Thursday, March 8, 2012

More From The Terrorism Boogeyman

Yesterday we learned this from FBI Director Robert Mueller's testimony before a House appropriations committee.

“Terrorists have not used the Internet to launch a full-scale cyber attack, but we cannot underestimate their intent.”

He also said terrorists have shown interest in developing hacking skills, and that the evolving nature of the problem makes the FBI’s counterterrorism mission more difficult.

So terrorists showing an interest in developing hacking skills--What, did they google "hacking skills"?--are more capable than Anonymous and LulzSec?

He could make just as much sense by claiming that a 15-year-old kid who's interested in driving can win the Indianapolis 500 his first time behind the wheel. We wouldn't want to underestimate the kid's intent.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I have to go back. Uh, I'm not certain whether that was addressed or not," Mueller said when asked by Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kan., about a distinction between domestic and foreign targeting

Yoder followed up asking whether "from a historical perspective," the federal government has "the ability to kill a U.S. citizen on United States soil or just overseas."

"I'm going to defer that to others in the Department of Justice," Mueller replied.

That's the real story of Mueller's testimony. I hate to say it, but only Fox is covering the director of the FBI's uncertainity whether the rule of law still protects US citizens on US soil from secret execution orders.

Spokane Al said...

Hank, isn't that what our intelligence services supposed to do? - analyze potential and intent rather than just waiting and reacting? Isn't that what we beat them up for concerning 9/11?

Anonymous said...

We're all a lot safer now that they've jailed the "cyber-terrorists" who planted the rumor that Tupac Shakur was alive and well and kicking it in New Zealand. Bastards! Release the dronez! Give them the doo doo process Holder-style!

Meanwhile, the banksters rake in profits and torture goes unpunished.

I suspect the remnants of al Qaeda are shopping on Amazon for mini-drones rather than logging into reddit to learn cool hax.

Tupac lives!

The Tasty Hydrogen-Filled Pinata said...

The Justice Department looks completely bipolar. Mueller is the sad sack depressive, and Holder has that maniacal glare. I really think Holder is losing his marbles.

There's a paranoid whiff of Nixon farting everytime Obama opens his mouth, too. Weird.

Not that I'd prefer the vacant dollhouse Romney. Lights on, but nobody's home. In terms of mental acuity, Romney seems to be starting where Reagan left off.

I accept that America is no longer a meritocracy. Wall Street proved that scum rises to the top, not brains or talent.

But, the crazytocracy on the political side isn't as amusing as it used to be.

Hank Greer said...

Al,

Yes our intelligence services are supposed to do exactly that. But what I get from this is more fear mongering with the threat of terrorism while that same threat from a group of people with the skills--which terrorists allegedly have shown an interest in--has been thwarted by some darned good police work.

It doesn't make sense to me.