'The Activity'... a Secret Unit

[ramus]

Another unknown Intelligence agency. The world knows now about this now, I wonder what other agency don't we know about?
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The most secret of secret units

Marc Ambinder


https://theweek.com/articles/466307/...t-secret-units

With the spotlight shining brightly on the Joint Special Operations Command, several of its component units have receded further into the shadows. As secretive as the Army and Navy special missions units are — here I'm talking about the units popularly known as SEAL Team Six and Delta Force — they are relatively easy to write about compared to their cousin, known informally as The Activity.

So what's The Activity, really? It was formed after the Iranian hostage crisis to give Army special operations forces an indigenous, dedicated intelligence capability. Now, it is a self-contained special missions unit of its own, based in Ft. Belvoir, Va., and three other locations worldwide. It owns property in Alexandria, Va., Bethesda, Md., Rome, N.Y., and in four other cities nationwide.

The Activity provides its people to a joint special operations task force, it's known as "Orange." When its case officers, some of them women, recruit sources and sneak into countries to operationally prepare the battlefield, it is known by whatever nickname is given to the mission. Some old-timers refer it by a classified trigraph, OMS.

[ramus]

More on The Activity:

https://www.americanspecialops.com/i...port-activity/



Intelligence Support Activity

US Army Intelligence Support Activity (USAISA), also known as ISA, The Activity, GREY FOX and, in recent times, the Mission Support Activity (MSA), is a top secret Army intelligence unit. The Activity grew out of the need for specialized intel support for US Special Operations that was highlighted by the failed US attempt to rescue American hostages from Iran in 1980
Intelligence Support Activity - Role

The Activity's primary role is to gather actionable intelligence in order to pave the way for special operations undertook by units such as Delta Force (known as 'operational preparation of the battlespace'). The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include:

HUMINT (HUMan INTellgence)
Intel gathered through eyes and ears on the ground, both directly and through agents run by the Activity.. An example would be having ISA operatives, working undercover, do a recce of a suspected terrorist's safe house, finding routes in and out, looking for blind spots, assessing the numbers and dispositions of hostile forces etc. The ISA also cultivates and runs agents in order to infiltrate organisations and gather intelligence.
SIGINT (SIGnals INTelligence)
monitoring and tracking radio communications e.g. finding a hostage by homing in on the kidnapper's cell phones or tracking a terrorist organisation through its communications network.

Intelligence Support Activity - Organization

The Activity is thought to made up of around 300 operators and is under the command of JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command).

The unit is organized into several elements

Administration
Training
SIGINT
the 'knob turners', who monitor and track radio, cell phone and other electronic communications
HUMINT
the HUMINT element runs agents, carries out reconnaisance, prepares safe houses, transport, plans and proves infil/exfil routes etc.
Direct Action
Delta Force-trained soldiers who act as the unit's 'shooters'.

Since its inception, the Activity has been providing invaluable intelligence and support to many United States operations.

more info : activity operations


Featured Book:

Killer Elite
by Michael Smith

Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. The unit's history, the politics that have shaped it and the operations it has carried out are recounted in great and fascinating detail.

[Denise/Dizi]

I am sure that they have many of these programs, none of which are fully known about, and that they're creating new ones all the time to replace those older ones. With more advanced methods of data collections, eyes and ears, and ways to transfer data and communications.

With the special access programs thriving, and the ability to compartmentalize information these days, It doesn't at all surprise me that there are MANY secret units operating all over the world all for unique purposes, most unaware that they're even involved in many operations in one way or another.

These are strange times indeed..

Thank you for posting about this in particular, it really will help in the future to have a clear picture of just how some of these programs developed and what they were ultimately used for. With SCIS being what it is now, I think that there is a lot of crossover uses for some of these things, and they're so compartmentalized that even those in the programs truly don't know when they're being tapped and for what exactly.

If things continue that way we will have zero privacy. We're getting there fast, if we aren't already there. The lengths to which this technology has thus far been developed is mind blowing. If people knew the full scope of how wired up even America was. They would be crying foul. Yet they're begging for more, for convenience.

Pretty soon a mouse won't be able to burp without someone knowing it, and some AI assessing the risk of said burp. I say that to be funny but really it isn't funny at all.

[ramus]

A operation lately .. The drug bust in Philadelphia .. 35,000 pounds of cocaine, or more than 17 tons destined for Europe. This was credited to The Activity but not confirmed for obvious reasons.

[Praxis]

Posted by ramus (here)
A operation lately .. The drug bust in Philadelphia .. 35,000 pounds of cocaine, or more than 17 tons destined for Europe. This was credited to The Activity but not confirmed for obvious reasons.

You mean the obvious reason that Posse Comitatus prevents the military from operating as the police which is what a drug bust in Philly would be? If this is true, isnt this a terrifying thing and not James Bond cool?

Also it is not super secret

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intell...pport_Activity

Also note that it was under INSCOM but is not part of JSOC.

[ramus]

Posted by Praxis (here)

Posted by ramus (here)
A operation lately .. The drug bust in Philadelphia .. 35,000 pounds of cocaine, or more than 17 tons destined for Europe. This was credited to The Activity but not confirmed for obvious reasons.

You mean the obvious reason that Posse Comitatus prevents the military from operating as the police which is what a drug bust in Philly would be? If this is true, isnt this a terrifying thing and not James Bond cool?

Also it is not super secret

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intell...pport_Activity

Also note that it was under INSCOM but is not part of JSOC.

My understanding it was a tip that was received, and so no Posse Comitatus , just fingerprints. The police get the credit and the bust. no one said super secret.

Contentious post, aren't we over that yet, it's a news article, relax.

[Praxis]

Posted by ramus (here)

Posted by Praxis (here)

Posted by ramus (here)
A operation lately .. The drug bust in Philadelphia .. 35,000 pounds of cocaine, or more than 17 tons destined for Europe. This was credited to The Activity but not confirmed for obvious reasons.

You mean the obvious reason that Posse Comitatus prevents the military from operating as the police which is what a drug bust in Philly would be? If this is true, isnt this a terrifying thing and not James Bond cool?

Also it is not super secret

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intell...pport_Activity

Also note that it was under INSCOM but is not part of JSOC.

My understanding it was a tip that was received, and so no Posse Comitatus , just fingerprints. The police get the credit and the bust. no one said super secret.

Contentious post, aren't we over that yet, it's a news article, relax.

Oh my mistake. What was the obvious reason you were implying?

I think it is important how this went down.
The Military is monitoring the US and then giving the information to the Police.

So that sets a precedent, which are important. So now, the NSA, another part of the Military, could give the police the information that it scoops up on people in the US and then the police charge them with crimes.

This is terrifying to me. Yes, like you say it is not technically breaking Posse Commitatus, But wouldnt you say that this is certainly violating the spirit of the act?

It is the small erosion of our liberties one bit at a time which is the most insidious. Snowden just normalized what this entire thread is talking about.

This is not a contentious thread unless you are agree with the military power to do what it did in this case. If that is the case please openly say so. Otherwise I will assume you are against the NSA listening and recording everything.

[ramus]

@Paxis ..1. I really don't know what your saying in this sentence "What was the obvious reason you were implying? "
*after reviewing this, the obvious reason is so no one can see their finger prints:They don't like the exposure/press.

2. Then in this veiled threat "unless you are agree with the military power to do what it did in this case."

3. I didn't say this was a contentious thread. ... I said that your post was contentious .(given to arguing or provoking argument.)

4. I put the article out to inform people of an agency that isn't mentioned much if at all.( not super secret )

5. The government is always listening ... the precedent was set so long ago, and has always passed on information to the Police, I.R.S. , DEA.

6. Posse Commitatus is not iron clad : link and article below:

Law Says Troops Can't Be Cops. History Disagrees.

A 19th-century statute seems to bar Trump from sending soldiers to beef up border security. But it's too feeble.

https://minnlawyer.com/2018/04/11/la...ory-disagrees/


There is a link below that you might not be aware of, that addresses contentious post :...... But I do see your "thanks" for the thread.

https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...orum-s-mission
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The relevant text of the Posse Comitatus, which roughly means ‘deputized force,’ in 18 U.S.C. § 1385 reads (as amended in 1956):

“Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

Posse Comitatus does not preclude the military from conducting exercises on civilian soil, which, as detractors of “paranoid” Texans point out, takes place all the time. The law does however prohibit the US military from engaging in direct law enforcement activities. This would certainly include the capture on US soil of US citizens suspected of breaking the law in any way, shape, or form.
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It has been stated that no one in history has ever been prosecuted for violating the Act.

I'm not here to argue only to inform on this subject. GOD BLESS

[conk]

Wasn't Posse Commitatus modified by The Patriot Act? About the time Habeas Corpus lost its teeth?

[ramus]

conk ... can' find anything on that. but here is what i did dig up:

The relevant text of the Posse Comitatus, which roughly means ‘deputized force,’ in 18 U.S.C. § 1385 reads (as amended in 1956):

“Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

Posse Comitatus does not preclude the military from conducting exercises on civilian soil, which, as detractors of “paranoid” Texans point out, takes place all the time. The law does however prohibit the US military from engaging in direct law enforcement activities. This would certainly include the capture on US soil of US citizens suspected of breaking the law in any way, shape, or form.
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It has been stated that no one in history has ever been prosecuted for violating the Act.
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In 2006, Congress modified the Insurrection Act as part of the 2007 Defense Authorization Bill (repealed as of 2008). On September 26, 2006, President George W. Bush urged Congress to consider revising federal laws so that U.S. armed forces could restore public order and enforce laws in the aftermath of a natural disaster, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition. These changes were included in the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (H.R. 5122), which was signed into law on October 17, 2006.[9]

Section 1076 is titled "Use of the Armed Forces in major public emergencies." It provided that:

The President may employ the armed forces ... to ... restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition ... the President determines that ... domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order ... or [to] suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy if such ... a condition ... so hinders the execution of the laws ... that any part or class of its people is deprived of a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named in the Constitution and secured by law ... or opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws.[10]

In 2008, these changes in the Insurrection Act of 1807 were repealed in their entirety, reverting to the previous wording of the Insurrection Act.[11] It was originally written to limit presidential power as much as possible in the event of insurrection, rebellion, or lawlessness.
2011 modification

In 2011, President Barack Obama signed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 into law. Section 1021(b)(2) extended the definition of a "covered person", i.e., someone possibly subject to detention under this law,[dubious – discuss] to include:

A person who was a part of or substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces.[12]

Section 1021(e) purports to limit the scope of said authority with the text, "Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect existing law or authorities relating to the detention of United States citizens, lawful resident aliens of the United States, or any other persons who are captured or arrested in the United States."[13]
Exclusions and limitations

There are a number of situations in which the Act does not apply. These include:

Army and Air National Guard units, state defense forces, and naval militias[14] while under the authority of the governor of a state.
Federal armed forces used in accordance to the Insurrection Act, as was the case with the 1st Marine Division and 7th Infantry Division being sent to curtail the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Under 18 U.S.C. § 831, the Attorney General may request that the Secretary of Defense provide emergency assistance if domestic law enforcement is inadequate to address certain types of threats involving the release of nuclear materials, such as potential use of a nuclear or radiological weapon. Such assistance may be by any personnel under the authority of the Department of Defense, provided such assistance does not adversely affect U.S. military preparedness. The only exemption is the deployment of nuclear materials on the part of the United States Armed Forces.
Support roles under the Joint Special Operations Command.
Provide surveillance, intelligence gathering, observation, and equipment for domestic law enforcement on operations such as drug interdiction and counter-terrorism missions.

[Praxis]

Posted by ramus (here)

2. Then in this veiled threat "unless you are agree with the military power to do what it did in this case."

There was no threat, but nice try. I will no longer participate in your self victimization.

My final word on this thread is this: the fact that JSOC is helping police with their work should scare all of you, especially considering that JSOC is ONLY military.

When law enforcement can start using the NSA databse(the NSA is military FYI) to enhance their capabilities, then we are in trouble. The five eyes can now be used for law enforcement.

[ramus]

Praxis: ..... The veil threat

"This is not a contentious thread unless you are agree with the military power to do what it did in this case. If that is the case please openly say so."

Do I go on a list if I say so ?

[Praxis]

Posted by ramus (here)
Praxis: ..... The veil threat

"This is not a contentious thread unless you are agree with the military power to do what it did in this case. If that is the case please openly say so."

Do I go on a list if I say so ?

First, as Avalonians, we are all probably already on a list

The statement of how ramus feels will give people reading this thread a better understanding of ramus and why ramus posted it.

I, for one, am Firmly against the increased militarization of the police and the use of military assets for police operations.

I am firmly against the ideas in the story ramus posted as I think it violates if not the letter of law then definitely the spirit of it.

I find the normalization of this type of thing as being on the path to open military dictatorship.


I will no longer be posting anymore to this thread and I just wanted to clarify the previous interactions as it was brought to my attention that it was not clear.