-Caveat Lector- [radtimes] # 162 An informally produced compendium of vital irregularities. "We're living in rad times!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to assist RadTimes--> (See ** at end.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents: --Biowarfare Warning --Anarchists Plot Protests To Disrupt Election --NSA listens to bin Laden --Send in the Goons --CSIS predicts anarchists will bring violence to global summit --Radicals want violence at Quebec summit, says CSIS =================================================================== Biowarfare Warning <http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v285n6/ffull/jwm10001-3.html> by Joan Stephenson, PhD Australian scientists who inadvertently created a deadly mouse virus issued a warning last month that the global Biological Weapons Convention should be strengthened to reflect concern that their approach could be employed to modify human viruses for use as biological weapons. The lethal mouse virus was the unintended creation of investigators at the Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) for the Biological Control of Pest Animals, Canberra. The researchers, who were attempting to create a contraceptive vaccine to be used for pest control, used mousepox virus as a vector to introduce genes for mouse egg proteins into mice for the purpose of stimulating antiegg antibodies to curb fertility. (The types of mice used in the study are normally resistant to mousepox infection.) However, when the researchers introduced another element, a gene for interleukin 4 (IL-4)to the mousepox vector to help boost antibody production, they made a surprising discovery: instead of having the desired effect, the modified mousepox virus suppressed the animals' cell-mediated immunity and killed all the mice within 9 days. The gene alteration also made vaccines that normally protect mice against mousepox less effective. Although mousepox does not affect humans, the discovery raises concern that analogous modifications to such human viruses as smallpox could create deadly human pathogens against which current vaccines are ineffective. The CRC study is reported in the February issue of the Journal of Virology. =================================================================== Anarchists Plot May Protests To Disrupt Election BY STEWART TENDLER AND DANIEL MCGRORY The Times, London 02/13/01 EXTREMIST groups are plotting to paralyse London with violent May Day protests 48 hours before the expected general election polling day. Intelligence reports say that organisers are recruiting support from abroad to choke the capital on May 1. They intend the protests to spill over to election day. Police are monitoring "electronic traffic" between anarchist groups to thwart their plans, amid fears that ringleaders are intent on causing more trouble than at last year's May Day protests. Sir John Stevens, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said that he was drawing up plans to cancel all leave over the May Day period and was considering a ban on all protests in the capital. He has been shown intelligence reports on how organisers want to exploit the timing of their May 1 protest to embarrass the main political parties. British anti-capitalist protesters are urging extremists from abroad to visit because of the publicity that the London rallies would get so close to a general election. The fears of the police are shared by ministers, who are daunted by the prospect of campaigning on law and order while there are running street battles around the capital. Every security agency in the country has been told to concentrate its efforts on uncovering then blocking the protesters' plans. Sir John said that if necessary he would borrow officers from neighbouring forces to reinforce the Metropolitan Police ranks. Sir John, speaking to The Times to mark his first year as leader of Britain's biggest force, said that last year the protesters planned to take over a government building in Whitehall and challenge police to remove them, but they were thwarted. This year he said that the Yard had drawn up contingency plans. "We will have the resources to meet, match and beat (the protesters). We cannot have the streets of London descending into anarchy, people being physically hurt or damage done. That cannot be allowed," Sir John said. The problem with the police and other intelligence services eavesdropping on the protesters is that the groups know that their planning on the Internet is being monitored. Aware that anyone can access such websites, the organisers are believed to be sending false information. The belief is that there will be a major protest at a well-known, symbolic London venue, which will be advertised on the Internet - but the real trouble will come from breakaway groups that will strike at alternative sites. =================================================================== NSA listens to bin Laden http://www.vny.com/cf/News/upidetail.cfm?QID=159822 Tuesday, 13 February 2001 By RICHARD SALE, Terrorism Correspondent WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- If you like to use your e-mail to convey enticements to your sweetie or snuggle down and trade intimate long distance calls at midnight, you may want to think again, especially if you are connected with anything that the U.S. government regards as a threat to national security. Ask Saudi exile and terrorist Osama bin Laden. The U.S. case unfolding against him in United States District Court in Manhattan is based mainly on National Security Agency intercepts of phone calls between bin Laden and his operatives around the world -- Afghanistan to London, from Kenya to the United States. The 321-count indictment charges that bin Laden is chief of a shadowy group called Al Qaeda, or "The Base," whose aim is to kill U.S. nationals anywhere in the world. Specifically mentioned in the indictment are the 1993 murder in Somalia of 18 U.S. Army Rangers and the 1998 bombing of two U.S. Embassies in East Africa that killed 224 and injured more than 4,000. It is perhaps ironic that a current defendant in the trial, Khalid Al Fawwaz, waiting to be extradited from Britain and who allegedly ran bin Laden's "media information office" in London, procured for Bin Laden a satellite phone. Fawwaz also provided satellite phones for other members of the bin Laden's group, "to facilitate communications," the indictment said. Instead the phones facilitated his and the others' downfall. The London Al Qaeda office served as a conduit for messages, including reports on military and security matters from various terrorist cells. For example, bin Laden called Fawwaz in the London office many times to discuss financial disbursements and other matters, according to the indictment. Just before the Aug. 7 embassy bombings, a suicide bomber, Mohamed Rashed Daoud al-Owhali, contacted an Al Qaeda number in Yemen from a safe house in Nairobi. Owhali called that same number the next day from a hospital clinic and would make a series of phone calls from Nairobi to Yemen. The indictment clearly links bin Laden's satellite telephone calls to the East Africa bombings in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam. On Aug. 11, two days after the bombings were completed, bin Laden's satellite number phone was used to contact network operatives in Yemen, at a number frequently called by perpetrators of the bombing from their safe house in Nairobi. What pulled all this information together? A system called ECHELON is said to be mainly responsible, according to U.S. government officials who requested anonymity. They said that ECHELON is designed by the National Security Agency based at Fort Meade, between Washington and Baltimore, Md., and that the system is linked with special collections stations around the world, which allow signals intelligence agencies to increase surveillance over the Internet and of databases, faxes, phone calls and e-mails connected with it. The stations are run by the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, sources said. The targets of ECHELON center on the penetration of the major components of most of the world's telephone and telecommunications systems. This could cover conversations NSA targets. Also included are all telexes carried over the world's telecommunications networks, along with financial dealings: money transfers, airline destinations, stock information, data on demonstrations or international conferences, and much more. When United Press International wanted to send some information to a former CIA official about Ayman al-Zawahiri, a senior bin Laden military commander and organizer, the intelligence official exclaimed," My God, don't put that in an e-mail," indicating that the worldwide listening system would light up. "NSA has huge watch lists" and he didn't want to be on one, he said. According to a half dozen specialists interviewed by UPI, ECHELON doesn't listen in on a particular individual. Instead, the system vacuums up tremendous amounts of communications and then uses dictionary computers to sort and identify the messages that have any intelligence value. These are sent immediately to the headquarters of the listening organization -- in the NSA's case, the vast complex of buildings and computers at Fort Meade that houses 20,000 employees. The dictionary computers are supplied with key words -- names of terrorists or political groups or crime organizations. The computers then begin to intercept e-mails from such groups and make a record of all contacts, and the contacts that those contacts make, adding them to a watch list. The information is recorded digitally on magnetic tapes and then turned over to analysts for scrutiny, U.S. sources said. "It's a pretty awesome capability," said a former Defense Intelligence Agency official. According to him and others, the ECHELON system can intercept all the communications carried by a ring of stationary communications satellites positioned above the equator, which each day daily process hundreds of thousands of e-mails, phone calls and telexes. Also targeted are microwave networks over land, and undersea cables systems. Once the undersea cables emerge from the sea and join with the network of line-of-sight microwave towers, they are "extremely vulnerable" to interception, in the words of one U.S. expert. The NSA listening station at Sugar Grove, about 150 miles from Washington in the hills of West Virginia, covers Atlantic Intelsats transmitting to North and South America. In one operation a few years ago, officials at the European Union's offices in Luxembourg complained to U.S. officials that the E.U. had evidence that NSA had used the Internet to penetrate the e-mails that linked the 5,000 EU elected officials and bureaucrats. Such activity has been used recently to monitor talk about the EU wanting to set up its own defense force, a U.S. officials said on condition of not being named. "It's a freebee," said a former senior U.S. intelligence official. "It's a tremendously rich source of material. We'd be fools not to use it." Asked about its legality, he replied, "This isn't about legality. This is about trying to protect American lives." Another NSA listening post at Yakima, Wash., inside a U.S. Army firing range there, is used to listen in on the Pacific Intelsats. They are aided by stations in New Zealand, which has stations at Waihopai, and a station at Geraldton in Western Australia that pick up what Yakima is unable to hear. Another series of stations at Menwith Hill in England; Shoal Bay near Darwin in northern Australia; Leitrim, just south of Ottawa, Canada; Misawa in Japan; and Bad Aidblig in Germany, listen in on happenings in Russia, these sources said. The stations are formidable installations. The one at Menwith Hill consists of 4.9 acres of buildings with 22 or more satellite terminals, U.S. government officials said. The Menwith Hill station has played a key part in tracking bin Laden, according to U.S. government sources. In 1991, it was given the NSA "Station of the Year" prize for its performance during the Gulf War. The station also serves as a ground station for real-time data transmissions from U.S. electronic spy satellites like Vortex, which can intercept military communications from walkie-talkies to military radios or any microwave transmissions. Since 1995, bin Laden has tried to protect his communications with a "full suite of tools," according to Ben Venzke, director of intelligence, special projects, for iDefense, a Virginia information warfare firm. Coded letters, encryption of calls, verbal ciphers, messengers that elude technical collection, embedding messages in Internet porno films -- all are being used. Since Bin Laden started to encrypt certain calls in 1995, why would they now be part of a court record? "Codes were broken," US officials said, and Venzke added that you don't use your highest level of secure communications all the time. It's too burdensome, and it exposes it to other types of exploitation." During an insurgency in Cyprus in the 1950s, the British found the rebels were using female motorcycle riders to carry messages back and forth. Bin Laden is doing the same. But while messengers are fine, their use "is dependent very much on the speed you require," Venzke said: "Communication has to be safe, but it has to be efficient too." The best way to augment signals intelligence is with HUMINT -- human intelligence, placing a source "close to the target," said Venzke. "HUMINT is essential. It's hard to place assets where they are needed to be, but they're essential for exact information," he said. =================================================================== Send in the Goons By Robert Rees Honolulu Weekly, Feb. 7, 2001 The Honolulu City Council committees on Transportation and Planning and Public Safety met jointly on Jan. 31 to discuss a single agenda item, the plans to curtail free speech when the Asia Development Bank meets in Hawaii at the Hawaii Convention Center. Attending the May 7-11 ADB meeting will be representatives of 60 owning countries, 1200 investment bankers and as many as 400 journalists. The Hawaii Tourism Authority considers hosting the event a coup, and the HTA's executive director, Bob Fishman, was on hand to tell the Council how important it is that Hawaii "makes a good impression" on these cash-laden and opinion-leading visitors. Fishman warned that the opponents of globalization have learned to utilize international conferences as venues for expressing concerns. Hawaii, hungry for business, was chosen for the ADB conference because it promised an oasis of security. To hold up its end of the deal, Honolulu plans to spend an extra $7 million on crowd control. Rationalized Fishman, "We are training and developing a police force for a higher level of proficiency that makes Hawaii a more attractive place." Assistant Chief of Police Boisse Correa assured the Council that "We're on top of this," but added, "We need more riot equipment." Correa noted also that "the National Guard is working with us," and "all leaves will be canceled." Correa didn't disclose that the HPD has asked the state judiciary to cancel all scheduled court appearances by HPD officers during the conference, and has arranged for alternative sites for arraignment and detention of protesters. Further, as first reported by the Hawaii Chapter of Refuse & Resist, the City Council is rushing to pass new ordinances to make the job of the HPD easier. Says Council Chair Jon Yoshimura, "We are giving the HPD additional tools to deal with protesters. These tools are patterned after what Los Angeles has done."(Among other things, it will be illegal to wear a mask "with the intent to commit a crime," police dogs will be allowed in our parks and campers will be arrested.) Correa did reveal that certain city parks will be shut down. Ostensibly this is to provide staging areas for the HPD in its new role, as an occupying army, but it will have the effect of choking off any opportunity for protesters to legally congregate in our public forums. This, in turn, will force the protesters to the streets. Getting into this spirit of Dr. Strangelove, Transportation director Cheryl Soon noted solemnly that bus routes might have to be altered. Further, intoned Soon, "We will give out [revised bus schedules and routes] only on a need to know basis." Of special concern was Fishman's promise, "We will not tolerate excessive inconvenience?" As a policy, this is an excuse for stifling free speech based on content. In fact, if we applied Fishman's convenience rule to the Martin Luther King Jr. parade financed by the city, or to the Convention Center itself, neither would exist. It's enough to make you want to protest. In fact, with President Bush possibly on hand, the international forum provides a grand opportunity for a highly visible demonstration on behalf of freedom for diversity and dissent. =================================================================== CSIS predicts anarchists will bring violence to global summit http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20010213/473136.html April meeting in Quebec Jim Bronskill Southam News OTTAWA - The likelihood of violence at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City has increased with calls from anarchists and other radicals to use force -- possibly including bricks and gasoline bombs -- to make their case against globalization, says Canada's spy agency. A Canadian Security Intelligence Service report warns the expected "presence of some violence-prone individuals" raises fresh concerns about the April gathering of the Organization of American States. The newly obtained report, prepared in December, says the threat of serious disruption escalated last October with efforts to form "anarchist affinity groups" to plan activities ranging from projectile attacks to human blockades. "Anarchist elements are actively organizing to protest the summit," says the confidential report, released to Southam News under the Access to Information Act. The hemispheric meeting will bring together the leaders of 34 countries, including Canada, to discuss free trade and investment. Protesters argue corporate globalization and the unbridled pursuit of profit are seriously eroding the rights of workers, feeding social injustices and damaging the environment. For almost a year, activists have been preparing for the summit through Internet sites, e-mail, meetings and training camps. While many demonstrators intend to express opposition peacefully, some are calling for "direct action" to achieve goals. At previous global summits, the more extreme members of the anti-globalization movement have smashed windows, set fires and trashed stores. For several months, some activists have urged protesters to shut down the Quebec City meetings. =================================================================== Radicals want violence at Quebec summit, says CSIS Bricks and gasoline bombs may be used at April meeting Jim Bronskill Southam Newspapers; Southam News Tuesday 13 February 2001 The likelihood of violence at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City has increased with calls from anarchists and other radicals to use force -- possibly including bricks and gasoline bombs -- to make their case against globalization, says Canada's spy agency. A Canadian Security Intelligence Service report warns the expected "presence of some violence-prone individuals" raises fresh concerns about the April gathering of the Organization of American States. The newly obtained report, prepared in December, says the threat of serious disruption escalated last October with efforts to form "anarchist affinity groups" to plan activities ranging from projectile attacks to human blockades. "Anarchist elements are actively organizing to protest the summit," says the confidential report, released to Southam News under the Access to Information Act. The hemispheric meeting will bring together the leaders of 34 countries, including Canada, to discuss free trade and investment. Protesters argue corporate globalization and the unbridled pursuit of profit are seriously eroding the rights of workers, feeding social injustices and damaging the environment. For almost a year, activists have been preparing for the summit through Internet sites, e-mail, meetings and training camps. While many demonstrators intend to express opposition peacefully, some are calling for "direct action" to achieve goals. At previous global summits, the more extreme members of the anti-globalization movement have smashed windows, set fires and trashed stores. For several months, some activists have urged protesters to shut down the Quebec City meetings. In an interview, CSIS spokesperson Dan Lambert said "the radical anarchist fringe" has demonstrated a willingness to use violence. "Given the situation, there is a likelihood of disruptive activity." The CSIS report stresses most protest groups will "conduct their activities in a peaceful, legitimate manner." But the possibility of violence is heightened by the efforts of a "loosely organized cluster" of alliances and individuals known as the Black Bloc to establish an anarchist presence in Quebec City and form "affinity groups" of five to 10 individuals. Pamphlets distributed in Montreal suggested these groups handle various arrangements including medical services, projectile attacks, emergency intervention, human blockade, police surveillance and communication. =================================================================== "Anarchy doesn't mean out of control. It means out of 'their' control." -Jim Dodge ====================================================== "Communications without intelligence is noise; intelligence without communications is irrelevant." -Gen. Alfred. M. Gray, USMC ====================================================== "It is not a sign of good health to be well adjusted to a sick society." -J. Krishnamurti ====================================================== "The world is my country, all mankind my brethren, and to do good is my religion." -Thomas Paine ______________________________________________________________ To subscribe/unsubscribe or for a sample copy or a list of back issues, send appropriate email to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. ______________________________________________________________ **How to assist RadTimes: An account is available at <www.paypal.com> which enables direct donations. If you are a current PayPal user, use this email address: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, to contribute. If you are not a current user, use this link: <https://secure.paypal.com/refer/pal=resist%40best.com> to sign up and contribute. The only information passed on to me via this process is your email address and the amount you transfer. Thanks! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
