TOP SECRET AMERICA | A Washington Post Investigation

[Helvetic]

TOP SECRET AMERICA
A Washington Post Investigation

A hidden world, growing beyond control
by Dana Priest & William M. Arkin

The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/tsa/images/day1-lead.jpg

These are some of the findings of a two-year investigation by The Washington Post that discovered what amounts to an alternative geography of the United States, a Top Secret America hidden from public view and lacking in thorough oversight. After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth, the result is that the system put in place to keep the United States safe is so massive that its effectiveness is impossible to determine.

The investigation's other findings include:

* Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States.

* An estimated 854,000 people, nearly 1.5 times as many people as live in Washington, D.C., hold top-secret security clearances.

* In Washington and the surrounding area, 33 building complexes for top-secret intelligence work are under construction or have been built since September 2001. Together they occupy the equivalent of almost three Pentagons or 22 U.S. Capitol buildings - about 17 million square feet of space.

more here... (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/)

[777]

They created a monster. Won't be long before they try to kill it.......

[Fredkc]

They created a monster. Won't be long before they try to kill it.......

Aww 777, you just don't understand the "Amurikan Feddle Gummint".

They NEVER kill any part of themselves. In fact I cannot think of a single federal agency that has EVER died!

They just keep feeding them more and more power, more and more money, positive that the only thing that could ever be wrong is a lack of money and power.
So on we merrily trudge to serfdom and bankruptcy.
Fred

[MorningSong]

Ottimo! worms coming out of the woodwork! Wake up, America!

I recommend this article... very long, but very informative on US's Big Bucks Big Brother operations...but who's in charge? It seems like noone is... and yet we all assume that there is a puppet master, right?

According to the article, there will be other related articles this week and a searchable database:


Today's article describes the government's role in this expanding enterprise. Tuesday's article describes the government's dependence on private contractors. Wednesday's is a portrait of one Top Secret America community. On the Web, an extensive, searchable database built by The Post about Top Secret America is available at washingtonpost.com/topsecretamerica.

Here's a related article: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/Whats-In-The-Washington-Post-Story-Terrifying-the-Intelligence-Community-4360

[jackovesk]

Sorry,

Read through the article, tell me something I don't know. You must understand ONE Important thing here..!

The Washington Post & the MSM are so desperate to gain back Credibility and Readership they must be seen to be proactively uncovering some real news before they collapse!

Unfortunately they are too late. Those that are informed, uncovered this type of information through the Internet years ago!

Let me some it up for those of you who couldn't be bothered reading through to the end.

911 = Big Govt. We must protect America from the Terrorist/Boogie Man. FBI/CIA still don't communicate an so on & so on! And guess WHO has to Pay for it all? Yep, WE DO!

My APOLOGIES to above comment I made. I will post NEW findings from Max Keiser on News & Updates.

[MorningSong]

Well, sure, Jackovest...this may not be news for any of old timers at Avalon or anywhere else, but I do think that for the "uneducated sheeple", this could be an eye-opener.

Here's the trailer to the PBS presentation to the Top Secret America episode: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/frontline-video/

For more info, see this link: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/

[Fredkc]

MorningSong;
Ain't it funny?
I greet every new "government is in control of everything!" conspiracy with my old and trusted main battle weapon:
That most of them require a completely secret conspiracy involving hundreds, or even thousands of people in a town (D.C.) where two people can't keep a secret for any longer than a day.

Then, if it gets passed that, I use old standby #2:
"Never attribute to malice, that which is easily explained by stupidity."

The story does outline how government seems to be the one thing in this universe not susceptible to entropy.

Sadly yet fortunately, in the end, governments usually fall over due to their own weight.

[777]

Aww 777, you just don't understand the "Amurikan Feddle Gummint".

They NEVER kill any part of themselves. In fact I cannot think of a single federal agency that has EVER died!

They just keep feeding them more and more power, more and more money, positive that the only thing that could ever be wrong is a lack of money and power.
So on we merrily trudge to serfdom and bankruptcy.
Fred

haha educate me Fred! I'm sure you know your gummint far better than me after all...

The "they" I was referring to I guess is the global agenda, America being a small pawn in that. I percieve the American dollar to crash and a country deliberately bought to it's knees from seemingly "outside" economic and political influences. Thus introducing martial law and a microchipped populace. I know this is a dark vision, but after all the U.S was an experiment from it's inception to present day, funded and planned by Europe. When it becomes a thorn in the side of global domination, it's life-blood will be cut off and it's elite posted elsewhere globally (arguably, mostly Israel).

But hey, I may be ver very wrong!

[jackovesk]

Well, sure, Jackovest...this may not be news for any of old timers at Avalon or anywhere else, but I do think that for the "uneducated sheeple", this could be an eye-opener.

Here's the trailer to the PBS presentation to the Top Secret America episode: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/frontline-video/

For more info, see this link: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/

Fair Call, I will check out the Frontline video link...

[Beth]

The thing that scares me about pieces like these is it generally leads to more desensitization of the public at large, which seem to be growing more and more apathetic. Might wake a few up, but that's about it.

[Fredkc]

777;

I cannot think of a single federal agency that has EVER died!

Just a for instance...
We still have a federal subsidy program for raising sheep, because we needed a surplus of lanolin, as it was critical in building observation blimps, during WW I & II ! (Evidently they're somehow using lanolin in our spy satellites because the program is ongoing)


seemingly "outside" economic and political influences.
What a laugh! Fact is, the Feddle Gummint is headed for history, due to its own weight. If has gotten so bad that, within the next 2 years, the interest alone on the debt is projected to exceed the defense budget (90% waste itself).

Never mind that the defense budget continues to grow, unabated.
Never mind that they have totally destroyed the tax base (workin' stiffs) who used to pay for all this.
Never mind that domestic spending will also take a huge leap, as those of us who gave right along are now looking to retire.

Of course their answer to this is... more spending!
And naturally, anyone who suggests government shrink a lil bit is either a racist, or a hater of small children and old people.

It's like a train wreck. You don't want to look, and yet, you can't turn away.

Fred

[777]

777;


Just a for instance...
We still have a federal subsidy program for raising sheep, because we needed a surplus of lanolin, as it was critical in building observation blimps, during WW I & II ! (Evidently they're somehow using lanolin in our spy satellites because the program is ongoing)


What a laugh! Fact is, the Feddle Gummint is headed for history, due to its own weight. If has gotten so bad that, within the next 2 years, the interest alone on the debt is projected to exceed the defense budget (90% waste itself).

Never mind that the defense budget continues to grow, unabated.
Never mind that they have totally destroyed the tax base (workin' stiffs) who used to pay for all this.
Never mind that domestic spending will also take a huge leap, as those of us who gave right along are now looking to retire.

Of course their answer to this is... more spending!
And naturally, anyone who suggests government shrink a lil bit is either a racist, or a hater of small children and old people.

It's like a train wreck. You don't want to look, and yet, you can't turn away.

Fred

Hey Fred! I'm not arguing with you, this is healthy debate to be encouraged and you've raised some great points......all truth too! BUT.....that spending is based on a ficticious currency based on credit, rather than the promise of gold it should be. The entire concept is print money print money print money. It's a controlled Zimbabwe......except that the amount of dollars held overseas could cripple the U.S in a matter of hours were they to shift around radically, especially the amount held in China. This is the outside influence I mean that could (and imo will) bring the U.S to it's knees.......and it's my view that the U.S government is well aware of this. At that level of global monopoly your religion and sovereignty are not relevant factors, they are merely the political devices with which to control those underneath and make them squabble over differences. It's all about shares in corporations now, not flags in your back yard....

It would make an apt time to pull the illusary plug.....at the precise moment your citizens have paid in all their lives and now want something back...

But I might be off here lol.....just typing out loud (so to speak)

[Fredkc]

BUT.....that spending is based on a ficticious currency based on credit, rather than the promise of gold it should be.
[..]
It would make an apt time to pull the illusory plug.

Well! At least we agree on something! We ain't arguing. http://fredsitelive.com/fun/rofl.gif

No, we agree here, and are just pointing out different facts that support the same conclusions.

And the best thing that could happen in US govt. right now would be for the people to elect a majority in congress that would:
1. Eliminate the Federal Reserve, it's fiat currency, and its debt-based false economy.
2. Forgive the entire national debt, coupled with a "balanced budget" amendment to the Constitution. A "do-over" if you will.

Fat chance for either of these, tho. These are prevented, as yaya said, by govt & media constantly keeping people overwhelmed on the subject. Which lead to just the complacency politicians want, as it lets them keep on playing the same old, only game they know.

[Beren]

Well! At least we agree on something! We ain't arguing. http://fredsitelive.com/fun/rofl.gif

No, we agree here, and are just pointing out different facts that support the same conclusions.

And the best thing that could happen in US govt. right now would be for the people to elect a majority in congress that would:
1. Eliminate the Federal Reserve, it's fiat currency, and its debt-based false economy.
2. Forgive the entire national debt, coupled with a "balanced budget" amendment to the Constitution. A "do-over" if you will.

Fat chance for either of these, tho. These are prevented, as yaya said, by govt & media constantly keeping people overwhelmed on the subject. Which lead to just the complacency politicians want, as it lets them keep on playing the same old, only game they know.

Hey Freddie boy :-)

Americans will never choose right government .
First of all only 50 % is actually voting,
secondly ,there is no one on US political scene whom is capable to do what you are saying.

They are all different but essentially same.

Also if you 'd find someone to vote for, other side would go with a vengeance...

[Fredkc]

Beren, plain fact is, they're highly unlikely to even look at these choices until:
The TV goes dark,
The gas stations close, and
The grocery shelves go empty.

Incidentally there is a perfect example of what the media, established government, and the people do when they see someone speak truth to the lie. Simply look at what they did to Ron Paul.

PS: we did "do the right thing" once, many moons ago. We installed a government limited by a contract, a Constitution (http://fredsitelive.com/politics/usconst.htm).

Things went downhill in a hurry from there, because the first order of business was for govt to convince the people that not only was their job done, but their ability to keep things on track was limited to passively voting for what they were spoon-fed.

I'm one of those who think we can do better. So far, in the last 20 years, I have managed to thoroughly convinced two other people (tho one thinks I'm barking mad) ;)

[Arpheus]

The bottom line is nothing new politics sucks heh,lets stay away from such conversations its truly pointless for us we got enough on our plates to digest at this point dontcha think?:croc:

[Decibellistics]

Killer post. Kudos to you and kudos to the journalism.

[Helvetic]

High Ranking Military Denied Access

Source: examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-2383-Honolulu-Exopolitics-Examiner~y2010m7d19-Washington-Post-report-supports-accounts-of-military-personal-keeping-UFO-secrets-from-commanders?cid=publish_twitter:2383)

July 19, 2010–The Washington Post has begun publishing the results of a two year investigation into the world of Top Secret programs in the U.S. Titled: Top Secret America, the investigation aims to expose the waste, redundancy and lack of oversight of many of the Top Secret programs created in response to the 911 attacks. More specifically, it states: “The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.” One of the findings of the report is that the military chain of command is routinely undermined as personnel are ordered not to reveal their activities to their commanding officers. This supports the claims of whistleblowers who have come forward to reveal cases of military personnel being ordered not to tell commanders about Top Secret programs to which they had been recruited. The programs in question concerned UFO technology and extraterrestrial life, and commanding officers denied access included senior admirals and generals.

http://www.ufodigest.com/news/0808/images/admiral-wilson.jpg
Vice-Admiral Thomas Wilson denied access to UFO secrets

This is what the Washington Post report had to say about the military chain of command being undermined by programs classified Top Secret or higher (these are compartmented Special Access Programs ) that are very selective as to who has access or not:

Such secrecy can undermine the normal chain of command when senior officials use it to cut out rivals or when subordinates are ordered to keep secrets from their commanders.

According to a 22 year veteran of the U.S. Army, he was regularly called away for above Top Secret (i.e., compartmented programs) assignments involving the recovery of UFO crashes or artifacts. Clifford Stone claimed that he was instructed not to reveal anything to his regular army commander about his special training and/or assignments involving UFO technology and extraterrestrial life. Significantly, his military records made no mention of the special training he claims to have received for his classified assignments with “Project Moondust.” Stone claimed that he was initially given training in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare at Fort MacCallum, Alabama; and then given regular army assignments until called away to perform his UFO crash retrieval duties when required, and without telling anything to his regular military commander. A mysterious ‘Colonel’ was the individual who supervised Stone while performing his covert duties. Stone claims that when required for UFO retrievals he was typically called out for temporary duty (TDY) to serve between three days to a week, but in some international cases these could take longer with one month being the longest. His army service record refers to him only performing clerical duties as a typist; and has no reference to his alleged training for, or assignments with, UFO crash retrieval teams.

Another serviceman who was secretly trained and instructed not to disclose anything to his regular military commander is Dan Sherman. Stone served for 12 years in the US Air Force. Alongside his regular military training as an electronic intelligence (ELINT) analyst, Sherman was secretly trained to be an “intuitive communicator” –someone trained to conduct telepathic communications. The Above Top Secret or compartmented program was called Project Preserve Destiny (PPD). When Sherman was subsequently assigned to the NSA, he worked on a specially designed computer where he could perform both his normal ELINT work, and also work as an intuitive communicator when required with a group of extraterrestrials. The individuals responsible for Sherman’s training and subsequent covert work within the NSA were officers with the rank of Captain who would not operate through the normal chain of military command either within the USAF or within the NSA. The responsible organization appeared to be a parallel system that operated through but was not part of the NSA. He worked on PPD for almost three years.

The problem of personnel being ordered to keep secrets from commanders extends to the highest ranks of the military. Even four star flag generals or admirals can be denied access to programs by subordinates according to the Washington Post report:

One military officer involved in one such program said he was ordered to sign a document prohibiting him from disclosing it to his four-star commander, with whom he worked closely every day, because the commander was not authorized to know about it. Another senior defense official recalls the day he tried to find out about a program in his budget, only to be rebuffed by a peer. "What do you mean you can't tell me? I pay for the program," he recalled saying in a heated exchange.

This supports an account from a former astronaut, Edgar Mitchell, who claims that in 1997, he witnessed a three star admiral who was head of intelligence for the Joint Chiefs of Staff being rebuffed from learning about a compartment program involving UFOs. In an interview on Larry King Live, Mitchell confirmed the following account of what occurred with Vice-Admiral Thomas Wilson:

Once Admiral Wilson identified this group, he told the contact person in this super-secret cell: “I want to know about this project.” And he was told, “Sir, you don’t have a need to know. We can’t tell you.” Now, can you imagine being an admiral, J-2, the head of intelligence for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Pentagon, and being told, “We not going to tell you”? Well, he was shocked and angry.

"Breaking The Spear Of Destiny"

[Mandala]

I just watched an excellent video in which Washington Post investigator, Dana Priest, is looking into the government after 9-11. The more interviews she conducts, the bigger the story. It it good to see something being investigated in main stream media; however that being said, I wonder how much she will be allowed to tell before she steps on too many PTB toes.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/frontline-video/

Mandala

[MorningSong]

To know what's new at the WashPost "Top Secret America" site- check it out: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/

From the blog: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/2010/07/congress_white_house_react_to.html



Congress, White House react to 'Top Secret America'

On Monday morning, Acting Director of National Intelligence David C. Gompert weighed in on the reporting in The Washington Post series "Top Secret America."

As the day progressed, lawmakers and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs weighed in as well.

"Do you have any problem with what the Post published? Did it in your view compromise national security?" Gibbs was asked at the daily briefing Monday.

"Well, look, I'm not going to get into some of the discussions that we had," Gibbs said. "Obviously there were some concerns. And I think The Post covered that there were some concerns, about certain data and the availability of some of that data."

The Post reported that it allowed government officials to see the 'Top Secret America' Web site several months ago and asked if there were any specific concerns about the upcoming revelations.

Gibbs called providing for intelligence infrastructure "a balancing act" between "ensuring that we have both the best capabilities in the world" and "not wasting taxpayer dollars."

At the Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was coming under "increasing pressure to end her standoff with the White House on Congressional oversight of the intelligence community," The Hill reported. And Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, pointed to The Post series to argue for speedy passage of the revised intelligence authorization bill unanimously passed by his panel Monday.

"We can do more to keep our nation safe, and improving Congressional oversight and ensuring the top spy chief has the authority needed to streamline our intelligence community are the first steps," he said.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the first story in the series showed the need to reform the intelligence bureaucracy:

The first story in this series generally tells us a lot of what was already known--the national security bureaucracy is large, redundant and lacks the nimbleness to respond to threats posed to our nation. The first installment somewhat overstates the problem of intelligence growth by conflating intelligence and defense activities, but it supports my long-held belief that the answer to addressing threats to American security won't come in the form of a larger intelligence bureaucracy. It will come from building a streamlined and integrated national security community that is capable of quickly responding to current and emerging threats.

In 2006, as chairman of this committee, we examined this issue and issued a report that found problems with bureaucratic growth at the top and a lack of urgency and direction within the intelligence community. It is frustrating that years later, others are looking at this issue and finding the exact same problems.

Congressional Republicans have pushed for years to address these issues, by seeking to limit bureaucratic growth at our intelligence agencies and focusing scarce national security dollars towards operations and away from agency headquarters. Republicans also have fought successfully to cut pork-barrel spending in the annual intelligence bill by eliminating the earmarks that fuel some of the unnecessary growth and don't offer the American people the transparency they need or deserve for directed spending.

Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee will continue to push to get resources and funding to our intelligence professionals in the field and out of Washington. As we have in the past, we will continue efforts to limit bureaucratic growth, redundancy and earmarks in future intelligence bills to get money where it is needed most--providing for the security and protection of our nation.

By Garance Franke-Ruta | July 20, 2010; 2:12 PM ET

[str8thinker]

Dana Priest and William Arkin's Washington Post investigation was reported in the Denver Post today, possibly an update:


Posted: 12/20/2010 03:00:00 AM MST

Today's story, along with related material on The Post's website, examines how Top Secret America plays out at the local level. It describes a web of 4,058 federal, state and local organizations, each with its own counterterrorism responsibilities and jurisdictions. At least 935 of these organizations have been created since the 2001 attacks or became involved in counterterrorism for the first time after 9/11.

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_16900772

Thanks for bringing this important thread to Project Avalon.