Executive order: Obama grabs communications

There is this report from the Canada Free Press by: Doug Hagmann & Joseph Hagmann

In the event you missed the Friday news dump, Barack Hussein Obama issued yet another executive order. Titled “Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions,” it may be read in its entirety on the White House website here. At first blush, it appears that the order modernizes previous communications functionality, particularly as it relates to the continuity of governmental communication during wartime or national crisis as defined by Obama.

The text of the order itself consists of 2,205 words and seven-(7) sections and multiple subsections. The policy statement (section one) seems innocuous and actually beneficial to the continuity of communications within the U.S., until one begins to dissect the order and consider it in context with other Obama issued directives. Extensive analysis of this order, in tandem with other recent Obama orders and signed legislation, suggests a disconcerting pattern of potential overreach by Obama into the area of normal and customary commercial communication systems.

Based on our analysis of this order, it would appear that the implementation of emergency communications by Obama, using all forms of wired and wireless communication systems, is redirected through the Executive branch and could expand such takeover abilities beyond the limits of an actual act of war, national emergency, or other event impacting the national security of the U.S. The order also mandates that the Department of Homeland Security develops and submits such a plan to Obama within sixty-(60) days of this order (section 5.2(h)).

You can read the entire Executive Order at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/06/executive-order-assignment-national-security-and-emergency-preparedness-

Homeland Security Equipment Missing: Worth Millions

Well, the US Government agency I love to hate is in the news again.

So what has the infamous Department of Homeland Security done this time? It is not hard to guess if you have read the stories I have published on this blog in the past. Yes, they have wasted more taxpayer money, and this latest fiasco has now put this country in more potential jeopardy from a terrorist attack.

Television investigative reporter Brian Collister on the WOAI-TV website has uncovered a very disturbing story involving national security, theft of US government property, and the war on terror.

He reported yesterday that agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have lost over $32 million in missing equipment used to fight terrorism that was paid for from taxpayer money. And what makes matters worse is no one knows if the bad guys have gotten a hold of the missing equipment.

The list of missing equipment includes thousands of computers and laptops, some containing sensitive information US Government information; devices to detect explosives, like the ones used to scan your bags at the airport; and thousands of pieces of surveillance equipment, like night vision cameras used along the Mexican border to spot people illegally crossing into the U.S., including potential terrorists.

You can view the complete video story at http://www.woai.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=615825@video.woai.com

You can read the complete story at
http://www.woai.com/content/troubleshooters/story.aspx?content_id=3966ec08-c1a3-4608-83d8-37ba6f804d86

The Btown MP believes if you were one of the individuals within DHS who lost any of this equipment, especially the computer equipment with sensitive information on on it, you should be held criminally responsible and also have to reimburse the taxpayers for these losses.

Also to those jerks in the US Senate that are so concerned about who sees what NFL football games on TV. Time you quit your stupid political games and get to the bottom of this mess. Get the hearings started on what we pay you to do, or we, the taxpayers will have to see about putting someone in office who will do the job.

Who are these idiot senators wasting the taxpayers time and money?

Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, both D-R.I.; Pete Domenici, R-N.M.; Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, both R-Wyo.; Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Ken Salazar, D-Colo.; Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent; Wayne Allard, R-Colo.; and John Thune, R-S.D.

Hey gents, DO YOUR JOBS YOU BIG DUMMIES!!!

Another Government Loser - 700 MHz PS Band

If you don't like editorial comments then pass this puppy by. But I just can't sit back and let this one go any further. The opinions below are my own. Blame me and the first amendment if you don't like the message.

When the United States Government has a problem they have three things they can do to solve it.

1. Conduct more training of their employees.

2. Reorganize the organizational chart or create an entirely new organization from several others.

3. Throw lots of taxpayer money at the problem and hope that the problem goes away.

In the aftermath of 9/11, Congress decided to do all three to fix some of the perceived problems resulting from that terrorist attack. But what was the Congressional "big fix" as a result of the 9/11 attack? Why nothing short of the biggest boondoggle in the history of this country (next to Congress)...the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Yes, you know who the Department of Homeland Security is. This is the government agency that wants every American home to put up plastic sheeting with duck tape to protect our population from a chemical, nuclear or biological attack.

These are the same folks who invented the elegant and most useful color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System.

And these are the same folks who disbursed $36,300 in taxpayer money in the form of a grant to the state of Kentucky to keep terrorists from playing bingo or running a charitable game to raise large amounts of cash.

Nope I am not kidding. I honestly couldn't make stuff like this up but they can. And their love for spending the taxpayer dollar does not stop with this insanity.

Where else on the planet would you find a government agency that has spent taxpayer money to design, print and distribute a 20 page coloring book for children on...can I have a drum roll please.....public safety communications interoperability?

Are you hearing me folks? I said a kids coloring book on interop. Bravo, just bravo DHS. You have given the children of the world such a great gift. Why I think there should be one of these waiting under the christmas tree this year for every choild in America.



So how well received has this DHS publication been in the public safety community? Here is Steve Jones' take on this DHS publication posted on the First Response Coalition blog:

"Now, I know what you must be thinking: 'first our tax dollars get spent on a ridiculous color-coded Threat Advisory System, and now a coloring book?'

"But hold on. SAFECOM (part of DHS-LVH) has actually produced what I think is a very useful document, especially for those not up to speed on the communications challenges first responders face."

Hey Steve. When was the last time you where drug tested my man. Just damn! Where are my crayons? I want to get started on this puppy right away.

So what morons thought this project up. Probably the same DHS employees who have wasted $2.1 billion dollars of taxpayer money on Public Safety interoperability spending, uh, oh yea, they call it investments these days.

Well, I officially award the DHS and the entire bunch at Safecom a golden fleece award. You have proven without a doubt that you can waste the tapayers money on absolutely nothing worthwhile.

But wait. Yes you guessed it. There is even more from the wonderful folks at DHS and Safecom.

They along with Congress are promoting the one thing that will help prevent the next attack and save the lives of our first responders. So what is this great savior of all of mankind that the buffoons in Congress and DHS/Safecom constantly push in the media. What is truly the Holy Grail of interoperability?

It is the 700 MHz public safety interoperability band.

But can DHS, the politically corrupt commissioners at the FCC, and the bunch in Safecom get this one right? Yep, you guessed it - no!

The Washington Post reports the 700 MHz public service radio network, designed to deliver interoperability for the nation’s law enforcement agencies, is at “high risk of failure,” according to the Justice Department’s Inspector General (pdf report). DHS has distributed $2.15 billion since 9/11, encouraging state and local agencies to use the federal funding to purchase Project 25 radios for interoperability, the GAO said. But the effectiveness of those standards in making systems more interoperable has not been proven, according to the GAO.

“Ambiguities in the standards have led to incompatibilities among products made by different vendors, and no compliance testing (by our government agencies-lvh) has been conducted to determine if those products are interoperable,” the GAO said.

The reason why the government hasn't conducted any compliance testing is that they are to busy designing and creating kids coloring books to help them describe their jobs.

If you would like to read an interesting speech that shows the depth of how much DHS just doesn't get the interop problem then look no further than a speech made by then DHS department head Tom Ridge in New Orleans a little less than one year before Katrina hit the city. You can read it at http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/speeches/speech_0216.shtm.

So I think it is time for the taxpayers in this country to demand more from these idiots in Washington DC. DHS is a total waste of the taxpayer dollar, a huge waste of skin, and an agency that should have never been established in the first place by the losers in Congress. I say scrap the whole mess and let's start all over. Let's get it right this time. It is time to fire the deadwood in Washington and put some common sense in its place. So now can I take down my duck taped plastic sheeting?

Oh, one more thing dear reader. Did I mention that the pictures in the interop coloring book are already colored? Guess they had nothing better to do at Safecom.

Our founding fathers must be rolling over in their graves.

Exercise TOPOFF 4 to run from Oct 15-19

Thanks to J Doe and the Fedcom newsgroup for this interesting tidbit. Here is an upcoming DHS exercise that may provide some an interesting listening opportunity, but then again we might not hear a peep. Let us know what your hear.

The United States will test this month its preparedness for a large scale terrorist attack with a dirty bomb, a Homeland Security Department official said Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will conduct the largest and most comprehensive counterterrorism exercise to date from Oct. 15-19 in Arizona and Oregon, and the U.S. territory of Guam. Top Officials 4 (TOPOFF 4) is the fourth in a series of congressionally-mandated exercises and involves various federal agencies as well as the governments of Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.

"The National Intelligence Estimate and recent activity overseas reinforce that we are in a period of increased risk," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. "Exercises like TOPOFF help test response capabilities at all levels, strengthen national preparedness and deepen international coordination. By responding realistically to these simulated attacks, we're able to identify our strengths and weaknesses, build better partnerships, and gain valuable knowledge for securing the nation against terrorist attacks and other natural disasters."

TOPOFF 4 will involve more than 15,000 participants from all levels of government, international partners and the private sector in a full-scale, simulated response to radiological dispersal device attacks.

"TOPOFF stresses our preparedness and response systems with situations that no single agency or jurisdiction could handle on its own," said David Paulison, Administrator of DHS' Federal Emergency Management Agency. "The right response actually takes thousands of individuals working together. This exercise is about strengthening working relationships within our partners in federal, state and local agencies, emergency management communities and private industry groups. It's about increasing preparedness by sharing information and processes."

And from the DHS website at http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/training/gc_1179350946764.shtm

TOPOFF 4: Exercising National Preparedness

Top Officials 4 (TOPOFF 4) is the Nation’s premier terrorism preparedness exercise, involving top officials at every level of government, as well as representatives from the international community and private sector. Taking place October 15-19, 2007, the TOPOFF 4 Full-Scale Exercise (T4 FSE) will feature thousands of federal, state, territorial, and local officials. These officials will engage in various activities as part of a robust, full-scale simulated response to a multi-faceted threat.

The exercise will address policy and strategic issues that mobilize prevention and response systems, require participants to make difficult decisions, carry out essential functions, and challenge their ability to maintain a common operating picture during an incident of national significance.

New Challenges in TOPOFF 4
The TOPOFF 4 Full-Scale Exercise builds on knowledge derived from earlier TOPOFF exercises and recent real world events, and contains several new elements:

-- Increased coordination with U.S. Department of Defense exercises to combat global terrorism

-- Expanded emphasis on prevention – the opportunity to piece together an intelligence “puzzle” and stop an attack before it occurs

-- Focus on mass decontamination and large-scale recovery and remediation issues

-- Focus on coordinating procedures and communications with a U.S. territory

Challenging the Entire Homeland Security System
Exercises such as TOPOFF are an important component of national preparedness, helping to build an integrated Federal, State, territorial, local, and private sector capability to prevent terrorist attacks, and rapidly and effectively respond to, and recover from, any terrorist attack or major disaster that does occur. The full-scale exercise offers agencies and jurisdictions a way to test their plans and skills in a real-time, realistic environment and to gain the in-depth knowledge that only experience can provide. Participants will also exercise prevention and intelligence gathering functions, which are critical to preventing terrorist attacks. Lessons learned from the exercise will provide valuable insights to guide future planning for securing the Nation against terrorist attacks, disasters, and other emergencies.