed as gaming toys. ''Just because it's a form associated with games doesn't mean it deserves less privacy protection.''

Gamers may not have much choice in the matter. Unlike regular computers, whose users can install security software, gamers can't just install an anti-virus program such as McAfee or spyware monitoring software.

In an era when the US National Security Agency can conduct warrantless electronic searches of your email, it is naive to assume that video games would be exempt.

There is a powerful case to be made for giving the government the technical means to collect evidence from consoles. There is also good reason to worry. Numerous cases of illegal wiretaps, as well as surveillance of various political and ethnic groups for dubious reasons, are grounds for suspicion. And who knows whether some violent trash talk by a teenage video gamer will trigger an alarm in a government surveillance computer?

Source:http://m.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/game-on-for-big-brother-20120407-1wi06.html

0 Leaked Video Shows US Contractors Randomly Killing Civilians